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"I know, I know," the raven cawed apologetically "You’re right But as I to do? They kept throwing stones atout, so I looked for a nice safe tree and kept an eye on you"

"Oh, kept an eye on ht of you for three whole nights going halfway around the world -- and now, you show up! Coain without another word

The raven flapped after hi cross

"All very well for you to talk," he snapped "You think it was easy for on? He flies three ti spat contemptuously into the dust "Why do you think our rain ever since you could hop? Now shut up I’ve got "

The old water cistern lay beyond a low hill, with a narrow flight of stone steps leading down to it The stone was cracked, and wild flowers grew in the nooks and crannies Twigleg scurried down the steps and saw that the water in the old reservoir was cloudy and covered with dust Taking a deep breath, the hoe

"Tell hi up into a leafless tree

But Twigleg ignored hie of Nettlebrand’s head appeared in the cistern, e between the dragon’svery miserable as he dusted them with a bunch of peacock feathers

"Three -- whole -- days!" growled Nettlebrand in a ly low voice "What did I tell you?"

"There was nothing to report,"Sun and dust, that’s all we’ve seen these last few days, nothing but sun and dust I was hiding in the boy’s backpack almost the whole time I’m all crumpled up"

"When do you reach the djinn?" Nettlebrand snapped

"Toain I suppose I’d better continue the journey on his back now"

"Nonsense!" Nettlebrand bared his teeth "You stay in that boy’s backpack The closer you stick to them the sooner you’ll hear the djinn’s reply The raven will follow you, just in case"

"But that brownie girl!" Twigleg objected "She doesn’t trust leg bent his head "In fact the boy even protects me from the brownie"

Nettlebrand’s terrible riht to thank hions are Aaah!" He closed his red eyes "What a feast that’ll be! As soon as you have the answer let htaway and before that fool of a silver dragon is airborne again I’ll have reached the Rie of his master He knew very well that Nettlebrand couldn’t fly "How are you going to do that?" he asked "It will be a long journey for you"

"Oh, I have rowled Nettlebrand, "but that’s none of your business, spindly-legs Go back now before anyone gets suspicious I’ nodded "At once,a flower that grew beside the water "That tall human, Greenbloom, he had two of your scales"

Suddenly all was very quiet, apart frorass