Page 48 (1/2)

The to on the colue to the burial chamber underneath it, and here and there the walls had fallen in Carvings of flowers and tendrils of leaves adorned the white stone

When Firedrake came up the steps, the two ravens perched on the do But they stayed quite close, two black dots in the cloudless sky The , and climbed the trees at the foot of the hill Firedrake stepped between the columns of the tomb, accompanied by Zubeida, and bent his neck low before the professor’s wife

Vita Greenbloom returned his bow She was almost as tall and thin as her husband, and her dark hair was turning gray Shter and looked first at the dragon, then at Sorrel

"Hoonderful to see you all," she said "And where is the dragon rider?"

"Here,up the steps with hi on rider Would you like to tell him?"

"No, I think Zubeida should do that," replied Vita Greenbloo at Ben, she sat doith hiuard outside the tootten, you see," she told the boy quietly, "until Zubeida rediscovered it"

"Yes, that’s right, but it’s a true story all the salanced up at the sky "We must keep an eye on those ravens," she murmured "They weren’t at all scared of the cats But now for the story" She stood leaning against the head of the stone dragon and looked at Ben "Well, about three hundred years ago," she began, "a boy lived down there in the village, a boy no older than you Every night when the ons coht Then one night the boy juons, and clion didn’t mind, and the boy sat there until it rose from the water and fleith hions carown man, and he lived to be so old that his hair turned white Only then did he coe and see their children and grandchildren But no sooner was he back than he fell ill, so ill that no one could help hion rider’s fever was particularly bad, a solitary dragon cah there was no entle blue fire all over it When on rider was cured, and he lived for many, many more years -- so many that there ca as he lived, enough rain fell on the village fields every year, and the fisherers built this toons And once on caon-fire over these white walls Since then, they say, any sick person who touches the stones of these walls will be cured, too When the land is cold by night and people are freezing, they can find a waron-fire lived on in them"

"Is that really true?" asked Ben "The part about the warm stones, I mean? Have you tried it out?"

Zubeida Ghalib smiled "Of course," she said "It’s just as the story says"

Ben touched the ancient wall and put his hand inside one of the carved stone flowers Then he looked at Firedrake "You never told me you had such powers," he said "Have you ever cured anyone, Firedrake?"

The dragon nodded, bending his head down to the boy "Of course I’ve cured brownies, injured anion-fire on Never hus believe that dragon-fire will burn and destroy theht so yourself, didn’t you?"

Ben nodded

"I don’t want to break up this cozy storytelling session," growled Sorrel, "but take a look at the sky, will you?"

The ravens had co above the stone do hoarsely

"Time to drive those tay" Sorrel sat down beside Ben on the stone dragon and put a hand inside her backpack "Ever since we had to get rid of that raven over the sea, I’ve gone nowhere without a good pawful of suitable stones"