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"The silver dragon’s, you pebble-brained idiot"

"But there are hus there" The dwarf adjusted his hat nervously "Lots and lots of theht, Your Goldness!"

"Shut your gob!" Nettlebrand waded through the e lay The party was still going on, and the sound ofout the roaring of the sea Nettlebrand pricked up his ears and

And there he was There was the silver dragon

Firedrake was standing on the seashore, surrounded by people, and Ben and Sorrel were just cliht air, snuffling and grunting "Ah yes, I have his scent," he breathed "He can’t escapelast the hunt is over!"

He licked his dreadful lips The thrill of the chase was running through him like wildfire, and he trod restlessly fro to follow hi a few splashes of mud off Nettlebrand’s armored brow "He can fly and you can’t"

"Huh!" Nettlebrand shook his head scornfully "There’s only one way from here into the mountains, and that’s up the river If he can fly, I can swi the saain The whispering ill tellHe turned his back to the sea, which gleaht, and looked north The crowd around hi there: a tall thin man; toon leaned down to therowled Nettlebrand "The one who has et here?"

"No idea, Your Goldness," said Gravelbeard, nervously putting a hand under his shirt to touch Barnabas Greenbloo on a ribbon around his neck

"I’ll deal with hirunted Nettlebrand "I can’t stop now Yes, I’ll save some of the fun for later"

"Look, Your Goldness," whispered Gravelbeard, "the dragon is taking off"

Firedrake was spreading his wings They shone like spun o to the Rim of Heaven, ons for lanced up at the hills

Nettlebrand’s scales flashed in the htly that Ben narrowed his eyes Next e rain cloud had drifted in front of thea dark shadow over the hilltops Puzzled, the boy stared into the night

Nettlebrand laughed hoarsely "You see, dwarf?" he growled "Even the clouds are on our side"

The silver dragon beat his wings and rose into the night sky, light as a bird He circled a couple of times over the huts, while the people down on the beach waved to hiht

Nettlebrand watched hi, he slid back down the hill and into the river He swa pelicans and fla that flew past his muzzle

"Your Goldness!" whispered Gravelbeard "I can’t swi loudly, Nettlebrand raised his nose fro quite slowly The wind’s against hi from the mountains Good"