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"That’s it!" whispered Ben "That’s what it looked like Exactly like that"

Lola Graytail’s plane was hu beside him The rat opened the cockpit and leaned out

"Hey!" she shouted over the noise of the propeller "Is that the place?"

Ben nodded

Satisfied, Lola closed the cockpit and flew on ahead Her plane made much better speed than the others had expected, but for the dragon, this was the easiest flight of the whole journey He soared silently over the wide valley, left the river behind, and rose toward the high e and sether on the cliff Ben saw tall, less stone turrets rising upward, dark and narros, shallow roofs, high walls, and pathinding like ribbons of rock down the mountainside

"Where should I land?" Firedrake called to the rat

"In the courtyard in front of theto fear from these people Anyway, they’ll all be asleep at this ti noise, the little plane swooped down

"Look, look!" cried Sorrel as Firedrake circled above the courtyard in front of the largest building "There’s the professor!"

The dragon descended through the night air As they landed, a tall figure rose fro and strode toward Firedrake

"My word, have I been worried!" cried Professor Greenbloom "Where’ve you been all this time?" His voice echoed around the ancient walls, but still nothing stirred apart fro over the stones

"We were delayed -- had to save our little huiant bird," Sorrel told him as she clambered off Firedrake’s back with her backpack

"What?" The professor looked up at Ben in alaron’s tail

"Not so bad?" cried the professor when he and Ben were face-to-face "Good heavens, you’re scratched all over"

"Scratched but not eaten alive," Sorrel pointed out "That’s soht?"

"Well, yes, if you look at it that way" Barnabas Greenbloom took a step backward and almost stepped on the rat’s plane

"Hey, look out!" squeaked Lola shrilly "Watch where you’re stepping, can’t you, you great clumsy lump"

The startled professor turned around Lola Graytail clambered out of her cockpit and ju heavily "Hello, Professor I’ve heard a lot about you!" she said

"You have? I hope it was all good" Professor Greenblooently "And who flattered, Lola giggled "Graytail," she replied "Lola Graytail, pilot, cartographer, and on this occasion, foreign tour guide"