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The hoe brownie looked down suspiciously, inspected the huon

"Well, fancy that!" he cried in the language of fabulous creatures, which can be understood at once by any other living creature, huht better of it after all, have you? After soplace by now!" The strange brownie spat scornfully on the rock "So, what’s happened for them to send you here all of a sudden to ask us for help? And eird kind of brownie is that you have with you? What’s it done with its other ar up at hi brownie, you pathetic puffball And no one sent us We caons didn’t dare coe brownie, grinning "Pathetic puffball, eh? At least you know your mushrooms My name is Burr-Burr-Chan What’s yours?"

"She’s Sorrel," replied Firedrake, taking a step forward, "and you’re right about one thing: We’re here because we need help We have co way to find the Riuide us there"

"A long, long way?" Burr-Burr-Chan wrinkled his furry brow "What do you mean by that?"

"We mean," said Sorrel, "that we’ve flown halfway around the world just to listen to your smart-alecky re her aside with his nose Then he looked up at Burr-Burr-Chan again

"We come from a valley faraway to the northwest, a place where s were beginning to take over the world Now they are reaching out their greedy hands to steal our valley, too, and we must find a new home So I set out to seek the Rions I am here to ask if you know it"

"Of course I know it!" replied Burr-Burr-Chan "I know it as well as I knowtime since I was last there"

Ben held his breath

"Then it exists?" cried Sorrel "The Rim of Heaven really exists?"

"What did you think?" Burr-Burr-Chan wrinkled his nose and looked distrustfully at Firedrake "Are you sure you don’t come froons in the world?"

Firedrake nodded "Will you guide us?" he asked "Will you shohere to find the Ri , he sat down in the hole in the rock where he had appeared and dangled his legs

"Well, why not?" he said at last "But I can tell you now, you won’t get much joy from your relations"

"What’s that supposed to ed his shoulders and crossed his four arms over his chest "It , cowardly weaklings It’s been more than fifty winters since I was there, but that’s hohen last I saw theine, they don’t leave their cave anyht! When I last saw theht Their eyes were cloudy as puddles because of the darkness, their wings were dusty for lack of use, and they had fat bellies froht Yes, you may well look shocked" Burr-Burr-Chan nodded "It’s very sad to see what’s becoons" The brownie leaned forward and lowered his voice "Do you knoho they’re hiding froolden dragon They’ve been hiding ever since the night he came up out of the sea to hunt the up beside Firedrake "But where are they hiding? In a cave, you said?"