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‘Who are you talking about?’ asked Shrii.
‘We had to get you to safety!’ called TerTaWa. ‘We couldn’t help them as well! Remember that roar? I’m afraid Kraa has eaten them.’
Ben thought he felt his heart missing a beat. He leaned so far over Firedrake’s neck that Sorrel tugged him back.
‘Firedrake!’ he shouted to the dragon. ‘We have to find Twigleg!’
‘Are you out of your mind?’ Sorrel shouted in astonishment.
But Ben was already regretting his words. Sorrel was right. Was he out of his mind? The dragons had to get away. The other griffins were coming. And then what would become of Twigleg?
‘Sorrel is right. Forget what I just said!’ he called to Firedrake. ‘You two must get away! And take Shrii with you! I’ll see about Twigleg. Just drop me off in the trees!’
Firedrake glanced at Tattoo.
The other griffins were still a long way off, but one of them was quickly taking shape. And he was making straight for Shrii. For a moment the sight of the two dragons made Tchraee forget who his prey was. Then, however, with a scream that woke every living creature on Pulau Bulu from sleep, he plunged down on the younger griffin.
Shrii was still slow after his captivity. Tchraee dug his claws into his breast before Schrii could raise his own claws to defend himself. But Schrii was young and strong. He shook Tchraee off, and when the older griffin attacked again, both dragons were beside Schrii. Tchraee struck out first at Tattoo, but Tattoo smoothly avoided his opponent’s beak, and before the griffin could attack again, Winston hit him on the chest with the club that Hothbrodd had given him. Even Berulu forgot his fear, and menacingly showed Tchraee his tiny teeth.
The old griffin was hopelessly outclassed, but all the same he went on fighting, and the sole target of his furious attack was Shrii. The dragons did all they could to provide Shrii with cover, but Firedrake felt the same anger growing inside him that he had sensed when the poachers attacked. Thanks to Ben and Sorrel, he managed to tame it. But when Tchraee, striking out desperately with his claws, tore one of Firedrake’s wings open, Tattoo lost his self-control, and while Winston was still watching Firedrake in dismay, the young dragon began breathing fire. Tchraee was enveloped in pale blue flames. They licked over the old griffin’s fur and feathers – but instead of burning, Tchraee’s body turned to ash-grey stone, and fell from the sky, rigid and petrified.
With uncomprehending horror, Tattoo watched as the stone body crashed through the canopy of leaves below them and disappeared. But there was no time to think about what had happened.
‘The others!’ cried Winston. ‘They’re coming!’
Four griffins swooped out of the night, racing towards them with furious screams of aggression.
‘Shrii!’ called Firedrake. ‘You must fly for it! We’ll cover your back, but we can’t hold them off for long!’
The young griffin was still staring at the leaves below, and the place where Tchraee had vanished. But at the sound of Firedrake’s voice he raised his head and looked at the attacking pride.
‘No!’ he called back to Firedrake. ‘I’ve been hiding for too long! Let’s find your friends!’
Ben had a protest on the tip of his tongue. But he knew Firedrake too well to think that he and Tattoo would simply fly away.
‘Oh, great!’ cried Sorrel. ‘Here we go again! Battle! Danger! Have I been missing all that? No, not a bit of it!’
Firedrake and Tattoo were already on course for the canopy of leaves. Followed by Shrii.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Unheard Of
He was thinking of the time that comes to every leader
of every pack when his strength goes from him and he gets
feebler and feebler, till at last he is killed by the wolves
and a new leader comes up – to be killed in his turn.
Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
Kraa hadn’t eaten Twigleg. Not yet. But the homunculus was in a difficult situation. Very, very difficult. Nakal was holding him tightly in his slender brown fingers.
‘The more closely I look at this creature, Tanunda,’ he said with a subservient smile for Kraa, ‘the more peculiar it seems to me. Just look at its clothes. And that pale skin, and its pointed nose. It really doesn’t seem to be of this world!’
Well, that was one way of describing a homunculus!
