Seeing no one he took a few quick steps toward her and grabbed her arms. "You don't have them with you?" he asked, his voice strained.

"You're hurting me, Julian," Alanna protested as his grip dug into her flesh. "Don't have what with me?" she added as the boy loosened his viselike hold on her.

"The lamp and Todd's walking stick!" he whispered hoarsely. "They're not where we left them."

Alanna felt a tinge of guilt at the boy's discomfort. "I'm sorry, Julian. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to disturb you. I moved them to a new hiding place after I spotted Clayton snooping around the old log we had hidden them in."

The boy's face reflected relief and anger. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "Where have you been anyway? Don't you know one of us was suppose to keep an eye on the staff and lamp at all times?"

"King Jakin wanted to discuss something," she said evasively. "The lamp and staff are quite safe. I put them under Whittle's cape after the princess awoke. You know how she uses it each night even though my warming spell keeps the air at a comfortable temperature. I expect she feels closer to Whittle sleeping under something he wore. Unless I'm very much mistaken that cape has magic in it. No one could see it laying on the ground. Not even you, Julian, though it was laying right at your feet."

"So where is it then?" he asked, moving to where he had been taking a short nap, something he normally didn't do, but as he had spent half the night laying awake trying to think up ways to get his brother out of the dragon's cave without the dragon being any the wiser, he had been unusually tired, both physically and mentally.

Alanna moved to the area where Julian had been sleeping when she left with Tid-Bit. She laughed a little uneasily. "You see how safe it is, Julian? I know where it lays, and even so I can't see it."

She got down on her hands and knees and patted the ground, her arm movements becoming more frantic and sweeping as she failed to locate the hidden cape.

"I'm sure this is where I left it!" she cried sitting back on her heels and looking up at Julian in dismay. "Perhaps Hope discovered it and hid them in a safer place."

"No, I was awake when she returned from her visit to the Queen. There's only one person who would want to take both wand and lamp," Julian said darkly.

"Clayton!"

Julian nodded his head. "Heaven help us!" he said soberly. "The man has a wizard's staff, and an uncertain amount of knowledge on how to use it. I fear we are in a great deal of trouble, Alanna."

"Where's Chester?" Hope asked the pixie who sat on top of the shelter that housed the precious airship.

"Question not so much where be Chester," Tid-Bit said soberly. "But where be balloon and its basket?"

Hope felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed the scattered limbs and barren appearance of the hovel that had housed the airship.

"The dragon must have carried the balloon and Chester off!" Hope exclaimed in horror.

"Possible, but not think so," was Tid-Bit's reassuring reply. "Timon been watching cave since Obil gone. Would have reported if dragon had left cave."

"Perhaps Garreth came back and took Chester away," Hope said, glancing up as though fearing she might be the dragon's next target.

"Garreth not have taken balloon and basket," King Jakin pointed out knowingly. "Think more likely Chester come to apply glue to balloon and find it missing. Tid-Bit think Chester on trail of person who carry off airship."

"Clayton!" Hope ground through her teeth. "I never did trust that man!"

"Balloon not do Clayton any good without lamp," King Jakin reasoned. "Clayton big, strong man and Alanna and Julian both very young." Before he had finished speaking Tid-Bit had risen into the air and was flying off in the direction of camp.

Hope started to follow but then stopped. What of Chester? If he did find Clayton what chance did he have against such a brute?

"Hold on, Chester, I'm coming!" she cried, and without stopping to reason things out the princess ran into the woods.

Tid-Bit flew into camp and found Alanna in tears. Julian was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, King Jakin!" the girl cried when the pixie landed next to her. "Something horrible has happened!"

"The lamp be gone," Tid-Bit sighed, thinking he had arrived too late to prevent Clayton from taking Dagu's lamp by force.

"How did you know?" the girl asked, "You didn't take it for safe keeping did you, King Jakin?"

"No, though not be a bad idea looking backward," Tid-Bit said, cursing his own lack of foresight. "Clayton take balloon, and now seems he has lamp to fill it. Must find him before he take off and leave others on island."

"But surely he'll wait until the dragon leaves for the night," Alanna said, the pixie's calmness easing her own sense of panic.

"Why?" the pixie asked. "Dragon in cave with Whittle. Not come out until evening. Clayton not care if he leave young master behind. In fact, Tid-Bit think Clayton want to leave everyone but Princess of Lark on island."

"Hope will never go willingly with Clayton," Alanna announced firmly.

"No, not willingly. Though he not hurt Hope, for Clayton get big reward for 'rescuing' King Ryan's daughter. Fool of a Tid-Bit should have realized danger Hope be in!"

Tid-Bit flew into the air and looked back the way he had come. "Where be Princess Hope?" he asked, though he wasn't speaking to Alanna. "Thought she be following Tid-Bit back to camp."

"Perhaps she is looking for Chester?" Alanna ventured.

"Then we best hope she not find him!" Tid-Bit said grimly. "For if Hope find Chester, Tid-Bit believe she also find Clayton!"

"Oh, King Jakin! What are we to do? Julian has gone off looking for Clayton. Not only did the villain take Dagu's lamp, he also has the staff and Whittle's cloak."

"This be very bad news indeed!" King Jakin cried. "With staff and knowledge of spells he might make Hope forget about friends and believe HE save her from dragon."

"Oh surely not, King Jakin!" Alanna gasped.

"Alanna go to Queen Atar at fairy tree and tell her everything that has happened. Then Alanna and Queen stay hidden until sent for. Alanna understand?"

"Yes," the girl whispered, her face blanching. "But what of Julian and Hope?"

"Best pray Tid-Bit find them before they find Clayton!" he advised before zipping away.

Dragon's Claw Book One
Price $12.95  
    by Charles M. Clark
(Browser Readable E-Book on CD-ROM contains Music & No Sound Options)

FROM THE BOOK STORE

Prince Adam returns home to find his father, the King, gravely ill, some say dying. Feeling unprepared for the duties of kingship, and unhappy about a proposed marriage between himself and a rather plain princess, Adam makes a plea to the Powers that be for guidance and help. Adam then falls into a deep sleep and awakes in an unfamiliar land full of sinister foes and wild men. Yet it is one of these wild men that takes Adam under his wing and teaches the young prince what it takes to be a real leader. Charles M. Clark has written this book for older children and teens, but older folks enjoy it as well. All Antelope Publishing's fantasy books are browser readable and come on CD-ROM. The CD-ROM contains TWO books. One book with music and special electronic enhancements, and one book without, for times when a quieter read is desired. For more information about browser readable e-books CLICK HERE

The Making of a King
Price $9.95  
    by Charles M. Clark
(Browser Readable E-Book on CD-ROM contains Music & No Sound Options)

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