"It must be the cage," said Jesse in a low growl.

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But all the same, he put Emmy in the cage. It was the hardest thing he had ever had to do. Emmy seemed to understand, because she didn't lash out at him or spit at him. She only went limp and dull. Even her eyes had lost their glow.

"Good-bye, my sweet little Emmy," said Daisy with a feeble wave of her fingers. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her nose was running.

"Sorry, Emmy," Jesse told the little dragon. He wanted to add, Don't worry. We'll think of something. Don't worry. We'll think of something. But at the moment he had no idea what that something would or could be. But at the moment he had no idea what that something would or could be.

St. George was staring at both of them, as if they had just burst into flame. "What did you just call it?" he whispered.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Jesse asked.

St. George's eyes pinned Jesse to the wall like a pair of darts. "You heard me. What name did you just call it?" What name did you just call it?"

"We call her Esmeralda," he said. For some odd reason, Jesse felt it was important to keep Emmy's real name from St. George.

Daisy caught on immediately. "Yeah, after Cinderella's ugly stepsister," she added. "You know, because she's not really very beautiful.... Although to us, she is...." Daisy's voice trailed off miserably.

Jesse held his breath. Cinderella's stepsisters 105.

were Anastasia and Drizella, but maybe St. George wouldn't know that.

St. George's eyes narrowed, and he said, "Hmmm. Well, I have to be going now. I have tests to do."

"Wait a minute," said Daisy. She pulled up the hem of her T-shirt and wiped away her tears. Then she took the purple kneesock out of her pocket. "She needs this."

St. George stared at the sock suspiciously. "Why?"

"It's far too complex for a mere grown-up grown-up to grasp," Jesse said through his teeth. "She just needs it, St. George." to grasp," Jesse said through his teeth. "She just needs it, St. George."

"That's Dr. Dr. St. George," he said. "And where I come from, one p.r.o.nounces St. George," he said. "And where I come from, one p.r.o.nounces it Sin it Sin George." George."

"Does one?" said Jesse, dearly wishing he would go back to wherever he came from and leave them their dragon.

Daisy pushed the purple kneesock between the bars of Emmy's cage. The little dragon grasped it in her forepaws and buried her face in it.

St. George fastened the latch. He lowered the cage into the box and snapped it shut. "Good day to you all," he said, lifting the case. Then he walked out the door, his coattails flapping behind him like a cape.

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Uncle Joe stared at him. Then he took off his ROCK STAR cap and tugged thoughtfully at his pony-tail. "Did you guys happen to notice that the man never even said thank you?"

The moment Jesse shut his bedroom door, Daisy exploded. "You what?" what?"

Being the target of Daisy's wrath was not comfortable. She sat down hard on Noah's bed, and he sat on Aaron's. On the carpet between them there were still bits of green and gold sparkling in the pile.

Jesse repeated what he had said to her on the way up the stairs: "I saw St. George's car parked outside-our house the night before last."

"And yesterday, on the way to town ...you saw it again?" again?"

Jesse nodded, bowing his head. "Outside Miss Alodie's. And the day before, earlier, I saw him up on High Peak. I guess you and Uncle Joe were too busy to notice him. But I did. I knew he was following us.... Well, I did and I didn't.... I thought he might be, but I just wasn't sure."

"But why didn't you say say anything to me?" she said. "If I had known, we could have come up with a plan!" anything to me?" she said. "If I had known, we could have come up with a plan!"

Jesse knew Daisy was right. It all seemed very 107.

obvious to him now, but at the time ... "I guess I didn't want to worry you if it was nothing," he said. "And all this stuff was happening ...the thunder egg, and Emmy hatching, and getting her fed, and Professor Andersson--"

Daisy interrupted him. "We're supposed to tell each other everything! everything! Isn't that what we pledged we'd do if we ever had a magical adventure? Keep the faith and tell each other Isn't that what we pledged we'd do if we ever had a magical adventure? Keep the faith and tell each other everything? everything? Jesse Tiger, I swear, you're worse than Edmund." Frowning, she folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him. Jesse Tiger, I swear, you're worse than Edmund." Frowning, she folded her arms across her chest and looked away from him.

Jesse shook his head sadly. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lucy's brother Edmund had been horrid, at least when he first entered into Narnia. Jesse wondered if he was really being Lucy's brother Edmund had been horrid, at least when he first entered into Narnia. Jesse wondered if he was really being that that bad. Having a magical adventure was turning into a much more serious business than he had ever imagined it would be. bad. Having a magical adventure was turning into a much more serious business than he had ever imagined it would be.

Daisy pounded her fists on her knees. "Oh, all right! right! I'm sorry I said you were worse than Edmund. That was mean." She sighed. "You're not horrid. And it's stupid for us to fight. We need to help Emmy, not fight about her. Let's ask Professor Andersson what to do." I'm sorry I said you were worse than Edmund. That was mean." She sighed. "You're not horrid. And it's stupid for us to fight. We need to help Emmy, not fight about her. Let's ask Professor Andersson what to do."

Jesse bit his lip. He knew she was right.

He went over to the desk, dropped into the 108.

chair, switched on the computer, and waited stonily for it to boot up. As soon as the professor's stern and ancient face came up on the screen, Jesse steeled himself, clicked the mouse, and began to tell him everything, starting with "There was this big black car...." He spoke quickly, and he told the truth about how he had ignored the car, how they had put up the signs, how they had played right into the hands of the Dragon Slayer, and how they had lost their baby dragon.

The screen remained still and silent for such a long time that Jesse wondered if Professor Anders-son had abandoned the site, leaving only his picture behind. The cousins watched his face nervously.

"Maybe you were speaking Slurvian," said Daisy. "Maybe he didn't understand you. Maybe you need to enunciate succinctly."

Jesse took a deep breath and began again. "There was this big black--"

"I HEARD YOU!" the professor thundered at them.

Jesse and Daisy shrank from the screen.

"We're really, really, really, really sorry," said Jesse in a small voice.

Professor Andersson scowled and said, "Do not waste precious time on self-recrimination."

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"On what?" what?" Jesse whispered to Daisy. Jesse whispered to Daisy.

"Do not feel too badly," the professor explained. "No doubt you meant well. Saint George is a formidable opponent, and now at least you know what and whom you are up against."

Jesse said, "But he's a grown-up and we're just kids."

"YOU ARE DRAGON KEEPERS!" Professor Andersson roared. "Now stop sniveling and find a way to get her back. It is Saint George's intention to slay your dragon and drink her blood."

Daisy gasped.

"You have some time," the professor said. "He will not slake his thirst until she has attained a certain size."

"What size?" Jesse asked.

"I daresay you have until the end of a fortnight," he said. "A month, perhaps. It is difficult to make an accurate prediction. Each dragon grows at its own rate. And this is the first dragon born into this age--environmental influences may have some bearing."

Daisy nodded solemnly.

"Whatever that means," muttered Jesse.

"In the first four or five days of life," Professor Andersson went on, "dragons double their size 110.

every day. At that rate, by the end of two weeks she should be sufficiently sizable to---"

"Okay, okay, we get it!" Jesse said, feeling sick.

The professor's face softened. He said gently, "Your distress is not unwarranted. This could spell doom, not only for Emerald, but for the world."

"The world!" world!" echoed Jesse in a hushed voice. He and Daisy exchanged looks. This was even more serious than they had thought. echoed Jesse in a hushed voice. He and Daisy exchanged looks. This was even more serious than they had thought.

Daisy placed her hand over Jesse's on the mouse and clicked. Then she leaned toward the screen and asked loudly, "How can we get her back? Can you tell us, please?"

"You are the dragon's keepers. You must find the way," Professor Andersson replied. "But know this: For as long as I can remember, Saint George has always had only one true master. And that is greed." greed."

Then came the now-familiar grinding sound and the blank screen.

Jesse shook his fist. "I wish he wouldn't keep doing that," he said.

Daisy drummed her fingers on the back of Jesse's chair. "Did you happen to notice he called her Emerald?" she said thoughtfully. "He said this thing could spell doom for Emerald." Emerald."

"I heard. That's her name, isn't it?" Jesse said 111.

crossly, pounding the keys, trying in vain to get the site back.

"It's the name you gave her, all right. But I don't think we ever told him that," she said. "In fact, I'm one hundred percent sure we didn't."

The next morning, they ate their bowls of cereal standing over the sink. Neither tasted its crunchy goodness, but both knew they would need energy for the plan they had come up with the night before. Uncle Joe was sitting at the table with a notebook and a pile of rocks. With a sharp pencil, in tiny handwriting, he was writing a long column of numbers and letters and symbols.

The cousins rinsed out their bowls and put them in the dish drainer. Then Daisy went to stand behind her father's chair and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Poppy," she said, "we're gallivanting over to the college this morning. We want to see how Emmy's doing."

Uncle Joe looked up and stared at them with narrowed eyes. He shook his head, then went back to his notebook. "Try not to be pests," he said.

"Don't worry" said Daisy. "Dr. St. George won't even know that we're there."

When they got to the college gate, they stopped to ask where Dr. St. George's office was. The guard 112.

told them that St. George had a lab over in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Zoo. (The Zoo was what people at the college called the zoology building, where scientists and students learned about animals.) Jesse and Daisy rode their bikes over to the Zoo and parked behind the building, near the trash cans. Then they crawled into the bushes that grew in front of the bas.e.m.e.nt windows.

Daisy twitched her nose. "Do you smell that?" she whispered.

Jesse sniffed, then nodded. Hot chili peppers! Hot chili peppers! They crawled past a set of windows looking down on long green tables crammed with cages teeming with wriggling white rats. The smell was growing stronger. They crept past a set of windows looking down on cages of monkeys. There were test tubes and beakers with chemicals, and blackboards full of numbers and symbols. The smell grew stronger still. They crawled past a set of windows looking down on long green tables crammed with cages teeming with wriggling white rats. The smell was growing stronger. They crept past a set of windows looking down on cages of monkeys. There were test tubes and beakers with chemicals, and blackboards full of numbers and symbols. The smell grew stronger still.

Finally, they came to a set of windows that were completely covered by white sheets. Unlike the other windows, these were cranked wide open, and Emmy's strong smell wafted out. Jesse lifted a corner of one sheet and looked down into the room. If he angled his head just right, he could see Emmy in her iron jail.

"I see her!" he whispered to Daisy.

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Daisy peered in. "She got a lot bigger," she said.

Jesse nodded. Emmy was now the size of a large rabbit. The cage was too small for her, and the bars were pressing into her beautiful green scales. Emmy had her back to them but lifted her head at the sound of their voices. She was so cramped, she couldn't even turn around to face them.

"Jesseeee! Let. Me. Out!" she cried.

She had called out these exact words when she was inside the thunder egg. It tore Jesse's heart to hear them again. He clenched his teeth and said, "That's it. We're going in to get her now."

Daisy grabbed his leg. "Jesse, no! St. George could come back any minute! That's no plan."

Emmy called out, "Jesse! Day. Zee. Hide! Bad. Man. Come!"

Jesse let out a shaky breath and quickly lowered the sheet just enough to allow them both the tiniest peek into the laboratory. They heard the tumbling of the lock as a key turned. Beside him, Daisy stiffened and sucked in her breath. "That was a close one!" Jesse whispered.

St. George stepped into the lab. He was wearing a long white lab coat in place of the black one. He looked around the room, his wire-rims reflecting the fluorescent light and giving him that super creepy no-eyes look again. Over his nose and 114.

mouth he was holding a white handkerchief.

Daisy put her mouth up to Jesse's ear and whispered, "He hates the smell."

Jesse nodded and wondered whether being in captivity made Emmy give off an even stronger smell or if she just smelled stronger because she was bigger.

St. George leaned down and looked into Emmy's cage. He said something they couldn't hear, then took a pencil out of his lab coat pocket and poked it through the bars so that it touched Emmy's green horn.

Emmy hissed. Then she opened her mouth and spat at him.

St. George pulled back. He dropped the pencil and the handkerchief and clutched his right hand. He staggered over to a sink and ran water over the hand. The cousins, as still as statues, held their breath. Standing at the sink, St. George couldn't have been more than two feet away from them. If he had happened to look up right then, he would have seen them, as plain as the horn on Emmy's head.

St. George turned off the water and walked away. Jesse and Daisy let out their breath. He bent over and took a first-aid kit out of a cupboard. He wrapped gauze around his hand.

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Daisy once more put her mouth to Jesse's ear and whispered, "Looks like she spat acid at him."

Jesse nodded. They would have to ask Professor Andersson about that.

St. George, handkerchief back over his nose and mouth, was now jotting something down on a clipboard.

Jesse tugged on Daisy's arm, and together they pulled away from the window and crawled backward out of the bushes. "I have a plan," Jesse said to Daisy.

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[Image: Dragon slayer's den.]