Jannit stood back and watched Jenna. Even at a time like this, Jannit did not like to interrupt whatever was going on between Jenna and the Dragon Boat. She was used to Jenna's moments with the dragon, but usually she kept well out of the way, for she felt as if she would be intruding if she came too near. Jannit had noticed that the boatyard often fell silent when Jenna put her hand on the dragon, but not today. The sounds of the RatStranglers systematically ramming the boatyard door filled the air.
Jannit wondered what Jenna thought she was doing, wasting time stroking the dragon when they ought to be setting up some kind of barricade in front of the Dragon House. But she did not say so, for Jannit had, over the last few months, become a little in awe of Jenna and her determination to wake the Dragon Boat.
Suddenly Jenna sprang to her feet. “I think I heard her,” she said, her eyes bright with excitement.
“What?” asked Jannit, distracted by some inventive insults that Rupert Gringe was hurling at the RatStranglers.
“The dragon. She was very faint, but I'm sure I did. We have to Seal the Dragon House.”
“How, exactly?” snapped Jannit, worried now, realizing that the mob was not going to go away and was unlikely to stop at smashing up just the Dragon Boat.
“The way it was opened. With Fyre—Dragon Fyre.” And then Jenna's face fell as she remembered. “Oh,” she said. “Spit Fyre can't do Fyre.”
“Yes, he can,” said Jannit, who had heard all about Spit Fyre's hatching from Nicko.
“Did it when he hatched.”
“That's just Infant Fyre. All dragons do that when they're first hatched.”
The noise of splintering wood echoed through the boatyard.
“They're nearly through the doors,” said Jannit in her matter-of-fact tone. “Not much time left. Excuse me, I'm going to go get my ax. If they're looking for trouble, they're going to find it.”
Jenna knew that there was nothing else to be done; she must try to Ignite Spit Fyre.
Taking her Navigator's toffee tin from her tunic pocket, Jenna opened it and fished out the red piece of dragon skin. She unfolded it and, to her surprise and dismay, there was only one word on it: Ignite. How could that possibly be enough?
But Jenna knew she had to try. She raced back to Spit Fyre.
“Excuse me, 409,” said Jenna, breathless, clambering back onto Spit Fyre. Wolf Boy began to climb up too, but to his relief Jenna said, "I've got to do this on my own.
I've got to make Spit Fyre breathe Fyre."
Spit Fyre pricked up his ears. Fyre? Now? But what about breakfast?
A chorus of yells rose from behind the boatyard door, and Rupert's voice could be heard shouting, "If you want rats, Matey, you've got 'em. Great big ones with axes.
Come on then!"
As if in response to Rupert Gringe's kind invitation, the RatStranglers gave one massive heave at the door. There was a splintering crash and the mob surged through. A tremendous noise erupted as a fight broke out at the gate. Rupert, Jannit and the yard hands put up a good fight and seemed to be winning, but a few of the RatStranglers evaded the hail of blows.
Led by the tall, spiky woman, they broke away, and brandishing an assortment of makeshift weapons, they headed toward the Dragon House, yelling, “Get the dragon, kill the dragon, kill, kill, kill!”
20
Fyre and Seek
Jenna and Spit Fyre were airborne. As the breakaway party of RatStranglers headed across the boatyard below them, Jenna guided Spit Fyre toward the small golden plaque set into the wall above the arch at the entrance of the Dragon House. Spit Fyre was flying beautifully, his wings beating against the air slowly and with great control; he responded to Jenna's every command. Soon the dragon was hovering in front of the plaque, nice and steady, as though he understood exactly what Jenna wanted him to do. In front of him the disc of gold was dull in the chill, damp air, but below him the RatStranglers were now running single file between the two tall-masted ships. They were nearly to the Dragon House.
“ Ignite!” Jenna yelled at the top of her voice. “ Ignite, Ignite, Ignite!”
Nothing happened. Afraid that there was indeed more to the Ignite, Jenna was horrified to see the spiky-woman RatStrangler emerging from between the tall ships, brandishing a large plank studded with nails. She was heading toward the sleeping head of the Dragon Boat.
“Please, Spit Fyre, please. Ignite!”
And then Jenna felt Spit Fyre shudder. From deep within the dragon, a subterranean rumble began. It started in the pit of his fire stomach, gathering force until it burst through the fire valve and shot into his great, thick dragon windpipe. Jenna felt the wave of it travel up his neck. Spit Fyre coughed as if in surprise, instinctively flared his nostrils and a great rush of gas came shooting out.
“ Ignite!” yelled Jenna at the top of her voice. With a tremendous whoosh, the gas Ignited. The jet of flame leaped forward and enveloped the golden disc, and for one awful moment Jenna was afraid that the heat of the flame would melt the gold, for the disc glowed and shimmered so that it looked almost liquid in the red light. And then, far below her, Jenna heard a great yell of surprise from the RatStranglers. She glanced down to see if they had reached the Dragon Boat, and to her amazement, all she could see was the great expanse of stone of the Castle wall.