It was a moment that Beetle would treasure for a very long time. Spit Fyre had woken up feeling extremely hungry and was not going to be fussy about what he ate. He thrust his snout past Beetle and sent his long green tongue snaking down the table. Snorri - who was still on edge - screamed. Milo leaped to his feet and ineffectively slapped his napkin on Spit Fyre's nose as the dragon sucked up the beetle jelly and then the napkin with a long, noisy slurp. But a beetle-shaped jelly and a scrap of fine linen were not going to satisfy a hungry dragon. In hope of finding something else to eat, Spit Fyre continued to suck and, with a noise like water going down the drain - but a thousand times louder - the finery on the table began to disappear.
"Not the goblets!" yelled Milo, snatching away the nearest silver goblets. A gale of laughter rose from the rapidly increasing crowd below. At the sight of his linen tablecloth disappearing into Spit Fyre's slobbery mouth, Milo dropped the goblets, grabbed hold of his end of the tablecloth and pulled. Cheers and some shouts of encouragement rose from the crowd.
No one else around the table moved a muscle. A flicker of a smile began to appear around the corners of Septimus's mouth as he watched his plate travel down the table despite Milo's best efforts. He glanced across at Nicko and, to his surprise and delight, he saw the telltale signs of suppressed laughter. And then, with a deafening whoosh, the entire contents of the table disappeared into Spit Fyre's mouth. An explosive snort erupted from Nicko and he fell off his chair in paroxysms of laughter. Snorri, used to a more serious Nicko, looked on in confusion as he lay on the deck shaking. From the quayside below, the answering sound of laughter spread like a wave. Milo regarded the wreckage of his evening with dismay. Spit Fyre regarded the bare table with disappointment. His stomach rattled with sharp things and he was still hungry. Milo, not entirely sure whether the dragon drew the line at eating people, grasped Jenna's hand and began to back away, pulling her to her feet.
Jenna snatched her hand away. "Don't," she snapped. Milo looked surprised and a little hurt. "Perhaps," he said, "we should find alternative accommodations for your dragon."
"He's not my dragon," said Jenna.
"Oh? But you said - "
"I know I did. But I shouldn't have. I am only the Navigator. He is Sep's dragon."
"Ah. Well, in that case you do understand that the dragon is subject to the Trading Post quarantine regulations? Of course, while it's on board - "
"He," corrected Jenna.
"Well, while he is on board the regulations do not apply, but as soon as it - "
"He."
" - he sets - er" - Milo glanced down to check that Spit Fyre did indeed have feet - "foot on land it - he - will have to be escorted into quarantine."
Septimus stood up. "That won't be necessary," he said. "Spit Fyre is leaving now. Thank you for having us, but now that Spit Fyre is awake we have to go. Don't we, Beetle?"
Beetle was busy fending off Spit Fyre's wet snout. "Get off, Spit Fyre. Oh...yes, we do. But thanks, Mr. Banda. Thank you for letting us stay on your ship. I mean Jenna's ship. It was really...interesting."
Milo was recovering himself. He bowed politely. "You are most welcome, scribe."
He turned to Septimus. "But surely, Apprentice, you do not intend to fly immediately? I have sailed the seven seas for many a long year, and I can tell you that I smell a storm in the air."
Septimus had heard enough about the seven seas to last him for a long time - and far too much about Milo's weather-predicting skills.
"We'll fly above it," he said, stepping over to Beetle. "Won't we, Beetle?"
Beetle nodded somewhat uncertainly.
Milo looked puzzled. "But there is no above a storm," he said. Septimus shrugged and patted his dragon's nose. "Spit Fyre doesn't mind a little storm, do you, Spit Fyre?" Spit Fyre snorted, and a line of dragon dribble landed on Septimus's precious purple ribbons, leaving a dark stain that would never come off. Five minutes later Spit Fyre was perched like a massive seagull on the starboard side of the Cerys, facing out to sea, and the quayside was packed with an even larger and more excited crowd. Septimus was ensconced in the Pilot Dip behind the dragon's neck, and Beetle was sitting farther back toward the tail, wedged behind the saddlebags. The Navigator's seat was, however, still vacant.
Jenna stood beside Spit Fyre, her cloak wrapped tightly against the cold wind that had begun to blow into the harbor. "Stay here tonight, Sep," she said. "Please. Spit Fyre can sleep on deck for one more night. I don't want you and Beetle to go off into the dark."
"We've got to go, Jen," Septimus replied. "There's no way Spit Fyre's going to sleep tonight. He's just going to create trouble. And if he gets put in quarantine - well, I don't even want to think about that. Anyway, we want to go, don't we, Beetle?"
Beetle had been watching the dark clouds scudding across the moon. He was not so sure. Outside the harbor wall he could see the waves building, and he wondered whether Milo was right about a storm coming. "Maybe Jenna's got a point, Sep. Maybe we should stay tonight."
Milo chimed in. "You must wait until tomorrow," he said. "The crew will chain the dragon to the main mast tonight" - Beetle, Septimus and Jenna exchanged horrified glances - "and tomorrow," Milo carried on, "while the dragon is secure, we shall have a grand farewell breakfast on deck to see you off in style. What do you think about that?"
Septimus knew exactly what he thought about that. "No, thank you," he said.
"Ready, Spit Fyre!" Spit Fyre spread his wings wide and tilted forward into the wind. The Cerys listed dramatically to starboard, and someone on the quayside screamed.
"Careful!" yelled Milo, grabbing a handrail.
Septimus looked down at Jenna. "You coming, Navigator?" he asked. Jenna shook her head, but there was something regretful in her expression that made Beetle brave. "Jenna," he said, "come with us!"
Jenna wavered. She hated seeing Septimus go without her, but she had agreed to return in the Cerys with Milo. And there was Nicko too; she wanted to be with him while he sailed home. Indecisive, she glanced at Nicko; he gave her a wry smile and put his arm around Snorri.
"Please come with us, Jenna," said Beetle very simply and without pleading.