[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

weight would cause it to pivot, throwing the unfortunate person out and down
for the long, fatal fall to the ceiling of the level far below.
He thought no more about it until they were right at the very top of the
stairs; then he discovered an additional complication. The step that he still
saw marked in red was not like the steps below it. It was a good eight feet in
width. That meant that a standing broad jump from the step below was not
likely to carry anyone across. The trap had been a little more complex than he
had figured.
Page 192
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
Jim called a halt while they all considered this.
"It looks like we're well and truly blocked," said Jim grimly. "Any touch
against that step may send whoever touches it into a fall. Does anybody have
any ideas?"
There was a dead silence from his companions. Brian and Giles were staring at
what to them must appear to be an ordinary step, except for its unusual width.
Dafydd was also considering it, but with a more thoughtful look on his face.
Aragh was merely looking at it intently, his head a little forward, his ears
up, his mouth closed.
"Shame to us if we go back!" said Giles, after a long moment.
"Yes," said Brian.
But still, neither of them made any suggestions on how the gap might be
bridged.
It was to Jim at last that an idea came. It was not an idea he particularly
liked; but it seemed the only possible way that any of them could think of. He
cleared his throat to draw the attention of all the others.
"I've got a plan," he said. "It's not one I particularly like; and I doubt
that the rest of you are going to enjoy it either."
"Liking has little enough to do with duty," said Sir Brian; and Giles
murmured assent. Dafydd merely nodded; and Aragh looked at him with yellow
eyes.
"I can turn myself into a dragon and fly over this step, myself," said Jim.
"The problem is to get the rest of you over. Now you all weigh too much for me
to simply pick you up and fly off with you "
"Can this be so?" asked Giles. "Remember, you're a very large dragon, James.
Also, it seems to me I've heard many times of dragons snatching people up and
carrying them off to er uh dine upon them at their leisure."
"I think you'll find most stories like that have little substance in fact,"
answered Jim grimly, "or if they have, it was actually a small child or
something weighing not more than a hundred pounds that the dragon picked up
and carried off. Believe me, I know what I can do as a dragon; and there's no
way I can carry a full-grown human being any distance and stay aloft."
He turned to Brian.
"But let me tell you the rest of what I plan," he said. "There isn't room
here on the steps for me to change into a dragon. So what I'll do is jump off
into the air andmake the change as I'm falling."
Aragh grinned. Brian frowned. Giles's eyes got as large as saucers.
"James," said Giles, "does it work that way for you? Do you turn into a
dragon automatically when you get into the air?"
"Well, not quite," said Jim, "but I think I'll have plenty of time to change
into a dragon and fly back up before I fall the whole way down, or hurt
myself."
Page 193
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
He paused for a moment, thinking that the phrase "before I hurt myself" was
rather an understatement.
"Then once I'm a dragon I'll swoop by and take you up, one by one, over that
step," said Jim. "Now, all of you but Aragh will have to do one thing. Take
off your belt and wrap its ends around your fists so that it can't come loose;
and hold the rest of the belt up over your head, so that I've got something to
grab with the claws on my hind legs. You've got that?"
"If you mean do we understand you, James," said Brian, "indeed we do. And
then I can imagine the rest. You want us each, one by one to hold on as you
carry us to the landing? Am I right?"
"Exactly right," said Jim.
"Yes," said Brian, "I've not been hawking since I was twelve years old
without knowing something about what might be necessary in a case like this." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]