The Dragon's Eye Read Online Free PDF Page A

breathing.
    At that, I began to flick through the book, finding several sketches of dragons that seemed to be illustrating points Darwin was making. There was a series of claw sketches and a sketch showing what it called “wing development.” Another set of sketches seemed to show how a baby dragon developed in its egg. And a later sketch showed a duck-billed platypus with the caption
Some believed that the original specimen was a stitched-together fake.
I decided that when I grew up, I didn’t just want to be any old explorer but a dragon explorer. Soon I was imagining going to India to trek through the jungle to search for dragons in lost caves.
    When it was time for lunch, Mademoiselle Gamay called me in to the kitchen, where we ate fish soup and slices of thick, chunky bread.
    It was about six o’clock when Dr. Drake and Beatrice returned. I was glad to see them, for I had actually started to get rather lonely. But my gladness soon turned to jealousy when I saw that Beatrice, although she must have spent the entire day walking, was smiling broadly, and chattering animatedly to Dr. Drake.
    â€œGood afternoon, Daniel!” called Dr. Drake, grinning at me. “And how have you spent the day?”
    I showed him the book I had been reading.
    â€œAn excellent choice!” he enthused. “Did you find it interesting?”
    â€œI thought it was a bit difficult, but there were some interesting drawings in it,” I said.
    â€œYou liked the drawings?” said Dr. Drake, smiling. “You are getting on well, I see. I shall test you on the chapters you have read after dinner, and we will see if you can have it finished by the end of the week.”
    My heart sank. If I had to finish that great long book, there was no way I was going out.
    When he had left the room, Beatrice turned to me and said, “Cheer up, Daniel! You know, Dr. Drake isn’t quite as bad as —”
    â€œHang Dr. Drake!” I shouted. “And hang you, too!” And I stomped out into the garden to look at the rabbits.
    My mood didn’t improve during the whole three days that it took me to struggle through
On the Origin of Species.
But on the fourth day, an oxcart arrived with Emery, another man, and a boy in it. On the back of the cart was what seemed to be a large crate covered in a black tarpaulin.
    â€œHey, Daniel!” said Emery when he saw me. “Is Dr. Drake at home?”
    â€œHe went to Horsham with my sister,” I said.
    â€œWhat about Dominique?” asked Emery, climbing down from the cart.
    â€œDo you mean Mademoiselle Gamay?” I said. “She has gone out, too. They have left me behind, as usual.”
    He nodded and then whistled. “Well, that sure is a shame! By the way,” he said, gesturing towards his companions, “This is Mr. Flyte, and this is Darcy Kemp.”
    Mr. Flyte, who was much older than Emery and had a bald head, nodded, while Darcy Kemp, who wore large spectacles and was dressed in clothes that were ever so slightly tatty, with a cap and a necktie done up in a knot round his throat, came over and shook me warmly by the hand.
    â€œDelighted!” he said. “You here for the school?”
    I nodded.
    â€œWe’re early,” said Darcy.
    â€œBetter early than late,” said Mr. Flyte. “But better late than never! We shall just have to leave our cargo in the coal shed.”
    â€œYou’ll tell him his delivery has arrived, won’t you, Daniel?” said Emery. “If he comes back before Darcy. Darcy has an errand to run.”
    I nodded. And then I watched the three of them as they lifted the heavy crate off the oxcart with some difficulty. Being careful not to let the tarpaulin slip, they took it over to one of the large outbuildings that seemed to have been used as a coal shed. Emery took out a key and unlocked it, and they pulled the crate inside.
    When he came out, Emery said, “Now, Daniel,