The Witch's Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

Enthusiastic pickle eater. Secret writer of romantic novels.”
    â€œAntique thimbles?” said Bertie.
    â€œSoap operas?” replied Aldiss.
    â€œRomantic novels?!”
both laughed as a bashful Shona stepped out of the light. She coughed. “Well, I wouldn’t call them
romantic
exactly. Yes, they explore dragon feelings and dragons in love, but they’re really all about …” She broke off when she noticed no one was listening. Morag, Bertie and Aldiss were already running ahead up the driveway.
    It had been extremely cold for days and the groundwas still frozen underfoot, causing them to slip and slide. Red-faced, they drew breath before Morag climbed the big stone steps to the red front door and rang the bell.
Ding-a-ling-a-ling
, it chimed. She turned to her friends and smiled. Any minute now someone would appear.
    Nothing.
    Ding-a-ling-a-ling
. Morag rang the bell again. Several minutes passed and still there was no response.
    â€œMust be the housekeeper’s day off,” said Shona.
    â€œLet’s go in anyway,” Morag suggested. “We can’t wait about outside all day. Montgomery’s probably in his study and can’t hear us.”
    â€œWe can’t do that!” Bertie said. “It’s rude to go into someone’s house without an invitation.”
    â€œThis is no time to stand on ceremony,” said Shona, pushing past him. The door swung open to reveal a darkened hallway.
    â€œHello?” called Morag as she and the dragon stepped inside. “Anyone home? Montgomery? It’s me, Morag! And Shona and Bertie and Aldiss. Is it all right if we come in?”
    She looked at the others, then peered inside again. The house was deathly quiet. Such a large house would normally have at least a housekeeper and maybe even a gardener, but there was no one in sight. Not even the owner, who was always home at this time of day.
    â€œMontgomery? It’s quite important,” the girl called.
    â€œHe must be in his study,” said the dodo. “I’ll show you the way. I’ve been there before. Many, many times.”
    Morag rolled her eyes. The hallway was long, oak paneledand decorated with spears and bows and other armory like the sort you would see in an old castle. A couple of deer antlers hung from the wall. Above the staircase hung a tapestry depicting the founding of Marnoch Mor. Morag recognized Colm Breck in it, but was unsure of the others. One was a pale, dangerous-looking red-haired man. He seemed familiar. She assumed the woman wearing the crown must have been the town’s first monarch, Queen Adela Augusta. In the background, the face of another man stared out. He looked like … Montgomery! Morag frowned.
Why would he have been put in the tapestry?
she wondered.
He couldn’t have been around hundreds of years ago
. She didn’t have time to muse over it, for her attention was caught by her friends.
    â€œWhere
is
the study, Bertie?” asked Aldiss impatiently.
    â€œEr … down this corridor, I think,” replied the bird, pointing. With his beak he opened a door that revealed a passage leading to the back of the house. “Follow me!” he called. “This way!”
    There was only one door at the other end and it opened into a large, well-lit room with huge arched windows and bookcases covering three walls. Morag noticed what smelled like rotten eggs, but said nothing because she started in surprise. Montgomery was leaning against his oak desk in the middle of the room. He did not seem to hear or see them. He was staring at the ceiling.
    â€œMontgomery?” Morag ventured.
    â€œExcuse me, sir?” tried Bertie.
    Montgomery did not respond; he did not even move.
    â€œWhat’s he looking at?” whispered Aldiss.
    â€œThere’s nothing there,” replied Shona, looking up. “Oh … wait a minute … what’s that?”
    A dark spot