"What did she say?"

"She said I was simply a barrel and that I smelled of nails."

"I suppose she's right. The barrel did once-"

"Don't finish that sentence. We're going."

"No, we're not. If we dash off somewhere, we'll be lost twice as bad. Let's listen to what she has to say."

But she said nothing more. Instead she plunged toward them, plucked Norby out of Jeff's arms, and then bit Jeff on the neck. She licked her chops and wrinkled her snout as if she had tasted something bad. Then she placed Norby carefully on the ground and went back to the castle.

"Help, Norby! I've been bitten by the dragon. She's probably rabid! I've been bitten by a rabid dragon vampire!"

"Not very deeply," Norby said, examining Jeff's neck. "It's just a scratch. Barely enough to draw blood. I have a feeling there's a reason for it."

"I have a feeling I hurt. And her reason is that she wanted to taste me. Next time she'll make a meal of me. Do you want me to be eaten up by a dragon? Think, you dumb barrel! Get us back home. Get us anywhere! I don't care how lost we get."

My dear sir! There is no need to agitate yourself. Whoever you are, there must be communication in order for there to be a meeting of minds.

Jeff's mouth fell open. He swallowed noisily. "Norby, I just heard a voice-in my mind!"

In order to communicate with you, I had to taste your pattern since you do not understand vocal speech.

"I tell you someone's talking, Norby!"

"It's that abominably rude dragon-mother, Jeff. Do not condescend to answer her."

Just wait until I disinfect myself and my child, for we touched you, and since you are an alien you are probably full of germs.

"I am not full of germs," yelled Jeff. "You are. I'm sure I'll get tetanus from your bite. With all those teeth, you probably never use toothpaste."

No gentleman would say such a thing! I use toothpaste and mouthwash, and so does my dear little daughter, Zargl. I think you had better leave. No respectable Jamyn would want you on this world. I will place the hyperspatial coordinates of this world in the memory bank of your storage barrel

"Storage barrel!" cried Norby.

And I will thank you to leave.

"Do you have the coordinates, Norby?"

"Yes, but I won't use them. Not if they come from her. Not-"

"Norby, use them, or I will take you apart with my bare hands and mix you up so that you never get unmixed!"

The mother dragon appeared in the doorway of the castle, holding the baby in her arms. She made shooing gestures with her wings.

Away! Away! You crude monster!

"Come on, Norby!"

"All right, I'm trying. But I think you are a crude monster to make such vicious threats against me when it was only half an hour ago you were saying you loved me."

"I do love you, but that's beside the point. Get going!"

"Give me a chance. If you start shouting and hurrying, I'll just get mixed up."

"Must I tell you that you're always mixed up?"

"All right. I have the coordinates, and I know Earth's coordinates, and I'll concentrate on your brother. And now… one…two-I hope it works-three…"

They were skimming over Manhattan Island, and Central Park was a patch of green far below.

Jeff held Norby firmly under his arm and shouted, "You're too high up, Norby. Farther down and not too fast."

"You've got your hand over two of my eyes. All I can see are clouds and blue sky. Okay, that's better. Down we go!"

"There's a crowd in the park," Jeff said, "and they're surrounding the Central Park Precinct house. Get down so we can see what's happening."

"What if we get within blaster range?" Norby asked.

"Try not to."

"That's easy for you to say. You're not the one who's flying."

"Come on, Norby. Lower!"

The crowd was milling about as if it didn't know its own mind. They had spilled over into the traverse, along which there was no traffic.

A group of Ing's men were outside the precinct house, blasters ready. Their leader was crying out, "Disperse, you rebels, disperse, or we'll fill the park with your dead bodies."

"Do you suppose he'll really do that?" Norby asked. "I don't know," Jeff said. "If Ing wins the day with too much bloodshed, he'll create hatred for himself, and he must know that, so I think he'd like to take over painlessly. Still, if his men get desperate-"

"Well, they're liable to, Jeff, because there's your brother and that woman policeman friend of his, and they've got personal shields on."

They could hear Fargo's voice shouting, "Forward, citizens, save our beloved island from Ing's Ignominies. Follow me!"

They didn't follow. They remained irresolute. One man shouted, "It's easy for you to say, 'Follow me'; you've got a personal shield. We don't."

"All right, then," shouted Fargo. "Watch us, and then join in. Come on, Albany. Get their blasters!"

The leading Ingman shouted, "Take them alive. Ing will pay a heavy reward for those two!"

They spread out. Fargo charged in, blocking an arm that was bringing down a blaster butt-first, and then landed a heavy blow in his assailant's solar plexus. The Ingman doubled up and lost interest in the fight for a while.

Albany Jones circled another Ingman, making little "come on" gestures with her hands. He charged, and she turned and bent, blocking the charge with her hip, seizing his wrist, and tumbling him over into another henchman. Both Ingmen went sprawling.

Norby cheered loudly. "That's it," he shouted. "Knock them all out."

"There are too many of them," said Jeff. "Fargo and Albany will be smothered after a while if the crowd doesn't help them. Norby, take me over the park. Maybe the bird-watchers are still around. "

"What good will they do?"

"I want their leader, Miss Higgins. She struck me as a stalwart woman without fear, and that's the combination we want. Come on, Norby. If we can't find her, we'll have to join Fargo ourselves, and we won't be enough, either."

They were flying over Central Park in zigzags, looking for the small group with a tweed-clad woman in the lead. "What's one crazy woman going to do, Jeff?"

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling she can help. And she's not crazy. She's enthusiastic."

"Is that they?"

"Maybe. Get down lower, and let's land on the other side of those trees. I don't want to panic them."

Jeff and Norby moved cautiously through the trees. "That's the woman," said Jeff. "Miss Higgins! Miss Higgins!"

Miss Higgins stopped and looked about. "Yes, what is it? Has anyone seen the grackle?"

"It's I, Miss Higgins."

Miss Higgins stared at Jeff for a moment. "Oh, yes," she said. "It's the young man and his little brother. We saw you at dawn, and here you are wanting to join our afternoon expedition. How enthusiastic of you."

"Not quite, Miss Higgins," said Jeff. "It's Ing and his Ingrates. They are trying to take over the park."

"Our park? Is that the noise we've been hearing? It scared the birds and just about ruined the afternoon watching."

"That's the noise, I'm afraid."

"Well, how dare they?"

"Perhaps you can stop them, Miss Higgins. There's a crowd of angry patriots, but they need a leader."

"Where are they?" cried Miss Higgins, waving her umbrella. "Lead me to them. Bird-watchers, wait here, and make note of any cardinals and blue jays you might see. Remember that cardinals are red and blue jays are blue!"

"We're in a hurry, Miss Higgins," said Jeff. "Would you just hold my hand?"

Miss Higgins blushed. "I suppose it would be all right. You're quite young."

Jeff seized it, pulled her closer, put his arm about her waist, and said, " All right, Norby, full power upward. You're carrying two."

Miss Higgins let out a muffled scream. "Really, young man." And then she just gasped as she rose into the air.