Making his way over towards Flash, the human shaped monster clapped his hands together inside the stolen gloves. Flash continued looking through his long eyelashes, remaining perfectly still. Leaning down, the naga grabbed Flash and pulled him up by the collar of his thermal top, so the two were face to face. Opening his eyes, he looked directly into the face of the human before him as the overpowering stench of rotten fish from the naga's breath threatened to overwhelm him. Fighting back the urge to throw up, Flash wondered what was coming next. The disguised beast opened his mouth, an even sicklier smell wafting out.
"Your freedom is forfeit dragon. You'll be spending a lot more time in captivity, and believe you me, the accommodation won't be nearly this luxurious," rasped the naga in his distinctively tinny voice. "As soon as the storm passes, we'll be on our way to your new home."
From the pit of Flash's stomach, erupted the worst feeling in the world, and this time it wasn't the urge to be sick from the putrid smell cloying at his face. It was something all his years of training had never prepared him for... fear, deep down, genuine fear, with a capital F.
4
Knitting Nuttiness Nullified
Finally the day had arrived. Not a moment too soon either, as far as Peter was concerned. June and Mildred were leaving today, and were at this very moment packing their bags. Rubbing his hands in glee, he stood in the kitchen looking out of the window into the back garden. Much as he appreciated the dragon council's fear that Manson might come back to try and take revenge by striking at him in his own home, having the two guards there for not far off two months almost seemed like a crueller punishment. With his injuries all but healed, he knew he could cope at home on his own, and with the new security arrangements that had been installed, he felt confident that he would survive, even if a vengeful Manson did ever reappear.
The new fangled security had been put in place long before he returned home from Salisbridge hospital. When he'd got back from his prolonged stay (two and a half weeks is mighty prolonged in dragon terms) June and Mildred were there to greet him and explain what had already been done. Firstly, the old front and back doors of the house had both been replaced by nice new, solid feeling, double glazed doors that kept the cold out a treat. Similar double glazed windows had also been fitted throughout the house. Of course there was more to these new features than at first met the eye. Components inside them had been imbued with special protective mantras, very similar to the alea that Peter had inherited from Mark Hiscock, only much more stable, with absolutely no chance of any unexpected side effects. If he didn't unlock the doors with the key, from either inside or outside, then there was absolutely no chance of them being breached. So powerful were the mantras, that even a dragon in its natural form, using all of its strength and abilities, would not be able to break in. Also, a spy hole was added to the new front door, so that Peter could vet any potential visitors before he opened it.
Secondly, the whole area underneath the house, where the secret entrance spilled out into the dragon domain, had been imbued with specialist mantras that would capture any dragon lingering there for longer than a minute, contacting the King's Guard at the same time. Aware of his predicament, the King's Guard had special pre-programmed numbers set up on his mobile and home phones that would contact them and have them at his house in under two minutes.
The last, and as far as Peter was concerned, most scary addition to the old house, was a series of tiny interconnecting pipes that ran throughout the old property, having been installed by the king's own dragon specialists. All of the pipes contained a potent anaesthetic, so powerful in fact that it could take down a dragon in its natural form. If someone unwanted should break in, Peter could flip a telepathic switch that was hidden deep inside the walls, thus triggering the anaesthetic and rendering everyone in the house unconscious. If the switch should be used, once again, the King's Guards would be on their way in seconds. It was of course only to be used as a last resort. Every time he thought about the powerful sedative running through his house, it made him incredibly nervous. It took all his concentration and willpower to not think about the hidden switch, which could so easily be set off by one of his stray thoughts. An elephant in the room had nothing on this. All of these additions had taken place secretly, and Peter had been specifically instructed that he wasn't allowed to tell anyone else about them, not even Tank or Richie.
A sharp creak had him turning around from the window. Mildred and June were making their way down the stairs, their suitcases on wheels dragging behind them, thumping as they hit each piece of wood. Peter walked out into the hallway to meet them. Both King's Guard dragons reached the bottom of the stairs just as he arrived.
"Right then Bentwhistle, don't forget what we told you," bemoaned June gruffly.
He could only nod in reply.
"Anything strange at all, don't hesitate to get in touch. These security measures are the best our race has to offer. Don't waste them. Understand?" urged Mildred, in a much better Scottish accent than when she'd first arrived.
"I won't take any unnecessary risks," he confirmed.
"Hmmmmmm," muttered June. "You seem to forget that most dragons' minds are like open books to us."
Peter winced, certain they had both read his thoughts. Frowning a little, and with two old ladies staring intently at him, he thought about what they'd both said. He'd meant what he said; he wouldn't take any unnecessary risks. How could they be reading his mind and get it so wrong? Of course, they couldn't actually read his mind, just as Tank had said. A huge smile broke out across his very ordinary face.
"Tell me what I'm thinking now," he implored, certain they'd been bluffing for weeks about their telepathic powers.
"We don't do parlour games sonny," barked June harshly.
Once again he nodded, his curiosity satisfied. It had all been one long bluff.
The sound of a throbbing engine pulling up outside the house, caused Peter to turn his head.
"Must be our taxi," stated June.
"You know what I'm going to miss the most?" announced Mildred.
June screwed her wrinkly old face up for a moment, before a smile appeared, a light bulb switching on inside her head.
"Deal Or No Deal!" spouted June, pleased with herself.
Mildred burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Of course," she replied through the laughter.
Peter shook his head, pleased the two of them were leaving.
Both elderly women walked past him on the way to the front door. Before they reached it, both turned and looked back towards him.
"A goodbye kiss for your aunt?" Mildred enquired, puckering up, her Magnum PI moustache doing a little jig of its own as she did so.
"I'd rather kiss a human," Peter remarked.
Both old ladies simultaneously burst into laughter again.
"Very good," said June, turning the handle on the front door, still chuckling.
Mildred gave Peter a sly wink and followed June out through the door, making their way down the garden path to the waiting taxi. The driver had already got out and was halfway through putting June's suitcase into the boot of the car, June constantly blabbering in his ear. Peter smiled at the look on the taxi driver's face. It was a picture, as he turned to find Mildred approaching, dressed in clothes that only someone colour blind could fully appreciate.