Alex stared into the cylinder. The water came up two-thirds of the way, and several large rocks broke through the surface. With the light flickering overhead and the long shadows falling all around, it took Alex a moment to understand what he was looking at. Things moved over the rocks.
The light went out. “These are my children,” said Pan. Fire sparked again from below.
Alex looked up at her. “Your children?” he repeated. He looked down, fascinated as flashes of young dragon faces popped up and disappeared. “How many are there? Are they dangerous? How long have you—”
A low warning rumble came from Pan’s throat.
Alex closed his mouth. “I’m sorry,” he said, knowing Pan kept her secrets closely guarded. He imagined she would tell him as little as possible—and she didn’t like to be asked.
The dragon shifted on the wall. Her tail snaked down into the pit and she gently caressed the dragons’ faces with it. “No one must know about them.”
“Why not?” Alex asked, even though he tried not to.
Pan looked at Alex sharply. “Because of the pirates.”
Alex glanced down at the young creatures as he pieced the information together. The pirates had been caging and selling sea creatures . . . but to whom? And young coiled water dragons must be very valuable to them if Pan was afraid enough to keep them hidden inside this island.
Pan looked all around cautiously, then lit up the night again so Alex could see the dragons’ features more clearly. Each was about the size of an adult human, and they sported a variety of hues. One was the color of flame, one the shade of a forest, one as icy blue as a wolf’s eyes, and two were a deep purple like the sky before a rainstorm. One of the purple dragons had a golden stripe down its back. All five had iridescent scales that sparkled beautifully in the firelight.
“You want them to fly? All five of them?” Alex said, rubbing his chin. “Is that so they can escape from the pirates?”
Pan frowned and the rumble returned.
Alex shrank back. He couldn’t seem to stop asking questions. “I’m sorry,” he said again. He thought long and hard about what role he should play. Would he risk anyone’s life by offering to make wings for the dragons? “Pan,” he said cautiously, “before I can agree to give wings to these dragons, I have to know if they will harm anybody. I hope you can understand why I need to know this.”
Pan bowed her head. “Yes, of course I do,” she said quietly. “And I realize the strength and power my children carry. While I cannot predict their future actions, I have raised them to follow in my ways. They will not harm anyone who contains more good than evil.”
More good than evil. What an interesting directive. Alex looked into Pan’s eyes and saw the honesty within them. He marveled that dragons could possess the ability to sense a person’s goodness or evilness. It seemed to Alex that creatures like this could be a real asset to the world.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll help you. You don’t have to tell me anything else unless you wish to. I’m giving you my full trust.”
“The less you know, the less you can reveal,” said Pan. “My secrets are for your safety as well as mine and my children’s.” She paused and added, “Please—know that I am extremely grateful for your help, and . . . and it is quite humbling for the ruler of the sea to be in need of it.” She bowed her head slightly, gazing down at the young dragons. “Would you like to meet them? They will not harm you.”
“Oh.” Alex’s eyes flickered, and his heart pounded in his chest. “Yes, of course,” he said. The words came out thin with a whoosh of air. “You’ll pull me out if anything . . . happens?” He began to sweat, thinking of being stuck in that pit with five dragons. But then he banished the thought. He had to see them up close. There was no way he could make wings for a creature he hadn’t seen or touched with his own hands.
“Nothing will happen,” Pan said. “But I will keep a hold on you with my tail and I won’t let you go.”
Alex nodded and tried to take a deep breath, but his lungs weren’t cooperating. “I’ll need to see them up close,” he said, “and touch their scales. Would that be all right?” Alex’s hands automatically went to his pockets to see what sort of components he had with him, just in case something went horribly wrong.
“I expected that,” said Pan. “Yes, you may touch them, but greet them first with a closed fist so they can smell you.”
A sickening chill ran through Alex and both his fists closed reflexively, but he didn’t dare ask Pan another question. He could only trust that she would keep him safe and not let them eat him.