'He was your brother,' Gerald said gently. 'What he is now… is anybody's guess.'
'It's a simple equation,' said Reg. 'Kill Lional and we kill the dragon.'
'And if we kill the dragon instead?' demanded Melissande, folding her arms.
Monk put his hand on her shoulder. 'Lional still dies. But the chances of us killing that dragon…'
'Are non-existent and none,' Reg said briskly. 'Sorry, ducky. Lional's got to go.'
Melissande dissolved into tears again. As Monk put his arms around her, cradling her against his chest, Gerald picked up Reg.'Can't you even try to be tactful?'
'Who cares about tact in a crisis?' she retorted. 'And after what she said to you — '
He sighed. 'Forget about what she said to me. It doesn't matter. She didn't understand.'
Reg's eyes were bright. Birds couldn't cry but he could tell she was weeping on the inside. 'I never should've left you, Gerald. If I'd stayed here with you — '
'There'd still be a dragon. And we wouldn't have Monk with his portable portal.' He kissed her beak. 'Reg, it's all right. It wasn't your fault.' He released a hard breath. 'Now, what about the Department? Are they — '
She made a rude noise. 'We can't trust those idiots Markham works for to get here in time! They're probably still discussing the matter over crumpets and cocoa! No, Gerald, it's up to us. And if we don't act now, it could be too late! For New Ottosland, for Kallarap… maybe even the world!'
'She's right,' said Monk over Melissande's bowed head. 'We can't afford to wait for the Department. We have to deal with Lional ourselves. Or try to.'
'How? He's not going to let us just walk up to him and kill him. He'll kill us first, or his dragon will.'
Melissande pulled out of Monk's embrace. 'I'll stop him. He's my brother. He'll listen to me.'
'No, he won't, Melissande. Haven't you been paying attention? He's not plain old Lional any more!' i don't card I have to tryV She turned to Monk. 'Can that portable portal of yours get us to the palace roof?'
Monk took a nondescript rock from his pocket, i think so. Or pretty close, anyway'
'How close is pretty close? A six foot tall onto dirt is one thing. A fifty foot fall onto brickwork is something else entirely!' Monk looked insulted, i said I can do it.'
Gerald grabbed his arm.'Wait. Send me and Reg to the palace. Weil do our best to keep Lional occupied. You and Melissande go back to the Department and kick up the biggest stink it has ever seen until those idiots get off their arses and send some help.'
'I'm not leaving New Ottosland!' said Melissande. 'You three can go if you like, but I'm staying here. I have to be seen. The people need me. I won't be the second person in my family to let them down on the same damned day!'
'No — Melissande — the only hope your people have is if you stay safe!' he insisted. 'Let Rupert fly the family flag, he — '
Her expression changed. 'Oh, lord. Rupert. I forgot about Rupert! I have to find him, he'll be terrified. And if Lional finds him…' Then she rallied. 'You can take him with you when you go for help.' 'Melissande — '
'No! I'm the prime minister, my duty is here! She folded her arms and lifted her chin. 'So shut up, Gerald, because you're wasting your time. Monk? Get that portal thing working and take us out of here! NowV
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The portable portal spat them out a mere two feet above the palace roof. The first thing they did when they regained their feet was look up, but the dragon was nowhere in sight. Neither was Lional.
'Oh hell,' said Melissande, her voice almost a sob. i don't believe this…'
In every direction they looked distant pillars of black smoke churned into the sky. Closer to the palace, out- buildings not reduced to mounds of rubble smouldered and burned; the greedy crackling of flames reached them in fits and starts on the erratic, smoke-laden breeze.
She pointed. 'Over there! I think that's Rupert's butterfly house!' She ran to the nearest balustrade and leaned over it, precariously. 'Rupert! RupcrtV And then she looked down, and her next cry died in her throat. 'What?' said Gerald.'Melissande? What is it?'
Passing Reg to Monk he joined her at the roof's edge and stared at the ground far below.
There were great burned ^ patches in the gravel and on the grass edging the palace forecourt, as though someone had upended huge barrels of acid onto them. Even at this height he could smell the acrid stench of the dragon's poison. See the remains of what once had been people. Laughing, living New Ottoslanders, reduced to charred and stinking carcasses. Palace staff, perhaps the very same servants who'd cooked him breakfast. Answered his questions. Bowed to him in passing. The servants he'd never bothered to notice, hardly, and whose names he hadn't asked. His empty stomach heaved.
There were tears on Melissandes cheeks. 'Is one of them Rupert? One of them could be Rupert, he could be dead down there, or in his butterfly house, I have to — '
Gerald grabbed her before she could do something stupid. 'Melissande, think. If he is dead, there's nothing you can do for him now. And if he isn't, that means he's hiding safely somewhere. If that's the case we'll find him, I promise. But like you said, you're the Prime Minister. You've got a lot more to worry about than the fate of one man. Even if that man is Rupert.'
For a moment she resisted him, her muscles rigid under his fingers. Then she slumped. He let her go. 'This is ridiculous,' she whispered. 'Why did Lional let the dragon do this? Why didn't he stop it? I don't care what you say, Gerald. Lional's not evil. I grew up with him, for God's sake! He used to feed me my bottle, play piggyback with me all around the palace! All of this… it isn't him!
A creak and flap of wings. Reg. Balanced carefully on the balustrade beside Melissande's white-knuckled hand she said sternly: 'That Lional's dead, ducky. He's been dead for months. What's stalking this kingdom isn't your brother. It's not even a man, it's an abomination. And abominations must be destroyed.'
As Melissande flung herself away, and Monk went after her, Gerald closed his eyes, i should've been a tailor.' His voice broke, i should've died at birth.'
'Gerald! Reg's wingtip touched his hand. 'Look at me.' Reluctantly he looked. i know it's bad,' she said, i'm not going to pretend it isn't. But you don't have the luxury of remorse right now. Lional and his dragon are still out there and they have to be stopped.'
Stopped? Stopped? 'How?' he demanded, almost hating her. 'The bastard's five times stronger than I am and filled to the brim with black magic. He's got a copy of Grummen's Lexicon, for God's sake. How can I — '
'What?' said Reg, and flapped her wings at him. 'Gerald, what? What are you thinking?'
Barely breathing, he stared at her. 'Beside his bed. Uffrtzi's copy of Grummen's Lexicon. If I could get to it, if I could read it, I could — '
'Put the same evil, poisonous muck into your head?' she said, almost snarling. 'And then what? You'll kiU him?'
'You said it yourself, Reg. He has to be destroyed. If I don't kill him, more people will die!'
She nodded. 'I know. And probably you'd succeed, if you did what you're suggesting. But even if you managed to kill that Lional, who'd kill you? Because someone would have to, Gerald. The filth in books like Grummen's Lexicon stains your soul forever and makes you bad. It'd make you worse than bad. Let's not forget, sunshine: you're a prodigy'.
'That's why I have to do this,' he retorted. 'Don't you understand? There's a good chance I'm the only wizard available with a hope against Lional and his stolen potentias. But only if I fight him with the same weapons he's got!'
'No. You're the one who doesn't understand,' she said, shaking her head. 'With Lional dead, Gerald, you'd be the danger. And whoever tried to stop you, well, they'd need to read the Lexicon too. And it wouldn't end there, I promise you that. Say this hypothetical wizard succeeded and managed to kill you. All it means is there'd be another rotten wizard who'd have to die… and so the Lexicon would be used again… and again… and again. Is that what you want, sunshine? Every last good wizard in the world dead because of you?'
He turned on her. 'What else can I do? The magic I know doesn't have teeth, it doesn't have talons, it can't kill Lional or his damned dragon! I have to use the Lexicon, Reg!'
'NoV she shouted, and with a great fluster of wings launched herself into the air to hover furiously above
