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  A Sneak Peek of The Dragonsitter’s Island

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  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Monday, December 26

  Subject: Look who’s here

  Attachments: Unexpected guests

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I just tried calling you, but the phone made a funny noise. Have you changed your number?

  I wanted to tell you your dragons are here.

  They must have arrived in the middle of the night. When I came down for breakfast, Ziggy was sitting on the patio, peering through the window, looking very sorry for herself.

  I didn’t even see baby Arthur. I thought Ziggy had left him at home. Then I realized he was tucked under her tummy, trying to keep warm.

  They’re feeling better now that we’ve given them some toast and let them sit by the heater.

  Have they come to say merry Christmas? Are you coming, too? I’m afraid we didn’t get you a present, but there’s lots of turkey left and about a million brussels sprouts.

  Love,

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Tuesday, December 27

  Subject: Collection

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Your dragons are still here. They have eaten the entire contents of the fridge and most of the cans in the cupboard, too.

  Arthur also swallowed three spoons and the remote control.

  Mom says they will probably come out the other end, but I’m not really looking forward to that.

  She wants to know when you are coming to collect the dragons.

  We’re leaving first thing on Thursday morning, so she asks if you could you get here by Wednesday afternoon at the latest.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Wednesday, December 28

  Subject: Please call us!

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Your phone is still making the same noise. Mom says you’ve probably been cut off because you haven’t paid your bill.

  Does that mean you didn’t get my e-mails, either?

  So, what are we supposed to do with the dragons?

  We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.

  Mom has to catch the 9:03, or she won’t arrive in time for the meet and greet with Swami Ticklemore.

  She is going on that yoga retreat like you suggested. She says she deserves it after the year she’s had.

  I asked if the dragons could stay here without us, but she said, “No way, José,” which you have to admit is fair enough after last time.

  Emily and I are going to stay with Dad in his new house. He says it’s a castle, but Dad’s always saying things like that.

  I called him and asked if we could bring the dragons.

  He said no, because his new girlfriend, Bronwen, is allergic to fur.

  I told him dragons don’t have fur, but he said even so.

  So please come and get them ASAP.

  Eddie

  P.S. I’ve been waiting with my rubber gloves, but there’s still no sign of those spoons or the remote control.

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, December 29

  Subject: Where are you????

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Mom says if you’re not here in the next ten minutes, she’ll leave the dragons in the street and they can take care of themselves.

  I said you couldn’t possibly get from Scotland to here in ten minutes, and she said worse things happen at sea.

  I have literally no idea what she meant.

  Now she and Dad are shouting at each other just like they used to when they were still married.

  If you get this in the next ten minutes, please call us!

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, December 29

  Subject: Don’t go to our house!

  Attachments: Car; castle

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I hope you haven’t left already to pick up the dragons, because they’re not at our house anymore.

  Dad said they could come to his castle after all.

  I don’t know what changed his mind, but he did say the Welsh have always had a soft spot for dragons.

  Luckily, Bronwen had stayed behind, so there was room for all five of us in the car.

  Dad was worried about his seats, but I told him dragons can be very careful with their claws if they want to, and I’m glad to say they were.

  We got a lot of strange looks on the highway, and there was a nasty moment when Arthur flapped his wings and almost got sucked out the window. But now we’ve arrived at Dad’s new castle, and we’re all fine.

  It really is a castle!

  There’s a moat and half a drawbridge and a rusty old cannon by the front door.

  Dad bought it cheap because the previous owner had lost all his money.

  He is going to convert it into apartments and sell them off and finally make his millions.

  Our bedroom is in a turret. There’s a little wooden staircase which goes to the top and you can see for miles.

  The only problem is it’s freezing. Dad says that’s the price you have to pay for living in a historical building, but I don’t see why he couldn’t just buy some heaters.

  Here is the address:

  Manawydan Castle

  Llefelys

  Near Llandrindod Wells

  Powys, Wales

  UNITED KINGDOM

  Dad says please come and pick up the dragons ASAP because he and Bronwen are having a party on New Year’s Eve, and they want everything to go perfectly.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Thursday, December 29

  Subject: Flu

  Attachments: Achoo

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I forgot to say: Please bring some medicine for Ziggy.

  She’s got a terrible cold.

  When she sneezes, little jets of fire come out of her nostrils. I hope it’s not contagious.

  Eddie

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Thursday, December 29

  Subject: Re: Flu

  Attachments: Snow; McDougall to the rescue

  Hi Eddie,

  I’m very sorry that I haven’t replied before, but my communication with the outside world has been severed for more than a week by the thick layer of snow smothering my island. I even had to dig a path from my back door to the shed so I could bring back some dry logs for the fire.

  My boat was frozen solid, so I couldn’t possibly get to the mainland, and I spent the festive season alone, reading several excellent books and eating my way through whatever I could find at the back of my cupboard. Luckily, I had stocked up on my last trip to France, so I spent a very happy Christmas eating duck paté and drinking some wonderful eggnog.

  The dragons weren’t so content. They huddled by the fire for the first couple of days, then disappeared. How very sensible of them to come and find you.

&nb
sp; I polished off the last of my food last night and raised a red flag. Luckily, Mr. McDougall saw it first thing this morning and came to rescue me in his boat.

  I’m now checking my e-mails in his house. He sends season’s greetings, by the way, and hopes to meet you soon.

  I’m sorry to hear that Ziggy is unwell. Please try to keep her and Arthur comfortable until I arrive. I wouldn’t want them to fly any farther south. They’d only get lost.

  Mr. McDougall’s nephew Gordon is giving me a lift to the train station. I have just checked the schedule. If I make my connections at Glasgow and Crewe, I should be with you tonight.

  With lots of love from your affectionate uncle,

  Morton

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Friday, December 30

  Subject: Errands

  Attachments: Snowdragon

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  We’re all very glad you’re coming!

  We’re going out now to pick up the drinks for the party, but we’ll be back by six o’clock.

  If you get here early, Dad says the pub in the village is excellent, although he advises against the pickled eggs.

  Bronwen says please don’t bring any more snow, because we’ve got enough already. It came down last night, and we’re now knee-deep in it.

  We just went out to make a snowman, but we made something much better instead. Here’s a picture. Can you guess what it is?

  Arthur jumped around all over the place, making funny little barking noises, then challenged the snowdragon to a duel.

  He melted a hole in its middle, which made him even more confused.

  If the snow hasn’t melted by the morning, will you help us make another?

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Friday, December 30

  Subject: Medicine

  Attachments: Hot water bottle

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I’m really sorry. Arthur has caught his mom’s cold.

  It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have let him play in the snow.

  I’ve given them hot water bottles, but they won’t stop sneezing.

  I hope you’re bringing lots of medicine.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Friday, December 30

  Subject: When you get here

  Attachments: Rockets

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  We’re going to bed now, but Dad will leave the door unlocked. We’ve made up a bed for you on the sofa in the sitting room, which is actually the warmest room in the castle.

  I asked if you could stay for the party, but Dad said only without the dragons, so I suppose that means no.

  I wish you could. It really is going to be a great party.

  We’ve been helping Bronwen make the appetizers. There’s smoked salmon and mini pizzas and cheese cubes and chicken wings, plus enough chips to fill twelve huge bowls.

  Bronwen wants us to take everyone’s coats when they arrive. Dad bought about a million fireworks to set off at midnight.

  Dad said we can stay up to watch. I reminded him that Emily is only five, but he said it would be good for her.

  I said Mom would be furious, and he said she’d be furious with whatever he did, which is probably true.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, December 31

  Subject: Eviction

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Are you stuck in a snowdrift?

  I hope not, because Dad is going to evict the dragons if you’re not here by lunchtime.

  I said he can’t make sick dragons sleep outside in this weather, and he said tough luck.

  Eddie

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Saturday, December 31

  Subject: Re: Eviction

  Attachments: McDougall to the rescue again

  Sorry about delay. Helping McD rescue sheep from unexpected avalanche.

  Gordon taking me to station now. Will be with you by 4:00 p.m. at the latest.

  M

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, December 31

  Subject: Appetizers

  Attachments: Crime scene

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  Could you try to get here before 4:00 p.m.? The dragons have ruined the party, so we have to leave the castle right now.

  It happened when we came back from making the second snowdragon. I was just taking off my boots when I heard a terrible scream. I thought Emily must have seen another mouse. I ran into the kitchen and found a scene of total devastation.

  There were puff pastries everywhere. The floor was covered with chips. Somehow twenty deviled eggs had gotten stuck to the ceiling. The entire platter of smoked salmon was gone, including all six lemons and the pepper grinder.

  Bronwen said she’d only stepped outside for a second to get another jar of mayonnaise, but she must have been gone for longer than that. Not even Ziggy can eat 600 appetizers in one second.

  I thought the dragons might at least look guilty, but I’ve never seen anyone looking so pleased with themselves.

  The good thing is they must be getting better if they’re hungry.

  I didn’t say that to Dad, because I could see he wasn’t in the mood.

  When Bronwen finally stopped shouting, she said in a quiet voice that enough was enough and it was them or her.

  Dad said he was sorry, but he hardly knew the dragons and that they were big enough to look after themselves. And then he said some things about you, Uncle Morton, which you probably don’t want to know.

  I said if the dragons left then I was leaving, too.

  Emily said so was she.

  Dad told us not to be ridiculous, but we weren’t.

  You’ll find us at the castle gates.

  I hope you’ll be here soon, Uncle Morton, because the forecast is for more snow.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, December 31

  Subject: Back again

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  You’ll be glad to hear we’re back in the castle. It’s not much warmer than outside, but at least we won’t get covered in snow.

  Dad came to get us. He made a deal with Bronwen. She doesn’t mind the dragons staying if they’re locked in our turret at the top of the castle. We have to stay with them till you arrive.

  See you at 4:00 p.m., if not before.

  Eddie

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Saturday, December 31

  Subject: 4:00 p.m. at latest?????

  Attachments: The first guests

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  It’s 8:20 and the first guests have just arrived.

  We’re still stuck in the turret with your dragons.

  I said what about the coats, and Bronwen said the coats could take care of themselves.

  Where are you?

  E

  From: Morton Pickle

  To: Edward Smith-Pickle

  Date: Sunday, January 1

  Subject: Re: 4:00 p.m. at latest?????

  Hi Eddie,

  I’m sure you’re safely tucked into bed at this unearthly hour of the morning, but I wanted to wish you a very happy New Year.

  I’m terribly sorry that I haven’t reached you yet, but the avalanche turned out to be more serious than first thought, and I’ve been helping Mr. McDougall retrieve a hundred and eleven sheep that had been scattered around the hills.

  They are all now safely in his barn. We just celebrated midnight with a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne” and a bottle that the McDougalls had been saving for a special occasion.

  Gordon will give me a lift to the
station first thing. I should be with you in time for dinner.

  Morton

  From: Edward Smith-Pickle

  To: Morton Pickle

  Date: Sunday, January 1

  Subject: New address

  Attachments: The big bang; night flight

  Dear Uncle Morton,

  I’m very glad to hear you’re finally coming to Wales, but please don’t go to the castle. We’re not there anymore. We are staying at the Manawydan Arms in Llefelys.

  You’re probably wondering why we’re not staying at the castle, and the reason is very simple. Ziggy burned it down.

  You can’t exactly blame her (although Dad does) because she didn’t mean to.

  It happened last night. The four of us were in the turret, looking out the window, watching cars pulling up and guests hurrying into the castle.

  I now know you were four hundred miles away, Uncle M, but I didn’t at the time and I kept hoping to see you.

  Emily and I had our blankets, but the dragons were freezing. There was snow coming through the holes in the windows. I was worried the two poor shivering dragons would get pneumonia.

  Then I had a great idea. Our room had a fireplace. Why not use it?

  I sneaked downstairs and grabbed some wood and a newspaper. Dad had taught me how to scrunch up the paper and make a pyramid from the kindling. He did tell me to never light a fire without adult supervision, but we were so cold I had to do something. I was just looking around for some matches when Ziggy sneezed and the whole pile burst into flames.

  For a moment, we were lovely and warm.

  Then a rocket whooshed past my left ear and exploded against the ceiling.