Jonah and the Last Great Dragon Read Online Free

I’m mad.’
    â€˜I won’t. Really. Cross my heart and all that.’
    â€˜Jonah,’ her voice dropped to a frightened whisper, ‘I think it was a hand. I do! Honestly.’
    He stared at her. A cold prickling feeling crept up his spine.
    â€˜I saw fingers,’ she said. ‘All long and greyish, with horrible horny fingernails. I swear I did. I know people would say you got your foot tangled in brambles or something. But you didn’t. You were being pulled along! Oh, please say you believe me.’ She looked anxious. ‘Please don’t think I’m a freak!’
    Jonah shook his head. ‘I don’t,’ he said. ‘To be honest, it didn’t feel much like ivy. What I felt round my leg – well – it actually could have been fingers!’
    They gazed at each other in horror and then, yelling, ‘Let’s get out of here!’ they plunged through the undergrowth towards the little stream.

CHAPTER 5
MEETING MR GOLDING
    They scrambled up the bank into the meadow. There were bleeding scratches on their arms and necks, where twigs had scraped them as they ran. Erin’s shirt had ripped on a thorn and Jonah had smears of red-brown earth all down his back. Panting and exhausted, they looked at each other and then Jonah began to grin. ‘Do you think we might get A for Imagination?’
    Erin took a deep breath and looked around the sunny, perfectly normal meadow. She smiled ruefully. ‘Perhaps B plus.’
    Jonah gave her a sideways grin. ‘Oh! Oh! The Ivy-man cometh with his horrible horny hands. Waaah!’
    Erin started to giggle. Jonah, waggling his fingers, made a grab for her and chased her across the slope. She gave up, out of breath, and they flung themselves down on the grass, laughing. But another column of smoke shot upwards, making them feel anxious again, and they started up the hill towards the lane.
    â€˜Do you think we ought to go and get your father? Or shall we go to one of the cottages to tell someone about the fire? That would be quicker,’ Jonah was saying, when Erin exclaimed, ‘Look, there is someone coming already.’
    At the far edge of the meadow, a man had just come through the gate by the church and was coming down the grassy slope towards them. He was tall and young-looking, wearing khaki chinos and a dark green polo shirt, and the sun lit his blond, curly hair. He gave them a wave as he came nearer.
    â€˜Who’s that?’ Jonah whispered.
    â€˜I don’t know,’ Erin replied, puzzled. ‘He’s not from round here.’
    The man smiled as he came down the slope towards them.
    â€˜Hello,’ he said. ‘I thought I saw movement in the woods. Did you see the smoke?’
    Jonah nodded. ‘Yes, we were up on the hill behind the church,’ he began, but Erin cut in.
    â€˜Excuse me,’ she said, looking at the stranger with a slight frown. ‘Are you on holiday here?’
    The man shook his head. ‘No, I’m working.’
    â€˜Working? Oh. Who do you work for?’ Erin was blunt to the point of rudeness. ‘I’ve not seen you round here before.’
    Jonah stared at the ground in embarrassment, but the stranger smiled at them and did not seem to mind. Close to, he did not look so young. His pale skin was lined around the eyes. ‘No,’ he said. ‘You wouldn’t know me. I’m not local. I’m here to...do some research in the area. I hope I didn’t alarm you, appearing in the field like that.’
    Jonah smiled back. ‘No, of course not.’
    He waited for Erin to speak, but she was still looking doubtfully at the man. Then she asked abruptly, ‘Is the fire something to do with you?’
    â€˜Well, in a way. Not that I started it,’ he said easily, as Erin frowned and opened her mouth to interrupt. ‘But I am here to try to make sure the fissure doesn’t get any bigger.’
    â€˜Are you with