The Story of Owen Read Online Free Page B

Huffman continued. “Dragon slayers were present in force, but they were still officially enlisted in their various armies and had loyalties only to their own countries and allies. They would not necessarily go to the defense of an oil ship from another nation. The canal was in danger of being overrun. With blatant disregard for safety and collateral damage, the Israeli forces decided to take advantage of English and French interests in the area, and attack the Egyptians for sole control of the canal.”
    The class shifted uncomfortably in their seats. The Great Wars had shown us that attacking one another, releasing all that carbon and lighting all those fires, only made the dragons more pernicious in their attacks. The non-aggression pacts that had been signed in the wake of World War II were tenuous, yes, but the literal threat of fire from on high was usually enough to keep rogue nations in line.
    â€œThe dragons responded in number,” Mr. Huffman said. His voice was low now, but the room was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. “Like moths to a flame, they swept down across the British and French lines, making straight for the oil tankers which belched smoke into the sky above the canal. For the purposes of this exercise, dragon slayers, you are each charged with getting your own oil ship safely from Port Said, the back of the room, to Suez, which is the blackboard. When it is your turn, you tell me your move and I’ll tell if you were successful. You will find the details of your ships or your species of dragon on the cards I am passing out now.”
    We must have looked like idiots, gawking at him like that. Most of the kids were still confused as to the point of the exercise, having realized that this was a historical battle and we all knew the outcome already. I, on the other hand, had different concerns.
    â€œBut this wasn’t a dragon battle,” I said. “Not really, anyway. The oil ships fought one another to get clear of the canal.”
    At the back of the room, a couple of seniors who were repeating the class for better grades started to poke each other with pencils.
    â€œYou’re right, they did,” Mr. Huffman said. “The dragons were able to pick off the ships one by one, and they’re not even capable of higher brain function. It was a messy week for the Anglo-French troops and dragons slayers.”
    â€œWe need Pearson,” I said.
    â€œYou mean
you
need Pearson,” Sadie said in a quiet voice. My opinion of her rose a little bit just then. She clearly had a brain. She looked apologetically at Owen. “I might win if he doesn’t show up.”
    â€œYes, you get Pearson,” Mr. Huffman said. “But by the time he shows up, half the boats are sunk and only a quarter of the dragons have been slayed. Every dragon slayer sitting behind Owen, you’re dead. The four dragons at the back of the line are dead too. The rest of you, pick a surviving dragon slayer and pull up a chair.”
    â€œNobody took a turn!” one of the seniors protested. “How can I be dead already?”
    â€œSiobhan called for Pearson,” Mr. Huffman said. “That was your turn.”
    There was considerable scraping and more than a bit of teasing as the dead dragon slayers got out of the way and the remaining four dragons picked a slayer to attack.
    â€œCan we gang up, or do we have to fight evenly?” Sadie asked as all four dragons tried to sit around her, facing down Owen across the desks.
    â€œWhere are my UN reinforcements?” I demanded at the same time.
    â€œYes, you can, and they’re on their way. Which means it’s the dragons’ turn again,” Mr. Huffman said, passing out blue ribbons to the eight dead dragon slayers. “Congratulations on your reincarnation. You are now representatives of the United Nations. Please wait for orders.”
    â€œOrders from whom?” Alex Carmody said, wrapping the