Cora and the Nurse Dragon Page 7

  “Ah, just a mayfly.” Abry crossed her arms. “I was hoping the one I saw hatch would be something special. Why didn’t that egg have a rare?”

  “I guess if he doesn’t do anything they turn into mayflies. Maybe that’s why mayflies are so common.” Cora scooped up the green dragon and put it in the tank with her mayflies. She’d label it later.

  Cricket immediately shifted to sit next to the “baptized” egg. Cora grinned. Abry would love this.

  The egg burst open in a cloud of steam, egg fragments pelting the side of the tank. Abry shrieked. The tiny blue steamer shook out its wings and blinked at them. It let out another belch of steam.

  “Oh, nifty!” Abry clapped. “So we have two steamers, a striker, and two sparkers.” She stepped back as Cora moved the new dragon into the tank with the others. “I’ve never seen so many rares in one place before. I can’t believe it. Oh, we need cages and food and notebooks. I want to take notes on how they interact.” She danced from foot to foot. “I’m going to go see if Mom will let me call Parker. He’s going to be so impressed!”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Boys and Dragons

  That afternoon a group of boys, led by Parker, arrived at the greenhouse.

  “My dad was coming to talk to Mr. A, anyways,” Parker said. “I got him to drive me and my buddies over.” He nodded towards the four boys, all dressed similarly to him and about the same age. The boys swarmed the tanks.

  “Don’t touch and don’t open the tanks!” Cora called out. She started towards them, then glanced back. Abry stood, hands behind her back, smiling like a character in a flipbook cartoon. All she needed were some little birds flitting about her head or some sappy organ music. Parker grinned back at Abry. Cora shook her head and hurried to guard her dragons. She’d left Cricket in the cottage, not wanting to have someone try to buy him, or guess at his importance.

  “Can I hold one?” asked a blond boy, pressing his hands against the glass.

  “Maybe. I need you all to step back and take deep breaths.” Cora crossed her arms.

  The boys exchanged glances, moved one step back, and stood in a mostly straight line, still staring at the dragons.

  “Like I said, you all need money. This ain’t a soup kitchen.” Parker came up to them. “These dolls cut me a swell deal, and I’m sure they will for you too.”

  If he calls me a doll one more time, I’m going to give him a shiner. Cora bit her bottom lip. Abry laughed and batted her eyes. Oh man, I may have to throw a bucket of water on her. He’s just a stupid boy … and a customer. Punching out my first customer’s probably not good business. She drew a deep breath. “We charge four dollars a dragon, much less than you will pay at the Emporium.”

  One boy dropped his eyes. “What if we ain’t got it all right now?”

  “We can set up a payment plan.” Flirty Abry went out the window and “talk like a book” Abry sprang into action. “Reasonable down payment and interest, but the dragon will be repossessed if you go into arrears.”

  The boy flushed. “What’s wrong with my rear?”

  Cora snickered. Even she knew what that meant.

  The door to the greenhouse creaked open. Cora turned around, and her stomach clenched. Xavian.

  Xavian grimaced at her, then narrowed his eyes at Parker. “I saw your dad at the house. Why are you down here with Egg Face?”

  “She has dragons,” Parker said simply.

  “Stupid, little ones. Come on. I’ll take you to the stables, and we can ride my racer.” Xavian jerked his thumb towards the door.

  “Nah, I can see racers whenever I want at the track.” Parker shrugged and angled himself away from Xavian.

  Xavian’s face reddened. He slumped down the aisle and stood beside the group of boys in silence. Cora let out a long breath. She did not want to deal with Xavian right now.

  Abry waved her hand towards the tank. “As you can see, we have a fine selection of dragons for your consideration. Strikers, steamers, and sparkers.”

  “How did you get those?” Xavian’s tone sharpened. “You two are stealing, aren’t you?”

  “They hatched them, Xavian.” Parker rolled his eyes. “Do they look like mobsters? What, you think they’re knocking over Emporiums? I think we’d have heard about two pint-sized dolls with tommy guns sticking up shops for dragons.”

  Everyone snickered … except Xavian. His lips pursed, and he shuffled his feet. “You shouldn’t be associating with these girls. Your dad works for mine, and when you come here, you should visit with me, not the hired help.”

  Parker stepped forward, his fists raised. Xavian’s eyes widened. He shied back.

  “Look here, you upstager. My dad may take money from yours but only because mine is the best darn jockey in Farrington and your dad knows it. My dad could get work from any tycoon with a racer. He’s not your servant and neither am I.” Parker gave Xavian a shove.

  Though taller than Parker, Xavian was softer, and Cora doubted he’d ever been in a fight in his life. Something in Parker’s stance suggested he knew what he was doing.

  “You can’t talk to me like that!” Xavian shouted.

  “Ah, go chase yourself.” Parker pushed Xavian towards the door.

  Xavian took off at a run.

  Cora gaped at Parker. “You won’t get in trouble for that?”

  “Nah, my old man wouldn’t want me to lick X’s boots. A swell jockey like him can get work anywhere.”

  “Xavian’s horrid.” Abry wrinkled her nose. “I think you did the right thing standing up to him … in fact, in honor of Parker’s gallantry, we’re putting these dragons on sale, a 25% discount.”

  The boys cheered. Within minutes the girls had a pile of coins and even a few paper bills, and each of the boys cuddled a dragon of his choice. Only one Steamer remained in the tank, and Parker thought he knew a girl on his street who might buy it.

  Just looking at the money made Cora’s mind swirl with all the things she could buy. This is what it's like to be rich.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The Dragon Regulatory Agency

  Cora and Abry sat on the floor of Cora’s cottage, counting their money. Abry noted the total in her account book, then put what she felt they would need for upcoming “business related expenses” into a manila envelope she’d “borrowed” from her mother’s office. The rest she divided into two even piles, one for her, one for Cora.

  By the potbelly stove, Cricket stalked Scrabble’s twitching tail. The cat pretended to be asleep, but kept his tail working like a clock’s pendulum. Cricket pounced on it, only to have it sweep him across the floor. He sprang again. The tail snapped out of reach. Cora laughed. She was glad they got along.

  The door to the cabin opened, and Dad strode in. He pulled up a chair. “You two tycoons are counting your profits, I see? What about that college fund we talked about?” He raised his eyebrows.

  Cora grimaced but separated out a few dollars and placed them in his hand.

  “Thank you.” He put the money inside a teapot in the china hutch. “I was just at the greenhouse. It looked as if you only have one steamer left.”

  “We sold the last striker yesterday,” Abry explained. “We haven’t had time to go buy another egg pack yet. We also need more cages, food, and another notebook.” She flipped over her ledger, exhibiting all the full pages.

  “How many dragons have you raised so far?”

  “Three sets, six eggs in each, but not all of them hatch into rares. We got three mayflies in the last batch.” Cora eyed her father, wondering what his angle was. They hadn’t talked much about her dragon business. He’d checked in on the dragons every so often, but for the most part, he let her pursue her goals, no matter how much he disapproved of them.

  “I wanted to see if we could influence Cricket to make certain sorts of dragons for us, but he just does what he wants to do.” Abry laughed. “I even tried copying his methods to see if I could make certain sorts of dragons hatch.”


  “He didn’t like that.” Cora shook her head. Cricket had “kidnapped” every egg Abry had meddled with and hidden them. It had taken a lot of coaxing to get him to trust Abry again after that.

  “No, he didn’t.” Abry wrinkled her nose.

  “Well, his purpose isn’t to make the dragons that people find the most interesting or profitable. It’s to make the dragons he thinks would best suit his colony. Even mayflies have their purpose, don’t they, Cor?” His eyes burned into her. His face was placid, but she still squirmed.

  Does he want me to admit I read his stupid book? Of course I did. I love dragons. More than he does.

  She drew herself up as if reciting at school. “Mayflies are pollinators, like bees and butterflies. They tend the flowers and plants around large dragon colonies, which provides shelter, camouflage, and even food.”

  “That’s right. A dragon colony was said to have a positive effect on the overall ecosystem, like a gardener tending a garden. They controlled the deer population as well. With them gone, human hunters have to thin the deer herds, even in the wildlife sanctuaries where hunting isn’t technically allowed.”

  “It’s wonderful the way God’s creation works. My dad gave a whole sermon on just ants once, you know.” Abry smiled, obviously not getting that Cora’s father didn’t approve of their business.

  “Yes, I believe I was there for that. Your father is a persuasive speaker.” Dad nodded. “Do you want to stay for dinner, Abry? It won’t be fancy …”

  Someone hammered on the door. Cricket gave a chirp and darted into the loft. Dad furrowed his brow and went to open it.

  “Mr. Harrison?” a gruff voice asked.

  Cora moved behind her father. Two men in suits and fedoras stood in the doorway. One clutched a shiny leather briefcase.

  “Yes, that’s me. How can I help you?”

  “We received a report of suspicious activity involving dragons.” The man pulled out a bronze badge. “I’m Agent Vagnes and this is Agent Porter, with the Dragon Regulatory Agency. May we come in and talk?”

  “What sort of suspicious activity and who reported it?” Dad frowned.

  The men shouldered their way inside. Behind them, Cora caught a glimpse of Xavian, standing by the fence, glowering at them.

  That sneaking snitch.

  Abry stood, clutching her notebook to her chest. “I … can I go home?” she stammered. “I don’t even live here.”

  The agents eyed her then nodded towards the door. Cora’s stomach clenched as her friend ran out. Maybe Abry couldn’t help her much, but Cora had at least hoped she’d stay.

  “I’m not sure what I can help you with. I’m not even a dragon owner. My daughter buys some egg packs from time to time, but I don’t interfere much with her hobby, and last I heard that wasn’t in violation of any agency regulations.” Dad crossed over to the stove. “I’d offer you a cup of tea, but there really isn’t anything to discuss.”

  “That isn’t what our witness claims.” Porter laid his briefcase on their table before sitting. He pointed to the pile of coins and bills on the floor. “Where did you get that money?”

  Cora scooped it up. “I’ve been saving my pocket money to buy a rare dragon.”

  “I’m sure she’ll pay all her taxes,” Dad said, his mouth quirking.

  Agent Vagnes huffed. “Our reports claim an unusual amount of rare dragons have been seen in your daughter’s possession, more than could be reasonably explained by chance hatchings.”

  Cora felt dizzy. She sat in the corner, beside the stove, and pulled Scrabble to her chest. The cat twitched and meowed. It took all of Cora’s willpower not to look towards the loft. Oh God, please let Cricket not fly down. Please let him stay up there.

  “If you’d like to see my daughter’s dragon collection, it's in the greenhouse, just down the path.” Dad crossed his arms. “As I said, all her dragons have been hatched from legitimately purchased eggs. We have nothing to hide.”

  “Please sit down, Mr. Harrison.” Porter waved to the chair across from him. He leaned forward, his mustache twitching. He was younger than father, perhaps as young as twenty, and from the glint in his eye, Cora suspected he liked telling people older than him what to do. “We looked you up when we received the report. It seems you have a record.”

  Dad’s posture stiffened, but he sat in the chair, keeping his eyes on Porter. “Youthful indiscretions. I did my time.”

  Hot and cold washed over Cora. Dad was arrested? Dad went to jail? For what?

  “You were part of a radical organization protesting our very agency. You were accused of vandalizing property belonging to Algernon Investments, their dragon hatching facility, if I’m correct. Interesting that you are again catching our eye … and how is that you are now working for Mr. Algernon?”

  “At the time, Mr. Algernon was also involved with that so called radical organization, youthful rebellion against his father. The prosecution of the group’s members was due in part to his father’s dispute with him, and he didn't hold my record against me.”

  Cora’s head spun. Her father had been in a group of some sort with Mr. Algernon … and Mr. Algernon used to be against the Dragon Regulatory Agency. How? Why?

  “I see. And you are no longer involved with that organization?” Vagnes leaned back in his chair, a slight smile on his lips. “Old habits die hard.”

  “Yes, but I’m a father now with a family to support. What I did twenty years ago is not who I am today. I have offered my cooperation. Would you like to see the dragons?”

  “Eventually.” Agent Vagnes took out a notepad and a pencil from his briefcase and started scratching. He wrote for a bit, looked up at Dad, made a grunting noise, then kept writing.

  Cora bit down on her lip. What could he be writing? We didn’t do anything. We barely even said anything. How could he have that much to write?

  Porter leaned across the table. “We know you didn’t steal the dragons. There haven’t been reports of thefts, but you can’t expect us to believe your daughter’s little dragon egg hobby is really producing multiple rare dragons. That just doesn’t happen.”

  “According to the packaging, every egg has the chance to hatch into a rare.” Dad shrugged. “Are you saying that’s a lie?”

  Porter’s fist smacked the table, and Cora jumped. “I’m trying to help you, Mr. Harrison. We aren’t interested in you. We want the source of your dragons. If you are aware of an illegal breeding facility and choose to hide it from the Agency … well …” Porter shook his head. “Then there won’t be much I can do for you.”

  Vagnes looked up from his writing. “Seeing as this isn’t your first offense, the courts will undoubtedly pursue the maximum sentence.”

  Dad’s expression hardened. “I haven’t done anything illegal.”

  Porter motioned towards Cora. “No Mrs. Harrison, is there? How old is your daughter? Eleven, twelve? She’ll be in her thirties by the time you get out … if she survives being a ward of the state. You know how a lot of those girls end up.”

  Dad pushed his chair back with a screech. “Are you arresting me? If not, I think you should leave.”

  Cora’s heart throbbed in her throat.

  Vagnes smiled. “We’re just getting started, Mr. Harrison.”

  The door opened. The agents spun around. Mrs. Stevenson entered, her cheeks flushed as if she’d been running. She eyed the men. “Gentlemen, you should not be speaking to my client without me.”

  “We weren’t aware he had representation.” Agent Vagnes cleared his throat.

  Abry slipped into the room as Mrs. Stevenson closed the door. Abry smiled and came to sit by Cora.

  Cool relief washed over Cora. I should’ve known she wouldn’t just leave me. Quick thinking, Abry. She slipped her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

  Mrs. Stevenson set a briefcase on the table and passed him a card. She then took Abry’s familiar record book out of the briefcase. “You’ll find receipts for all the eggs, dragons, and drago
n related supplies purchased by my client and his daughter in this. As you can see, they were all acquired legitimately from Featherweight Emporium, an authorized dragon vendor near the Harrisons' home. You are welcome to compare the serial numbers on their dragons and eggs to the numbers on the receipts. I’m confident you’ll find everything matches up. They’ve kept excellent records.”

  Abry stuck out her chest, and Cora smiled. There’d be no living with Abry now that her bookkeeping had saved the day, but Cora definitely didn’t mind.

  Agent Vagnes fussed over the records for several moments.

  Mrs. Stevenson reached out and swept the book up. “If you require any more, I ask that you come back with a warrant … if you can find a judge willing to issue one on the hearsay of a jealous adolescent.”

  The agents exchanged a look. Porter shifted in his chair. “The Agency takes the rights of Farrington’s citizens very seriously. Very, very … you’ll be hearing from us shortly.” He picked his briefcase up and, followed by Vagnes, slipped out the door.

  Cora collapsed with her head on her knees. “Thanks, Abry.”

  “No problem. I figured Mom would know what to do,” Abry said. “Do you think they’ll come back?”

  Mrs. Stevenson raised her hands. “I hope not. You two haven’t sold enough dragons to merit such a ruckus. My guess is they’re fishing, perhaps seeing if you have connections to a larger supplier.”

  “They asked about illegal breeders.” Cora nodded. She climbed the ladder into the loft. The tip of Cricket’s tail stuck out from under her bed. “It’s all clear, boy,” she whispered. He flew into her arms. She lowered herself back into the main room.

  “I’m not sure they'll give up that easily. The Dragon Regulatory Agency can be relentless. I know that from personal experience.” Dad rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  Cora opened then shut her mouth. She had so many questions. Had her father been a bandit? A hood? Some sort of dragon vigilante?