Draconas had been playing mumblety-peg for several hundred years. He could have beaten his rival handily at the game, but that would have alienated the children, and he wanted them to accept him. Draca demonstrated her skill, and the match was considered a tie, with the result that she was pronounced an expert mumblety-peg player and accepted into the ranks of boydom.

Draconas and his newfound friends played at mumblety-peg until they grew bored, at which point they began to look about for other forms of amusement. The boys—six of them—ranged in age from nine to fourteen. One was an apprentice to a disreputable shoemaker, who had a taste for ale and generally took a nap about this time of day, leaving the boy to his own devices. Two were supposed to be working in the fields, but had thought better of it. Another was meant to be running errands for his mistress, an herbalist, and another was supposed to be home sick in bed.

The sixth was vague as to where he came from. The others indicated with winks and nods, whispers and nudges, that he was a “runaway”—one of those children with the dragon-magic in their blood. Draconas kept a wary eye on this boy, who was constantly mumbling to himself and who, when given the knife for mumblety-peg, made a wild swipe at Draca. When the other boys told the runaway that stabbing fellow playmates was against the rules, the boy then sliced open his own forearm. Not the least bothered by this bizarre behavior, the boys simply took the knife away and told their friend to go wash off the blood at the public fountain “or the Blessed will nab you for sure!”

This done, the boys suggested various means of passing the time. Some wanted to steal apples from the market. Others wanted to ogle the women who were doing their laundry in the creek, and still others wanted to go look at the destruction caused by the explosion, on the off-chance that they might find a dead body.

The majority was leaning in this direction, when Draconas said, “Pooh! There aren’t any more dead bodies. I heard my father say everyone had been found.”

Faces fell. The boy with the dragon-magic slammed his fist into the stone wall in disgust and drew back bleeding knuckles.

“I know!” Draconas said, edging away from the boy, who was looking at her oddly. “Let’s go see the palace.”

Dead silence fell. The boys stared at her, some with awe, others nervously.

“Why? What’s the matter?” Draconas asked.

“We’re not allowed,” said one.

“We’re not allowed to skip out of work and we’re doing it,” Draconas reminded them.

“This is different,” said another.

“If he catches us, the dragon will eat us,” said the youngest boy in a whisper.