‘You’re going to have to deal with that for a while.’

‘How did you get on with finding out about Dragons?’

‘Quite well, actually,’ I replied slowly. ‘I think I’m the last Dragonslayer.’

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

‘I said I think—’

‘I heard what you said. I just don’t think it’s very funny. I put my neck on the block as a kind of “foundling solidarity” thing and you don’t take any of it seriously.’

‘Tiger?’

‘Yes?’

‘You know how all your life you think maybe you’re placed here for a reason?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you never find out what that reason was?’

‘Yes.’

‘I just have. I’m not kidding. I’m the last Dragonslayer. I have the sword and everything.’

There was another pause.

‘This kind of throws you centre stage,’ said Tiger. ‘You’ll be famous and asked what you’re going to do and stuff.’

‘I’m not looking forward to it, nor the possibility of killing a dragon. But at least I get to actually find something out about Maltcassion – and with the sword Exhorbitus, I’ll finally be able to trim the Quarkbeast’s claws.’

‘That would be helpful,’ admitted Tiger, ‘all that click-click-click upon the floor is a bit annoying.’

He paused again.

‘Does this mean I have to run Kazam?’

I told him that I was sure I could do both, and that I would try to smooth things over with Lady Mawgon and Moobin and the others. This seemed to satisfy him, and after telling him to go and hide in a wardrobe if things got bad, I added I would be home as soon as I had ‘sorted a few things out’.