The World, The Times and The Dragon

Ross Baker closed the fantasy novel he was reading and got up. The last customer had left quite some time ago. Time to close the bookshop and go home.

Ross closed the lights, locked up the shop and left.

He sauntered leisurely, hands thrust in his pockets, thinking about his future. He had just completed high school and was working part-time at the local used books shop. What was he going to do after summer? Continue with further education or go into business with his father? His parents had left the decision to him but with hints that continuing education may be the better option.

While he was passing along a lonely stretch of the road, a very polite "Excuse me" broke the chain of his thoughts. He turned and peered into the dark alley from which the sound had come. He found himself face to face with a dragon whose ivory white scales gleamed dully even in the darkness.

"I should stop reading all those fantasy novels," he said to himself. "I have started seeing - and hearing – things."

"Excuse me," the dragon spoke again.

Baker shook his head violently, but the apparition wouldn't go.

"I am seeing things. Let me prove it," he thought and stepped into the alley.

The dragon was still there.

This was some sort of a gag. Baker decided to go along with the gag.

"Did you say something?" he asked the dragon.

"Yes," the dragon said quite clearly. "I wanted to talk to someone of your world."

"What can I do for you?" Baker was politeness itself.

"I am hungry. Could you get me some fresh green grass?"

"Grass? I thought dragons were non-vegetarian.”

“We ivory dragons are strict vegetarians, almost vegans”.

“Oh!

“So can you get me some grass?”

“I am sorry, I don't think I can get you grass right now. But wait a minute. Would hibiscus leaves do? I have a pot of hibiscus at my shop."

The dragon thought for a while. "I will have to try them and see," he said.

"Okay, wait here."

Baker retraced his steps to his shop, opened it, went behind the counter, opened one of his draws and took out a flashlight. Whatever trick was being played on him behind the curtain of darkness, it could not stand up to the bright beam of his flashlight.

He stepped out of his shop, hesitated, went back in and picked up the pot of hibiscus. Just in case.

Back in the alley, he found the dragon waiting for him.

He immediately pointed the flashlight at him and switched it on.

The apparition did not vanish. No trick was revealed. All he saw was a beautiful white dragon standing there, bathed in the beam of his flashlight.

Ross Baker gasped. The dragon looked at him with eyes that showed amusement.

"Did you think I was not real?"

Ross floundered for words.

"If you are satisfied that I am real, would you mind shutting off the flashlight?"

Ross switched the flashlight off, and once again, the alley was plunged into darkness.

"May I?" asked the dragon, shaking his head at the pot of hibiscus. Without a word, Ross offered the pot to him. The dragon bent his head and sniffed at the leaves. Tentatively, he took a nibble.

"It is very nice," he said, and immediately proceeded to make a square meal of it.

After the hibiscus plant was polished off, the dragon looked at Ross.

"Thank you," he said.

"You are welcome," said Ross.

"You must be wondering about me," said the dragon.

"Not at all. Not at all," said Ross. "I come across talking dragons in dark alleys almost every day."

The dragon laughed. "Okay. Don't fret. I will tell you about myself and about how I came to be here.

"I come from a land called Ghelenden. Don't ask me where it is, for I cannot tell you. The high king of Ghelenden sent me here to study this world of yours and to report to him about it. I had twelve hours to complete my task. We dragons are beings with strange powers, you know. We have the power to stretch time to certain extent, and so twelve hours were more than enough to survey your world, your culture, your ethics, and other such things. And..."

"What did you find about our world?" asked Ross, curious.

"Most of it you would not like to hear, so let it go. Where was I? Ah, yes. I was telling you about the strange powers of dragons. I came to your world this morning. Using my powers, I finished my assigned task, and I also managed to remain concealed from all eyes till now. But now, my hunger forced me to reveal myself."

The dragon, who seemed quite a talkative creature, paused for breath but not for long.

"I would like to repay you for the kindness you have shown me," he said. "Right now, I can give you any one of two things. One is that I can take you on a visit to Ghelenden. It is a place full of wonders and beauty and adventure."

"What is the second thing you can give me?" Ross Baker asked.

"I can give you untold wealth," said the dragon. "So choose. Remember one thing though. You cannot go back on your choice."

And Ross Baker made his choice.

"Give me wealth," he said.

The dragon sighed. Was it Baker's imagination or did the dragon sound disappointed?

"Have you heard of the philosopher's stone?" asked the dragon.

"Yes," said Ross. "It is supposed to turn anything it touches into gold."

"Right. I can use my fiery breath as a philosopher's stone."

Baker's eyes went glazed with thoughts of gold all around him. He quickly extended his flashlight to the dragon.

"Make this gold," he said eagerly.

The dragon shook his head.

"It is not that simple," he said. "There is a requirement to be fulfilled before my breath can turn things to gold."

"What is that?"

"It is required that the hands of a virgin but nubile girl should be touching my scales all the time while I turn things to gold. Can you get me such a girl?"

"No problem. I will do it," said Ross confidently. It really should be no problem. He would get Joanna, his girlfriend. Then he suddenly remembered. Just last weekend, he had coaxed Joanna to sleep with him and she had given in. Oh well! He knew many other unmarried girls in town. He would get one of them.

"Wait for me here," he said and started to hurry away.

"Stop," said the dragon. "Before you leave, let me tell you that my time in your world will be up within an hour. You have to be back before then."

"Okay," said Ross and went in search of a virgin nubile girl in town.

The hour passed leaving Ross a broken man.

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