Pete didn't know that a small town like Passamaquoddy had a jail cell. Thankfully, it was large enough for the three of them.

"What is the meaning of all this?!" the mayor spat at them through the bars.

"If you could be more specific, then perhaps I'd be able to answer you," Nora said calmly.

"You know very well what I'm talking about. The incident at the docks just now, the death of Miss Taylor and Father Gibbons, and the attack on the milkman. I don't believe this string of horrific crimes could just happen out of nowhere. There has to be a logical explanation for it all." He shot a livid glance at Pete when he finished speaking.

"Stop beating around the bush," Lampie said. "Just tell us why you've locked us up."

The mayor furrowed his brow at the old man and a wry grin appeared on his face. "This boy in your company…I've never seen him around here before; many other residents of this town can also attest."

Nora stared at the mayor unflinchingly. "Pete came to us in such a terrible condition. He ran away from his cruel adoptive parents and I took him in," she said. "Or perhaps you're unfamiliar with charity."

For a man who was often so jovial, the mayor, with his scowling face and angry glare, now looked like an entirely different person. "That is beside the point," he spoke. "This boy has become a menace to our town, and I will not have him causing any more trouble."

"You mean to tell us that you think an innocent young boy is behind all that?" said Lampie. "How could he cause such outrageous destruction?"

"It can happen," the mayor replied simply.

"So you plan on keeping us locked in here like dogs? Is that your big plan?" asked Lampie. "What is that going to prove?"

"You are suspects in a crime and will be kept here until further notice," the mayor said abruptly and turned to leave. The three sat in silence.

"I'm sorry," Pete finally spoke.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Nora asked. "None of this is your fault."

"But…" Pete didn't know how to proceed. Telling Nora about the dragon again would be as useless as the last time he tried. "Never mind." He grew quiet. Weeks ago he never imagined that he would be in a peculiar situation such as this. He stood up on the bench in the cell and looked out the tiny barred window above it. Outside he saw the mayor talking with a policeman, but could hear nothing from the indistinct conversation. The mayor nodded to the policeman and made his way to the harbor. All Pete, Nora and Lampie could do was wait.

…………………………….

"That boy is legally ours and we got a bill of sale to prove it," Merle spoke as he sat down in the Doc's tent and pulled out a worn piece of paper.

Terminus looked at the paper and regarded their gruesome countenances. "I can't imagine why you'd want him. The dragon seems to follow him wherever he goes…and killing everyone in the process."

A sputtering growl emerged from Lena's bandaged face. The Doc grimaced and reached for two bottles of tonic and a bottle of lotion. "These are for you, free of charge, guaranteed to cure your burns and wounds," he began, "if you'll let me use the boy as bait."

"What?"

Terminus smiled knowingly. "You want Pete, I want the dragon, and the dragon only seems to appear when the boy is around. I cannot capture the creature unless I have the boy."

"Look," said Merle, "I don't know anything about the dragon, only that the whole problem started when Pete ran away. We don't know how it found him or why it's following him. We just want Pete back is all. If you can get the dragon without killing the boy, then it's a deal."

Merle looked at Lena who nodded weakly.

"I think we have an agreement," the Doc said shaking Merle's hand. Merle tightened his grip and moved in close. "If anything happens to that boy, you're going to owe me a lot more than tonics and lotions."

Terminus nodded fearfully and Merle unclamped his hand. "Hoagy," he said. "We need to get to work. Pete won't come with us unless we have something of his. Something he cares about…"

……………………….

It was nearly dark when the mayor returned to the holding cell. A strong wind had started to blow and threatening storm clouds were gathering at the horizon. The mayor remained silent, his expression unreadable.

"Can we go yet?" Pete spoke up.

The mayor glared at him. "No," he sneered. "You may not go. Six men are dead."

Pete's mouth hung open. There was a sick feeling in his stomach. With more people dead, what was going to happen to him, Nora and Lampie? He knew the stubborn mayor wouldn't believe a word about the dragon, so what good would telling him do?

"That is most unfortunate," said Nora, "but how could we have had anything to do with it?"

The mayor twisted his face into a horrible glare. "Something's not right with that boy. He's brought something with him…a force of evil."

"That is complete and utter nonsense, and you know it," replied Nora.

"That boy is the devil incarnate!" the mayor spat.

"You idiot," said Lampie. "There's nothing you can say that—"

"I didn't do anything! It was a dragon!" Pete said forcefully. He couldn't take it anymore. The least he could do was try and explain. At his remarks, Pete noticed the mayor blink with surprise before his usual scowl returned.

"More nonsense!" he exclaimed. "I won't have any more of your foolish lies being fed to these poor townspeople. The other day I heard half the kids ranting about a dragon—thanks to your absurd lies."

The mayor composed himself for a moment. "Now," he said, "I have some business to take care of. Then I'll be back to figure out how to dispose of you." He put on his hat and headed out the door.

"Sorry, Pete. I don't know what he's going on about," said Nora. "I'm sure he's just overreacting."

Pete hoped it was just an overreaction. He stood up and peered over the edge of the cell window and saw the mayor talking to the policeman once again. He could barely make out parts of their conversation.

"No one else goes in there but me…do you understand?" the mayor said to the policeman, who nodded languidly. "…know too much already…can't let them find…especially that woman…"

Pete sat down, puzzled. Could they be hiding something? Did they really know about the dragon after all?

…………………………

Terminus and Hoagy had spent the majority of the day preparing a scheme to capture the dragon. With all his appeal, Terminus managed to persuade the local fishermen to let him borrow a state-of-the-art harpoon launcher. All they needed was Pete. Terminus knew the boy always seemed to be around when disaster struck, and that could only mean the dragon was nearby, too.

Terminus and Hoagy ventured up to the lighthouse and knocked again at the door, but no one answered.

"Well, this is convenient," the Doc said. "Do you have any idea as to where they are?"

"We could ask around town," Hoagy suggested. "The dragon just destroyed the harbor, so I'm sure the kid must've been around when it happened."

The Doc rolled his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me before?" he asked and turned back to town with a huff.

When Hoagy and Terminus neared the center of town, they saw a man striding up the road.

"Who's that?" Terminus asked. "He looks important."

"The mayor," Hoagy replied in a whisper.

Terminus approached him in a buoyant fashion. "Ah, Mr. Mayor! Lovely weather we are having today."

The mayor stopped. "If you're trying to sell me one of your ridiculous remedies, I am not interested."

"Of course you aren't," said the Doc. "I was just wondering if you could help me with a little matter. You see, I have two individuals in my tent who are in terrible shape. They've come here in search of their boy, oh, what was his name? Pete. Given the state of the harbor, I'm sure he can't be far away. Might you happen to know of the boy's whereabouts?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be at liberty to disclose that information. That boy is a menace to our town and needs to be punished."

"I see," Terminus replied, glancing over the mayor's shoulder at the policeman who stood outside the town hall. "Well, if you cannot supply me with the necessary information, then I will not press you any further. Thank you, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor grumbled and brushed passed them.

"Well, that was successful," Hoagy remarked.

"You idiot, look there," the Doc said pointing to the lone policeman. "I know exactly where Pete is."

………………………………..

The policeman sighed to himself. Standing guard outside the town hall was a meaningless job in this community—especially when he knew the three people inside had done nothing wrong. He sat down on the stairs, and from his coat pocket he removed a silver flask of whisky and took a slug. With his sleeve, he wiped off the excess that trickled down his chin. Liquor was the only thing that kept him sane. He gazed up at the darkening clouds. A storm was approaching and lightning began to sporadically flash. He took another drink and noticed two men coming towards him. It was Doc Terminus and his assistant. Quickly, he shoved the flask back inside his jacket and straightened up.

"Hello, my good man," the Doc said to the policeman. "We were wondering if you could help us out. We're in search of a young boy—goes by the name of 'Pete.' We have reason to believe that he is being held here. Might we visit him?"

"I'm sorry, but no one goes in. I can't make any exceptions."

The Doc sized him up for a moment. "If I may turn your attention to the sky, you'll see there's a storm approaching. I happen to be expecting a shipment of medicinal herbs, which are arriving by boat this evening, and I'm afraid the boat might hit a reef and sink. Then what would happen to me? What would happen to the fine folks of this community if they did not receive their medicines?"

"What are you saying?" asked the policeman.

"I'm saying you have the lighthouse keepers locked up in there and you need to let them out. Think of what will happen if no one is there to light the lighthouse lamp to guide the way for incoming ships."

The policeman, still slightly drunk, pondered this for a moment.

"We need the man and woman who you have locked up," Terminus reiterated.

"I can't let them out…not without the mayor's permission."

"I just spoke with the mayor now. I told him of my predicament and he said it was perfectly fine if you—"

"Sorry, I can't."

Terminus was growing dull of this man's obstinacy. He decided to play a different card. "You know, it would certainly be a shame if the mayor found out his town policeman had been indulging in spirits while on the job."

The policeman appeared to weaken at this remark. He looked the Doc in the eye and suddenly grew confident. "No! No, I can't. Go away, or I'll have to arrest you, too!"

Terminus looked taken aback. It was like fighting a losing game with this fellow. "Fine," he grumbled, disappointed with this unlikely defeat. He would have to change his plans. He looked up and felt the splash of a few raindrops against his face. "Come, Hoagy. Back to the tent."

………………………………………..

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Pete said to Nora.

"Who?"

"Paul."

She sighed and nodded. "I was just thinking how it would be if he were here. It might seem like it, but having him gone hasn't been easy for me. I miss him coming home from a voyage, bringing the most unusual finds with him." She smiled at this recollection.

"I thought Paul was a fisherman?" asked Pete.

"Oh, he was," said Nora, "but he liked to explore whenever he got the chance. One time he brought home a two-headed bird skull. It was the most unusual thing I'd ever seen. Other times he'd bring back exotic fruits, coffees from South America."

A flash lightning and a low rumble of thunder sounded. Suddenly the door of the town hall opened and the policeman walked in.

"Are you here to let us out?" Lampie asked.

He shook his head. "Nope. I'm here so no one else lets you out."

Their expressions sank, and the policeman smirked at their dejection. "Storm's coming," he said with a slight slur. "Just be glad you're in here." He pulled out his flask and took a long drink. A nightstick hung at his side and he removed it. He felt like he needed some amusement after the tedious work he'd been doing, so he took the nightstick and ran it along the bars of the cell, making an obnoxiously loud repeated clang.

"Stop it!" Nora yelled.

The policeman simply laughed. He took another drink and kept hitting the nightstick against the bars.

"What is going on here?!" a voice demanded.

The policeman spun around to find the mayor standing in the doorway, a mad glint in his eye. He immediately dropped the nightstick and flask in shock, and stood frozen. The liquor spilled onto the wood floor.

"Clean it up," the mayor said through gritted teeth.

The policeman pulled out his handkerchief and knelt to the floor. Another rumbling was heard outside, but it sounded much too close to be thunder. Pete listened and looked out the cell window. The pungent smell of sulfur drifted through, and he could almost swear that the rumbling was turning into a growl.

"Oh, no," Pete said breathlessly.

"What?" Nora asked.

"I hear it," said Pete. "The dragon. It's near!"

"Don't be silly, it's just—" Nora started, when all of a sudden there came the cracking of wood above their heads. Nora, Lampie and Pete looked up to see the roof of the town hall split apart. They frantically ducked under the bench to protect themselves from falling pieces of wood.

Pete watched as the mayor stood transfixed at the destruction playing out in front of him. The policeman scrambled backwards, taking cover under a nearby clerk's desk. The dragon let out a guttural roar and rammed itself into the side of the building, destroying everything that stood in its way. A ceiling beam came crashing down and before the mayor could move, it pinned him to the ground.

Under the bench, Lampie tried to shield Pete and Nora from the incoming debris. He watched as the dragon stomped into the room, its large tail smashing into the cell and pulling it free from its steel anchors. A puff of smoke spewed from the dragon's nostrils as it lowered its head to the spilled liquor. Its long pink tongue curled out of its mouth and lapped up the liquid.

The policeman whimpered from under the desk, and the dragon jerked its head in the direction of the sound. Its long neck extended out and pushed towards the desk. The policeman let out a terrified scream and tried to break for an exit, but wasn't quick enough. The dragon clamped down on the helpless man's leg and lifted him up in the air. Through his cries of pain, the policeman managed to pull out the nightstick and deliver a swift blow to the dragon's head. The dragon was momentarily stunned and released its grip on the man's leg, sending him crashing to the ground. He crawled away from the chaos, blood pouring from the gaping wound in his leg.

The dragon shook its head and growled furiously. Its teeth bared, it ran at the policeman and dug its claws into the man's flesh and hoisted him above its head.

"GAAAAHHHHHH!!! NOOOOO!!!" the policeman screamed.

The dragon roared and slammed him into the electric telephone wires outside the town hall and against the burst of sparks, he sizzled to a crisp.

While the dragon proceeded to eat the charred body of the policeman, Pete, Nora and Lampie crawled over to the mayor, who was still pinned under the wooden beam. Pete and Nora managed to lift it up while Lampie pulled the mayor out. He was barely conscious, but was able to get to his feet as the three carried him out through the smashed wall off the town hall. A fierce rain began to whip around outside.

"We have to get back to the lighthouse," Lampie cried.

"What about him?" Nora asked nodding at the mayor.

"Bring him with! We'll deal with him when we get there."

They edged past the dragon, who was still ripping apart the body of the policeman and made their way towards the lighthouse.