A surprise visitor to the Aerie provides devastating news for Happenstance about his past--but it's the future that Umber and Hap must contend with: they need to learn all they can about Meddlers if they are to discover what Hap's role in Umber's mission is to be. And that means a risky trip to The Inferno, where Caspar has taken the key pages of Umber's research. But that's only one of the perilous journeys Umber has in mind for his mysterious ward: Umber's nemesis, the wheeling and dealing Hameron, has acquired some dragon eggs, and Umber can't resist the opportunity to study a new magical species, even if it means a trip to the corrupt kingdom of Sarnica. But when he and Hap see what the warlord of Sarnica has planned for the dragon hatchlings at the upcoming Dragon Games, Umber's quest for knowledge turns into a dangerous rescue operation. P. W. Catanese is the author of ten fantasy-adventure novels. His books have been received with critical acclaim and have been translated into five foreign languages. His Books of Umber trilogy has been nominated for six regional book awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet award, the Florida’s Sunshine State Young Readers award, and the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Reader’s Choice awards. He lives in Connecticut. When he’s not writing books, Catanese draws cartoons, works for an advertising agency, and tries very hard to respond to every message from his readers. Meet him at PWCatanese.com, and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Dragon Games By P. W. Catanese Aladdin Copyright © 2011 P. W. Catanese All right reserved. ISBN: 9781416953838 CHAPTER 1 The boy gripped the railing tight . He watched the leviathan's enormous tail rise from the brine until it almost broke the surface and then sweep down again in a powerful and dreamlike rhythm that propelled the barge through a rolling black sea. The port city of Kurahaven, storm-battered but still glorious, was far behind, and the sun's fire had been doused hours before on the horizon ahead. Happenstance eyed the dark waves uneasily. He'd hoped his dread of water might fade as he spent more hours plying its surface. But it's as bad as ever, Hap thought, with a little twist at the corner of his mouth. His shoulders rose toward his ears. There was an open hatch on the deck of the barge, with stairs leading down to the spacious central cabin. A giddy sound drifted up the stairs and into the night. Hap recognized the particular laugh of his guardian. Lord Umber was in his usual high spirits, which were always at their loftiest after a satisfying meal and a hot mug of his beloved coffee, and with the prospect of some thrilling discovery ahead. Hap walked to the railing at the square prow to see what might lie before them. His extraordinary eyes pierced the darkness and found Nima, the barge's captain, sitting cross-legged on the back of the leviathan, Boroon. Perhaps sensing that someone was watching, she turned to look back at the barge that was strapped to Boroon's immense back. “Hello, Nima,” Hap called. He wasn't sure that Nima could see him in the gloom of night, with tatters of cloud shrouding the moon, but she waved. She stood, walked across the bony plates of the leviathan's back, and climbed the stairs to stand beside Hap. Nima was clad in black sealskin. As she ran her hands through her long hair, Hap stole a glance at the translucent skin that bridged the space between her knuckles. He pulled his gaze away in an instant; he knew better than most how it felt to have someone stare at a physical oddity. “Why aren't you below with the others, Happenstance?” she asked. Hap shrugged. “I felt like coming up here.” That was hardly true. What he'd really felt like was not setting out on this adventure at all. He wished Umber could be content to stay home in the Aerie. It was a fine place to dwell, with wonders and mysteries galore inside its crammed archives. Those were the kind he preferred: adventures in ink, which couldn't crush you in their jaws or under their feet. But, sadly, Umber liked the real thing. And to make matters worse, running off to a new land always exposed Hap to more strangers who would point and gawk at his strange green eyes. “I'm glad to find you here alone,” Nima said. “There's something I've been meaning to give you.” There was a silver chain around her neck. She lifted it over her head, and Hap saw a fat locket dangling, shaped like halves of a seashell. She held it out, and Hap opened a hand to accept it. “It's beautiful,” Hap said. “But ?” “Why am I giving it to you? Because I heard how you risked your life to save Umber. And Umber is my friend. You have spared me an ocean of grief.” Hap clamped his jaw as he thought back to that terrifying night when he'd climbed a crumbling tower to confront the awful, eye-stealing creature that had taken Umber hostage. “It wasn't just me who saved Umber,” he said. “I know that. But Hap, you haven't seen the tr