The Battle of the Bath

The dragon's head thrashed, but its front paws slipped, and behind those, its body did not move. That heavy inert mass of the dragon's belly pressed down against Fred. It pinned Fred's right arm, which was doubled back on itself. Fred's face was masked - all he could see was the dragon's scales. He could move his left arm and feet.

Fred ineffectually punched the left side of the dragon with his free arm. Pain shot across his ribs. Uh-oh! Broken ribs? He couldn't tell. He had to breathe. No! Hold off! He would drown if he did. Could he roll out from under the dragon? He would jerk his feet inward, raise his knees, and then roll out toward his left.

Jerk. Squirm. Pain! Cough.

Water got in his nose. But the dragon's mass shifted! He could see something besides scales out of the corner of his left eye. Fouled water and a diffuse light. But he still couldn't get out! Try again!

Jerk. No good - no lift this time. Squirm. Pain! Cough. Cough.

Fred now thrashed his left hand and leg. Cough-cough-cough. His lungs gave in, trying to breathe where there was no air. Fred was no longer thinking - he was vainly trying to breathe, and his interior monologue was interrupted. "Will this coughing and pain never end?" was a thought that broke through Fred's struggling mind for a second. Air! Please God, just let me live! I will not let it go to waste if you do! More pain! The lungs moved but nothing good! Damn! Get me air! Get me air! The pain started to dull. Gasp. Nothing. Close eyes. Fred's thoughts unraveled into incoherence. Maybe my penance is to cough a long time for my sins? That would be strange. It is getting hot. Is it a devouring heat like a wildfire in a forest? Or a warmth like the elation of wine? Or the tender touch of another person? Gasp. Still nothing. His last thoughts before he slipped out of consciousness, was this repetition, Have mercy on the living. Have mercy. Have mercy.

Lord Fred's story has ended. We now shift point of view.

1. Back to Maggie, who was waiting for Fred's return on the other side of the sluice.
2. Over to Belboz and Exotica, who have been around, and were looking for a unknown but valuable item.
3. We look at the aftermath from the point of view of the dragon's servants.

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