Two more weeks passed, and again, little seemed to have changed. In fact, Alice and George wondered if things were now even worse. More coal seemed to be consumed, and more soot seemed to be floating back.
“I’m starting to think he’s taking us for fools,” said Alice, growing angry now. George reluctantly agreed, so after knocking back their tequila shots, they trudged back up the hill for another nerve-wracking meeting.
“Again?” Dragon exclaimed, this time genuinely irritated. “Listen, I swear I’m doing all I can. Take a look around if you don’t believe me. I ate a vegan sausage only this morning, and here’s the empty wrapper. I’ve got top-notch dieticians and fitness coaches monitoring my every move. Ask them anything you like.”
Alice and George approached a knot of lab-coated consultants holding clipboards. Despite their confident demeanour, Alice thought it strange to find them measuring different things, unable to agree on what was important. Yet, when Dragon asked them how well he was doing, they enthusiastically applauded his efforts.
“So there you go!” Dragon declared triumphantly. “You’ve just got to trust me on this. After all, the toxic fumes I produce are just as dangerous to me as they are to you, so it’s in my interest to Just Stop Farts!” he chuckled, amused by his own joke. “Remember, only a healthy Dragon can save you from whatever else is out there.”
The two friends walked home silently. Dragon admitted that he’d be killing himself if he didn’t change his ways. So why would he lie?
It was a puzzle they still needed to solve.
