Graham Dokkins is one character who really gets a demotion in The Young Sorceress.  After showcasing him so much in book 2 and book 3, it feels kind of strange that he is in the background in book 4 so much.  There really isn’t much place for him though.  I think you really see who Graham is in the parts in which he appears.  Here he comes to the rescue of Harriet the Triceratops.

After arranging for the rental of the warehouse, Senta started back the way she had come.  The trolley was right where she had left it, but now there was some kind of kerfuffle going on.  It was difficult to see just what it was as a crowd had gathered around, but the honking cries echoing between the buildings made it clear that Harriet was unhappy.

“Hey give-over!” said Senta, pushing her way past two men.

As soon as others began noticing who she was, a path parted before her, revealing an angry triceratops struggling against the harness that attached her to the trolley.  Harriet had already turned to one side, pulling the wheels from the rails and now several men were pulling at ropes tied around her horns.  The great boney frill surrounding her head was flushed bright red.

“Hey! Knock that off, you wankers!” shouted a familiar voice from across the crowd.  “Those horns aren’t for yankin’ on.”

Senta looked to see her boyfriend Graham pushing past several new arrivals.  He was about the same age that she was, though the dungarees and heavy shirt made him look older.  He was almost a head shorter than Senta, with unkempt brown hair and a freckled face that was usually smiling, but which right now was twisted into a snarl.  He jumped forward and pulled the rope away from the hands of one of the men and moved toward the dinosaur, murmuring soothing words.  Harriet was in no mood now to be comforted though, and took a bite at him with her great beaked mouth.

“Teiius Uuthanum,” said Senta, spreading her hands toward the enraged dinosaur.

Almost immediately Harriet stopped twisting and pulling on the ropes, and two seconds later her massive head slumped as she closed her eyes.  She remained standing, but slept, even giving a single honking snore.

“Those horns aren’t for pulling on!” Graham shouted again at the men.  “They’re for display!  They’ll break off!”

He threw the rope on the ground and stomped away.  Senta hurried after him, catching up about halfway down the hill.

“Graham,” she called.

He half turned and scowled at her and then continued on.

“Hey!”

She ran after him and grasping him by the shoulder, turned him around.

“What gives?” she asked.

“Oh, you want to see me now?”

“What are you talking about?”

“We were supposed to meet last evening.  I was going to buy you dinner at the new restaurant.   I’ve been saving for weeks.  Any of this sound familiar?  Instead I ate beef in a boot by myself.”

“Beef in a boot?  You mean filet de boeuf en croute?  Seems like I should be the one who is angry.  All I had was a sandwich.”

“Hardly my fault,” said Graham.  “I had to eat mine alone with all the people in Café Ada watching me.”

“It couldn’t have been that bad.  Your brother-in-law took care of you, didn’t he?”

“More like he took pity on me, just like everyone else did for the poor tosser that got himself stood up by his girl.”

“I’m sorry, all right?  I had a thing with Zurfina.  You have to make allowances.”

“I make all kinds of allowances, but even I can only take so much.”

“I will make it up to you,” said Senta.  “We’ll go on a pic-nic together tomorrow.  You still have roast beef left over, don’t you?”

The boy nodded.

“Good.  We can eat it cold.  I’ll pack tea and biscuits and we’ll have a nice day in the park.”

“All right,” said Graham begrudgingly.  “I’ll pick you up at your house—eleven sharp.”

“I’ll be ready,” promised Senta.