Isle of Shadows: The Inky Trilogy

Isle of Shadows: The Inky Trilogy

by Don Stansberry copyright ©2023 Don Stansberry All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents, except where noted otherwise, are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any other resemblance to actual people, places or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books.

To order additional copies of this book, or for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Kids P. O. Box 52 Terra Alta, WV 26764 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com www.headlinebooks.com Published by Headline Books Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books ISBN-13: 9781958914113 Library of Congress Control Number: 2023933018

P R I N T E D

I N

T H E

U N I T E D

S T A T E S

O F

A M E R I C A

Book One

Inky and the Missing Gold

4

C hapter 1 June 1408 AD The wood in the fireplace crackled and popped as tiny sparks flitted through the air. With a loud snap, a glowing ember launched its way out of the fire and bounced across the earthen floor, coming to rest at the foot of a newt. The lizard looked down and sniffed as the orange glow died out, then continued its meal of a large, legless grasshopper.

One of the grasshopper’s back legs roasted over the fire. Purple sauce covered the other leg and dripped down a gleaming beard.

Inkydomus put down the grasshopper leg and gently wiped his mouth with a coarse brown napkin. He was very conscious of the purple sauce running down his white beard. His hair shone with the same silvery color, but his eyes glowed a dark, dark black.

“The color of the darkest ink,” his mother said when she named him. He took a sip of berry squeezings and sat his tiny bronze goblet on the tiny wooden table. Everything in the small room was exactly the right size to fit the person dining at the table. He was only twelve inches tall.

The fire cast an amber glow on the room, and the roasting grasshopper leg gave off a tasty aroma. A dozen homemade candles burned in groups on shelves and tables. The newt and the man, who were about the same size, had settled into a comfortable silence in the cozy room.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Then, with no sound except the crackling fire, the man and animal heard a disturbance at the same time. Maybe more precisely, they felt it. They felt it the way one hears the softest boom of thunder, miles and miles away.

The muffled sounds of horses’ hooves grew closer and closer until they were seemingly right over their heads. Bits of soil and stone fell from the ceiling as the riders passed.

They had heard the riders twice before—the first time from a great distance, and Inky had talked himself into believing it was his ears playing tricks. The second time occurred a few days later when he had convinced himself that it was a lost group of riders. But now, he had to face the frightening truth: someone was looking for him. To his surprise, he felt a prickle of excitement. After all the years of solitude, he found that an adventure sounded very appealing.

“I’ll return shortly,” he told the newt as he rose from the table.

His hand brushed the side of his tunic. He felt the flute resting in a hidden pocket. The trip to the outside took several minutes of winding through passageways. He exited under a large lilac bush, then walked to a small clover-covered meadow.

A family of rabbits, munching their evening meal, ignored Inky until he brought the flute to his lips. Their ears twitched at the strange whispering sounds that came from the flute. They stood stone-like; even their noses stopped moving. Then with a rustle of feathers, a beautiful red-tailed hawk landed between Inky and the rabbits. Inky stopped playing, and the rabbits snapped back to life. With one look at the hawk, they zigzagged off into the woods, each leaving a little trail in the clover.

Inky climbed on the back of the hawk.

“We have strangers in the forest,” Inky whispered to the bird.

“Could we find them?”

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With the wings extended, a powerful push sent the pair upward.

Inky had a sinking feeling in his stomach as the ground dropped away beneath them. They rose above the trees as the sun began to dip below the distant mountains.

It wasn’t long before Inky spotted a tendril of smoke rising into the sky. Through an opening in the trees, he saw an oval-shaped campsite.

Several small tents dotted the ground on one side of the fire, and only one tent sat on the far side. The lone tent was larger and fancier than the others. It even had a little triangular flag flying on top. After a few passes, Inky asked the hawk to take him home. He had enough information for a plan.

Later that night, as the flames began to die in the fireplace, Inky sat on the edge of his bed. Cassieus, the newt, was stretched out by the fire.

“I thought,” Inky said, “that they had forgotten me. But again, mayhap someone needs my help. More than help with wealth or power.

I couldn’t live with myself turning my back on someone like that.”

Cassieus lifted an eyelid and looked at Inky for only an instant.

Inky rolled over and pulled the ragged blanket tightly around him.

A squirrel skittered down the flaking bark of an ancient tree and stopped about a foot from the bottom, its furry gray tail twitching.

Another quick burst of speed and it landed on the ground and ran in long, smooth jumps like a dolphin leaping through water. It stopped again and stood up on its hind legs. The head snapped in one direction and then the other, looking for signs of danger. The squirrel took off in a looping motion toward the center of the abandoned courtyard.

There, acorns sat in a neat pile.

Again it stopped and looked around. Deciding it was safe, the squirrel bent down to pick up one of the nuts. As its tiny paw reached forward, the whole pile exploded and shot in all directions. The squirrel leaped in the air, turned a complete flip, and landed on its 7

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

back. It sprang to its feet, bolted to the nearest tree, and shot like a rocket up the trunk, out on a branch, and then hopped to another tree.

The squirrel was out of sight before the last acorn stopped rolling.

A high-pitched giggle drifted out of the destitute castle. Inky sat inside on his behind, propped on his elbows, with a piece of twine still in his hands. He had jerked on the twine so hard he’d fallen backward.

It had taken him all morning to gather acorns, attach the twine to one, then hide the string and slide it through a crack in a fallen wall.

Then he waited on the squirrels. He loved to play tricks on the emptyheaded critters.

He was still laughing and wiping tears from his eyes when he looked over at Cassieus. The lizard lay sprawled on the dirt floor.

“Phew!” Inky said, calming down a little.

Cassieus just looked back at him and gave a little snort.

Inky stood and brushed the dust off the back of his robe. “Aw, you know good fun from nothing.”

Cassieus sauntered off to a dark opening in the ground.

Inky crawled through a hole in the wood. He walked out into the glorious morning, still smiling at the squirrel’s reaction.

Keeping to a narrow path that led to the lake, Inky walked for several minutes. He felt more alive than he had in years. The path opened up to a gorgeous view of the lake. A white bird glided over the sparkling water. The lake was so smooth and flat that the trees lining the banks reflected perfectly on the water’s surface.

Inky pulled out the flute and found a large gray rock near the water’s edge. By covering different holes with his fingers, he played higher-pitched sounds than the ones with which he called the hawk.

The strange music drifted out over the lake and spread through the forest. As Inky waited, he kicked off little pieces of moss and let them roll into the water. A twig snapped behind him as a ball of moss plopped into the water.

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A huge gray wolf crept out from behind the trees. It walked straight to the rock and looked at Inky.

“Hello, my friend. I need a favor from you today,” Inky said.

The small man stepped off the rock and onto the wolf ’s back.

“There are strangers in the forest. Take me to them.”

The wolf weaved its way through the trees. It followed its nose for the most part, but occasionally its ears perked up, hearing something in the distance. After a while, Inky smelled the remnants of burnt wood. The wolf slowed at the edge of the oval-shaped clearing. A dirt road led away from the camp and into the distance.

A man bent, tending to what was left of the fire.

Inky gently patted the wolf on the side of its neck. It bent down and let Inky off.

“Thank you. It’s been a most enjoyable trip.”

Inky made his way to the center of the camp and found a large round stone which had been used for seating at breakfast. Silently, he crawled up on the rock and sat, watching the man’s behind as he stoked the fire.

Inky leaned forward. “Pardon me.”

The man nearly jumped into the fire. He found his balance and turned around, mouth open.

“Are you looking for someone?” Inky asked.

The man, who appeared to be a servant, reached for the whistle around his neck. He brought it up to his mouth and blew it hard and long. There was a crash in the woods, off to Inky’s right. A soldier stumbled out of the forest, straightening his clothes. He also had a whistle and began to blow it.

“Would there be any breakfast left? Surrendering makes one hungry.”

They waited in uncomfortable silence. Then, in the distance, the rumble of hooves could be heard. A formation of five riders turned 9

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

the corner and galloped up the old road. As they slowed, the front two riders split to the sides, and the rider in the center emerged on a gleaming white horse.

Inky’s mouth dropped open. The outside four riders were dressed as the two soldiers on foot, but the one on the white horse was something to behold. He was dressed in bright red, everything from his boots up to the red lace on his cuffs, including his red belt, red buttons, and red knee socks. Against the white horse, it made a dazzling sight. But most impressive of all was his hat. Its brim came out almost to his shoulders.

The center part over his head consisted of three tubes, which stood straight up at different heights. All of this was the same bright red.

At the end of each tube sprouted gobs of wires. A red and white ball bobbed from the end of each wire. Every little movement sent the balls bouncing and smacking into each other.

The man’s jet-black hair fell over his shoulders, the color matching his neatly trimmed mustache and goatee. He held his nose up in the air so he could look down on those he was talking to.

Inky stood staring up as the man looked down. Apparently, the man expected someone more threatening.

He shook his head, spheres swaying with the motion. “I have been sent here for this? A shrunken up prune of a wizard!” The man gestured toward Inky. “I’ve had crumpets fancier than you.”

“I’ll give you something to crumpet,” Inky said out of the corner of his mouth. One of the guards laughed.

The man held his nose higher. “I am the honorable Duke of Woodenhausen, sent by King Michael. I am to take you to the Castle of Norwood to meet with the king.”

Inky crossed his arms. “Duke of Wooden Houses? Doesn’t roll off the tongue like a royal name, does it? I would think some explanation might be in order.” He tilted his head and looked at the duke. “What makes you think I will leave with you peacefully?”

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The duke nodded toward the soldier who had appeared at the edge of the woods. The soldier, who stood under an apple tree, reached up and picked one of the fruits. He tossed it in the air. The soldier on a horse brought his bow up and quickly shot an arrow. It caught the apple in mid-flight and then embedded itself in the tree’s trunk, where it quivered.

“That is why you shall leave with me,” said the duke. “I am the Minister of the Army, Navy, and Social Affairs. So I am a powerful man in my kingdom. As you can see.” He waved his arm toward his escorts.

Inky shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Have you even been in the Army or Navy?”

The duke snorted. “No.” “Are you related to the king?” Inky raised his eyebrows, knowing how most of these titles were given.

The duke cleared his throat. “His cousin.” He stiffened and sat higher in his saddle. “I’ve no more time to waste on a worm like you.”

The duke turned his attention to a soldier. “Captain, secure the prisoner. Choose one of the platforms that will fit him.”

One of the mounted soldiers brought his horse to Inky. He connected a flat platform that sat on top of the horse’s head. Attached to the platform was a small chair, situated between the horse’s ears. It was the perfect size for Inky.

Another guard dismounted and put down his hand, palm up, so Inky could step into it. The guard then raised Inky up to the platform.

Little straps came around so Inky could tie himself in. This, Inky decided, would be more enjoyable than he imagined.

11

C hapter 2 The group started up the road leaving the servant and foot soldier to pack the camp. A long journey lay ahead of them. The horses could not travel very quickly because the jostling was too much for Inky.

Even a trot was too fast. A slow walk was the best they could do, which infuriated the duke. He complained and cursed the entire way. The more Inky watched the man, the more Inky thought of him as an empty-headed squirrel.

Inky’s horse was directly behind the duke. Two guards led the pack.

“Excuse me, Duke of Wood Houses,” Inky yelled.

The man in red stiffened, “It is Woodenhausen, you little puppet!” he yelled back through clenched teeth.

“Could you possibly do something about the hat? I’m becoming seasick back here!”

A small laugh came from under the guard’s helmet.

Inky looked at the guard and said, “It’s making the guard dizzy, too.

He’s going to drive the horse off the road.”

The duke held up his hand for all to stop, but the first two horses in front of him kept going. “Halt, you fools,” he shouted to them. The duke turned his horse and rode back toward Inky. The red and white balls bounced all over the place. His face was red, his eyes wide. “Listen to me, you little bug. I will smash you like a fly on the wall.” He took a breath to continue, but in the small hesitation, Inky said calmly, “I don’t believe you will.”

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The duke’s face turned purple with anger; veins stood out on his neck.

Inky continued, “The king, whoever he is, sent for me, and I had better be delivered in perfect condition, or it will be your hide!”

The man sat very still on his horse for a few seconds, and then his head started to vibrate. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Then the duke turned his horse around and pointed forward. The whole party started moving again.

“You are Minister of the Navy I believe you said. Hmm . . . .” Inky drummed his fingers on his knee. “Why would a country have a navy without a sea nearby?” Then Inky said to the guard, “Do you have a navy?”

The guard looked surprised. “We have a little boat that circles the moat.”

This sent Inky into peals of laughter.

The guards could hardly hold back laughing, too.

“Hey, Wood House,” yelled Inky. “I know of a job you would be extremely qualified for.”

The duke did not answer.

“The Minister of Hats!”

All four guards burst out in laughter.

The duke quickly turned his horse, pulled out a red riding crop, and banged one of the guards’ helmets. “I may not be able to do anything to the wizard yet, but I can punish you,” he sneered.

Inky was worried that he had gotten these warriors in trouble. The duke was not only silly butalso mean and dangerous.

As the morning grew into the afternoon, the sun became hotter and very uncomfortable. The green forest gave way to the dusty, open country of rolling hills and brilliant blue skies. No one spoke for a long time. The tall grasses in the unkept fields stood straight without even 13

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

the hint of a breeze to sway them. It had been a long time since they had felt anything to reduce the heat.

Inky knew the guards were hot in the armor. They slouched instead of sitting straight. He heard them panting. “Excuse me, Wooden House, would a break for water be possible?” Inky yelled up to the duke.

“It is Woodenhausen, you little mosquito. I will not lengthen this horrible journey just because you would like a little drink.”

“My men could use some water, sir,” said the captain.

“I am not stopping because your men need a little drink either, so act like warriors and toughen up!”

By the body language of the guards, Inky could tell that these men already hated the duke. They rode on. The sun moved above them now, and the horses stunk in the heat. In the distance, the highest parts of the castle appeared in the haze. As they crested a ridge, small huts dotted the roadside and became more crowded the closer they got to the castle. Children huddled in any shadows they could find, watching with hungry eyes as the riders passed. The castle loomed ahead. It spread tall and wide with a mountain range in the distance behind it.

The moat was a glistening green ribbon encircling the bottom of the tall gray wall.

Inky looked at the guard riding in front of the duke. He noticed that there was a picture of a bird sewn into the leather of the saddle.

Then an idea formed in Inky’s head.

“Perhaps a little music to finish our journey?” asked Inky.

“No!” shouted the duke.

“Thank thee, I know you will love it.” And immediately, Inky pulled the flute from a hidden pocket in his robe. “I never travel without it, even when I am kidnapped.”

He played, and the whispering sound flowed from the flute out over the countryside. For some strange reason, the sound traveled for 14

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miles. He played for some time with the duke complaining every step.

Just as his lips tired, a familiar shadow passed over the brown grass.

The duke looked up but had no way of knowing the hawk floating overhead was anything but ordinary.

A smile crept across Inky’s face. Under the guards’ watchful eye, he replaced the flute in his hidden pocket. Then he looked up to the hawk, pointed at his own head, then at the duke. He made a motion of tearing something off his head and pointed at the duke again. The hawk seemed to understand; it pulled its wings in and shot down out of the sky. As it got closer to earth, its descent bent with the land until it whizzed straight across the duke’s path. Before he knew it, the hawk had plucked the hat off the duke’s head like a rabbit in a meadow. The duke dropped the reins and brought both hands up to his head. As he felt nothing there, he looked up at the hawk clutching the hat in its talons and rising up into the sky.

“My red hat!”

The majestic hawk wheeled over the castle and dropped the hat. It fell toward the moat.

The duke turned. “You!” He pointed at Inky. “You made it do that.”

“Me?” asked Inky innocently. “If I could control animals, I would have made the horses turn around.”

Everyone stopped and looked at Inky, even the guards.

“I will get you after the king is through with you,” the duke sneered.

Inky smiled. “Then again, perhaps not.”

The drawbridge creaked down as the group neared the castle. As they rode over it, a guard looked at Inky and pointed into the water.

There floated the tattered red hat. Just below the surface of the water, a small group of blue gill stared at the red and white balls.

As soon as they were inside the castle walls, the Duke of Woodenhausen jumped off his white horse, crouched low to the 15

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

ground, and ran into a building with his arms covering his hatless head.

The group proceeded up the cobblestone street as the buildings they passed became larger and more elaborately designed. The guards led Inky to a grand set of steps that ascended to two huge golden doors.

All the guards dismounted and stood at attention in a show of respect.

“I will take you to a Running Sammy; he will know what to do,” the captain said.

Inky wanted to know what a Running Sammy was but was afraid to ask.

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C hapter 3 The captain lifted the entire platform off the horse’s head and carried it into the palace. Inside was a large room, its walls completely draped in purple velvet. The floor was made of a shiny black stone.

Bright yellow material covered the couches and chairs, upon which sat a dozen young men, each dressed in a brilliant color. They must be Running Sammies. Their outfits were exactly alike, except for the color.

A blue Sammy stood up and Inky could see the outfit more clearly.

A tight, silky shirt with no collar and big puffy sleeves that buttoned at the wrist adorned each Sammy. The Sammy also wore oversized shorts the same color. He had on tights that matched the rest of his outfit.

Lastly, each Sammy had on black slippers with thick, rubber-like soles.

All of their heads were shaved.

As the blue Sammy approached, his large eyes blinked several times. He was almost bird-like in his appearance. Inky felt like he was looking at a formally dressed ostrich.

“The wizard would like to see the king,” said the captain of the guard.

The Sammy looked at Inky. “This is a weeezard?”

The captain nodded. “He was sent for by the king and brought in by the duke.”

The Sammy clapped his hands and smiled. “Oooooh, the duke.” He jumped up and down. “It will be done!”

The captain lifted his face plate, and for the first time, Inky could see his features. A scar started at his forehead and ran straight down, 17

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

ending on his cheekbone. Bushy black eyebrows shadowed his eyes, and a scraggly beard traced his chin. His eyes sparkled blue with intelligence and courage. He turned his head and looked from one side to the other. “Trust no one in this place,” he whispered to Inky. “When they smile, it will be a smile of a crocodile.”

“Thank thee,” Inky whispered back, “I’m sure we will meet again.”

“His majesty should be in the Royal Zoo,” the Sammy squeaked.

Without another word, the Sammy took the platform from the captain and lifted it over his shoulder. He balanced it beside his ear like a waiter carrying a turkey into a great feast. The blue Sammy started toward a door. Once in the hallway, he began to run, his shoes made a slapping sound on the black slate. The speed picked up. The footsteps sounded like someone clapping their hands quickly. Soon they zoomed down a hallway faster than Inky had imagined a human could run.

Pictures, candles, and doorways flashed by on both sides as the Running Sammy showed no signs of slowing down. There were no sharp intersections where the corridors met, just long smooth turns.

In those turns, the walls curved like the inside of a bowl.

Inky closed his eyes the first time they came to one of these turns.

Instead of slowing, the Sammy ran up and onto the side of the curved wall.

The Sammy finally slowed down and entered a large open space, so open that large trees grew at the far end. Two of the king’s guards stood in front of a large gate. A jungle lay behind the gate. Huge lush bushes covered with colorful blooms sprouted everywhere. The trees were so large and full that it was impossible to know if the ceiling or the sky was above them.

“A weezard to see the keeing,” said the Sammy.

The guard squinted his eyes and looked at Inky. Then he looked at Inky’s eyes.

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“Sent by the duke,” added the Sammy.

“The king be along the path somewhere, but watch your feet lest you become a snack treat,” barked the guard.

With great effort, he opened the iron gate and allowed Inky and the Sammy to enter. The dirt path wound its way through thick vegetation.

The smell of raw, wet earth filled Inky’s nostrils. The air became thick and heavy. With each step, they left the palace and civilization further behind. They entered a world where humans were not at the top of the food chain.

Increasingly, the shrubbery transformed from strange to unrecognizable vegetation. Thick tree trunks sat on gnarled roots that rose out of the ground as if the soil was too sour. The lush green leaves turned into sharp purple spikes as the black stems protruded from the ground.

“What kind of a zoo is this?” Inky whispered.

The Sammy turned his head and squinted into nearby bushes.

“Lest of a zoo and more of an experiment gone evil.”

Inky heard twigs crackle under the Sammy’s feet. Something fluttered above the path, and Inky looked up. It was only a common bird. Inky let out a long, deep breath. The bird leaped off the branch and darted in front of them, but not before Inky saw a long, rat-like tail trailing out from its body.

The Sammy wiped sweat from his forehead. “My life I am risking for someone who would fit in my sock.”

“Have some courage,” Inky said to him, knowing an animal would have to eat its way up the Sammy to get to him.

Up ahead on the side of the path, a huge pile of boulders jutted up out of a carpet of dark leathery leaves. A black lizard perched on the flattest boulder. It was big, almost half as long as the Sammy. Besides its color, there were two other things Inky had never before seen on a 19

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

lizard. It had a big powerful beak like that of a parrot. The beak was as white as the body was black. Then there were its eyes. They were big and bright blue. One was located on each side of its thick head. The beak looked as though it could easily take off a foot.

The Sammy slowed as they approached the boulders.

The lizard must have heard them because it turned with surprising quickness and cocked its head toward them. Then it tilted its head back, opened its mouth, and let loose with a humanlike whistle. It sounded like a farmer whistling for his dogs. The big leathery leaves around the base of the boulder began to move as yet unseen lizards crawled beneath them.

“Are you waiting to make this more of a challenge, or are you willing to part with a few of your toes?” Inky whispered.

The Sammy took off, blazing his way down the path. If there were any more strange beasts lurking in the shadows, they were moving too fast to see them.

The path became much wider until it broke into a park-like setting.

A serene pond lay in the center with neatly trimmed grass and bushes all around. The flowers, while still not earthly looking, were beautiful.

The Sammy slowed and circled the fountain, giving them both a better view of the place. They stopped at a shady area a short distance from the path. There, on a large golden throne atop a platform, sat the king.

He looked like a picture taken out of a storybook.

He was a large man with long, shining black hair that framed his plump face. A beard covered his neck and the front of his white satin shirt. Black shiny boots protruded from under a burgundy velvet robe. The neck, hem, and cuffs of the robe were made of lion’s fur. A thunderous look passed over his face as he glanced up at the Running Sammy.

“Who,” the king boomed, “interrupts my solitude when I...” His eyes focused on Inky. “It’s true,” he whispered.

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The Sammy walked forward with Inky still raised above his shoulders on the platform. He held the platform in front of him as if presenting a gift.

“I present your highness with a small weezard from the duke.”

The king stood and stared at Inky. “I cannot believe it to be true.”

Inky stared right back at him.

The king squatted his large frame and looked down at Inky.

“I cannot believe I am staring into the black eyes of the legendary Inkydomus. My kingdom is at your command.”

The false courtesy after being kidnapped was too much for Inky.

“King, may I describe a very unsatisfactory day? So far I have been insulted by a duke, whizzed around like a dessert, and offered a kingdom of misfit creatures.”

The Sammy grimaced at these insults.

The king smiled, “Oh, how feisty this small man is and how impudent. Is that how you were with the pirates?”

Inky’s mouth dropped open.

“Yes, I know about that story and many others.”

Inky tried to hide his astonishment. “And you learned about these stories, how?”

“Ah, I do owe you an explanation, do I not?” The king stood back up to his full height. “Let us sit while I tell you my story and my problem.”

He motioned to the Sammy. “You may go.”

“Go where?” the Sammy said in horror, then added, “Sire.”

The king roared. “Back where you came from!”

The Sammy looked behind him at the jungle. “But who shall carry the weezard?”

The king relented. “All right, then. Go stand over there!” He pointed to an open patch of grass near the other side of the pond.

The Sammy placed Inky on the platform with the king, then gingerly walked across the yard.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

The king looked down at Inky, and Inky looked up at the king.

The king folded his hands under his chin. “When I was a young prince, I was not a very good student. I could not work with numbers and did not make an effort to learn to read. My father and mother were furious and told me if I did not become serious, I would not follow my father as the next king. Alas, I did not care, for I knew no other world besides my own.” The king paused, thinking back, “One day, my grandfather, who had been king before my father, took me to a hidden room in the castle. The room contained many books, some of them very old. He told me the books contained great stories of a small, nimble-minded wizard. He had spies, history seekers, and magicians search and record those stories. The things he told me made me yearn to read these wondrous tales. At night, I imagined the stories these books held. They called me. So I begged my teacher to teach me to read.”

Suddenly, a big splash came from the pond. The Sammy let loose a loud “Oough!” and leaped at least ten feet across the grass.

Inky turned his head back and continued his conversation with the king.

“But unfortunately, most of the books burned in a fire before I studied them.” The king sighed.

Inky listened quietly, “Surely you have not brought me here to repeat those stories.”

The king laughed. “No, no, although I would love to hear them;” the king stopped laughing and cleared his throat. “I have a serious matter, a secret matter, to discuss with you.” The king looked around, making sure no one else was within earshot. “You there, Running Sammy? Step back to the edge of the forest.”

The Sammy looked horrified, “I am very comfortable where I am, sire!”

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“Move, you great featherless bird, before I have you thrown to the kittens!”

The Sammy turned and ran to the edge of the clearing, looking around frantically. “The kittens?” Inky said.

“Don’t ask,” The king shook his head. “No, Inkydomus, I have sought you out because of a very serious matter, one that is dangerous for my whole kingdom.”

“The gold in my vault is disappearing. It vanishes at night without a trace. My soldiers will abandon me if they believe I cannot pay them.

Without the armies, the entire Kingdom of Norwood is in danger. So you see, my small friend, I can tell no one lest word leaks out to my enemies, that we are weak and poor. As I pondered my problem, I asked myself what would my boyhood hero do? And it came to me. The last reports my grandfather received were that the great Inkydomus had hidden himself in the earth wishing to be forgotten. Some of the old folk told stories that he was not too far from our kingdom. An old map revealed that a castle had once stood in a forgotten part of our forest. After gathering information, I had narrowed down the area and had the duke’s men search for you. In a few weeks, we discovered the destroyed castle.”

In the background, the Sammy had moved away from the pond a few more steps when he heard a buzzing sound coming up the path.

The noise grew steadily until the drone was so loud the king and Inky turned to look. The Sammy dived to the ground on his belly just as a swarm of bumble bees the size of robins flew over his head. They flew erratically the way bumblebees do, bouncing into overhanging branches and each other. After they had passed the Sammy, he sat up on his knees and watched them fly away. One lone straggler came charging up the path, trying to catch up with the swarm. It banged into the back of the Sammy’s head, knocking him flat and sending the bee careening into the woods.

23

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

The king and Inky turned back to their conversation. “So, I ask you, Inkydomus, to find the gold thief quietly. I will reward you with whatever you wish.”

Inky thought for a moment, “I have no need for diamonds or money.”

“I shall give you anything you wish. Tell me what we shall do?” He raised his bushy black eyebrows and listened. Inky spoke with the king in whispers, asking questions and waiting for answers. A gentle breeze blew the purple Spanish moss hanging from the trees over their heads.

The two spent several moments in quiet conversation.

“Over here, Running Sammy!”

The Sammy rushed forward. “Yes, sir!” He stopped in front of a bush near the king’s platform.

“Take the wizard to the vault and be quick about it.” The king paused. “Go through the dungeon and up the turret, so no one sees the—” The king stopped speaking, and his eyes grew wide.

Inky turned to see why the king stared. A huge head emerged from the bush behind the Sammy. It was a snake, with its pink tongue flipping out and tasting the air. The serpent continued to emerge from under the bush, sensing the body heat of the three. It looked very strange to Inky, and then he realized why—hair, shiny black hair, like that of a mink, covered the entire snake.

The Sammy was only a few feet from the snake now. The snake’s head swiveled around and stared straight at the Sammy. “Step up on the platform,” Inky said as calmly as he could.

The Sammy folded his arms. “I do not take orders from you. I listen only to my king.” He turned to the king. “Would the king like me to step up on the platform?”

The snake was within striking range.

“Up here now!” the king screamed.

24

Don Stansberry

A smirk spread across the Sammy’s face as he looked down at Inky.

“You see, I take orders from only my king.”

The serpent opened its glistening pink mouth and struck, its huge fangs clamping down on nothing but air as the Sammy climbed onto the platform.

Inky exhaled a big breath.

The king wheeled around and slammed his hand down on a stone lying by the bench. Suddenly, a large chunk of the scenery behind the bench rose into the air and revealed a wide doorway. “In here,” the king said as the snake’s head rose up onto the platform. The king, with Inky close behind, burst through the doorway into a large room. The Sammy strode in with a silly grin spread across his face.

As Inky turned to check on the snake, a flash of brilliant blue caught his eye. Behind a clump of flowering bushes stood a fox the color of the sky. The only parts not blue were the white paws and the tip of its tail. Even the centers of its eyes were the same dazzling blue. It stared at Inky. As the door came down, the image froze in Inky’s mind.

The king gained his royal composure and gave orders. “Sammy, take the wizard to the vault room. And if you mention this to anyone, I’ll have your tongue and your ears.”

The king turned back. “Ah, yes, Inkydomus, there is a small matter that you must be aware of.” He lowered his voice. “There is a creature guarding the vault. The duke thought that he was a wizard with special powers, but he hasn’t helped at all. I will have to have him killed when this is over; he knows too much.”

Inky was chilled by the cold way the king could end a life.

“And no, Inkydomus, I will not do away with you, mostly because I do not think you can be killed.” The king reached into his robe and pulled something out. He handed the Sammy a coin. “This will get him into the vault.” The Sammy took the platter that he had been holding from under his arm and put it down so Inky could step onto it.

25

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“I will sleep better tonight knowing that you are here,” the king said.

Inky wondered how he could sleep at all, knowing there were starving children just outside the castle wall. The king waved, and the Sammy and Inky were off, traveling the dark, dank bowels of the castle.

The smell of wet mossy rock met Inky as they passed through poorly lighted corridors. Torches, placed helter-skelter, created the only lighting. The steady dripping sound echoed through the halls. A group of black rats scattered as they rounded a corner. Because these walls were not banked, the Sammy could not move with the great speed he had before.

They came to a flight of stairs, which the Sammy climbed easily.

Then they went down a hallway to another flight of stairs and another.

After a while, Inky sensed they had to be high above the castle. The hallway ended at a guarded metal door.

The guards unholstered their swords as the two approached.

“Who goes there?” asked one of the guards.

“Ohhh, please,” said the Sammy, “Can’t you come up with some other line?”

“By what order are you here, or do you come to rob and pillage?” asked the guard.

“He seems to take his job seriously,” whispered Inky.

“If you come to rob and pillage,” the guard said, sneering. “I can kill you now.”

“Oh, yes, I have a plan to rob the king using this little monkey,” said the Sammy, nodding at Inky. He handed the coin to one of the guards.

The guard looked at the coin and nodded to his partner. They reached for the handle and, with a loud grunt, pulled open the door.

It creaked open on heavy hinges. The Sammy put the platter down so Inky could step off.

26

Don Stansberry

“This is where we part ways, I’m not sorry to say.” The Sammy looked down at Inky. “I do not think you will be able to stay alive in this kingdom.” With that, he turned and ran toward the hallway. His footsteps grew fainterand then all was silent.

27

C hapter 4 “Good luck,” the guard said as Inky turned to enter the gold room.

“The one in there will drive you nuts.” Inky stepped in a few feet, then stopped. The door closed behind him with a soft thud. He was on a round landing with steps going down to the floor. It was a long, narrow room with three windows on each side. The late afternoon sun streamed in the southern windows, casting a wide swath of light across the gold.

The gold vault was something to behold. The wall to Inky’s right was sectioned off into three areas. The first area contained crowns, dozens of them, each encrusted with fiery gems. A crown for every size of royal head was displayed on black, velvet-covered shelves.

The next section held hundreds of necklaces, rings and bracelets.

Golden chains with huge rubies and emeralds surrounded by diamonds lay in neat little piles on the same velvet-covered shelves. The gold of chains and the bright colors of the gems against the velvet made for a dazzling display.

A dozen suits of fancy armor filled the last section. The sunlight shifting through the windows made the gems sparkle with a dramatic brilliance. To Inky’s left, shelves and shelves of gold coins and bars stacked in huge groups lined the entire long wall. Inky had taken all this in instantly, but his mind already wondered how the thief was doing it.

Suddenly, from the back of the room came a slapping sound.

Something ran toward him. Bare feet slapped the stone floor.

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Don Stansberry

“Who goes there? Who goes there?” asked a thick voice.

A stubby little creature appeared. Half the size of a man, he had shaggy black hair and deep dark eyes. For clothing, he wore a burlap sack with holes cut out for his arms and head. A cord tied around his ample stomach kept the sack in place. He stopped in front of Inky and panted. “You’re smaller than me. And your eyes are very black. Why didn’t you answer me?”

“You said, ‘Who goes there?’ when you were right here,” Inky said.

“If you’d have said, ‘Who goes here,’ I would have answered.”

The little man stood and stared at Inky. He blinked with both eyes.

“Oh, all right, who goes there?”

Inky just stood and stared back at him.

“Why aren’t you answering me now?”

“Because,” said Inky, “Now I’m here. You should ask, ‘Who goes here?’”

The man let out a long breath.

Inky sighed and pointed across the room. “If you want to say who goes there, you will have to go over there and say it because then you will be over there.”

He just stared at Inky again.

“If you want to be a proper guard, you must do things in the proper way.” Inky was not going to let this one drive him nuts.

The little man turned and stomped off in the direction Inky had pointed. “You got a lot of rules for things, you do,” He stopped and turned around. “Is this far enough?”

“That seems about right,” said Inky. “Who goes there?” he yelled.

The man cupped his hands to his mouth. “Oglebee. I go by Oglebee, I do.”

“Come on over, Oglebee. Let’s get acquainted.”

Oglebee ran back over with his feet slapping again on the large square stones, still not getting Inky’s name.

29

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“Now, the king has asked me to aid in the capture of the thief.”

“Shhh.” Oglebee put his finger up to his lips. “Nobody is supposed to know about the thief, the king said, he did.”

Inky shook his head. Oglebee’s strange grammar would take some getting used to.

“The king told me I’m here to help.”

Oglebee squinted at him.

“They have the best food I have ever eaten, they do,” Oglebee whispered with a sly grin.

“He doesn’t know his life is on the line here,” Inky thought to himself. “He sees it as a job he can walk away from whenever he wants.”

“Tell me, Oglebee,” Inky said as he wandered around looking at the displays, “How do you know what has been stolen?”

“A whole gaggle of men come in the mornings and count what is in each section. Rude they are, always ordering me to get out of the way, they do. Things aren’t always gone from the same spot, they’re not. Some days it’s over here; some days it’s over there. The fellows left a parchment list of what’s gone, they did. It’s up in my chambers, it is.”

“Your chambers?” asked Inky. “I thought you stayed here?”

“I do,” Oglebee said proudly, “up there.” He pointed above the door Inky had come through. “My terrace.”

A triangular-shaped wooden platform hung in the corner of the room. It was about halfway between the high ceiling and the floor. A wooden ladder rested against the open side of the triangle. “That’s my room up there, it is.”

The huge, iron door rumbled open. Two cooks rushed in, wheeling a large wooden cart. It was royal blue with a golden crown painted on the side. The cart held several steaming containers. The bottom was enclosed with sliding doors on each side for storage underneath.

“Oh, oh,” stammered Oglebee, “time to eat, it is.”

30

Don Stansberry

Without a word, the cooks set the buckets on the floor, grabbed the cart, and hurried back to the door.

Oglebee clapped his hands and pranced over to see what the cooks had left. “It’s chicken!”

Inky frowned at Oglebee’s childish behavior until the meal’s aroma drifted his way.

“Maybe we should eat while we look at the stolen list,” Inky said, his hunger starting to register in his stomach.

“Good, good, good,” said Oglebee, “ you attach the food when I lower down the hook.”

Oglebee nimbly climbed the ladder and stepped onto the platform.

Then a pole with a pulley system swung down. A hook attached to a long rope was lowered. Inky attached it to the bucket’s handle. The bucket lifted into the air and in no time the hook was back waiting for another bucket. When at last the food was all on the platform, the hook was lowered for Inky. He stood on the hook and held onto the rope. As he was ascending, Oglebee yelled, “Don’t worry about Sintya, she’s just curious, she is.”

“Who’s Sintya?” asked Inky. He didn’t have to wait long for an answer. As the hook lifted him level with the platform, a huge black head appeared directly in front of him. A snake as big as any Inky had seen lay coiled, shiny and black, at the edge of the platform.

“She’s OK; you just got to get used to her. Come on over.”

Oglebee might have been talking to Inky, but bent over the buckets, his attention focused solely on the food. Inky shook his head and chuckled, then stepped over onto the platform. The snake’s tongue was so close it nearly touched him as he passed by.

Oglebee used rolled-up clothing for pillows.

He sat on the floor against a wall and folded his legs in front of him. He was already biting into the chicken leg.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“Get some food,” said Oglebee. “Sintya doesn’t eat it; she likes her food a little fresher if you know what I mean.”

Oglebee grabbed a big wooden spoon and slopped a scoop from each bucket onto Inky’s plate, which was more or less a round slab of iron. In all of Inky’s years, this was the best food he had ever tasted.

The chicken was coated with honey and cooked with sweet fruit. The beans had an exotic sauce mixed with sharp cheese. The bread was baked large and crumbly and was loaded with tart berries that melted deliciously with the peach-flavored butter. Each dish made the next one taste even better. Inky had never seen vegetables like this before.

While they ate, Oglebee explained about the snake.

“I found her near a stream, all torn up by some kind of attack. She was about as long as my leg. I thought she was dead, I did. I was going to make a belt out of her, I was. But when I touched her, she moved. I felt so bad I took her home and put healing salve on her wounds, I did.

I nursed her back to health by feeding her little lizards that I found.”

Inky made a mental note not to let him tell this story to Cassieus.

Oglebee swallowed a hunk of chicken and wiped his mouth on his arm, then continued his story. “She’s been around ever since, she has.

So when this duke wanted me to come back to the castle with him, I put Sintya into a bag with some of my clothes, I did.”

Inky perked up at the sound of the duke’s name. “So you’ve met the duke?”

“Yes, he seemed a little confused, he did. He kept asking me if I was Inkydomus. I kept saying, ‘No, I’ve never been to Keydomus.’ He got mad, told me to get my things, and had his guards bring me here. Had this strange hat on. It was flat, with two blue feathers above each ear.

Looked like a rabbit, he did.” Oglebee forked the last of his vegetables and looked into another bucket while he was chewing.

“So they took you to the king, and he explained what you were to do?”

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“Noooo, I never did meet the king.” Oglebee looked up from the bucket. “That’s when I met the queen, I did. The king was supposed to be in the throne room when the duke took me in. He made me walk behind him with guards around me like I was a criminal. He shouted loud so everyone could hear, ‘I’ve rooted the wizard out of his lair. Step back, be careful, he’s dangerous.’ The room was full of men wearing shiny clothes full of medals, and some had swords hanging from their belts. They all started applauding and lined up to shake hands with the duke. Someone asked, ‘Why does the king want him?’ The duke said, ‘I do not question; I follow orders.’ I think that means no one told him. I look up to see the king, I do, but he’s not there.”

Oglebee put down the bucket. His eyes glazed over as he recounted the story to Inky. His face went red, and he started to whisper, “And there she is. The fancy chair was golden, and she sat there all sparkly in a blue queenish dress. But it wasn’t the dress that was sparkling; it was her. She lit up the room, she did, with shiny black hair falling to her bare shoulders and her blue eyes flashed. I mean really flashed, I do. Her eyes, it would be a day’s work just looking into them. She is a tiny thing, this queen, but when she flashed those eyes, even the huge guards stopped in their tracks. Well, the duke is still shaking hands with his chest all puffed out, and the room goes silent as the queen’s eyes fall on me. I froze. I couldn’t move. I wanted to just melt. I felt like a drop of water looking at the ocean. Her red lips parted, and she smiled, smiled she did, at me.”

“I am Queen Rayne. Who might you be?”

“My name is Oglebee, your Queeness,” Oglebee said. He looked down, unable to look at her when she looked at him.

“Oglebee, welcome to the Kingdom of Norwood.”

“My queen, I think we need not give this dirty urchin a formal welcome,” said the duke.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

The queen’s eyes flashed. “You, duke, must have me confused with someone who cares what you think.”

She turned back to Oglebee. “Have you had a pleasant journey?”

“Yes, your Queeness,” said Oglebee softly, “although I’ve been sneezing a lot. I think I may be allergic to the duke’s hat.”

A ripple of laughter broke out behind them.

The duke turned around to look into the crowd.

Everyone became quiet. Someone cleared his throat.

The queen tilted her head and smiled. “Maybe you are allergic to the duke.”

This time everyone laughed except the duke, who adjusted the lacy cuffs on his shirt.

The queen stood and gracefully walked down to where Oglebee stood. Then she did something that made everyone gasp.

She kneeled in front of him and took his hand into hers and said, “I’m sure you are capable of doing whatever it is the king wants you to do.” Inky waited in silence while Oglebee relished in the queen’s memory. Inky looked over the list of things missing: 27 coins, 15 rings, 15 bracelets, and 32 necklaces. No crowns or gold bricks appeared on the list. This seemed to be a big clue. “Have you noticed there have been no large or heavy things taken?” Inky asked.

“No, I cannot read.” Oglebee took a bite of peach raspberry cobbler.

Sintya coiled at the opposite corner of the platform, staring at Inky.

“When did your snake last eat?” Inky asked, noticing that it had not partaken in the meal.

“I’m not sure.” Oglebee leaned back and patted his stomach. “All I know is that ere so often she has a big lump in her belly, and then she sleeps for a few days, she does.”

This was not reassuring to Inky. “What about the windows?”

Oglebee belched. “Well, at night, the guards come in and close these shutters, they do.”

34

Don Stansberry

The six tall windows had shutters on hinges that fastened shut from the inside. Iron bars like a prison grinned in each windowsill. At several places, torches hung on the walls.

“Do these burn all night?” asked Inky.

“Yah.” Oglebee belched again. “They do.”

“Let’s do the opposite and see if the thievery continues.” Inky sat in thoughtful silence for a few moments.

Oglebee said, “Sintya and I sometimes go to the window to watch the sunset.”

“I would be honored to watch it with you,” said Inky.

At that moment, the huge vault door creaked open, and three guards came in, talking loudly with each other.

“I’ll tell them about the shutters,” said Oglebee. He went to the ladder, expertly slid down it, and stepped up to the guard who appeared to be in charge. He was red-faced and mean-looking. His belly hung over a thick leather belt as he gave instructions to the others.

“No, no, we would want the shutter left open and the torches put out,” Oglebee yelled as he looked up at the huge man.

“Well, look,” the guard yelled to his friends across the room. “The talking woodchuck of the vault.” He reached down, grabbed Oglebee by the front of his shirt, and lifted him into the air. Their faces were inches apart. “Who do you think you be ordering me around in front of my men?”

Oglebee and the guard were directly below Inky and Sintya on the terrace. One would think that being in this predicament a person as small as Oglebee would have been petrified, but not so. His feet and fists thrashed about as he tried to kick and punch this big bully. His arms and legs were too short, and the guard laughed.

From the platform above, Sintya’s head rose up like a cobra and let loose with a loud hiss at the guard. Inky looked around and saw that 35

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

the food buckets sat not far away. Even though empty, the cast iron made them quite heavy. Inky ran back and put his shoulder behind it.

Using all his might, he slid the bucket to the edge of the platform. He took a look over the edge to line it up. Then he got behind it again and pushed. The bucket slid over the edge of the platform, the guard in its path.

With a loud “BONK” it hit the guard right on top of his head.

Immediately, the guard let go, and Oglebee dropped to the floor. As soon as he hit the ground, Oglebee took a step and kicked the guard in the chin. This was all it took. The guard tilted like a giant redwood and fell to the floor with a smack.

Inky, up on the platform, rose up to his twelve inches and boldly asked, “What is this man’s name?”

The other two guards, with their mouths hanging open, looked down at their sleeping leader. “Malone,” one of them finally managed to squeak out.

“The king will hear of this. Now get him out and leave us,” Inky roared.

The two moved quickly to the fallen man, each grabbing an arm.

The sound of their heels echoed as they pulled him out of the room.

“Dirty oxen-smelling-knuckle-dragging guard,” Oglebee muttered under his breath as he walked toward the ladder. “Oversized pigheaded cat breath.” He climbed up. “You and Sintya get in the bucket, and I’ll lower you down.”

Sintya slithered over and coiled in the empty bucket.

“Are you sure about this?” Inky asked Oglebee. “How long since you’ve seen a lump in her?”

“Don’t worry.” Oglebee laughed. “She likes you now, she does! You sided with me against the guards. She knows you are on our side. We’re family.”

36

Don Stansberry

The snake’s head rose over the rim of the bucket as she looked out.

Inky summoned up the courage he had left, walked over, and climbed into the bucket. Sintya’s skin was smooth and cool. Oglebee swung the rod over to lower the bucket.

“Oglebee, how did you get the name Sintya?”

“Oh, that’s a funny story, it is. I came across a man one time who knew all about snakes. I took Sintya out of my bag and laid him across my shoulders. The man stepped back from me. I asked, I did, ‘What kind of snake is this?’ The man got a funny look, he did, and said I didn’t need to know what kind of snake it was. I needed to know that he could have sent ya to your grave with one bite.”

Inky’s eyes grew big as the bucket disappeared over the edge of the platform.

Sintya coiled on the right side of the window ledge, and Inky sat hugging his knees on the other side. Oglebee stood in the middle with his elbows resting on the ledge and his chin in his hands. A bell tolled somewhere in the distance as the peach-colored sun disappeared over the horizon.

“Malva,” said Oglebee.

“What?” asked Inky.

“I know I am not too smart, but I don’t think anyone has named the color of the sun when it sets. I think its color should be called ‘malva.’”

Inky smiled. “I don’t think there is a man in the world who could have chosen a better name.”

The light sky turned into a velvet blue as a million stars began to sparkle. Inky broke the silence. “Oglebee, are there others like you?

You don’t look as I do, nor do you look like normal men.”

“There were many of us once. My parents talked of a whole bustling community with scores of farms and a town. My people lived a merry life. They had fairs and celebrations and by the stories passed down, some of them grew to be quite rowdy, they were.”

37

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Oglebee smiled. “My father told me a tale of three of his brothers trying to ride a mule down Main Street during the harvest celebration.

They didn’t realize he was an ornery mule that no one could control.

It took them on a merry ride that ended up in the local saloon, it did.

The rampage finished with three bent arms, four broken tables, and a big hunk of the wall kicked out. Then alas, there be a long drought.

For years there was very little rain and the crops dried up and families started leaving, they did. A farm community is like a big family, things go well when everyone works together. By the time I was born, there were only three families left. As I grew older, I was the only child around. There was no school, no friends, only me. As I grew up, I became foolish. I wanted to leave and go with the tall people, as we all called them. I knew it would be hard, but I saw no life for me there.

So on a bright sunny morning, I shoved everything I could fit into my pack and started walking up the dirt road. I’ll never forget the tears in me mother’s eyes nor the way me pa hugged me.”

Sintya left the ledge and crawled around Oglebee’s shoulders.

Oglebee took a deep breath. “I slept outside that first night and the next. It took maybe two weeks to walk to a tall man’s city, amd then it took another week to find a paying job. That job came with a traveling carnival. I helped set up and take down those big tents. By the next year, I’d had my fill of the tall people, I had. Some were friendly, but most weren’t.”

Inky shook his head thinking of the guard earlier in the evening.

Oglebee sighed. “I saved the little money I earned and bought a map from Manteega, the wild African boy in my carnival. He wasn’t really wild, and he wasn’t really from Africa. They had just filed his teeth sharp to make him look scary, they did. The map I bought would help me get back home. It did. We had traveled around so much that I couldn’t find it on my own. So one fine spring afternoon, a year later, I 38

Don Stansberry

walked back down that dirt road to my only real home. I’ll never forget the moment I rounded the bend, I won’t. There was my farmhouse abandoned. The leaves from the fall were still piled around the house, the door swung open with the breeze, and the fields lay sun-baked and dry. I looked up, I did. Then I saw those big white clouds, the ones that take up the whole sky. I never thought I could hurt so bad.”

Inky didn’t know what to say. He was almost in tears himself, and he had only met Oglebee this afternoon.

“It wasn’t too long after that I found Sintya here.” Oglebee lovingly stroked the snake’s head. “We headed the opposite way on that dirt road. After a few weeks, we ended up at a lake. I could fish, I could.

Sintya could roam the woods for food. I built a hut for us. We’ve been there nearly two years.”

“How did you manage in the winter?” Inky asked.

“I brought some seed left from the old house, and we grew it that summer. We cut holes in the ice on the pond to fish. We were doing fine until the duke showed up, weren’t we, Sintya?”

Suddenly, Inky heard a scratching noise. He looked around. Even with all the torches lit, he could not tell from where the sound came. “I suggest we go back to the platform and watch.”

Oglebee went first while Inky and Sintya climbed into the bucket.

Oglebee pulled them up, and they took their positions to watch for the thief. Even from their perch, the vault looked still and quiet, too quiet to be watched.

The events of the day combined with the heavy meal were too much for Oglebee. He was asleep in no time.

Inky was stumped. He watched out over the vault and thought of the kings and nobles that had asked for his help over the years. In one day’s time, he had allowed himself to be pulled back into a life he despised. Powerful people were greedy and uncaring of the people 39

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

they were supposed to protect. And he had turned into one of them enjoying royalty’s fame and lavish lifestyle. He thought of the night he realized what he had become.

He remembered the old woman who came to the palace asking for him. “Who is she?” Inky asked the guard.

“She will not say. She says only she will wait three hundred more years if she must.” The guard lowered his voice. “She does not look well.”

As he was led to the door, the broken woman was waiting with tears in her eyes. Her wrinkled face could hardly contain her smile.

“I may die in peace now that I have delivered my family’s burden.”

The old woman was shaking. She handed Inky a long leather pouch, and as she did, her body went limp. She crumpled to the floor in a heap. Her eyes were closed, but she was still smiling. “It has been passed down from generation to generation. It was your father’s wish to return it to the knights, but now that they are gone, I deliver it to you. May you use it with God’s grace.”

Then she was gone. The old lady, with her lifelong task completed, died smiling.

He looked at the pouch he was holding. Trembling, he slowly pulled the drawstrings open. Inside the soft folds of the threadbare lining lay a battered tiny flute.

His father had given up wealth and possessions to lead a life he thought pure. He would not approve of how his son was living. Inky left that night, not to be seen again for over a hundred years. He was ashamed that he was going to help this king, but he was not going to let anything happen to his new snoring friend.

40

C hapter 5 When he opened his eyes, gray morning light seeped into the room.

Several men walked in below and went quickly to different sections of the room. They dressed in navy robes and sandals. The robe’s sleeves had been cut off. Each man had at least one finger missing.

In their hands, each carried a type of board wrapped in parchment and a long feather quill. They worked in pairs and one counted while the other wrote. Then they switched and the first wrote while the other counted. In a short amount of time, the entire contents of the vault were inventoried. Then they stood together in a circle and compared notes.

Inky stood up. “I take it everything is in order this morn.”

The startled accountants turned and looked up. A smile crept across one man’s face. He had a large, pointy nose and small pig-like eyes. “No, it is not,” he said slowly. He seemed to relish the words as if he only did his job well by finding something wrong.

“There is a sapphire and emerald bracelet missing. This shall be reported to the king.”

Inky stood silent, amazed that something had been stolen right out from under his nose.

“Is there a message you would like to send to the king when I report the robbery?”

“Yes,” Inky smiled down at the spindly man. “Tell him all is going according to plan. What is your company known by?” He wondered if they could be the thieves.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“I can see what you are thinking,” said the man. “I assure you we are more reliable than you seem to be. We have each sacrificed a finger to prove our loyalty to the king. We’ve sworn to be trustworthy, or the king shall take a whole hand. The king will be notified.”

The men left in a huff.

Inky sat with Oglebee and Sintya, forlorn with no clue of what to do next. He stood up when breakfast came.

Chunky bread, to dip into a mixture of grape and tomato sauce, filled one of the morning buckets, along with eggs cooked with beef.

The other contained cornbread cookies made with sweet cheese.

Inky dipped a cupful of delicious maple, cinnamon-flavored cider from a boiling pot. His entire meal consisted of what would have been one bite of Oglebee’s.

Eating improved Inky’s spirits, but he was still without a plan.

He continued to study the situation while Oglebee continued eating.

Inky sat and thought, then moved to another section of the vault and stared at the floor. Later that afternoon, he sat on the windowsill and followed the roof lines of nearby buildings to see if anyone could break in through the roof. Inky spent hours looking at the street below and the cloud passing above. The sky grew dark, and the stars emerged one by one. Finally, he left his place on the sill and shuffled off to bed.

Oglebee’s snores rang through the vault.

The next morning, Inky was already back at the sill when Oglebee awoke.

After nearly two days of searching, Inky had not a clue about the missing gold. He rechecked the list of stolen items. Hours went by.

Oglebee walked over to the window where Inky sat staring. “Quit thinking about it, you should.”

“What?” Inky asked absent-mindedly.

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Don Stansberry

“I said to stop trying to figure out who is stealing the gold. You’re chasing after the answer, and the answer is running farther away. Let it come to you, you should.”

Inky smiled. His friend was right. Inky was discovering that even though Oglebee’s words didn’t always come out right, there was an underlying sense to everything Oglebee said.

The huge vault door creaked open, and dinner was wheeled in. The aroma immediately filled the room.

“Could we please have that over here?” Inky asked the men in white outfits. The napkins, silverware, and trays were placed on the floor by the windows.

“It’s like a picknickle only inside,” Oglebee said.

The cook let out a “humph,” showing his distaste for the two and their way of eating the fabulous food he had prepared.

Inky looked down at a gourd-like vegetable that smelled somewhat like a pumpkin. A ring was cut around the stem so the top could be lifted off. Steam rose as Inky lifted its lid to see peppers, mushrooms, and berries covered in a thick orange sauce. They both dug in, not really knowing what to expect, but found it very tasty. The main course was a little scarier. It was a square cut of meat that looked like beef but tasted like trout. It was covered with a strawberry sauce.

“I’ve had this before,” Oglebee said, swallowing down a hunk.

“Cooks told me it came from an animal that lived some place called the Royal Zoo.” Inky stopped chewing.

A stone pitcher filled with warm maple syrup sat beside a round sponge cake. Oglebee cut two hunks of the cake and poured the syrup over each. He handed one to Inky and settled back against the wall.

“Tell me the story, you should.”

“What story?”

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“How you came by your size and how there have been stories about you for so many lifetimes.” Syrup dripped from the corner of Oglebee’s full mouth. “I’ve figured out who you are. Me parents had told me stories about you while I was growing up. You’re famous, you are.”

Inky took a deep breath and started.

“It was a long time ago, longer than you can imagine. We lived in England. My father was a great man. I know all children believe their fathers to be great, but mine truly was. He was in the service of the Poor Knights. He worked overseeing shipments to other countries. He was one of the few who were allowed to have a family.

“Poor Knights,” said Oglebee. “Never heard of them, I haven’t.”

“Well, it was a long time ago, and they were known by many names.

They were very powerful back then. My father was sent many places to take items throughout the land.”

“But what has this to do with your size?” interrupted Oglebee.

“Have patience, my friend,” said Inky. “I’m getting to that. My father was coming back from a long voyage across the ocean with a fleet of four ships.”

“Ocean? Never heard of that either,” interrupted Inky again.

Inky looked at him. “Just listen to the story.”

There was a terrible storm with great winds. My father watched as the storm approached. He told me that half the sky turned black and purple, colors like none he had ever seen. The lightning cracked across the sky, and great water spinners were all over the horizon, rising up into the sky. The rain pelted down. The water became rougher and rougher. Whitecaps slammed into the wooden ships. One ship was lifted out of the water by a huge wave and dropped on its side. The men spilled out into the churning water and disappeared into the depths, the ship following them moments later. Of the three ships left, two were swept to the west. Neither had been able to get their sails down, 44

Don Stansberry

and they were ripped and tangled but still catching part of the wind.

They were never seen again.

With only one ship left, my father heard someone yell over the wind, “Land Ho.” He thought it must be a mistake. The rain was so fierce that he could barely see the end of the boat. But in a few seconds, the bright green of palm trees being whipped furiously by the wind came into view. My father thought it was a miracle sent by God. Here were islands where the maps had shown only blue water. And the winds sent the ship right toward them. The waves and wind carried the vessel passed a peninsula into a protected cove. The storm howled as palm trees snapped at their trunks. The ship was blown into the cove as far as the shallow sea floor would allow.

They were still a hundred paces from shore but could do nothing but wait out the storm. For two long hours, the men huddled below deck, listening to the wind scream and the cracking of wood breaking on the deck. When they started the voyage, forty-seven people were on board this ship. My father looked around and counted twenty-nine; gone were the captain and the first mate, both probably blown over the sides. The men in the dark belly of their ship either cried or prayed or both. Then, as quickly as it started, the storm stopped.

The men crept out of the hold onto the deck of their battered ship.

A silvery moon blazed in the midnight blue sky, bathing the beach and surf in white light. The creaking of the wooden ship was the only sound besides the soft pounding of the surf.

For the first time, my father, whose name was Donodowmos, and the survivors saw the island as it lay before them. The beach was a forest of battered palm trees, then mountains rising to the sky in the distance. A low wisp of a cloud illuminated by moonlight silently floated over their heads and disappeared behind the mountains. Then a tiny light twinkled to life on the side of a mountain.”

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Oglebee’s eyes were wide. “Then what happened?” he asked, leaning forward. “What was the flickering light?”

“They waited for morning light, thinking that danger was over, but it was just beginning. When morning comes, it is usually accompanied by the sound of birds and the creeping warmness of the sun. However, on this day, there was a deathly silence as the sun came up over the ocean. The ship was still uneven in the water and wedged tightly into the sand on the bottom of the lagoon. It was going nowhere. The trees on the island were ragged and torn, many uprooted and pushed aside as if by a giant hand.

The beach was swept clean and pristine. There was no sign that a village had been there a few hours before. Everyone was up on deck now checking out the sky and looking around. My father leaned on the rail, looking over the side of the ship.

“We’re beached like a whale,” said an old bearded sailor named Aloso, who had stepped up beside my father. My father was smart, but had not the sea knowledge of the old sailor.

“So what shall we do, Aloso?” my father asked.

“We should wait till high tide, maybe the sea will raise the ship high enough that the sails will pull her out of the sand.”

“Are the sails in good enough condition after that storm?”

“They will be by high tide,” said Aloso, and walked away chuckling.

He began organizing the sailors into sewing groups to repair the windtorn sails.

“My father squinted and surveyed the island. His eyes rested at the spot where they had seen the flickering light. There in the dawn light, he could just make out what appeared to be the entrance to a cave.

From this distance, it looked like a tiny mouse hole in the mountain.

There was movement there. He went to the captain’s cabin and came back moments later with a telescope. Focusing in, he could make out 46

Don Stansberry

a line of bodies exiting the cave. From this distance it looked like a line of ants leaving the nest. Some of them carried long brown objects above their heads, canoes maybe. My father looked down at the water and wondered how long it would be until high tide.

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, its heat felt like a warm, muggy blanket upon the crew. They were broken into groups reorganizing and repairing the ship when they heard the first shouts. Everyone’s heads jerked toward the beach area. The islanders had returned with their belongings only to find their village completely gone. The cries of anguish and sorrow turned to anger as they spotted the boat.

“They think we did this,” my father said to himself.

Aloso was thinking the same thing as he stepped up to my father.

“I’ve sailed these waters before,” he began. “Islanders believe that people bring the storms. They will want to punish us for whatever damage the storm caused. It will be another three hours until high tide. We’re lucky to be this far out in the bay. They are going to have to swim a long way to get to us.” He laughed.

Just as Aloso said this, the first canoe was carried onto the beach.

The women were the first to discover the village gone. The men came out of the jungle carrying the heavier items that they had taken with them. The sailors watched in horror as more and more islanders piled onto the beach. The angry chants and screams grew louder as fingers pointed toward the crooked ship beached in the bay. Looking through the telescope, my father saw the angry faces shouting toward him. Then the faces all turned in one direction. He lowered the scope to get a wider view. The islanders looked at a tall, thin figure hobbling onto the beach. They seemed frightened of her and shrank away, backpedaling as she neared. She towered above the rest ,almost floating to where the sea met the land. The islanders dropped to one knee and stared up at the creature. She raised her hand, and there was silence. The men on the ship craned their necks to listen.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

“Who is she?” my father asked Aloso.

“Bonbolay,” Aloso said slowly. “We would call her a witch doctor.”

A long, mournful moan echoed out of the hollow body, then slowly she raised her arm and pointed a long crooked finger at the ship.

“Boomba yay,” she shrieked. With that, the entire beach erupted like a broken bees’ nest.

“What does ‘boomba yay’ mean?” asked my father.

“It means ‘kill them,’” said Aloso.

More canoes appeared out of nowhere and were thrown into the blue water. The islanders piled into the canoes holding long pointed spears. In only a few seconds, the canoes, at least a dozen of them, were halfway to the boat. My father, the man of peace, stood waving his arms.

“No, we come in peace,” he yelled. “We are not responsible for the storm.”

Seconds later, the first spear hit the ship. It landed low and stuck in the wood beneath the rail. A roar rose from the islanders on the beach.

They chanted, “Boomba yay, boomba yay.” My father heard the sound of footsteps on the deck behind him, but he was too amazed by the scene in front of him to turn.

“Get down, Donodowmos,” someone shouted. He turned. There was a row of knights behind him holding drawn bows.

“No!” he shouted.

Aloso looked at him evenly. “This is not the time to negotiate.

Maybe later, but not right now.” With that said, he gently pushed him out of the way and shouted, “Fire!” A hail of arrows swooshed from the ship. Eleven arrows were launched, and eleven islanders splashed into the clear blue water. These were not regular sailors. They were specially trained Templars sent not only to sail my father but also to protect him.

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The row of archers stepped back, and another row stepped up to the rail. “Fire!” Aloso yelled again with the same result, every arrow hitting its mark. All of this happened within ten seconds. The crowd on the beach fell silent. A jubilant roar went up from the ship. My father was not able to cheer, not with all the bodies floating in the water. The boats, which were still manned, quickly rowed back to shore.

“All back to your riggings and sail repair,” Aloso told the crew.

“But keep your weapons ready.”

My father watched as the islanders met on the beach. The witch doctor was planning another attack. He could tell by sweeping motions of hands and the grunts of approval by the rest of the tribe. Before long, the smoke of a campfire rose into the air at the far side of the beach. It was soon apparent to my father what was going to happen next. The men waited by the canoes while the women held the spears in the flames of the campfire. As soon as the end of the spears caught fire, the women ran to the canoes and gave them to the warriors. The others paddled while the warriors held the spears. This time, the islanders did not race straight toward the ship but formed a wide circle around it.

My father yelled again. “We will leave your island as soon as the tide comes in; we want no trouble.” He ran from rail to rail, pleading with them not to attack. The sailors had already gathered their weapons and spread out evenly around the perimeter of the deck.

“Please, I beg of you, go back to the beach.” My father’s words fell deafly on the islanders. The sailors already had the arrows on the bows.

The first islander raised his flaming spear and called for the rest of his people to do the same.

“Fire,” yelled Aloso, and a ring of arrows soared from the ship. Not one burning spear made its way to the ship. Bodies splashed into the bay. Of the ten canoes, three were on fire from dropped spears, five floated gently, and two headed back to shore. It was a disaster. In just a few minutes, it became worse.”

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Oglebee had settled back and was hugging his knees. He had a sad, faraway look as Inky’s words painted a terrible vision in his head.

“How could it get worse than that?” Oglebee whispered.

“Sharks,” Inky said hollowly. “They tasted the blood in the water, and before long, the bay was full of them. All of the bodies were floating. My father said that was the worst part of all. The ship began to creak, and then it moved the slightest bit. The sailors felt it; my father felt it. The tide was coming in.”

“That meant the water was getting higher and lifting the ship off the bottom,” Oglebee said.

“That is correct, my friend. Everyone felt a huge wave of relief roll across the ship. In a few minutes, they would be free. The sailors unfurled the repaired sails and did the things that prepared the ship to sail. It was fairly noisy, with the men shouting to each other, the ropes being pulled, and all the movement of the wooden deck. But softly, as if out of the corner of the din, my father heard someone say, ‘Uh-oh.’

One by one, the sailors stopped what they were doing to stare at the beach.”

All of the islanders sat on the beach chanting quietly. The witch doctor stood in a canoe. Her arms stuck limply out from her sides, elbows slightly bent, palms up. My father said it would be nearly impossible for a sailor to stand in a canoe, but she was, with her head thrown back and her eyes closed. Now, this next part is what frightened the sailors.”

“No, I don’t think I want to hear it, I don’t.” Oglebee hid his head inside his shirt.

“Remember, this was a long, long time ago,” Inky told his friend.

He pulled the top back down onto Oglebee’s shoulders. His hair was now all mussed up.

“Right, then.” Oglebee took a deep breath. “What scared the sailors?”

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Don Stansberry

“The sharks that had been churning up the water just vanished.

The moment she got in the canoe, they just disappeared.”

“Maybe they got full,” said Oglebee.

“All at the same time? No, it was like they did not want to share the same water with her. Then suddenly the canoe started moving toward them.”

“How?” asked Oglebee.

“It was eerie,” Inky answered. “That was the first thing that spooked the sailors. Even with her eyes closed, the canoe cut through the water straight toward the ship. The sailors reloaded their bows.”

“No!” my father yelled. “She has no weapons.”

Twenty-two sailors aimed their arrows at the craft as it slowed a few paces from the ship. Eyes still closed, she brought her bony right hand up and pointed her long, thin finger at my father. A low moan crept out of her clenched lips. The sailors looked at my father as he stared back at the witch doctor. The moaning stopped, and the eyes opened. Everyone aboard the ship gasped. The witch doctor’s eyes had rolled back in her head, and now only the whites showed. The ship moved again, the tide coming in faster now. It wouldn’t be long until they floated freely. In a scratchy voice, the witch doctor began a chant.

It was almost musical.

Aloso listened intently. “It’s a curse,” he said.

My father broke out in laughter. “We’ve been through a terrible storm and been attacked twice by natives. Does she think a curse is going to scare us?” My father’s smile faded when he turned to look at Aloso and the rest of the sailors. They had turned ashen white and stood frozen in place. Her eyes closed again, and when they reopened, she looked at my father. Her eyes filled with such hatred. My father said he could feel her gaze burning on his skin.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

There was one last little jerk, and the ship floated free. “Move, you dogs!” shouted Aloso. “Raise the sails and let us be gone from this evil island.”

Everyone sprang into action except for my father. He stood staring at the witch doctor. She still pointed at him as her chanting became louder and shriller. The outstretched hand that she had been pointing opened slightly and glowing embers began dropping out. They fell straight down to the bottom of the canoe and ignited the wooden hull.

The witch doctor stood motionless, still spewing the curses as flames danced across the bottom of her boat. The sails unfurled, the ship turned and moved toward the open end of the bay as the flames and smoke engulfed the canoe. The witch doctor crumpled and disappeared into the fire.

Later that night, with many miles of water between the knights and the island, my father sat on the deck and looked up at the millions of stars in the night sky. Aloso came up from below deck and sat by my father. It was very quiet on the sea, and the two sat and let the silence envelop them. After a while, my father asked, “Why did she do that?

How could anyone set themselves on fire?”

Aloso rubbed his beard. “I’ve heard it told that a dying curse is the most powerful curse of all,” Aloso said solemnly. “Do you have a son?”

“Yes,” my father said slowly. “How did you know?”

“I did not, but she did,” Aloso said, letting a breath out.

“Why? How?” My father became frightened.

“One of my sailors, Tarkus, came to me and said that he had understood the island language. The witch doctor thought we had brought the storm and you were our leader. The curse was for you but not on you.”

“I don’t understand,” said my father.

“She wanted to hurt you and your family. The curse is on your son.”

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My father stared at the black water letting the words sink in. “What is the curse?”

“Tarkus did not understand all of it. One part was about aging, only one season cycle out of every five.”

“Five times a normal life—that is not bad,” said my father, brightening.

“Ah, but the curse is not for a normal life,” Aloso said.

“He will be small; below the knee, he will be,” Tarkus said.

“And that is you, is it?” Oglebee asked with his eyes wide. “How long ago was that?”

“I should be about sixty season cycles, but in actuality, about three hundred.”

“You are three hundred years old, you are?” Oglebee gasped.

Inky smiled. “I told you it happened a long time ago. By the time my father got back to my mother, I had started shrinking. I was ten years old at the time. When I was eleven, I was smaller than I was at six. By the time I was thirteen, I had shrunk to the size I am now.”

“So I outlived my whole family and their children and their children’s children.”

“But aren’t you some kind of wizard, you are?” Oglebee asked.

“The great secret of my life,” Inky whispered. “I’ve lived long enough to learn many things, and my size allows me to do things that seem impossible,” Inky said with a wink. “And my father left me some very special gifts.”

Oglebee smiled. “So the king thinks he has a wizard working to find his gold when really he has just us two short guys, he does.” They both giggled at that.

Inky felt that a bond had been made.

53

C hapter 6 “My friend, instead of sitting here and waiting for the gold to disappear again, we shall go exploring tonight.”

“Where? In the castle?” said Oglebee, his voice rising in excitement.

“Yes, let us go see the goings-on of this place at night.”

“But how? The door is locked from the outside.”

“If it is a door, it is meant to be opened.” Inky grinned.

They opened the shutters that were usually closed. Neither could sleep as the prospect of adventure boiled inside them. Movement outside in the courtyard ceased, and deep darkness blanketed the streets and windows.

Oglebee got up and looked out the window every few minutes and asked if it was time yet. Torches on the walls lit the outer room. The only light in the vault room was that which shone through the crack under the doors.

“I’ll go out to see what the guards are doing,” Inky whispered to Oglebee.

“How?” “Just watch,” Inky said with a wink. He walked to the huge doors and lay down on his stomach. Less than an inch of space rested between the bottom of the door and the floor. But it was enough for Inky to exhale, turn his head sideways, and slide under.

After a few moments, he slid back through the opening under the door.

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Oglebee slapped his knee and laughed. “Darn if you’re not full of surprises, you are.”

Inky stood and dusted himself off. “The guards are asleep, as I suspected. This squeaky door is not going to open without waking them.”

They both let out a breath and stood staring at nothing.

Inky looked around the room, and before long his eyes rested on the syrup pitcher from dinner.

“Perfect,” he said. “Oglebee, get the pitcher and bring it to the door.”

Inky scampered to the door, and Oglebee met him there with the pitcher. The great brass hinges were on the inside of the room, and when opened, the grating squeaking noise echoed around the vault.

“Pour a bit of the syrup on the hinge,” Inky told his friend. Oglebee’s eyes widened as the idea caught hold. The thick, sticky syrup dripped golden over the hinges. Oglebee could not reach the top hinges but oiled the bottom two on each door.

“Shall we try?” Inky asked, smiling.

Oglebee nodded vigorously.

Inky had located a long thin piece of wood under one of the platforms that held the gold coins. He slid this under the door and then slid through himself. The lock on the outside had a lever that fell sideways across the crack between the doors. Once it was horizontal, the door couldn’t open. Inky looked at the snoring guards. Both sat in chairs with their chins resting on their chests. One guard had his spear across his lap, and the other one was on the floor.

Inky grabbed the thin piece of wood and slid it up the crack between the doors. As it reached the lever, Inky lifted with all his strength. The wood pushed the brass lever up, and it fell silently around the other way, unlocking the door. Inky slipped the wood and himself back inside the vault.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Inky smiled when he saw Oglebee shifting his weight from one foot to another, wringing his hands with excitement.

“Let us push very lightly,” Inky suggested.

They put their hands against the door and shoved. A hinge at the top gave the slightest whisper of a creak. The door opened just a fraction.

Inky nodded to give another push, and the door opened enough for Inky, but not for Oglebee. Inky put his fingers to his lips and pointed toward the outer room, then slipped out to check the guards.

Inky returned and quietly motioned Oglebee to close the door and follow him down the hallway. The farther they walked, the softer the snores became. The dimmer light caused the suits of armor to be half hidden in shadows. Inky quickened his pace each time they passed one.

It became obvious to Inky that they had gone past the door through which the soldiers had brought him when he first arrived.

“I think we have gone too far,” Inky whispered, “but we have not passed any doors.”

“The hidden door was just back there,” Oglebee said offhandedly.

“I heard the cooks complaining that they had to bring the food up the spiral stairs through the hidden door when the auditors were allowed to come in the king’s door. They were not happy about it, they weren’t.

The hidden door is how all the servants travel around the castle, they do. That’s probably how they brought you in, by the hidden back way.”

Inky looked at his friend, who had suddenly become a wealth of information. “Why have you not told me this before?”

“You never asked, you didn’t,” Oglebee replied as he continued down the hall. The king’s door loomed before them. Inky lay down and tried to slide under the dark red door, but this time the gap under the door was not wide enough. He stood up. “I can hear no one there.

Let’s try it.”

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Don Stansberry

Oglebee nodded. Luckily, he was just tall enough to reach the lion’s head doorknob. As he turned it, the door slowly swung open. On the other side was the largest room Inky had ever seen. They were on the second floor of a perfectly round room. The balcony where they stood completely circled the second level, and the black and white tiled floor lay dozens of feet below.

Magnificent murals adorned the rounded walls. Scenes of knights slaying dragons and kings being crowned wrapped around the room like some great museum. A huge chandelier hung from an impossibly high ceiling. It hung even with the second floor, and they could see hundreds of candles burning in it. The staircase, being the most impressive thing about the room, started just to the right of where Inky stood with Oglebee. The ebony stairs and rail spiraled downward along the wall and eventually concluded at the bottom of the other side of the room. The shiny black banister glinted in the candlelight and curved smoothly and gracefully like a black snake in the sun.

“Take note,” Inky said as he headed toward the stairs. Then he expertly climbed up the spindle, pulled his robe up between his legs, and draped a leg over each side of the banister. As soon as his bottom hit the polished surface, he began sliding.

Twenty seconds later, he leaped off at the bottom of the rail and made a quiet, gentle landing on the tiled floor near a shining suit of armor. He looked up and waved for Oglebee to ride it down. Oglebee grabbed the wood with his left hand and threw his right leg up and over, facing the wrong way.

“Whoooooa!” Oglebee moaned as he began sliding. He was heavier than Inky and got to the bottom more quickly. Facing backward, he didn’t see the end of the railing. Oglebee rocketed off the banister, flew over Inky’s head, and crashed into the suit of armor.

Metal arms, legs, and helmet crashed to the tile floor, shattering the silence in the room. As the last clang echoed, a round shield drunkenly 57

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

wobbled across to the other side. Amid the rubble of metal body parts, Oglebee sat up and shook his head.

Inky waited anxiously to see how many guards the noise would bring. Surprisingly, nothing happened. Then, slowly across the vast tile floor, something moved. Its black color matched the tile perfectly. Inky walked toward it with Oglebee close behind.

Walking passed the disassembled armor, Oglebee said, “Laid waste to that knight, I did.”

The black thing continued moving slowly toward them, orange eyes flashing in the candlelight. It finally moved onto one of the white tiles.

“A turtle!” Oglebee said.

The shell, head, and legs were a shiny black, only its orange, birdlike eyes were a different color. “Well, it’s like no tortoise I’ve ever seen.

It must be from the Royal Zoo.” “Perhaps it was specially bred to guard this room,” Inky said.

“You mean like a watchdog?” Oglebee asked.

“Yes, a watch turtle.” Inky smiled and laughed. “Not much good chasing down a robber unless you have a thieving snail.”

They both burst out in laughter as the turtle continued to watch them.

“Hey, look at me, Sire Watch Turtle,” Oglebee yelled.

“Shhhhh,” Inky said, putting a finger to his lips.

But Oglebee laughed harder and louder. He ran in a circle around the turtle, pumping his arms and legs high. “I’m going to steal all the gold,” he laughed.

“You have to calm down and be quiet,” Inky insisted.

Apparently, the turtle realized that it was being made fun of. His head swiveled from one side to the other to watch Oglebee run around him.

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“Oglebee, settle down!” said Inky more harshly.

The turtle extended its neck out of its shell and pointed its head straight to the ceiling.

Both Inky and Oglebee stopped and looked at it.

Then it let out the loudest and shrillest whistle Inky had ever heard.

The turtle lowered its head, looked at them, and smiled.

“We have to get out of here,” Inky yelled.

They both took off in opposite directions and ran right past each other.

“Wait,” Inky yelled. He looked around. The stairs were no good; it would take an hour for him to get back up them. Several suits of armor still stood, but they would not make much of a hiding place.

If doors existed, they were hidden in the wall. Inky thought he heard faint footsteps. His head swung around wildly, looking for something, anything. Then he saw it—a small door hidden in the wall under the staircase.

“Come along.” Inky pulled on Oglebee’s tunic. They ran to the door, and Oglebee opened it. They stepped in and quietly closed the door behind them. Inky made out the forms of boxes and containers in the dark room. As he had feared, this was only a storage room. They were trapped.

A sliver of light broke through the darkness. Oglebee had inched the door back open and peeked out. Inky slid in front of him to look out also. Soldiers stood over the disassembled armor. One said something, and the other laughed. To Inky’s amazement, they turned to walk back up the steps.

The two friends let out a sigh of relief as the guards disappeared from their view. But an instant later, the turtle let out another piercing whistle making everyone jump. The reptile lumbered across the room toward the hiding place.

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Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

Immediately, Inky searched for a way out. Oglebee stayed at the door watching. The two guards were back down on the tile floor. Bits of dirt and dust fell from the ceiling of the storage room as more guards came down the stairs.

“Let’s just tell them we work for the king,” Oglebee said.

“No,” Inky replied. “He has not told anyone about us. He would deny everything.”

Oglebee peeked through the crack again. A group of guards followed the turtle, heading straight for the door.

“What now?” Oglebee asked.

“I have not an idea,” Inky said.

“What? You always have a way, you do.”

The turtle-led group was nearly at the door. Inky could see no way out of this mess.

“I’ve got an idea, and it is quite wondrous, it is. We will scare them away,” Oglebee whispered.

Before Inky could say anything, Oglebee let out a low mournful, “Boooooo.”

Inky’s eyes widened, and on the other side of the door, the footsteps stopped. He peeked out the door. The guards stood motionless.

“Booooo,” Oglebee let out another moan.

The guards backed up, leaving the turtle alone in front of the door.

“What’s all this?” a voice boomed. A large man, still dressed in his nightshirt, parted the group of soldiers and stepped to the front. The guards looked from the man to the door to the man again as if not knowing which to be more afraid of.

“A ghost,” said one of the first guards there. “Seems to be haunting the great hall.”

The captain gave him a flat stare and then looked at the door.

Inky pulled his head back away from the crack.

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“Say now, who is in this room?” the captain yelled.

“Booooooo. I’m a ghost,” Oglebee sang back.

“No, I mean, who were you before you died?” the captain asked slyly.

Oglebee looked at Inky.

Inky shrugged and raised his eyebrows.

“Booooo,” was Oglebee’s only answer.

“All proper ghosts know who they were.”

Inky stepped back and scanned the dark room. He motioned to Oglebee and pointed to a small wooden barrel. Although it was empty, the lid still lay askew, the words “olive oil” printed on top. Oglebee looked at it upside down.

“Booooo, I was Leo Olive,” he sang.

The captain barked a laugh that echoed through the room.

“You morons, this is not a ghost. Go pull the intruder out!”

One guard said, “You open the door, and I’ll wait here.”

“No, you go. You’re bigger,” said another.

Instantly each guard found a good reason why they shouldn’t be the one to go first.

“Out of the way, you coward,” ordered the captain.

As he stepped to the door, there was a crash, and the door violently burst open and slammed against the wall. A barrel rolled out and over the turtle, scattering guards and emitting a “booooooo” sound. The barrel rolled, and the boos began to change to ooooos. Oglebee, who was inside the barrel, was becoming dizzy as the barrel rolled with him inside and it quickly broke apart.

“Take him away to the dungeon and wake me no more,” said the large man. He turned and trudged up the steps without looking back.

Inky peered out of the darkness and watched as the guards grabbed Oglebee under his arms and pulled him out of the barrel. He was 61

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having difficulty standing but still trying to kick the shins of the guards who held him. They pulled him backward, his heels dragging across the floor. Oglebee shouted, “I’ll have you, I will.”

They dragged him to the edge of the room. One of the soldiers, who had a free hand, pulled on an unlit torch holder, and a portion of the wall slid open. The hidden hallway looked like a great mouth as the group disappeared down it with Oglebee still yelling.

One of the guards still in the room turned and looked back toward the door.

Inky quickly pulled his head back into the darkness and listened.

Footsteps came his way. He plunged into the darkest corner of the little room, lay down flat, and turned his face toward the wall.

Inky waited and listened. He heard the guard’s breath as he surely tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Inky counted on the fact that the guard was probably searching for someone Oglebee’s size and wouldn’t see his small body hiding in the corner.

After a few moments, Inky heard the guard back up and leave, the sound of his lone footsteps fading into the emptiness. The door slid shut.

Inky stepped out into the empty ballroom. The silence consumed him like a man in a sinking boat. The turtle had either left the room somehow or camouflaged itself in one of the black tiles again. He had to get to his friend, but how?

A soft chuckle came from the steps behind him. Inky spun around to see the large man sitting on the circular staircase with a gleaming grin spread across his lips. Long black hair shone under the wall torch, and deep, blue eyes lit up his tan face. The scar that ran from his brow down his cheek illuminated in the flickering light.

“Somehow, I knew you were behind this entire racket,” the man said, still smiling.

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“Ah, I’m glad to see you, my friend,” Inky said to the captain who had captured him, the same one who had told him to trust no one in the palace. They sat for several minutes as Inky explained all that had happened since he had been in the castle. When he finished, Captain Cador slowly shook his head.

“I know not who the thief might be. There are so many who would steal from the king in this mad place.”

“I am more concerned with my friend in the dungeon than with the thief,” Inky said.

Cador shook his head. “I cannot help you there either. Once the dungeon master takes charge of a prisoner, it’s out of my hands.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” Inky said. “All you have to do is get me to the dungeon, and I will owe you a great favor.”

Cador looked at Inky. “You’re asking me to help you through the castle, then aid in the escape of a prisoner my men just captured, for the promise of a favor?”

“Yes,” said Inky. “It’s all I have to offer.”

Captain Cador hesitated, then said, “You are one of the few I’ve met here with even a shred of honor.” He stood up. “Let’s go.”

His nightshirt had a large pocket on the right breast, just perfect for Inky to stand in with his head and arms sticking out of the top.

Cador wasted no time in hurrying up the steps and down a hallway.

In the next few minutes, they wound their way through empty rooms, dark hallways, and damp stairwells. Several times Cador paused to listen at a door before passing a room.

At last, they came to a simple wooden door barred from the inside.

Cador easily lifted the plank, and the door opened into the moonlit night.

“Now, down to the moat,” whispered Cador. He found a path that led to the edge of the water. The cattails and tall grasses that grew along 63

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

the water seemed out of place in the silence. The usual chirps of insects and frogs were gone, and the water was as smooth as a piece of black glass.

Inky usually felt at peace on the water, but this place was different.

It had the unholy feeling of the Royal Zoo, only worse. A boat, tied to a tree near the bank, bobbed in the water without a sound. The boat was large enough for eight or nine men. Inky wondered if this was the duke’s navy. Cador untied the rope and threw it into the boat as he stepped in. He pushed off, and they glided through the darkness.

“We’ll need to paddle about a mile around the castle; then we will come to a dock. At the end of the dock will be a black door with a torch on the left side. This is the way prisoners captured outside the castle are brought in.”

“How many guards will be inside?” Inky asked.

“One, maybe two,” Cador whispered back.

Tucked inside Cador’s pocket, Inky stared up at the moon; its reflection fell on the deep dark water. A plan was forming in his mind when two yellow eyes staring at him from the water near the outer bank startled him. The creature let out a long hiss and splashed forward, disappearing under the surface.

“Giant eels,” said Cador. “We’re lucky they hadn’t spotted us earlier.

The dock is just up ahead.” The boat slid silently toward the dock.

Cador stepped out, looped the rope around one of the pilings, and set Inky down on the wooden dock.

“You’re on your own now,” Cador leaned down and whispered. “I warn you again. These dogs are mean ones; watch yourself.”

64

C hapter 7 Inky stepped into the shadows and pulled the flute out of one of the many hidden pockets of his robe. The whispering notes drifted out of the darkness and floated into the sky. Moments later, the hawk flew across the moat, slowed, and landed gently atop a short piling.

Its head snapped around as Inky stepped out of the shadows and strode toward the bird. He petted it affectionately on the neck and whispered to it for several moments. Then, with a flap of the powerful wings, it was off. It disappeared into the indigo sky.

The black door stood strong and formidable. Inky walked up to it and put his hand against its nicked surface. The light from the torch on the wall gleamed off the door as Inky stepped back with his hands on his hips.

“Well, let’s rescue Oglebee,” he said to no one. Inky looked at the path that led from the dock to the dungeon door. He spotted what he needed and reached down to pick up two pebbles, which had popped loose from the ground. He put one in his right hand and flung it at the door. With a loud ping, it bounced off. He waited. He threw the other rock. The noise was louder this time, but it was still only a ping.

“What are you trying to do?” came a voice from the bushes.

“Captain Cador, are you still here?” Inky shouted back.

“I wanted to see your plan, but so far, I’m not too impressed.”

“It’s a metal door. I’m trying to get someone inside to open it.”

“Oh,” yelled Captain Cador. “Can I help?”

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“If you could throw a large stone against the door, someone inside may hear it.”

A soft scuffling in the bushes followed the moment of silence where Inky envisioned Cador looking for stones.

“I’ve got a couple of big ones. Stand back.”

It took only one. The stone was so large it burst into a million pieces when it hit the door. The sound boomed across the moat into the darkness. The door swung open, and a sweaty, dirty man stepped out into the torchlight. His ragged clothing hung from his bony shoulders.

He shook his greasy hair out of his eyes, then looked right and left. His eyes fell on Inky, standing in the middle of the path.

“What are you doing there? What’s this entire racket? Why are you so tiny?”

He noticed the bulge on the inside of the door where the rock had impacted the outside.

“Why did you dent my door?” he asked, taking another step outside.

“I am a pixie here to grant you a wish,” Inky said lightly.

“A wish, eh? What kind of wish?”

“Any kind of wish, you numbskull.” Inky made little flying motions with his arms and ran in circles on the path.

“Hey, what did you call me?” he asked, showing his rotten teeth and taking another step toward Inky.

“Numbskull, lamebrain; I believe you fit all the categories.”

The man took one more step, which proved to be his last. In the silence of the night, the softest of fluttering sounds whispered through the air. Inky heard it.

The guard must have heard it too. He stepped and squinted up into the darkness with a puzzled look on his face.

At that moment, the hawk zoomed at him with a six-pound pumpkin in its talons. With perfect accuracy, the brown blur pulled 66

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up and released. The man didn’t have time to react. The pumpkin exploded on impact with the guard’s thick skull and knocked him out cold before he hit the ground.

Inky stepped to the side and hid in the shadows. He heard a loud booing sound coming from deep in the building. Inky shook his head.

Oglebee. This was the right place. Then Inky heard footsteps.

A huge man filled the entire doorway and peered into the night.

When he saw the other guard lying spread eagle with orange goo all over his head, he quickly stepped out and knelt over him.

The man’s enormous stomach touched the ground when he bent over. A wide leather belt circled his dirty tunic.

Inky reached into one of his robe’s secret pockets and pulled out a handful of green dust. He walked out of the shadows and hopped on the skinny guard’s thigh. Then he walked perilously up his stomach and onto his chest. The kneeling guard held one hand under his friend’s head while wiping smashed pumpkin out of his eyes with the other. He didn’t even notice Inky until he spoke.

“Are you baking pies?” Inky asked. “I smell pumpkin.”

With that, he took the green dust and threw it up the fat guard’s nose. The man stood and shook his head twice, his greasy blond hair throwing sweat. He turned and looked at Inky, his eyes wild. Inky made a wide arc with his arm, and their eyes met.

“You will do what I say,” Inky shouted.

“I will do what you say,” the man said softly.

“I want you to drag your skinny friend inside,” Inky ordered.

A blank expression came across his face as he grabbed the prone man under the arms and pulled him into the dungeon. Inky followed.

The smell of damp earth, sweat, and hopelessness assaulted Inky’s nostrils. The awful odor turned his stomach.

“I’ll haunt you,” a voice yelled.

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“Come over here and let me out. I’ll show you what a ghost can do—boooo.”

Inky smiled at the sound of Oglebee’s voice, but as he strode down the hall, his footsteps slowed, and his smile faded. Rows and rows of cells branched out. The first cell he came to held a woman and four children. They looked at him with sad, hungry eyes. A very old man lying on a cot occupied the next cell. His arms were skinny and as white as his hair. In every cell Inky passed, he saw poor, starving people, not the criminals he had expected to see in a dungeon. A plan formed in his head.

“I’ll knock you on your backside, you ogre,” Oglebee screamed.

Inky imagined Oglebee had been ranting like this since they had brought him in. He stepped up to the noisy cell.

“You’re not going to haunt me, are you?” asked Inky.

Oglebee’s eyes grew wide. A grin spread across his face.

“I knew you would come. I just knew it, I did. I was just keeping them rattled until you arrived. How’d you get here?”

“Never mind that; we’re leaving, all of us.”

Inky motioned for the big guard to walk down the hall. “Bring him with you,” Inky said, pointing to the still-unconscious guard.

Oglebee’s mouth dropped open as the big man walked up to his cell door, unlocking it with one hand and clutching the ankle of the pumpkin guard in the other.

“Whoa,” Oglebee said under his breath. “You knocked out one and hypnotized the other, did you?”

“Something like that.” Inky looked down the hallway.

“Boy, are we going to be in trouble, we are,” Oglebee said as the large guard tossed the small guard into the cell.

“You, dungeon master, unlock all of these cells now, and you must hurry.”

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With a faraway stare, the guard moved from cell to cell, swinging each door open as he unlocked it.

“Boy, we are really going to be in trouble.”

To Inky’s surprise none of the prisoners left their cells. Inky walked over to an old lady and her little granddaughter. Dressed in dirty rags, they held each other in the farthest corner of the cell, the little girl with her eyes squeezed shut.

“Come, you’re leaving this dreadful place,” Inky said.

“No, no, you’re not real,” the old lady said. “We’ve heard cries of a ghost all night. Now go away.”

The little girl opened her eyes and focused on Inky. Then they opened wide.

“You, you are the one my grandmother told stories of.” She patted the old lady. “Look, Granny, the tiny magic man has come to save us.

The one with the dark black eyes.”

Oglebee stepped up behind Inky. “No one’s coming out,” he said.

“They’re all afraid.”

Inky looked back to the scraggly little girl. An unruly ponytail held her dirty red hair back. “I need your help, young lady. Go to these people and tell them we’re leaving, and it is safe to come out of their cells.”

The little girl pulled her grandmother by the hand. “Come on, Granny; we have a job to do.”

Before long, the center area filled up with frightened people dressed in rags of dirty gray that had at one time been different styles and colors of clothing.

Inky was shocked that nearly all of them were women, children, or old men.

The only young man there limped up to Inky and Oglebee. “I’d be proud to help in any way I can,” he said. His arms and shoulders were massive, but one leg turned awkwardly inside his pants.

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“Well,” Inky smiled, “It looks like we have a driver for our boat.”

“Boat?” Oglebee said. “We are really, really in trouble, we are.”

“Where will we go? What will we do?” someone asked.

“How can I feed my family?” someone else yelled.

“Quiet,” yelled the young man. “The wizard has a plan for us.”

All eyes fell upon Inky.

“Well, first, we must get away from here.”

“Are you making this up as we go?” Oglebee whispered.

“I didn’t know all these people would be down here,” Inky whispered back, “and I cannot leave them.”

“I have an idea,” the young man whispered to them. “We can all go to my village. I have many cousins and uncles. We may stay until we are healthy and decide what we each want to do. It’s about a two-day walk toward the mountains.”

Again the group became restless.

“We cannot walk that far. It’ll be light in a few hours. A group like this, we’ll be caught before we have only a few breaths of freedom.”

“Mayhap I can help,” boomed a voice from the doorway.

Everyone jumped.

Captain Cador strode into the room. “I can provide thee with eight or so wagons and horses if I can have your word that there was no help from me.”

Everyone nodded, eager to agree.

Oglebee put people into groups. The young man rowed the first group across the moat. Two hundred paces away stood the shed with the horses and wagons. Having instructions from Captain Cador, the first group of prisoners found the shed and reined up the horses.

Working together with Oglebee’s organization, all the groups were across the moat in twenty minutes. Inky, Oglebee, and Cador were left alone in the dungeon.

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Well, almost alone. A knocked-out pumpkin-smelling guard was locked in a cell, and a fat one stared into the block wall.

“You there, dungeon master, come to me,” Inky said in a commanding voice. An old chair and desk sat in the center of the room. “Sit here.” The dungeon master sat, still staring at nothing.

“You will awake in a few hours and remember the ghost that released all the prisoners. It was the most fearsome thing you have ever seen. It flew around the room, and the cell doors flew open.” Inky made a whooshing sound and flung his arms out wide.

“And the ghost was very handsome, he was,” Oglebee interrupted.

Inky stared at him and frowned. “Every time you remember this, you will cry and fall to the floor. Now sleep!”

The man’s eyes closed, and his chin dropped to his chest.

Inky walked over to a cold fireplace and retrieved a stick that had only been burned on one end.

“Could I have a little help here, please?” he said to Cador. The captain lifted him in front of the dungeon master. Using the burnt stick, Inky wrote “boo” across the large man’s forehead. “There,” Inky said as Cador put him back down.

“Last trip,” yelled the young man from the doorway. He had limped all the way back from the moat.

“I’ll be moving along,” Cador said and disappeared out the door and into the darkness before anyone could say anything to him.

“Yes, my friend. I believe Oglebee and I would like to cross the moat.” He closed the door behind them and quietly moved down the path to the edge of the water.

“I wish to thank you for helping us,” the young man said as he helped them into the boat. “The others, they wanted to thank thee also.

It’s just that they, well, they were very interested in getting away.”

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“No need to explain,” Inky said. “They would not be on their way if not for you. What is your name, my friend?”

“I am Bo,” the young man said.

“Bo, the boat driver,” Oglebee said to himself. “It fits, it does.”

When they reached the other side of the moat, Inky said, “Be on your way, Bo. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”

“Thank you,” he whispered. He waved goodbye and slipped away into the night.

“Well, now comes the difficult part,” Inky said.

“What’s that?” Oglebee asked.

“Now we have to figure out how to break back into the castle.”

72

C hapter 8 The two stood alone and quiet. The black sky faded to the east, and the damp chill of morning replaced the cool of the night. The castle loomed above them as Oglebee rubbed his arms.

“I’m hungry, I am,” he said. “I wonder what we would be having for breakfast. Maybe it will be fresh strawberries and flapper cakes.”

“That’s it!” Inky snapped his fingers. “Come, we must find the drawbridge before it gets too light.”

Walking around the moat in the dark was hard enough, but the journey became even more challenging when one only had a six-inch stride. On the outside, in the open, Oglebee had an amazing sense of direction and remembered all the details of the landscape near the drawbridge.

“We should be there in the next few minutes,” he whispered to Inky.

Inky heard the horses before anything else, snorting and pawing the hard-packed ground. As he got closer, he heard the voices of the farmers talking quietly in short sentences, the way people do in the morning. The road to the moat was lined with farmers sitting in horsedrawn wagons filled with fruits and vegetables. They waited patiently for the drawbridge to be lowered.

Oglebee started to walk toward the line of wagons, but Inky pulled him back.

“What? These are farmers, good men; they will help us back in. We can trust them, I can tell, I can,” Oglebee said.

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“’Tis always best not to ask for help if none be needed,” Inky said.

Morning had broken, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The gray clouds became more detailed the lighter it got. Several of the farmers had gotten down from their wagons and stood in small groups talking.

“It’s a bad one a-coming,” an older man with a white beard said.

“The spot where that devil of a horse kicked me last year was aching this morning. The worse the storm, the worse the ache. Felt like I had been run over by a stone-filled wagon.”

Inky and Oglebee crept out from the bushes and into an open space between a wagon with a tarp over its load and a team of bored-looking horses. “Would you crawl up there and see what is under the tarp?”

Inky whispered to Oglebee.

The smell of sweet peaches wafted out as soon as Oglebee pulled up a small section of tarp. He reached over the tailgate, grabbed Inky by the arm, and pulled him up. They both crawled under the tarp. While Inky peered out a crack between the two sideboards of the wagon, Oglebee lay back and bit into a golden yellow peach.

Before long, the clanking of the iron chains of the drawbridge sent the farmers scrambling back to their wagons. As soon as the bridge was completely down, the wagons slowly moved into the walled city.

The horses’ hooves echoed on the cobblestone street as the wagon wheels clattered behind. The wagons stayed in order as they rounded one corner after another.

Inky’s plan was working perfectly as the whole caravan rolled up to a set of large wooden doors.

“Why are we stopping?” Oglebee asked with a mouthful of peach.

Inky heard voices outside but couldn’t make out what they were saying. A door opened somewhere, and they were moving again. The sound of the horses’ hooves changed. Now they seemed to echo. Inky looked out through the crack as the wagons stopped again. They were in an enormous room.

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“Follow me,” were the only words Inky got out before the tarp was yanked off the cart. The farmer, who had a thin white beard and tanned face, jumped back when he discovered the two sitting amongst his peaches. Inky stepped to the edge of the cart and jumped off with Oglebee, who held a peach in each hand. He ran back under the wagon.

Oglebee had to drop to his belly and crawl underneath.

As he peered out, Inky saw the farmer’s unmoving sandals in front of them. Before too long, the feet shifted, and a knee touched the ground, followed by a face.

“Just checking to see if you were real. Beg your pardon,” said the farmer.

“Beg your pardon, sir, but please tell no one we are here.”

“Pleased to tell ya, brother, I’ll be telling no one I’d have seen two little men crawling out of my peaches.” The face raised out of sight.

Inky moved to look at the hallways leading out of the busy room.

Shelves laden with all types of containers amply filled the walls between the hallways. The same was true of the floor near the walls. It was littered with plenty of barrels and boxes for two small intruders to hide behind. But which tunnel to take?

Inky peered out from under the wagon, looking for a way to escape.

Oglebee finished the peach in his right hand and started with the one in his left.

Inky nudged Oglebee. “I believe I see our way out of here. See those two looking at the wagon of melons? They’re the men who bring us our meals. Unless I am wrong, they’ll be bringing our breakfast in a short time. We must watch and follow them.”

After selecting several melons, the two cooks went to other wagons adding apples, grapes, pumpkins, and potatoes to the line of farmers carrying baskets behind them. Then, still talking to each other, they walked toward a wide hallway.

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“Now,” Inky said to Oglebee. He scooted out from under the wagon and made a beeline for a group of large barrels placed haphazardly near the center of the hallway. Oglebee came next and quickly hid in the space between the barrels just as the last farmer disappeared down the hall.

“There are guards coming,” Inky said as he looked around the corner.

Oglebee followed him behind the barrels. The guards talked as they walked passed, not noticing the two hiding along the wall. One of the guards laughed. “A ghost! Can you believe he said he was a ghost?”

“Hey, that’s one of the goat-smelling guards that threw me in the dungeon,” Oglebee whispered.

“Forget about him. We have more important things on which to focus. Come.” Inky peered around the corner this time, then took off running. He turned to see if Oglebee followed. He hadn’t.

Olgebee stepped out into the open and turned toward the two guards who were already a good distance away and still walking. He mumbled something and threw the uneaten peach. It soared in a great arc and struck the laughing guard in the back of the head with a satisfying splat.

Inky entered the hallway, and Oglebee trailed behind, his bare feet slapping the cold stone floor.

Inky followed the group into a large room that was, without question, a kitchen. Four large fireplaces held bubbling iron kettles.

Wooden counters lined the other walls of the room. The room had a wonderful aroma of many foods blended into one. It was also a beehive of activity. A dozen cooks were working diligently, along with scores of shabbily dressed young people. Some attended the sizzling pots; others chopped vegetables. Apparently, they were working on lunch because the breakfast containers were stacked in groups on a long counter at the opposite end of the room.

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Near the center, the group of farmers haggled over the price of their products.

“Now,” whispered Inky. They moved quietly and quickly, keeping to the wall and behind things as much as possible. Near the wall where the breakfast containers were stacked, another doorway appeared. This led to a hall where the food carts were parked in a long line. A variety of pictures and words had been painted on the sides of the carts.

Inky found the blue cart with the gold crown. He motioned for Oglebee to follow him. The pair left the room and sneaked down the row between the carts. They opened a sliding door and crawled into the cart. Oglebee slid the door closed behind them.

Inky’s eyes adjusted to the dim light. He leaned back and got comfortable. Before long, voices sounded outside their compartment.

The cart moved a few feet and then stopped. Inky heard the metal pans being loaded on top of the cart. Inky slid the door open just a sliver.

“This one goes to those two tiny idiots in the vault,” said one voice. The cart started to roll then another voice said, “Blimey, this feels heavy today. What are they having for breakfast?” A third voice replied, “You’re just getting old and fat, you lag.” The voices laughed, and Inky slid the door closed again.

The ride back to the vault was bumpy and uncomfortable for Inky.

The cooks seemed to take the curviest route imaginable, and since the cart could not be taken up the stairs, they were pushed up many ramps.

Each time the cart changed directions or tilted, Inky slid around the wooden floor of the cart. He was thrown back and forth constantly.

Oglebee slept through the whole commotion.

Then the cart slowed, and voices could be heard again. Inky slid the door and heard the guards opening the huge vault doors. He poked Oglebee in the side.

“Huh?” Oglebee grunted.

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“It’s time for us to depart,” Inky said softly.

The cart rolled into the vault room and came to a stop.

“I wonder where those two are?” said one of the cooks. “They’re usually right here to meet the food like two trained squirrels.”

Through the crack, Inky saw the cook’s legs standing at the side of the cart. Slowly the legs turned around as if the cooks were scanning the room for them. Inky slid across the compartment and quietly opened the door on the other side of the cart. He and Oglebee stepped out and stood shoulder to shoulder, looking back at the cart.

One of the cooks walked around the end and jumped. “Where did you two come from? You weren’t there a minute ago.”

Oglebee stood grinning ear to ear. “We were right here. You almost knocked my friend over when you rolled in,” said Inky innocently.

The other cook walked around and joined his friend.

“What do you think? We just appeared out of thin air? Like a ghost?” Oglebee asked.

Inky and Oglebee burst out laughing.

The guards laid out the food, packed up the cart, and left, glaring at Inky and Oglebee while they continued laughing.

78

C hapter 9 After a hearty breakfast, Oglebee fell asleep sitting up against the wall with his hands laced over his stomach.

Inky curled up on a pillow and drifted off to Oglebee snoring.

Inky dreamed he was standing in the middle of a lush meadow near the edge of a great forest. Bright yellow lilies grew in abundance throughout the meadow. A songbird whistled a sweet melody somewhere off in the forest. Then, dark billowing clouds rolled across the sky. The bird stopped singing. The ground rumbled and felt soft.

Inky looked down. He stood on the side of a huge black bear. Its eyes were open, but it wasn’t breathing. The wind whisked through the trees.

A pool of blood spread under the bear and sunk into the ground. The flower roots soaked up the blood. It flowed up the stems and turned the lilies crimson.

Inky stood petrified as the meadow turned blood red before his eyes. Then, looking down, he realized he held a spear. A tiny drop of blood glistened on its tip. Inky heard a noise behind him. He turned and saw the king standing there as the wind began to howl.

“Why? Why did I do this? Did I have a just reason?”

“Yes.” The king smiled. “I need a new rug for my throne room.”

At the edge of the forest, Inky turned to see two cubs with sad eyes slowly turn and walk away.

A loud clang from outside the vault door startled Inky awake.

Oglebee snorted, then began snoring again.

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Inky got up, wiping the sweat from his face, and crossed the room.

Another loud bang came from the other side of the door, this time, followed by muted voices. Inky lay down, slid under the door, and stood in the outer room.

The two soldiers who usually guarded the door during the day were gone. In their place, looking somewhat puzzled, stood two replacements. One guard held his helmet while the other looked scornfully at him. “I cannot help it, Gawain. The helmet is too big for me head. Look at it. You could boil a half dozen spuds in it.”

It was obvious to Inky what had happened. This guard had dropped his long gleaming spear. That was the first crash. The second crash was his helmet falling off as he bent down to retrieve the spear. Gawain faced the vault door; the other guard faced him. The guard with the oversized helmet balanced his spear level in the crook of his elbow. His back was to Inky.

“And you two are . . . .?” Inky asked.

The guard turned so quickly that the handle part of his spear swung around and knocked Gawain’s spear from his hand. It clanged to the stone floor.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” the first guard said. He bent to pick up his partner’s spear. His helmet fell off again.

“And you two are . . . .?” Inky repeated.

“I am Gawain, and this is Perceval,” the more composed of the two said.

“But we are not supposed to talk to you,” said Perceval. “Our captain said not to tell you that we are new or tell you about ourselves. I really don’t have much to hide meself, but Gawain ’ere, he better keep his mouth shut tight, runnin’ away with his brother an’ all. His brother’s been posted to the kitchen. I say he’s lucky if—” “Perceval!” yelled Gawain. He turned back to Inky. “My partner has fluttering lips.”

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Suddenly, the door at the end of the hall banged open. The king, followed by several guards, strode toward them. He did not look happy. When he spotted Inky outside of the vault, his brow creased even further.

“What’s he doing out of the vault?” the king roared. “It is your job to keep him in and everyone else out. Now, why is he out here?”

The two guards stood silently.

“Oh, thank you,” said Inky. “I was trying to escape, and these two captured me. If you hadn’t come along, I don’t know what they would have done to me. These young guards are much more alert than any of the others you have stationed here.”

The king looked at Gawain and Perceval. “Is this true?”

“Yes, sir, sire,” said Perceval. “We captured him. Caught him right over there.”

Gawain said nothing.

By the look on the king’s face, he did not quite believe the story.

“And you, where were you last night?” the king shouted at Inky.

“Oglebee and I were trying to complete the job you have asked us to do. I do not think I should go into much more detail with all the extra ears around.” Inky looked at the guards.

“Half the guards believe the dungeon is haunted!” yelled the king.

“Because of you, grown men are afraid of ghosts.”

“A haunting in the dungeon? Good gracious. Thank goodness I have no reason to go down there. I would not want to run into a ghost,” Inky said seriously.

“I warn you,” the king shouted. “I warn you,” he said again, shaking his finger. His velvet robe swirled as he turned and walked down the hallway and out the door without finishing his sentence.

His guards swarmed out behind him.

“Thank you,” said Gawain. “I feared we were to be sent to the dungeon on our first day.”

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“I believe we shall need to help each other. I take it you are both new to the castle?” Inky asked.

“Oh, yes,” Perceval answered. “We’ve only been here two weeks.

Gawain and his brother ran away from a marvelous kingdom.” Perceval looked over at Gawain, who was burning a look at him.

“Perhaps I should go and leave you two to your duties. It would be unfortunate for the king to come back and see us chatting,” Inky said.

He slid back under the door to the sound of Oglebee’s snoring. Then he climbed on the window ledge and looked out over the courtyard.

People of all sorts moved through the busy streets. He knew that down there somewhere were the answers he was looking for.

Inky continued thinking and Oglebee continued snoring until the vault door opened. Two cooks rolled in the food cart, filling the room with a gratifying aroma.

“I must have drifted off for an instant,” Oglebee said, looking around.

“For an instant?” Inky asked.

The meal smelled odd but delicious. Inky would wager that the long strips of spicy meat had once been some sort of tentacle. Served in a long, sliced piece of bread and topped with vegetables and cheese, they emitted a wonderful aroma. Another plate contained red corn on the cob and the drink, a warm mug of bitter cider. For dessert, two enormous baked apples peeled and coated with cinnamon and sugar completed the meal.

As they ate, Inky told Oglebee about the new guards and the king asking their whereabouts last night.

“Do you think it could be the guards doing the thieving?” Oglebee asked with a mouthful of red corn.

“No, I don’t think so. They’re too new to the castle. Whoever is doing it has been around for a while to work out a plan. Alas, they do 82

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not strike me as thieves.” Inky looked at his meal. “But they can be valuable to us. They can be our eyes and ears outside of the vault. One has a brother who works in the kitchen. He has access to the entire castle. I believe we should visit the kitchen.

“That’s a good idea, it is,” said Oglebee. “Maybe even have a latenight snack?”

Before Oglebee could launch into the apples, Inky decided to use them to get to the guards. “We can offer them the apples and start a conversation about people in the castle.”

It took Inky several minutes to convince Oglebee to give up his apple.

After dinner, the cart was taken away. Inky slid under the door and approached the guards. They stood looking at him as he gave them his winning smile.

“We were wondering if you two were hungry. We have a sort of apple dish that you may like.”

“Thank you,” said Gawain, “But I don’t think we are even supposed to talk to you. You should not be out here.”

“We would like your ideas on our problem. You may have the clues and not even know it.”

“My stomach is awful empty, Gawain,” Perceval complained. He talked relentlessly. Finally, after several minutes of discussing the attributes of working together and the taste of baked apples, Gawain relented.

He lifted the lever on the vault door and pulled it open. Oglebee stood there holding the platter with the apples, a grin on his face. One of the apples had a bite taken out of it.

Perceval was never at a loss for words. He talked as he sliced the apples with the tip of his spear. He had met Gawain and his brother, Gareth, in the village outside of the castle. The two brothers had run 83

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away from their uncle and were striking out on their own. The uncle had not mistreated the boys; in fact, they had great respect for him.

But they wanted to prove themselves on their own, away from their uncle’s influence. When the brothers rode into the village, Perceval was the first person they had met. They gave their horses to the poorest family in the village and walked to the castle. Perceval tagged along.

They were taken to the duke. He had decided the two tallest, Gawain and Perceval, would become guards because the uniforms would look better on them. Gareth was sent to the kitchen.

The best part of Gareth’s job, according to Perceval, was that he got to take the kitchen workers back to the village every night in the boat.

Inky and Oglebee looked at each other. “What boat?” they said together.

Perceval explained, “The people who peel the spuds and wash the kettles do not live in the castle. Gareth takes them out through a back door and rows them across the moat. Then he goes back in the morning and picks them up for the next day.

“That’s the boat we used, it is,” Oglebee said.

“It very well may be,” Inky said cutting off Oglebee before he could give out too much information. “We would like to get into the kitchen and meet your brother, tonight, if possible. But I don’t think we can find our way there. Could you tell us how to get to the kitchen?”

“Oh, I know how we can,” Oglebee interrupted. “We just retrace the way the cooks brought us up this morning. I know the way.”

“But, Oglebee, we were in the cart. You couldn’t see where we were going. And besides, you were asleep,” Inky said.

“I don’t know how, but I know I can take us back. It’s up here, it is,” Oglebee pointed to his brain. The other three laughed.

That night, just as darkness settled over the castle, Oglebee knocked on the inside of the vault door. Perceval opened it, and the small men stepped out for their second adventure in two nights.

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“Take care, and do not be seen,” Gawain said to Inky. “And could you give this note to my brother?”

The folded note was too big for Inky to carry, so he handed it to Oglebee, who stuck it in his clothing.

The two left with Oglebee leading the way. Even though the passageway was unfamiliar, Oglebee never hesitated when there was a choice of direction.

“How can you possibly know which direction is the right one?”

Inky asked.

“Just do; I don’t know how I know,” Oglebee said. “All of us knew direction. Me dad said there was never a Tull that ever got lost.”

As they came to a long hallway, a sliver of light shone out of a set of double doors.

“Shhh,” said Oglebee, seeing the light before Inky could see it.

They came a few feet closer and heard voices. Oglebee crept up to the door and peeked around the edge. A group of men sitting around a table was playing cards.

“This must be where the guards live,” whispered Oglebee. “But I don’t see any gold or bracelets being gambled.” He motioned for Inky to go back then he ran back by the open door himself. As they walked away, laughter erupted from the room.

Oglebee walked down a ramp in a dimly lit hallway. Every so often, there were rugs on the stone floors and small pieces of furniture under the wall torches. Portraits hung on the walls, but Inky did not recognize anyone.

“Did you say your family name was Tull?” Inky asked.

“Ya, me dad said that everyone in our village had the name of Tull,” Inky explained.

“Oglebee Tull,” Inky said, letting the name roll around his mouth.

“Naw, I said everyone called me Oglebee. I didn’t say what my real name is.”

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Inky stopped in his tracks. “You mean your name is not Oglebee?”

“Naw,” said Oglebee and kept walking.

“Then what is your real name?” Inky asked.

“Not tellin’, I’m not. Don’t like it.” Oglebee said, still walking.

Inky ran to catch up. “You’re my friend. We’re solving this mystery together, and I should know your real name.”

“Naw, don’t like me real name. Not tellin’ anybody, I’m not.”

Oglebee rounded another corner and kept walking.

On the right side of the hallway sat a long narrow table against the wall. It had thin wooden legs and several fancy dishes displayed on top. When they had walked to it, Oglebee said, “Don’t like it, and I’m not tellin’ ya.” Then Oglebee stopped. He held out his arm for Inky to stop also.

There, hanging off the end of the table, was a twitching black tail.

“Cat,” Oglebee said in a whisper. “’Bout ready to pounce, it is.”

Slowly, Oglebee reached over and grabbed a table leg. “I’ll take care of this, I will.”

He jerked on the table leg, using all of his strength. The wood screeched as the table leg came off in his hand. The table balanced for the longest second on three legs, then came crashing down. Inky and Oglebee jumped out of the way of the shattering plates, breaking wood, and hissing cat. One unbroken plate rolled awkwardly down the hall.

The cat climbed out of the mess and spotted Inky, who had flattened himself against the wall. It prowled toward Inky, its yellow eyes blazing.

“I’ve heard that they don’t like being tapped on the nose,” Oglebee said. With that, he stepped in between the cat and Inky. With a loud whoosh, he swung the table leg with terrifying speed. The cat jumped out of range.

“Oglebee! That was not a tap,” Inky yelled.

“Oats are as good as a feast to a blind horse,” he said as he swung again.

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“Let’s keep walking. Maybe he will lose interest in us,” Inky said, with his back to the wall. He walked backward so he could keep an eye on the cat. Oglebee stayed between Inky and the cat, walking backward also. The cat walked forward, stalking Inky and keeping an eye on Oglebee and his table leg. When they reached the end of the hallway, they walked down another ramp. Oglebee swung again.

“I don’t think he’s losing interest. We’re going to have to do something,” Inky said.

The procession crept down the hallway. Soon, they had a choice to turn right down another ramp or turn left to a short hall with a window at the end.

“This way, my friend,” Inky said, a little more confidently than he felt. “I have an idea. When I say ‘now,’ lunge for the cat but let him get by you.

“But—” Olgebee started to say.

“I’ll do the rest. Just wait till I say ‘now.’” Inky led the group down the hall. He leaped to the windowsill, pulled himself up, and stood half in and half out the window. He pranced across the sill, attracting the cat’s attention.

“NOW!” Inky shouted.

Oglebee, who was still facing the cat and away from Inky, lunged.

The cat sidestepped Oglebee and, with two huge bounds, leaped toward Inky. Oglebee turned as the cat was in midair. Inky dove back inside as the cat flew over him and straight out the window. A second or two later, they heard a faint splash.

Inky stood up and wiped his hands on his robe. He looked around at his friend.

“Cat in the moat,” Oglebee said, then looked at Inky. “Naw, not telling ya.”

They walked down the ramp and then through several more passageways. Everything was quiet until they finally came to a room 87

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that Inky recognized. It was the room where all of the food carts were lined up, waiting to be filled with breakfast.

As they walked through, they heard voices coming from another room off of the main kitchen. Their two heads poked around the side of the door.

A group of people who could easily be recognized as kitchen workers stood on one side of the room. Dirt stained their ragged clothing, and their hair hung wet and stringy from being in a hot kitchen all day. On the other side of the room were three boys, all dressed nicely in royal attire. The two groups were squared off against each other.

“What business is it of yours if I want to talk to the girl?” one of the three boys yelled. “I won’t be having a peasant like you telling me who I can talk to! I’ll make you my whipping boy if you do not step aside.”

Now that he looked closer, Inky could see a young man standing in front of a girl. The man looked very much like Gawain but shorter.

From the look on his face, he, too, was furious.

“She wants no part of you; she’s told you that. Stay away from her,” said the man standing in front of her.

“Are you going to let him talk to you like that, Salgood?” asked one of the other nicely dressed boys. “Are you going to attack a royal?”

“Let’s go thump their heads,” Oglebee whispered to Inky.

“No, wait, my friend, there has to be a better way.” Inky looked around for an idea. Across the room was a door marked “STORAGE.” An idea bloomed. “Come help me open that door.” Inky ran across the room, and Oglebee followed. Oglebee could barely reach the latch on the outside of the door. He pulled on it, and the door swung open just enough for Inky to see the room was fully stocked. They stepped in and looked and saw the sides of the room were covered with shelves containing all sorts of cooking supplies. Boxes of fruit and wooden barrels were stacked on the floor. Inky found a barrel marked “olive 88

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oil” like the one Oglebee had rolled in the night before. Except this one was not empty.

“Quickly, find me a knife,” Inky pleaded.

He heard the slap of bare feet on the stone floor then, almost instantly, they padded back.

“Will this do?” Oglebee asked. He held a hatchet.

Inky smiled, “You are resourceful. Now, could you possibly give this barrel a whack?”

Without a second thought, Oglebee swung. The hatchet cut then stuck into the barrel. Oglebee wrenched it out, and a stream of golden olive oil gurgled and pooled on the floor.

“Quickly, hide outside and when I run back out, lock the door,” Inky said.

“Do what?” Oglebee asked.

“Just go out there and wait.”

The pool of oil got wider by the moment. Inky walked through the hallway and into the room where the confrontation was taking place.

The two larger royals, the same two who had been yelling before, now each held one of Gareth’s arms. The third boy stood in front of Gareth, holding a knife. Inky walked straight into the room.

“What is that smell?’’ he yelled.

Everyone turned to look at him, including the three bullies.

“I can’t tell if rotten vegetables or these young men stink so badly.

What do you think?”

The two boys released Gareth’s arms.

“Oh, I see,” Inky continued. “There are three royals in here. That has to be where the stench is coming from.”

Now, the boys had completely forgotten everything else and were coming for Inky. He led them across the hall and ducked into the narrow slit of the barely open storage room door. The boys were in 89

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hot pursuit and yanked the door wider as they ran in. A huge racket of bangs and groans came from the darkness as they hit the slippery floor. Inky stepped back out of the room and into the hallway. Oglebee moved toward the door and latched it. They looked at each other and smiled. An explosion of applause and cheers broke out behind them.

They turned and saw the whole group of kitchen workers clapping and smiling. Inky and Oglebee bowed. The young man stepped toward them.

“I would like to shake the hand of the two brave men who will be in immense trouble in the morning,” Gareth said, smiling. A banging came from inside the storeroom.

“I think not,” Inky said. “To punish us, they will have to provide a good reason for being down here. I do not think that they have one.”

Oglebee handed Gareth the note that Gawain had given him. He read the note and said, “After what I have seen, I do not need a note from my brother to trust you. We will talk, but first, I must get these people across the moat before the loud mouths in there are found.

Would you like to go with us?” Gareth asked.

It took two trips to get everyone across. Inky and Oglebee rode with them each time. Oglebee talked at ease with the kitchen workers; most of them were from farming families as he was. He told the same jokes on each trip. They loved the joke that had the punch line, “No, I married her, but I’m not a turnip farmer.” Each time, the boatload of workers burst into laughter.

By the time the last group had arrived, the workers from the first group had told their friends and families of the small farmer and even smaller wizard. The entire village waited at the dock to see them. A few of the people they had helped escape the night before stayed in the village instead of traveling on. They came as well. An old lady knelt before Inky and cried, thanking him for rescuing her family. He 90

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brought his tiny face to hers and gave the woman a one-handed hug around her neck.

They found that no one in this village nor any of the other nearby villages had money. Food was scarce, and once the winter came, it would be a hard one. The kitchen workers brought out any garbage they could trade, eat, or plant.

“What of the farmers who sell to the castle?” Oglebee asked.

“We are they,” said an old man. “We plant and harvest, and then the men take the food to the castle. We all share the profit. But at the castle, they pay less and less each week. We split the money many ways and each share is becoming smaller and smaller.”

Time crept into the small hours of the night. Gareth, Inky, and Oglebee made their way to the boat, bidding everyone good night.

They climbed in, and Gareth rowed back across the moat.

“I feel awful, I do. They’re nearly starving, and I’m eating the best food I have ever had,” Oglebee said.

The strange eyes of the eels appeared under the water near the boat. They had followed the boat each trip, becoming more and more brazen. Now they cruised along near the surface. Oglebee said, “Slow down. I got an idea, I do.” He tore a piece of cloth off of the bottom of the sack he wore. Then he knotted it to the rope that was used to tie the boat to the dock. The way it was attached, the two ends stood out almost like little wings.

“Now, when one of those ugly eel-fish grab the rope, I’ll pull it up, and you clunk it on the head with your paddle,” Oglebee said to Gareth.

He threw it over the side, and it fluttered to the water. As it began to sink, an eel lunged at the cloth and sank its needle-like teeth into the rope. Oglebee jerked up, and Gareth brought the oar down on the eel’s head. With a soft thud, the eel went slack. Oglebee grabbed a fin and 91

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wrestled it into the boat. It was about twice as long as he was. The dead eel lay at the bottom of the boat staring at nothing with big yellow eyes.

“Let’s get another one,” yelled Oglebee as he slapped Gareth on the back.

Inky sat staring at the monstrosity lying at the bottom of the boat.

Oglebee laughed. “What, you never had an eel meal before?”

All three burst out laughing.

Gareth was ready to quit when they had seven of the eels in the boat. The weight of the eels made the boat ride so low in the water that it was difficult for him to row it. The people from the village, who had started to leave the dock, came back when they heard splashing and giggling in the darkness. When the boat came cruising back, a cheer went up from the farm people.

“Would you care for a little eel-fish tonight?” Oglebee yelled. “Be good eatin’ all fried up, it would.”

Some of the men unloaded the eels and invited the three fishermen to stay, but they declined. They climbed back into the boat and rowed into the darkness.

Upon reaching the castle, they tied up the boat. They stood on the bank and watched a growing bonfire in the distance across the moat.

Inky looked proudly at Oglebee.

“They may go hungry next winter, but they won’t go hungry tonight,” Oglebee said as they walked back into the castle.

“No, my friend, because of you, they won’t,” Inky said.

All was quiet as they walked passed the storage room. That was until Oglebee kicked it, and the shouting started up again. Oglebee grinned. Gareth walked the entire way back to the vault and talked with his brother for a few minutes, apparently discussing their decision to leave home.

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Perceval opened the vault door. Inky and Oglebee walked in and said good night.

“What you did for those people tonight was a wonderful thing. You truly have a giant heart,” Inky said to his friend. “With that in mind, I was wondering if I could ask you something?”

Oglebee shook his head. “Naw, I’m not tellin’ ya my name.” He lay down and instantly went to sleep.

93

C hapter 10 Inky awoke with a pain in his side. Someone was jabbing his ribs.

He opened his eyes and saw the head of the accountant peering down at him.

“What kind of a guard are you? We’ve been here several minutes, and you two slept through it all.” The accountant sneered.

“And you woke me to tell me this?” Inky asked.

“No, I woke you for my own enjoyment. But I can tell you one thing, for the first night in several weeks, nothing was taken from the vault.” He walked toward the door where the other accountants waited.

Inky sat up, “Are you certain?”

The vault door opened and the accountants began to file out, “I am always certain,” he said.

Inky climbed to the window ledge and sat down to think.

In the silence, a clap of thunder rolled in the distance. Being so high, Inky could look out the vault’s windows and see just about everything imaginable. He looked down and saw the buildings and streets, as well as the courtyards of the castle. A little farther away were the huge, dry flatlands that Inky had crossed with the duke, and far in the distance were the misty mountain peaks. The thunder rumbled in from the other side of the mountains.

Out the left windows, a massive forest lay as far as Inky could see.

He wondered if the twisted zoo was concealed under there somewhere.

Still quiet in thought, Inky watched as the sky beyond the mountains turned a deep blue.

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“Looks like a storm coming from the west, just like the farmer said,” mumbled Oglebee. “That dark and that far away, this may be a big one, it might.”

The veins of the lightning jumped through the boiling, gray-black clouds. Inky and Oglebee waited for the thunder to roll across the miles between them and the storm.

Oglebee counted the time between the lightning flash and the thunder to judge the distance between the castle and the storm. “Never been in a mountain rocker so high up.”

A solid wall of rain steadily marched toward them. It raised a cloud of dust as the huge drops crashed with the dry land. Less than an hour had passed, and the mighty storm was upon them.

The wind whipped through the open window, and rain pounded the walls outside of the vault. “I think we should go down to the castle,” Oglebee yelled over the din.

“And leave the gold unguarded?” Inky asked.

“Well, it feels like we’re in the middle of the beast,” Oglebee answered.

The wind whistled a long fierce growl.

Both men were too small to close the shutters on the windows.

Oglebee banged on the vault door, but the storm was so loud no one could hear. Inky could not walk across the floor; the wind blew through the window too hard.

The low storm clouds surrounded the tower that held the vault.

Thunder boomed above their heads. They watched lightning bolts zip past the windows and light the darkened room. The swirling purple clouds snuffed out the sun.

Winds like these could send Inky flying out the window like an autumn leaf, so he huddled near Oglebee in the center of the room.

The rain pounded in the open windows. Inky understood now why the 95

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guards closed the shutters nightly. The entire room was soaked. Water dripped from the walls and off the suits of armor. An inch of rainwater pooled on the floor as the core of the storm passed them.

Luckily, the storm blew out as fast as it blew in. Light but steady rain remained in its wake. This day had started off terribly, and now it promised to be dark and wet as well. The rain left only one torch burning. They sat there in the center of the soggy room like drowned mice. Inky’s hair was plastered down over his face, and his robe hung heavy with rainwater.

Oglebee looked no better. Besides being drenched, Sintya had crawled out of the water and coiled on top of his head. Inky did not see how things could get much worse.

Then the king walked in, followed by a dozen guards. “How close are you to finding out—” The king stopped when he saw the gold room awash. He composed himself quickly because that’s what kings do. “Do I have the same Inkydomus from the legends in the library?” He said, slowly pronouncing every syllable. “Or do I have the wrong people doing the wrong job?”

The only sound in the room was the muffled sound of thunder, miles away now. Oglebee tried the line he had heard before. “Everything is going according to plan, your kingness, it is.” The king’s head shook, and his cheeks puffed out with rage.

“Two days,” he exploded, “You have two days, then it’s either the thief or your head!” He stormed out.

“That didn’t go too well,” said Inky. “Perhaps from now on, I should do the talking.”

No one had yet moved; they sat motionless in the cold water. Inky clucked his tongue. “My, my. Where’s the water going?”

Oglebee looked down. The water was draining.

Inky reached over and pulled a long black hair out of Oglebee’s head.

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“Ouch, why did you do that?” Oglebee rubbed his head.

“Watch.” Inky let the hair drop in the water. Without the hair in it, the water seemed to stand still, but with the hair, the current could be easily seen. Inky waded behind the hair. It was swept toward the wall, then disappeared down a crack between two of the large floor stones.

“Ha,” Inky yelled. “I think we’ve found how our thief gets in.” A sliver of space was enough for Inky. He crawled under a bottom shelf that ran the length of the wall.

Oglebee could lie on his belly, turn his head sideways, and look under.

With the last of the water still draining down the crack, Inky inspected the floor stones under the shelf. One of the huge stones had a different texture than the rest. All the rocks had the same color and the same shape, but now that the water was gone, it glistened differently than the others. Inky bent down to touch it and immediately knew they were on the right track. This stone was made of wood.

“Oglebee, do you have a knife of some kind?”

“Yes,” said Oglebee.

“Well, could you get it and give it to me?”

Inky heard a series of wet smacks as Oglebee ran across the floor.

In a few moments, he returned with a knife. Inky levered the blade down into the almost invisible crack. Then grabbing on and leaning back, Inky plopped the fake stone out of the floor. A tiny handle rested on the back. A small stream swirled down a passageway into darkness.

“A listening tube,” Inky whispered.

“A what?” Oglebee asked, still on his belly looking at Inky.

“A listening tube. There was a time when kings had tubes built into floors of important rooms. Then they could be in one room and hear what was going on somewhere else. This one seems to have been abandoned a long time ago. Now it looks as though someone is using it for a different purpose.”

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“Where does it go?” asked Oglebee.

“Who knows? There could be miles of tubes in this castle. But it’s too small for a man or even a child. I’m not even sure it’s big enough for me. I need some kind of light.”

“Worry not,” said Oglebee. He got up and ran to a broom that was on a platform beside the vault door. He pulled out several bristles and then scrambled up the ladder. In just a moment, he was back down, wrapping the ends of the bristles with a black cloth. He took it to the only torch left burning and lit it. Then he lay on the floor and handed the miniature torch to Inky. “You are very resourceful,” Inky smiled.

“I know not what that means, but if it’s good, thank you.”

“Let’s see where it goes,” Inky said as he dropped nimbly down the hole. The torch worked extremely well. Only a small stream of water ran slowly down the bottom of the tube.

Inky came to a fork in the tubes, and one side was lower than the other. The water drained in that direction. But what lay in the other direction interested Inky. There, in the dust at the bottom of the dry tube, were footprints. They were claw footprints along with dozens of drag marks. He had seen all he needed to see. By the time he climbed back up to the vault floor, an idea had already formed in his clever mind.

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C hapter 11 “What do you mean, you’re leaving?” Oglebee asked. He blinked unbelievingly.

“If the king comes back, just tell him I have gone to work on a potion. That usually stops any questions.”

“But, but, there are guards all over the place. You can’t just walk out,” Oglebee pleaded.

“I’m not going to walk,” said Inky, looking out the window.

“Well then, what are you going to do? Fly?” “Sort of.” Inky smiled as he pulled out the flute. Inky leaned out onto the window ledge and breathed in the mid-afternoon air. He brought the flute to his lips and blew. The strange whispering sounds bounced through the window and out across the meadows and forests.

The street far below the window was busy with vendors. The wet cobblestones glistened from the storm, and the air felt clean and alive.

Farmers with wagons full of fruits and vegetables washed clean by the rain rolled into the open streets of the city. As Inky sat on the wide window ledge looking down, he spied a familiar figure. A man in a bright orange outfit yelled at a family with a wagonload of apples. His hat looked to be made of purple flowers.

“Oglebee, come here and see if you recognize this man.” Oglebee needed to stand on his toes to look over the ledge. “That’s the duke, it is. He’s the one who man-napped me here.” Oglebee squinted. “I don’t like him, I don’t.”

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In the distance, Inky saw the hawk floating toward the castle.

He gave another quick toot as the bird began to circle. Inky started to smile, then gave the same hand signals he had given on the long journey to the castle. The hawk knew what to do.

The duke yelled at the family because of a wormy apple. As the hawk approached him from the left at a great speed, a whoosh sounded, and the duke’s hat was ripped from his head.

The hawk continued its upward climb and released the hat, which fell behind the city wall and into the moat. The duke put his hands on his head and stormed into a building. Oglebee had even jumped up and down and clapped his hands as the hawk grabbed the hat. The hawk made a huge lazy circle, then came in for a perfect landing on the window ledge.

“That was most impressive, it was,” said Oglebee.

Inky reached up and patted the hawk affectionately on the neck.

He leaned in close and whispered something to the large bird. Then he climbed on and slid between the bird’s out-stretched wings.

Inky waved down at Oglebee. “Tell Gawain we will need some firewood. I will return before dinner.”

The hawk, already on the outside of the bar, simply took a step and disappeared over the side of the window ledge. *** True to his word, Inky and the hawk landed back on the window ledge just before dinnertime. Oglebee had a pile of firewood in the center of the room. Inky slid down the hawk’s neck and landed lightly on the ledge. He said a few words to the bird and stroked its chest.

Then with a mighty push, it launched itself into the sky. The wind from its huge wings nearly knocked Inky off the ledge and back into the 100

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room. Inky climbed off the window ledge and over onto the shelf to hop down. “Time is running toward us quickly,” he told Oglebee, “We have much to do.”

Inky had washed and changed into a midnight blue wizard’s robe that he had brought back with him. Pulling out his spark stone, he expertly lit the firewood. He then pulled a black bag out of a hidden pocket. Opening the bag’s drawstring, Inky poured the entire contents of yellow dust on the logs.

“We must go see the king,” Inky said to Oglebee. “Get Sintya and meet me at the door. Do not breathe the smoke.” Something was happening with the fire. Instead of burning the wood, the flames danced all over them. Purple and pink sparks swirled in the center of the pile.

They met at the door and pounded. Perceval pulled, and the door rumbled open. “Watch,” Inky said to his three friends. As if on command, a purple smoke billowed out of the fire. It was a heavy, thick smoke that clung to everything it touched, and it touched everything.

Almost like a liquid, it went into every crack and crevice in the room.

“Be quick and close it,” Inky yelled. Perceval and Gawain stood, statuelike, as the smoke flooded toward them. It covered each bracelet, ring, and necklace.

The huge door slammed behind them. “Please, prepare some rags to stuff under the doors,” Inky told Perceval. “Call for a Running Sammy! We’re going to see the king!”

This time a disk with a chair would not work. The Running Sammy brought a rickshaw contraption for them to ride in. It was basically a bench with a back attached to two wheels. Two long handles were attached to the bench and stuck out toward the front. The Sammy stood between the handles with one in each hand. The wheels were about as tall as Oglebee, and a soft material covered the bench.

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The same Sammy as before, still dressed in blue, brought in the cart. “Ooooh, noooo,” said the Sammy looking at Inky, then the other two. “Wonderful!” He threw up his hands. “Now there are two of you.

What is our happy destination this time? A swamp full of mosquitoes?

I look at you and seeeee trouble.”

Inky was not insulted at all; in fact, he laughed.

“Wherever the king is, we need to see him. Now!” Inky took his place in the cart. Gawain walked over and pushed on the side of a pillar, and a section of the wall slid open. Torches on the walls cast eerie flickering shadows into the darkness. Sintya crawled off into a dark corner.

The Sammy took off with the cart, transporting Inky and Oglebee.

The torches on the walls flashed by, going so quickly they were impossible to count.

Oglebee squealed with delight. His excitement made Inky giggle, and they were both laughing wildly when they reached their destination. The Sammy pulled them into a room where the king was holding a meeting. They came in laughing and whooping it up, only to see the king stop in mid-sentence and stare at them.

The rest of the men, dressed in various clothing from satin to robes to armor, gasped at the horror of the king being interrupted. The king’s eyes bulged as he looked down at Inky and Oglebee. “How darest you interrupt me! Everyone out! Leave me alone to deal with these two.”

The room cleared quickly as the generals and advisors jostled and pushed to exit the room. The place was a mess. Tables and chairs were scattered all over.

“We have good news,” Inky said, trying to soften the situation.

Oglebee got out of the cart and wandered over to a huge map. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at it smiling.

“We need you to make some preparations to catch this criminal,” said Inky quickly.

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“Catching the thief is your job, not mine,” said the king. “You have a day and a half, or else.” The king brought his fingers across his throat in a cutting motion.

“Tomorrow you will give a huge party for everyone at the castle. If they work or live here, they will be invited. If they deliver things here, they will be invited. If they are allowed in the castle doors, they are invited.”

The king slammed his fists on the table. “The feasts of this kingdom are not given for the pleasure of the lower classes,” he hissed.

“The party is just a ruse to catch the thief,” Inky said. “I have an ingredient that the cook must add to the drink. You will ask for a toast.

All the guests will drink at the same time, and we will catch the thief.”

The king then asked, “If everyone drinks this special concoction of yours, how will we know who the thief is?”

“Because,” Inky whispered. “Right now, the gold is being covered with a purple smoke. This smoke dries invisible but stays on the gold for two days. Once it touches the skin, it soaks into the body. So the thief touches the gold, then comes to the party the next day. He is the only one with the purple smoke in his system. Then he drinks the toast, and the reaction begins.”

“What type of reaction?” asked the king, wide-eyed.

“Believe me. We will be able to tell who the thief is.”

“But how can I arrange a party for tomorrow? There is so much planning, including the food, the music, and my outfit. This would have to take place all in one day.”

Inky shrugged. “You’re the king. Order some people around.”

Once the king started shouting, servants ran everywhere. “I need the royal cook, the royal tailor, and the royal hairdresser.” The servants were going to work all night for a party given in their honor.

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Inky met with the head cook and gave him a small bottle of potion to be mixed in with the drinks for the toast. When he was finished, Inky looked around the room. It was mass confusion, with people running into each other and papers being knocked off of desks. The king barked more orders. There, in the midst of all the chaos, stood Oglebee, staring contently at a map. Inky strolled over, dodging feet and rolling debris.

“Look at it, wizard. Look at this land by the lake. It would be perfect for a farm, it would. See the mountains back here, protects it from the heavy winds, it does. And water for irrigation. It’s all right here.”

Oglebee looked longingly at the land the way a sailor looked at the sea.

“Come, Oglebee, we need to be going.” Inky grabbed Oglebee’s sleeve and pulled him through the mayhem. The king was in the middle of it all. A man with dozens of pins stuck in his vest measured the king’s shoulders while two women discussed what would be done with his hair. Inky walked up to the throne. “On two final matters,” Inky yelled, barely audible above the din.

“Silence!” the king bellowed.

Everyone stopped.

Inky went on, “You have a guard named Malone in your charge.

He must be punished. Also, the man in charge of counting the treasure was rude and disrespectful. The guard should be punished severely and the counter lightly.”

“So be it,” said the king. “Did you get all that?” he asked a page, who wrote everything down.

“Yes, sire. Hurt the guard and slap the counter.”

“Anything else?” asked the king sarcastically.

“No, your majesty,” said Inky. “By tomorrow night, you will sleep confidently knowing the thief has been caught.”

“I had better, or else you will sleep forever.”

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Oglebee and Inky climbed back into their cart.

The Running Sammy looked over the scene and back at Inky and said, “Why is it wherever you go, chaos breaks out?”

“My blue friend, you have seen nothing yet. You’re going to a party,” said Inky. “And you’re going to be there to see it all. Take us back to the vault.”

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C hapter 12 Inky strode into the vault when the guards opened the doors, leaving Oglebee and Sintya lurking in the doorway. They were clearly amazed to see that everything looked normal. Inky explained that the smoke residue was invisible.

Dinner arrived and was served on Oglebee’s terrace. Inky had renamed it Terrasse Du Oglebee. They were served trout cooked on a bed of lettuce. There were bowls of a kind of cheese soup that was very spicy. The potatoes were also spicy, baked, then flavored with a minty red sauce. Dessert, a blue pudding filled with succulent strawberries, was the sweetest Inky had ever tasted.

Oglebee only picked at his food.

“I know what you are thinking, but eat hearty, my friend.” Inky waved his fork in the air. “Enjoy your food. We will help the farmers; I have a plan.” Inky took a bite of trout.

Oglebee didn’t need to be told twice.

They were getting excited now. Inky and Oglebee still had no clue who the thief was. Oglebee tried to get Inky to tell him how the thief was getting the gems out of the vault. Inky only smiled and said, “We’ll see. We’ll see, my friend.”

An evening breeze whispered through the window as the moon slowly rose. They took their positions: Sintya on a high shelf on the opposite side of the room, Oglebee settled on the terrace, and Inky curled up on the low shelf right above the false floor stone.

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After only a few minutes of silence, Inky heard the muffled snores coming from the terrace. Oglebee’s exciting ideas vanished into dreamland with him. Inky chuckled and looked up and out the window. The stars twinkled down him as they had done for centuries.

The only times Inky ever felt small were when he looked at the stars.

He closed his eyes and whispered the prayer he said every evening, “God be in my heart, God be in my head.”

Inky opened his eyes when he heard a scraping sound so soft he thought maybe he imagined it. He lay still and listened for several seconds. Nothing moved. Curiosity always won out over patience.

He rolled over onto his stomach, pulled himself forward, and looked down over the edge of the shelf. He saw that the wooden floor stone had been opened, but whatever opened it was nowhere in sight. He pulled himself a little more forward to hang his head over so he could see under the shelf.

There, upside down, was a huge face of a rat. Its big yellow teeth looked razor sharp. Inky smelled its foul breath. Its whiskers twitched as it smelled Inky, and it was only then that he noticed it had a diamond bracelet dangling out both sides of its mouth. Inky slowly pulled himself back up on the shelf and thought for a second. Then he dangled his head over again and saw the end of its tail disappear into the darkness.

Inky silently jumped off the shelf and landed on the floor. His robe billowed out beneath him. He stepped into the hole and climbed down. Running as quietly as he possibly could, he followed the thief.

The rat scurried toward a glowing oval on the floor of the tube. Bright light shot up into the tube from a light in the room beneath. A hand came up from the opening and grabbed the bracelet, and disappeared again. An instant later, the hand shot back up through the hole holding a piece of cheese. The rat grabbed the cheese as the hand disappeared.

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The rat’s head swiveled back, and looked at Inky. The bottom of the tube was replaced, and the light turned into the darkness.

Then to Inky’s horror, he saw two glowing red eyes looking right at him. The cheese had not been enough for the rat; now he was after fresh meat. Inky ran back to the opening and climbed out. He heard the rat’s claws scraping as it ran back along the tube toward him. Inky tried to pull the fake floor back over the opening, but the rat pushed from the other side. It knocked Inky over as it hit the wooden stone and crawled out of the opening.

Inky had time to pull the flute out of his robe. With a wild, roundhouse swing, he was able to land one big smack on the rodent’s nose. But the monster was on him, knocking him down and painfully pinning his shoulders to the floor. The gigantic black, beady eyes stared down without any feeling as Inky closed his eyes and waited for the long yellow teeth to puncture his neck.

But suddenly, the vise-like pressure on his shoulders released, and a black blur shot through the moonlight. A soft moan was the only sound the rat could manage as Sintya sank her fangs into the rat’s spine. The back legs kicked once, and the rodent dropped to the floor; its lifeless eyes stared at nothing.

Inky stood up and looked at Sintya. The serpent moved toward him and gently flicked his tongue across his forehead. Then the snake unhinged its jaw and moved toward the rat. In just a few minutes, it was nothing more than a lump in Sintya’s stomach. Inky could still hear Oglebee snoring on the platform above.

108

C hapter 13 The next morning shone bright and cheerful. Inky and Oglebee were still asleep when the vault door opened, and Gawain entered. He had never entered the vault before.

“I thought that I should tell you the three of us are leaving today.

We think it best to go back and learn the ways of knights from the people we trust. I want you to know even in the little time we have spent, that I’ve learned much from you. Honor and humility are things I will strive for.” He walked over to Inky and knelt down before him.

Inky touched his shoulder. “I believe someday all three of you will do great things.”

Gawain stood and walked toward the door.

“Be safe,” Inky said. “And tell your Uncle Arthur that Inky sends his regards.”

Gawain looked surprised. “How did you know King Arthur was my uncle?”

“Ah,” Inky said, with a twinkle in his eye. “You have his eyes and apparently his stubbornness.”

Gawain smiled and walked out the door.

Breakfast came. Aromatic but simple, with chunky toasted bread topped with a mound of flavored butter and sweet potato pancakes with cherry syrup. Bacon was also served, but Inky was sure it did not come from a pig. A fizzy kind of grape juice washed it all down.

They ate by the window with Inky teaching Oglebee his short prayer.

It was very strange because Oglebee remembered his grandparents 109

Book One—Inky and the Missing Gold

reciting a prayer that went, God be in my work, God be in my life. Inky decided to combine the two prayers and say them every morning to start his day.

The two friends watched the people moving on the streets below.

The billowing clouds moved majestically across the morning sky, and Inky had a sense of melancholy that he had not experienced in years.

This adventure was coming to a close. They had a big laugh when they spotted the duke bent over, running from one building to another, holding his hat on with both hands.

A skinny old man came to the vault and measured the two for their “formal wear.”

Oglebee was not too keen on having anyone poke and pull on his clothing. Inky talked him through it and explained what the banquet would be like. He was not enthralled with this information either but became more enthusiastic when Inky told him that the queen would be there. Then an agonized look spread across Oglebee’s face.

“You don’t think it’s her, do you? I don’t think I could arrest her.”

“Do you mean the queen?” Inky smiled. “No, my friend, it is not her. Why steal your own gold?”

Oglebee let out a long relieved breath. Then he turned. “You’re not very happy, you’re not. It seems you’ve got the thief in the bag, but you are still acting gloomy.”

“Ah yes, well it seems we have caught the thief, but in the end, we are helping only the king, his royal greediness. Sometimes, I feel it is better to help no one than to help those who do not deserve it.”

Oglebee stared at him for a moment, then said, “You’re smart; figure it out. If you have to help the king, then do it in a way that helps other people too. You just have to decide who you want to help and how you can help them. Jeez, sometimes you smart people guard the mice in the corner while the elephants sneak out the door.”

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Inky smiled, “You, my friend, may have just solved my threehundred-year-old problem.”

Inky felt as if the sun, moon, and all the stars, had just been lifted off his back.

Lunch was not served because the cooks were working on the dinner menu. To pass the time, Inky showed Oglebee some of the tricks that magicians used. Oglebee was fascinated at first, then became frustrated when he could not figure out how the coins disappeared or the balls materialized out of thin air. Inky giggled as Oglebee pounded his fist on a table when every card he turned was the eight of hearts.

“You can magically change the cards. Well, I have a better trick than that,” Oglebee said irritably. He stood up, walked to the window, and threw the whole deck out. “I can make them disappear,” he said as the cards fluttered to the cobblestone streets below.

A servant, dressed in his finest garb, delivered the new outfits. Inky had a brilliant scarlet wizard’s robe. A twine belt dyed the same matched small red sandals. He slipped them on and looked at his reflection in a shiny helmet he had borrowed from a guard. Satisfied, he turned to watch Oglebee struggling to get his garment on. The tunic was bright orange but made of a much rougher material than Inky’s. Oglebee had never seen or did not understand the concept of buttons. He wrestled it over his head, but the long, drooping sleeves tangled in the black rope belt. The bottom wadded up around the neck, and Oglebee was stuck in the midst of all this. He looked like a pile of autumn leaves with legs.

“Let me help you, my friend,” Inky said to the pile.

From somewhere in the mass of orange came Oglebee’s voice, “Seems like I am always needing your help, but you never need mine.”

“Someday I will, Oglebee,” said Inky as he untangled the mess.

“Someday, you will need to be the hero, not I. So be ready.”

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Oglebee’s sandals were flat leather soles with straps that wound around his thick hairy legs all the way up to his knees. He stood looking at himself in the helmet. “I don’t like these sleeves, I don’t.” With one firm yank, he ripped the left sleeve off at the shoulder. “Ooops,” he said.

“I’ll go ahead and balance the outfit, I will.” And he yanked off the right sleeve.

Inky and Oglebee left Sintya to digest as a green Sammy pulled the cart up to the vault door. He stared at them but did not say a word the whole way. After a slower and less eventful trip, the Sammy pulled the rickshaw up to the doors of the Great Dining Hall. A line of people waited to be introduced as they entered. Inky heard lively music and the buzz of an excited crowd on the other side of the large doors. The people in line were richly dressed in silks and satins. Even the men wore frilly shirts and bright colors.

“And I thought my outfit was too womanly, I did.” Oglebee said, looking at a man with a white lacy shirt and velvet jacket.

It was soon their turn. The Sammy handed the yelling man a paper with their names on it.

“Are you sure you want to use Oglebee, or do you want to use your real name?” Oglebee just looked at him.

The man yelled, “Oglebee and the legendary wizard, Inkydomus.”

The band, which had been playing softly, stopped completely. The crowd stared as the Sammy slowly pulled them into the dining hall.

The spokes on the polished wheels flashed reflections of the light from the ceiling. It was the longest room Inky had ever seen. Dozens of circular chandeliers hung from chains attached to the ceiling. In each of the chandeliers, candles sparkled.

Soft, warm light bathed the hall. The Sammy pulled the rickshaw slowly through the tables toward the front of the room. Inky politely nodded toward the people staring at them. Oglebee licked his lips as they passed tables laden with food.

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“I’m sure we will be given a delicious meal when we are seated,” Inky said as Oglebee was about to grab something off of a lady’s plate.

“I hope it’s not just those small sandwiches and vegetables,” Oglebee said under his breath. “They just make me hungrier, they do.”

Finally, they reached the front, and the Sammy pulled them onto a ramp that led to a large platform. This was the head table where the very important people could look out over the sea of tables. A high, chair type of contraption had been assembled for Oglebee so he would be on the same level as the others at the table. Inky had his own chair and table set up on the real table. It had been built especially for him so he could talk to the rest of the guests as they ate.

Behind them, a door opened and out came a man dressed in white from head to toe. He cut gracefully across the platform and put a covered silver tray in front of Inky and Oglebee. A huge grin spread across Oglebee’s face as the waiter grabbed the lid’s handle. With great style and effort, he lifted the lid to reveal a tray full of little sandwiches and carrots.

Oglebee looked at Inky and frowned.

Just then, the crier entered through the door behind them. “The Duke of Woodenhausen,” yelled the man as the duke entered and bowed grandly. His orange outfit included a belt and boots that matched. Strangely though, he wasn’t wearing a hat. His false smile was so big that even his back teeth showed.

He sat down two chairs away from Oglebee and Inky. Inky smiled to himself as the duke realized that he was wearing the same color as Oglebee.

Oglebee looked at the duke, chewing a mouth full of carrots.

The Minister of Finance entered next. Then the Minister of the Ministers and Inky lost interest. They all looked like they were related, and none looked too bright. Out of all the people Inky had seen and met, no one looked clever enough to pull off the thievery.

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Oglebee was stuffing his mouth with sandwiches when the crier yelled, “The Queen of Norwood, Lady Rayne.” Oglebee stopped in mid-chew when he realized the queen was being seated right beside him. He nearly choked, trying to swallow the whole mouthful in one gulp.

The candlelight shone down on her like no one else in the room. It danced across her dark hair as she was seated.

Oglebee stared like a deer in a torchlight as the queen flashed her blue eyes toward him. “Why, hello, Oglebee; how nice of you to join us tonight.”

“Yes, I do, your royalness,” Oglebee mumbled, clearly not knowing what he said or what he meant to say.

“And it is indeed an honor to meet you, Sir Inkydomus,” said the queen extending one slender finger for Inky to shake. She looked at his black eyes but did not comment.

Inky was also impressed by the power of this woman’s beauty. “The honor is mine,” said Inky, “but you need not call me Sir; I have never been knighted.”

“Well, maybe after tonight, you will be.” The queen bent toward them and whispered, “We certainly do not need any more ministers.”

Two men with bright blue tunics carrying long, silver horns entered behind them. Each had a lion’s head breathing fire embroidered on their fronts. With a swift, practiced movement, they brought the trumpets to their lips and released a long wavering note. Though not very tuneful, it did get everyone’s attention.

“The Great leader of the Kingdom of Norwood, King Michael,” yelled the crier. The trumpeters, who stood on each side of the door, played, and the crowd cheered as the king entered the room. Black and silver robes draped over his meaty stomach. His crown was made from hammered silver and embedded with large black onyx stones. His hair and beard sparkled.

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He stepped up to the empty chair between the queen and the duke.

“This night is a celebration of loyalty,” the king bellowed, his deep voice resonating throughout the hall. The crowd went wild. The king held his arms up to quiet them.

“To all those who work here and to those who call the palace their home, I salute you.”

Again the crowd screamed and clapped and called the name of their king.

“Tonight, I thank you,” he yelled, and the crowd roared even louder.

This is a sly man, Inky thought to himself. He made these people think he loved them when he was really trying to find out who was stealing from him.

“Let us toast the kingdom,” the king shouted above the din.

As if on cue, the doors flew open, and waiters carrying trays of goblets burst into the hall. The carved glass goblets held mustardcolored juice—the juice Inky had had the cooks prepare. The juice would react with any who touched the gold.

Inky whispered to Oglebee, “Do not drink when the king says to drink.”

As the soldiers passed out all the goblets, the king looked at Inky.

“Am I doing as you wished?”

“Yes, your majesty. In a few minutes, you will know who the thief is.”

“I had better,” said the king.

Inky looked down at the people there. The cooks, the kitchen workers, the guards, the Sammies, and the soldiers talked and laughed with each other. The royals kept to themselves, not mingling with the rest of the partygoers. The three boys from the kitchen sat at the royal tables with their parents. The hall was teaming with everyone Inky had seen during his stay in the castle.

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“Up,” shouted the king holding his goblet high in the air. “Everyone, long live Norwood,” he roared.

Everyone except Inky and Oglebee raised their glasses high and shouted, “Long live Norwood!”

The room fell silent as everyone drained their glasses. Then grand shouts of joy were heard after they swallowed. The music began playing, and the people went back to eating and talking.

The king, who had sat down for the first time, tapped the bottom of his goblet on the table. “Well, Inkydomus, what now?” the king asked without looking up from his glass.

The queen looked down, and the duke looked ready to run.

“I suggest you order dinner,” Inky said, more confidently than he felt.

The king inhaled, and his eyes bulged in anger.

“I will not have you make me look like a fool in front of my kingdom,” the king snarled.

“I do not have to make you look like a fool. You can do that by yourself,” whispered Inky as Oglebee giggled.

The king stood, knocking his chair over backward. The sound of the chair and the king’s quick movement made everyone stop talking and look. In that moment of silence, there was a soft little cough. Then another cough was heard, only a little louder. The king’s gaze turned from Inky to a table in the middle of the room. Another cough, almost a gagging sound. Heads turned away from the king and to a young man.

He clutched his throat as he bent over and coughed. White foam ran out of the corners of his mouth and dripped down the front of his magenta shirt. He stood up, coughing harder.

The people around him backed away and looked at him in questioning horror.

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His eyes swept around the room, pleading for someone to help him. The coughing became so hard that big hunks of foam shot out of his mouth. Everyone in the hall stood and watched now. Whichever way he looked, the partygoers took a step back.

The young man breathed through his nose, inhaling great breaths.

Suddenly, his foamy pink tongue flopped out of his mouth and revoltingly hung down to his chin. The tongue swelled and got bigger.

A soldier unsheathed his sword as if to do battle. A young woman in a red dress fainted. Even with his face contorted in a silent scream, the tongue still filled his entire mouth. His face turned white with fear while his tongue flipped and flopped across his chin. Then, a sickening wet “plop” echoed through the room, and the tongue shot completely out of his mouth. It landed on the floor with a SMACK. The circle around the young man got even wider. Everyone at the head table stood and stared with their mouths wide open. Even the trumpeters had moved up to the table and watched the event unfold. Everyone was frozen, including the queen, who sat very calm and royal with her hand over her mouth.

“There is your thief, your majesty,” said Inky calmly.

The king turned his head to look at Inky with his mouth still open.

He cleared his throat. “Arrest that man,” screamed the king.

The soldiers who had been dispersed throughout the crowd didn’t move. They motioned to each other with a “you go first” look on their faces.

Meanwhile, the tongue had stopped flopping around, but a subtle change was taking place. Little nubs began forming on each side. In seconds they grew into small limbs, pink and naked, like the rest of the tongue. Soon there were toes and toenails on each tiny foot that grew in front of the frozen onlookers. Four miniature ostrich legs lifted the tongue off the ground and moved awkwardly like a fawn taking its 117

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first steps. It moved blindly toward the crowd, and people scattered in every direction. It kept moving, gaining confidence and speed with every step until it ran completely across the room and crashed into the wall. The impact caused the tongue to flip upside down. Even in that position, its little feet kept going.

A soldier cautiously approached it and nudged it with his sword.

At the touch of the metal, it flopped back over, sending the soldier running back toward the crowd. It ran along the base of the wall and disappeared around a corner. Several soldiers, suddenly finding courage, followed the tongue down the hallway.

As soon as the tongue was out of sight, all the heads turned back toward the young man who had not moved since his tongue had exited his mouth.

“I said arrest him,” the king bellowed. “Anyone not obeying my orders will be locked in the haunted dungeon.”

The soldiers moved forward, apparently realizing that having your tongue leap from your mouth was not contagious. The young man’s face changed from fear to anger as he realized that he had been caught in a trap. The crowd and soldiers had changed positions so many times in the past few minutes that a wide opening had been formed between the young man and the head table.

There were only a few sounds a person could make without a tongue. One of them was a high-pitched scream. This was the sound the young man made as he charged toward the platform. In one leap, he had gone from the floor to the platform. With another leap, he landed on top of the table. His jump had placed him right in front of the queen. He looked down with malevolent eyes.

Oglebee had been watching like everyone else until he realized the queen was in danger. He changed from a hairy little man into a fighting machine. Oglebee reached back and grabbed the long, golden 118

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horn of the trumpeter. In one lightning-quick motion, he swung the trumpet over Inky’s head and right into the knees of the wild attacker.

The impact separated the knee joint, dropping the man like a fallen tree. His head slammed into the table, knocking him unconscious.

Immediately, the entire hall burst into applause. Everyone smiled and yelled Oglebee’s name. Even the king beamed.

“You, Sir Olgebee, have now had your death threat lifted,” the king whispered.

Oglebee looked up in amazement that the ovation was for him. He turned to look at the queen, and their eyes met. A small smile danced over her lips that, even years later, would melt Oglebee’s heart. The king also smiled at him, along with everyone else at the table, except the duke, who still hid underneath it.

Oglebee looked at the king, “Here’s the thief, he is.” Then he looked at the queen, “I’m resourceful,” he said.

The thief, as it turned out, had been the king’s nephew, Salgood. He had no good reason for his thievery. Growing up, he had always been a moody boy. Then something happened. He was mad at the king, mad at his parents, and mad at the world in general. The king would find him wandering around the Royal Zoo. The opening for the listening tube had been right above his head at the table he used in the library. While being made to study, he had heard the gold counters one morning. Salgood, in the same place at the same time the next day, figured out an opening existed between the royal library and the royal vault. He wanted to destroy the money system of the kingdom. No one, not even Salgood, could explain why he wanted that.

It took him almost a year to train the rats. He borrowed jewelry from his mother and fed the rats whenever they brought him something gold. In the beginning, the rats only had to drag the gold a 119

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few inches for a treat. They built up the range until the rodents went through drawers and dragged jewelry back to Salgood’s room. He liked the rats better than his friends, even though both groups had the same distasteful temperament.

The king laughed, thinking if the boy could make friends with rodents, then he would have a wonderful time in the dungeon.

Inky was allowed to talk to Salgood to try to retrieve the gold. Inky told him that if he showed the guard where the gold was hidden, he would make a potion to grow his tongue back. The boy jumped at the chance and led them to an empty room under the stairs in the library.

The tongue would have grown back, but of course, Inky told no one that. He created a worthless concoction of goat’s milk and dirt and gave it to the boy.

The thief had been caught. The king slept easily, knowing exactly where his precious gold lay, but Inky still had many questions. Why did Salgood work so hard to steal something he would never use or sell?

What had happened that made him want to bring down the kingdom?

He kept going back to that day in Royal Zoo. The image of the blue fox was burned in Inky’s memory.

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C hapter 14 A large stage, built for the ceremony, sat in the castle’s magnificent courtyard. Word spread even beyond the kingdom’s border of Inky and the hairy dwarf that had not only captured the gold thief but laid him out cold on the king’s table.

The courtyard itself held hundreds of onlookers. Dozens more watched from the castle walls and balconies. A huge backdrop of a lion’s head breathing fire was placed behind the stage. It was turning into a joyful affair. Music played as groups of people spoke of Inky’s wonders.

Inky wondered when he was going to get back home to his quiet life. He had to go through with this ceremony, though. The king owed him three favors for recovering the gold and catching the thief. If the king announced these publicly, he would have to keep his word.

Inky didn’t trust the king. He laughed to himself; he trusted Sintya, a serpent, more than he trusted the king.

Inky stood behind the stage with Oglebee, waiting to be introduced.

The king was dressed in a maroon outfit with a gold crown atop his shining black hair. A gold belt was fastened around his huge stomach.

The queen stood beside him very straight and proper in a beautiful bronze-colored dress with a frilly white collar and a hoop skirt that made her waist look tiny.

“I wonder why she married him?” Oglebee asked Inky, jealousy showing on his face.

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“He’s a king,” Inky whispered. “The second biggest hero in the kingdom.”

“Who’s the biggest hero?” asked Oglebee as the trumpet music started.

“The biggest hero is the person that saved the queen’s life.” Inky smiled at Oglebee.

They stood side by side in the same clothing they had worn to the party. The king and queen were side by side in front of them.

“Now that we have come through this, is there anything you would like to tell me?” Inky asked.

“Naw, not tellin’ my name, I’m not. Haven’t ever trusted anyone with my real name.”

The king looked back. “Are you ready? Why you’ve spilled something down your front.”

Oglebee looked up at him with contempt.

“Well, we can’t clean it now,” the king said irritably. “I hope no one notices it. Let us go.”

The royal couple stepped through the curtain and disappeared. An instant later, a huge roar rose from the courtyard.

A smile broke slowly across Oglebee’s face. “I’ll make sure nobody will notice my stain, they won’t.” He reached down and pulled Sintya out of a bag he had been holding.

The black snake, glistening in the sunlight, wound itself around Oglebee’s back and held her head high over his left shoulder. Its tail slid around to the front and covered the stain.

“We are here to honor two servants of the kingdom today. They will receive the king’s honor of Royal Indebtedness as Knights of Norwood.

From this day forth, they shall be known as Sir Inkydomus and Sir Oglebee.”

The trumpeter and the violinist started a royal tune. The curtains pulled back, and Inky and Oglebee stepped onto the stage. Before 122

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them was a sea of clapping and cheering people. Even as famous and legendary as Inky had become, all eyes focused on Oglebee and Sintya.

A long red table sat in the center of the stage, richly decorated with golden trim. Two red chairs were at the center of the table for the king and queen. On the ends were tall chairs built to fit Inky and Oglebee.

“We are here to arrange payment for these great deeds,” the king bellowed. Oglebee and Inky walked to their chairs. The queen, who had been politely standing and waiting, helped Inky to his.

“Let us move along with the proceedings,” said Inky looking at the king. “Lest the snake decides to perch on your shoulders.”

The king talked quickly. He announced how the duo had used great intelligence and magic in apprehending the thief. All along, he kept one eye on Oglebee and his long, black friend.

The duke stood in the front row with some other important officials. The duke was dressed in purple with a large, cone-shaped hat with a wide, white stripe spiraling from its bottom to top. Their eyes met, and Inky pointed up to the sky.

The duke looked up and grabbed his hat. He held it on his lap.

The king came to the part in his speech about the favors.

“For his payment, the wizard has asked for three favors.”

The crowd quieted.

“The first favor is . . . .” The king looked at Inky.

Inky spoke softly so that only the people on the stage could hear him.

“I wish Captain Cador be made Minister of all the Armies,” Inky told the king.

“But the duke,” said the king, “What will the duke do?”

“The duke is an idiot. I know it, and you know it, and the people know it.”

“Very well,” the king sighed, “The new Minister of the Army, to serve the kingdom with honor and bravery, is Captain Cador.”

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The crowd cheered.

The duke turned white.

“Your second favor, Inkydomus?” the king asked, raising his eyebrows.

“My second favor is that shelters be built for the villagers that live outside the castle, and they be stocked with food for the winter.”

“What! I can’t spend gold on the peasants outside the castle.”

“You can and you will,” said Inky calmly. “Have you ever felt the smooth scales of a snake?” Inky looked at Oglebee.

Oglebee laid his hand on his end of the table, and Sintya slowly slid down it. The forked tongue flicked out and tasted the air.

The king swallowed and loosened his collar. He smiled and addressed the crowd. “The wizard’s second wish is for our kingdom to join with the fine people living outside our walls. We will build shelters to protect all of our subjects.”

“Now, is your third favor going to be as much of an inconvenience as your second?”

“For my last payment, you will give all the land known as Kettlefish Territory, including the lake, to my friend, Oglebee.”

The king’s eyes bulged. “I will not lop off sections of my kingdom to be given to…”

“Shhh!” Inky put his finger up to his lips. “They’re listening.” He pointed to the crowd.

“I don’t care who is listening,” the king said through clenched teeth.

Inky’s eyes left the king and looked down the table. Sintya slowly slithered her way toward the king.

The king’s eyes grew big.

“I’m sure your subjects would rather see you reward Oglebee than see you run away from his snake.”

The king’s eyes bulged. “Very well, the land known as Kettlefish Territory is now the property of Sir Oglebee.” The king stepped away 124

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from the table and wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead. He looked at Inky. “You are a clever wizard, but you will not always be here to protect your friend.” A mean smile formed on the corners of his mouth.

Inky smiled back. “Let me remind you, my king, you too, drank the juice at the banquet. If anything happens to my friend, all I need is to sneak back into the castle and add something to your food. Who knows what will drop off of you.”

The king stared hard at Inky, then smiled a true smile. “I should have known not to match wits with you, my small friend.”

“Just to make sure all is well, the queen will check on Oglebee weekly. I’m sure Oglebee will agree to that.”

Oglebee stood dumbstruck.

Inky pulled out his flute.

The crowd quieted as the strange whispering sound spread over the courtyard into the forest. Everyone stared as Inky walked down the table to the coiled snake.

“Take good care of my friend.” Inky slid his hand over the smooth scales behind Sintya’s eyes. He walked around the snake to Oglebee, who looked down at Inky from his chair. A tear rolled down his cheek and disappeared into his shaggy beard.

“You figured it out, you did. You found a way to help everyone and still get your job done. Mayhap you’re more of a true wizard than you think. All of this you have given me and gained nothing yourself.”

Oglebee wiped his nose where his sleeve would have been if he had not ripped it off the night before.

“Oh, I’ve gained a great deal,” Inky said. “I can live with myself now. More importantly, I’ve gained a friend. Be prepared; the queen will visit you once a week.”

A look of fear crossed Oglebee’s face.

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A clamor rolled through the crowd as a winged shadow passed over them. The huge hawk landed lightly on the table. The hawk looked at Sintya, and Sintya looked back at the hawk. A kind of respect showed between the two natural enemies. “We will check on you from time to time,” Inky said to Oglebee as he climbed onto the hawk’s back.

The crowd roared excitedly as it realized that Inky was going to take to flight.

Inky whispered to the bird, then slowly raised his hand to wave to Oglebee.

Oglebee stared back, wiping a tear from his cheek.

“YOU! I knew you were behind this!” the duke yelled. He stood in the front row, pointing at Inky. “You and that bird have ruined two of my hats.”

“Goodbye, Duke of Wooden Houses,” Inky yelled as the powerful wings lifted them into the air.

The duke haughtily put his hat on his head. Men cheered, and women squealed with delight as the hawk flew out over the courtyard with Inky clinging to its back. It glided over the mass of upturned faces, then up and out, cresting the castle walls. They flew into a brilliant white cloud and slowly disappeared into a point.

“Jethro,” Oglebee said quietly. “My real name is Jethro.”

The crowd began to dissipate. Only Olgebee stared at the sky where his friend had disappeared.

So he was the only one who saw the speck reappear and grow larger. They glided soundlessly back toward the castle approaching from behind. Then as the king made to leave the stage, a high-pitched giggle echoed from overhead. An instant later, what looked like a bolt of brown lightning shot out of the sky toward the duke. He reached up for his hat, but it was already gone.

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Inky rose back up to the sky with the hat clutched between the hawk’s two powerful talons.

That night, in the foundation of an old castle, in a forgotten part of a green forest, Inky got ready for bed. His companion, Cassieus, the newt, usually slept on the dirt floor, but tonight he lay comfortably on his new purple and white cone-shaped bed. Inky had told the story to the newt, who listened and sniffed at a few parts. Inky blew out the last candle and knelt beside his bed. He said his prayer, “God be in my heart, God be in my head.”

In a cobblestone hut a hundred miles away, a hairy little man finished his prayer, “God be in my work, God be in my life.” He crawled into his new bed and wrapped the blankets snugly around himself.

Through the open window, he heard the frogs and night birds out on the lake. Oglebee closed his eyes and fell asleep under a malva moon.

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Book Two

Inky, Oglebee, & the Witches 129

C hapter 1 Thirty witches dressed in rags, with long greasy hair hanging over their faces, stood at the edge of a cliff. Flies buzzed around their heads.

Each smelled so badly that she could not smell the witch standing beside her. Their ugliness contrasted sharply with the scarlet and honey-colored leaves of the forest that stretched before them.

Lottiebien, the coven’s tall and bony leader, chanted louder than the rest. The black mole just below the left side of her mouth bounced as she chanted. The witches around her didn’t know the words very well. Lottiebien slapped a small witch standing next to her on the back of the head. Evil radiated from Lottiebien like heat from a fire. The others shrank back as she passed.

The only witch who did not share their fear stood at the back of the group. Rising above the rest, she was thick and massive. Her features, broad and without detail, were like the first rough cleaving of a statue.

The chant became louder and quicker, stirred on by Lottiebien, whose voice could now be heard over the rest. She raised her arms toward the picturesque lake in the long valley below. The rest of the witches followed her lead and raised their arms also. The giant witch in back raised hers only after seeing what everyone else was doing. Under her arm, sprouting from the curly black hair, was a finger, complete with a dirty fingernail. It sprang to life and started to scratch the armpit vigorously. One exactly like it did the same under her other arm.

The chant grew louder and more frenzied. The air around the palms of their outstretched hands became fuzzy. Like a ball of greenish 131

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mist, the spell dropped off their hands and rolled down the mountain, raising a small cloud of dust behind in its wake. The first animal the wave struck was a field mouse scurrying for cover. It looked up as the spell knocked it flat in the shadow of a large rock. It lay there on its side, motionless. As the spell hit the tree line, the witches heard the crackle of dry leaves as it rolled through the autumn forest.

“That will set the kingdom on its ear,” Lottiebien said in French.

“That is if everyone did her part properly.” She watched for a second longer, then turned to a skinny little witch with bits of dirt and hunks of sap matted in her shaggy hair.

“Take them back to the camp.”

“Yes, Mama,” the little witch said in a defeated voice. She turned and walked up a shaded path. The others followed in silence.

132

C hapter 2 The viper moved silently through the clover in the late afternoon sunlight. It stopped, lifted its head, and flicked its tongue, tasting the air. The reddish-brown scales and zig-zagged stripe that ran the length of its back blended perfectly with the muddy ground under the clover.

The snake followed the scent, winding its way along the edge of a meadow. A family of rabbits, chewing silently, whiskers twitching with each bite, lay directly in its path. Several youngsters, at intermittent intervals, took off galloping and kicking up their heels for no apparent reason. The two larger rabbits kept their ears in constant motion, turning this way and that, listening for the slightest sound that might mean danger for their young.

The smooth scales moved soundlessly over the ground, and soon the snake closed the distance between itself and the rabbits. A few feet away, it slowed and coiled itself near a large clump of grass. A small rabbit jumped high into the air and kicked several times before it landed, then shot like a crazed cannonball directly in front of two of its brothers. They, in turn, ran in big looping circles around the group.

The second rabbit jolted around the parents and began a route that led him straight past the large clump of grass.

The snake flicked its tongue one last time. Just as the rabbit came within striking distance, a very low, deep vibration came from the mountain. A cloud of dust rose as the spell rolled across the forest toward the meadow. As it passed, squirrels and birds fell limp from the branches and crashed with a crackle into the leaves that littered the 133

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forest floor. The entire rabbit family dropped to the ground, unable to move. The snake’s head fell on its coils and then slid to the ground. Its forked tongue hung unmoving outside of its mouth.

The forest was silent except for a breeze that scratched its way through the dry autumn leaves. After a while, the snake’s tongue recoiled back into its mouth, and one of the rabbit’s legs began to twitch. One by one, the creatures awoke, stunned at first, then calmly looked around as if awakened from a month-long nap.

The snake slithered stiffly to position himself amongst the stupefied rabbits. It pulled its body into a straight line. The smallest of the rabbits stepped up to the side of the snake, then leaped over it, landing soundlessly on its other side. The rabbit turned around and hopped back over; this time, the jump was a great deal higher. In a very short time, the entire family leaped over the snake in both directions. The snake lay there disinterested, all thought of hunger gone.

The blur rolled down the slope toward one of the many lakes. It smoothed the surface to a sheen and kept rolling, leaving only silence in its wake. But the water creatures were not left unscathed. A sunfish launched out of the water and landed on the dusty bank, flipping and flopping from side to side. Other fish shot from the lake and beached themselves. Soon the ground was a seething mass of silvery sides flashing in the afternoon sun. The scene became even more peculiar as raccoons, invited by some unheard signal, swarmed toward the withering fish. This should have been the easiest meal the raccoons had ever come across, but not on this day. They came out of the forest by the dozens and scooped up the fish with their tiny black paws, and gently tossed them back into the water. Unbeknownst to them, as soon as the fish hit the water, each rocketed itself back onto the dry soil.

The moon rose on a forest of animals that behaved as none had ever behaved before.

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C hapter 3 That evening Lottiebien stood in front of the campfire while the rest of the witches sat before her. They stared at the ground as she ranted and raved and threatened them all. None of them would meet her gaze for fear that she would take it as defiance. A small witch clutched a handmade doll in her shaking hands. Lottiebien grabbed the doll from the horrified girl and tossed it into the fire.

“These animals will be acting strange for days now. I cannot predict what will happen to them. This is what I should do to you, all of you!”

She had been going on in French for nearly an hour. “How could I ever have thought this group could carry out a combined curse?

“Who was it? Who did not memorize the words?” She grabbed a nearby witch by the arm and dragged her close to the fire. So close, in fact, that her greasy hair began to sizzle. At the last moment, she pushed her back toward the group.

“I will not leave without the Templar treasure. Mark my words here and now. None of you will leave this place alive without it. Tomorrow morning we will try again. And this time, I will hold my daughter responsible if it does not work.” She turned and walked away from them. The blazing bonfire died as she walked by, leaving the rest of the witches in the damp, cold darkness.

135

C hapter 4 The next morning, in a foundation of an abandoned castle, a tiny eyelid fluttered open. Then the other. The eyes scanned the dark room.

“Skriiitch, skriiitch.”

The sound came from the corner. Inky propped himself up on one elbow. His bedclothes twisted around him. Cautiously the little man sat up in bed. The room had three earthen walls and one made out of stone. Tiny roots grew through in several places on the ceiling. Inky reached down to the floor where he had laid his flintstone. He clicked it and used the orange flame to light a homemade candle.

“Skrittch.”

The scratching sounded louder this time. Even with the glow of the candle, Inky could see nothing moving. Then, in the center of the wall, the tiniest bit of dirt crumbled away. It very quickly became a large hole.

Before Inky could move, the hole opened even larger, and a monstrous hairy spider clamored through. It skittered across the room and, at full speed, crashed into the opposite wall. Cassieus bolted into the room. He streaked across the floor and headed straight for the stunned spider. Before the spider knew what had hit it, the newt had it in his mouth. Lifted high in the air, the spider worked its legs furiously, but to no avail. The newt continued to bite and violently shake the spider back and forth. At last, the spider’s legs dropped to its sides.

The newt tossed the lifeless body in the air several times until it was in the right position. Then he choked it down his throat. Inky 136

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watched the last leg go down. Cassieus looked over and swallowed one last time.

“Perhaps the acorn soup was not quite enough to hold you over.”

The newt sniffed and crawled off to lie in front of the crude fireplace.

Inky tossed and turned, then gave up and waited for dawn to come.

After his usual morning chores, Inky set off for the lake. A small distance from his home, it was here he said his morning prayers and planned out his day. This was also the place where he would let his imagination run wild, wondering what Oglebee was up to and creating situations in which Oglebee would desperately need his help. Oglebee had become his best friend and the one person whom he missed terribly.

He wrapped his monk’s robe around himself tightly. The arrival of fall made mornings chilly. The trees were ablaze with all the colors of autumn in the bright morning sunshine. Inky found his usual rock, a large flat stone whose edge lay even with the waterline, and sat comfortably, looking at his surroundings.

He picked off pieces of moss and let them roll into the water. A crayfish crawled out of the water and up onto his rock. It sat looking at him with beady eyes and long, thin antennae that twirled randomly around its head. The crayfish marched across the rock and stopped at the other side. There at the edge, it hesitated for just a moment, then leaped from the rock, sticking all six legs straight out from its body.

It plopped into the water with a kerplunk and disappeared from view.

Inky crawled over to the edge and looked down. The crayfish crawled through the murky water and back to the edge of the rock where it had emerged the first time. It climbed the rock and jumped again.

Soon, other crayfish of various sizes joined in the game. Before long, it was a constant parade across the rock. Inky had never seen 137

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anything like it before and hoped not to again. He did not like sharing his morning meditation with an increasing number of crustaceans.

He started back on the path, still wondering about the crayfish when he looked up into the trees overhead. There above him, watching silently, was an owl. The sight of an owl in the daytime was disturbing enough, but this one had an added dimension. It hung upside down, its powerful talons gripping a thick branch. It stared malevolently.

Strange animal behavior. Oglebee would have to be told of this problem before it spread to his farm. Perhaps it already had. This was the perfect reason to visit. He had started to visit many times before, then backed out. He would not change his mind again. He was going to see his friend.

These things flashed through his mind as he stared up at the owl.

He inched forward with small steps until he passed under it. As he reached the opening to one of his tunnel entrances, he turned back and looked at the owl. Through the branches of orange and gold leaves, he could see that the owl had swiveled its head completely backward and was still staring at him.

Inky finished breakfast and drummed his fingers on his scarred wooden table. The meal was good. The flames danced across the small oak branches in the fireplace, and everything was peaceful. His home was neat and orderly even though it was two feet under the ruins of an abandoned castle. Two months ago, this would have been a very satisfactory life. He would’ve looked forward to watching the sunset on his favorite rock and then going to bed content. He would have been planning a trick to play on the squirrels or reading from one of his books.

But now, the peaceful life he had enjoyed was not enough. He’d found that matching wits with thieves and menacing kings were far more rewarding than playing pranks on squirrels.

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He stood and pushed away from the table and let out a long sigh.

He looked at his books lined up on the shelves, then looked at his neatly made bed. Without realizing what he was doing, he shuffled over and began packing for a trip.

139

C hapter 5 A dog hunkered down under a laurel bush on uneven ground.

It was odd-looking, even for an inbred dog. The symmetry was all wrong; the legs were too small and skinny for its plump body. One eye hung lower and farther back than the other. Briars, fleas, and dried matter clung to its fur. The orange sun began to slide down toward the lake as the dog waited. It sniffed. There was a scent. A rabbit, or maybe a squirrel, had passed by not long ago. The dog sniffed in both directions, its tail showing the slightest twitch of a wag.

A low snarl came from behind. The dog immediately jerked its head around. A brilliant blue fox moved under the bush through the dappled light. It was the same color as the sky and had white on its paws and the tip of its tail. “Don’t you dare lose track of what you’re doing,” it said in Lottiebien’s voice.

“No, Mama, I won’t. I’m watching the men,” the ugly dog said.

“They’re stopping work for the day.” She had been doing this same thing for days, even before the combined curse. Lottiebien had always been successful with several plans working at once—until this time.

Down the slope and across the stream that fed the lake, men gathered around a strange wagon. The men, too far away for the fox to see their faces or hear their voices, looked like tiny specks.

“Is he there with them?” the blue fox asked.

“Yes. He’s always right in the middle laughing and clowning around,” the mangy dog said. “Sweaty and dirty, too.”

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Only two months ago, the valley below was stony, unkempt, and useless. Then miraculously, the land was cleared, and crops were planted. Now, they were nearly ready for harvest. The rows radiated neatly as far as the eye could see. Pumpkins, squash, and many other plants hung from the healthy stems.

Lottiebien knew all of this. Disguised as a blue fox, she had crept through each section of the farm, looking for ways to chase the men away. She had not traveled all the way to this foreign land to be denied.

The group of men was breaking up. Most walked toward the outline of the castle. They did not live within the castle walls but in the growing village around it. The fading sun cast long shadows as they went.

Three specks, two large and one small, headed toward the cottage built on the edge of the lake. Their course would bring them near the laurel bush.

“Go,” the blue fox snarled.

“No need to hurry, Mother. It will take them several minutes to get near. ” The fox leaped forward and sank its teeth into the neck of the scruffy dog. The fox jerked its head twice, then released the dog and snarled. The two stood staring at each other. I said, “Go.” Its blue eyes glowed.

The dog whimpered as it crawled out from under the bush and made its way down the rocky slope. It knew that the man answered the farmers’ questions when they walked with him and that he whistled a lonely tune when he was alone.

One of the men said, “I’m telling ya here and now, Tupelo is trouble, and we oughta run him off. He’s always shouting out strange things.”

“Throwin’ things is about all he’s good for,” another man said.

Then the small man said, “He’s a bit of a goof he is, but someday he’ll be useful to us, he will. Maybe he understands the things he yells.

He belongs with us. I’ll have another talk with him, I will.”

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The three men walked around the bend and into the dog’s view.

“Looks like your girlfriend is back, Oglebee.” The tallest of the men slapped the small man on the back. The dog flattened itself to the ground, swishing its matted tail vigorously. Oglebee’s face brightened.

“Hello, girl.” He bent down on a knee to pet her. “How ya been?”

“The dog smells bad.” The other man was standing over Oglebee and the dog pinched his nose.

“I know she does, but she’s so happy,” Oglebee said as the dog turned over to have its belly scratched.

“Tupelo’s behavior is one thing, but will he get a full share? He’s surely not pullin’ his weight,” the tall man said.

Still squatting by the dog, Oglebee let out a long breath. “I’m good at planting and growing, I am. The rest of you will have to work out what Tupelo gets. But no one will go hungry, they won’t. Not while it’s my land.” His voice changed back into a baby language. “No bubby hungry, right girl? Not even you.” The dog rolled over playfully and barked.

“Why don’t you come home with me? I’ll give you a bath, I will, then you can live in my house. What do you say?”

The dog froze and stared at Oglebee. Then it bolted quicker than any of them thought possible.

“I don’t know whether it was the bath or livin’ with you that scared her off,” the tall man said. All three laughed and continued their walk toward Oglebee’s cottage.

The ragged dog wedged itself back under the bush where the blue fox waited. “He asked me; he really did. He asked me to come to live at his house, Mama.”

The blue fox brightened. “Did he now? Well, that’s that. It’s a covenant now. This is very good news. Were there witnesses?”

“Yes, Mother, two other men. They were walking with him.”

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“You have done very well, very well indeed. Now it’s time for us to make the final plans. Tonight we will go see this man. This time, luck seems to be our companion.”

Even though the trees below moved by swiftly, the pace seemed incredibly slow to Inky. But there was no way to hurry the hawk, and Inky’s mind drifted back to the strange animal behavior of the past hours. It was like nothing he had ever seen in his three hundred and some odd years.

The hawk, as if reading Inky’s mind, swiveled its head so that one large golden eye looked back at Inky. It blinked, then folded its wings into its body and dropped through the sky like a bolt of brown lightning. Inky held on tightly and squeezed his eyes closed as the wind whistled by. Even without seeing the ground, Inky knew that it had to be rising toward them at a terrifying speed. The hawk released its wings, and Inky felt the great pressure of deceleration. They curved in a graceful arc and rose back into the sky, rolling up and over like a great wave in the ocean. The hawk opened its beak and let loose a gleeful screech.

For the next hour, the hawk rarely moved its wings. The slightest movement of a feather would change their direction. It used the heat rising from the land to keep them aloft. It soared in great looping circles, taking its time and scanning the earth below. Inky also enjoyed looking down. The soundless floating sensation was the most relaxing thing he’d ever known. Before long, they glided over a long featureless plain. This was part of the trail they’d taken when Inky had been kidnapped by the duke.

The castle loomed in the distance, its dull gray color out of place against the yellow grasses of the plains. Everything looked peaceful enough, but as they got closer, Inky began to see some unsettling things.

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The cobblestone streets inside the castle usually bustled with people, but today animals ran everywhere. Several spotted cows wandered in the king’s private courtyard, eating bright yellow flowers. Upon closer inspection, the shapes moving through the streets were hundreds of chickens pecking seeds out of the cobblestones.

A large statue of the king sitting on his throne was centered regally in a reflecting pool. Hundreds of ducks, including one that had nestled itself in the statue’s lap, occupied the once beautiful pool.

“Let’s drop down to take a closer look,” Inky told the hawk.

The scene from up above was odd but still somewhat far away and very quiet. The lower the hawk flew, the greater the sounds of chaos became. A tremendous racket came from a water well where two oxen were bashing into it with their horns. The hard mud walls cracked with every dull thud of collision. They continued the onslaught as Inky and the hawk flew over. Farther ahead, a black horse backed up to a hitching post and sent the beam flying across the street with one wood-splintering kick. Crashes and bangs, along with barks, moos, screeches, and yowls, echoed across the countryside.

The curve of the hawk’s flight took the two back over the rim of the castle wall, where Inky spotted the queen standing on a balcony.

She and several of her attendants watched the mayhem from above the courtyard.

“Could you please land on the balcony by the queen?” Inky asked the hawk.

The group of women watched the animals so intently that they didn’t see the hawk until it was almost upon them. They jumped away, and several squealed as the hawk landed on the railing. Only the queen stood unflustered and stately as the bird settled itself. The queen’s blue eyes flashed as Inky stuck his head out from behind the hawk’s thick neck.

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“My queen, it seems this kingdom has gone to the dogs.” Inky smiled.

“No, Sir Inkydomus, it seems the dogs have come to the kingdom.”

She returned Inky’s smile. “A great number of dogs have gone to the royal dining hall and seated themselves at the tables. They continue howling until they are brought something to eat. The cooks are very worried that they are going to run out of meat.”

Inky held back a laugh, but the queen allowed herself to smile at the ridiculous situation. A sweaty messenger huffed through the door and marched directly up to the queen. He handed her a slip of parchment and waited for her to read it. Inky climbed off the hawk and sat comfortably on the railing. The queen handed the note back to the messenger and nodded.

“And it seems a large group of pigs is frolicking in the moat at the north end of the castle, although there does seem to be some disagreement as to whether they are actually swimming or just wading.”

The queen threw up her hands. “What is going on?”

“What does the king think is going on?” Inky asked.

“The king is not here at the moment. He is on a hunting expedition for a mountain lion. I expect with all this going on, his head may be mounted in the lions’ den instead of the other way around.” Their eyes met, and a smile traced both their lips. The king was a cold and ruthless leader, but a woodsman he was not.

“What of Captain Cador? Surely he can make some sense out of this.”

“The king has sent him on a secret mission far away. I do not expect to see him for quite a while.”

At this point, a man in dirty brown pants and a black vest was pushed into the courtyard below them. A mean-looking mule was right behind him.

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The mule charged up and butted the man on his bottom. He stumbled a few steps and fell on his stomach in the dirt. He stood, and the mule came up behind and butted him again. Every time the man would stand up, the mule was right behind him again. They went like this across the courtyard.

“I believe the mule is aiming the man toward the pool,” Inky said to the queen.

One last hard butt sent the man flying headfirst into the duck-filled water. The ducks lifted off at the splash and hovered for an instant before settling back down in the water. Their flat feet paddled furiously as they swam at the man, pecking him with their flat bills.

“This is a rather strange phenomenon. Things are strange in my little corner of the world. I was on my way to visit Oglebee and ask him if the animals were also doing strange things here. It seems to be happening all across the countryside. ”Do not let me keep you, Sir Inkydomus. I’m afraid no one can aid in the situation until the animals are rounded up. Then I may ask for your help in figuring this all out.” Her eyes brightened, and she touched her neck. “I do wish to thank you again for encouraging your friend Oglebee to make use of the land at the lake. He is doing a wonderful job, not only in planting but also in giving the people hope for a better life. He is an extraordinary man.”

“We will be off then,” Inky said. “Is there anything you would like me to pass on to our good friend, Oglebee?”

The queen, turning gracefully in her diamond and satin dress, blushed. “Yes. Tell him that I very much enjoyed our last visit and am looking forward to our next.” On the king’s order, the queen visits Oglebee’s farm weekly.

“Farewell, my queen.” Inky climbed onto the hawk’s back.” I shall stop on my return.” The hawk stepped off the railing and dropped over 146

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the balcony edge, only to rise effortlessly up and over the castle wall a few moments later.

Inky gave directions, and the hawk circled a group of huts in this southern village. People clustered on the roads as though they were being attacked from the air. But as the pair dropped closer, the people cheered loudly as Inky waved to them. He was already a hero. His adventures had been passed down through the generations. They glided down into the madness and landed on the most central hut. Inky told the villagers that the animals were behaving oddly everywhere and not to be frightened. The people on that roof turned and shouted the news to their neighbors. Those neighbors shouted the news to the next group of people. Calmness washed out in waves like a pebble dropped into a pond. The cheers grew even louder as Inky and the hawk took off and headed for the eastern village.

Here things were a little different. Animals moved all over the place, but there were no humans to be seen. Cows, goats, chickens, and sheep all looked highly irritated. The king’s livestock was kept in this area. A commotion down on one of the dirt streets caught Inky’s attention. A farmer running full speed had slipped and fallen in the mud outside of the large wooden barn. A door opened, and another farmer stepped out and waved the fallen man in. The door slammed as they both disappeared into the barn. The barn was a crude structure, probably many years old.

As they circled, Inky was sure that most of the people had barricaded themselves inside this building. Above the massive doors on each end were openings where hay was brought in to be stored in the upper lofts. Inky spoke softly to the hawk, and in no time at all,l they zoomed through the dark opening. Screams rang out through the barn as the hawk swooped directly above the frightened villagers. It stayed there, suspended in midair, as it looked around for a place to 147

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perch. Men protectively grabbed their families and pulled them into tight little bunches.

“Listen to me!” Inky yelled above the screams. Once the villagers understood that it was Inky, not the hawk yelling at them, the screaming stopped. “We must get the animals in here, and you fine people out where you belong.”

“They’ve gone mad,” someone yelled. ”We’ll be hoofed to death if we try to leave here.”

“Fear not,” Inky said, “for I have a plan.”

For the next few minutes, Inky explained his idea. Then he herded everyone into the upper lofts except for one courageous man who stayed down by the doors. At Inky’s command, the man opened the doors and stepped outside, placing himself safely between the door and the wall.

Inky and the hawk flew out and started swooping down at the animals below. The hawk guided these animals as well as any sheepdog, and in no time, all the animals were rushing toward the open doors of the barn. As the last chicken hopped in, the brave man closed the door and locked it. He disappeared momentarily and returned dragging a ladder long enough to reach the opening over the doors. One by one, the families came down the ladder and out into safety.

Inky and the hawk were already gone.

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C hapter 6 By the time they had glided near the area of Kettlefish Lake, Inky was amazed to see the razor-straight rows of crops. He hadn’t realized the full extent of this farm. He couldn’t believe that a few people had done so much in so little time. All the families who had lived in shacks on the outskirts of the castle now had tidy rows of cottages. Smoke spindled its way up and out of many of the stone chimneys. As they got closer, Inky spotted children out playing near their cottages, who were probably the very same children he saw huddled together and hungry on his first trip to the castle.

The hawk banked to the left, and the lake came into view. The sky in the east turned a purplish color, and streaks of pink and peach stretched toward the west. The sun bathed the lake and wooden cottage beside it in a golden light. Even from this height, Inky could tell that this was Oglebee’s home. The crude cottage made with logs instead of planks had a roof made of what looked like roots. In place of a thatched straw roof, thick, twisty wood snaked down the slope of Oglebee’s roof. The house was built so close to the lake that the back porch hung directly over the water.

A few paces from the house, the bank had been cleared, and a campfire glowed in the dusky starlight. Several figures sat around the fire.

“There,” Inky said to the hawk. It circled, dropping lower on each pass until it landed on a tree branch close to the cleared bank. Its talons gripped tightly to the flaky bark of an elm.

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A group of children sat around the fire, listening intently to someone telling a story. They were so rapt in the story being told that they did not look at their food while they ate but stared at the short hairy speaker while they shoveled spoonfuls into their mouths. Inky watched Oglebee, who, even in the firelight, looked tan and healthy, tell the tale of how they had to break into the same castle they had just escaped.

The aroma of the frying trout and the dancing firelight across the lake struck Inky right through his heart. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been or how much he had missed his friend until now, hearing his voice.

“And that little wizard, he climbed right up into a covered wagon of peaches, he did. Not only found us a way in but also got me an early breakfast.”

The group of children laughed along with Oglebee as he patted his stomach. Inky gently tapped the hawk’s neck, and as if by magic, it knew exactly what he wanted to do. The hawk glided off the branch with all the clatter of a snowflake. They dropped into the glow of the fire and were gently touching the ground by the time anyone spotted them. The children screamed and jumped, but Oglebee, the little man who knew no fear, sat motionless and watched the bird and its rider land beside him. A collective intake of breath circled the fire as the hawk folded its wings with Inky astride its back.

“I am most interested to hear you describe how dapper you looked in your silk tunic,” Inky said.

Oglebee’s smile spread from ear to ear. He stood and stepped to the hawk as Inky jumped from its back. Oglebee knelt down on one knee and grabbed Inky up in a bear hug that forced all the air from his lungs. “Enough, my friend. I missed you also,” Inky moaned.

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Oglebee let go and looked down at his friend. Tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. He brushed them away with the backs of his hands. “It’s about time you got here. I spend a good part of my days lookin’ at the sky, I do.”

They slipped into an easy conversation, as old friends do, even though they hadn’t known each other very long. Oglebee couldn’t report on the strange animal behavior. The entire lake area seemed to be unaffected.

The children continued to stare at Inky, unbelieving that the hero of so many a bedtime story stood right in front of them. The hawk became anxious this close to the children and the fire. Inky whispered to it, and a moment later, it flew off. One of the kids, a skinny little boy, raised his hand and got Inky’s attention.

“How do you get that bird to fly you around as it does?”

Inky answered, and that let loose a flood of questions. It had been many years since Inky had had contact with children. They were not like the princes and princesses he’d seen spoiled in many of the kingdoms he’d visited. These kids were likable. He laughed at some of their questions, and they laughed at some of his answers. On this night, another door opened to a new world for Inky. He never dreamed he could enjoy children so much.

As the fire shrank to a heap of glowing embers, the children snuggled deeper into their blankets and drifted off to sleep. Inky and Oglebee sat hugging their knees, looking out at the reflection of the moon over the lake. The only sound was the croaking of the bullfrogs and the occasional crack of an ember snapping in the fire. “You are helping many people here,” Inky said softly. “’Tis the noblest of what a man can do.”

“Now, I’m just plantin’ the fields, I am,” Oglebee said in a hushed voice.

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“Planting fields where nothing could grow, you seem able to harvest men as well as crops. Before you came, these families had nothing, least of all hope. The Queen told me you have changed all that.”

“Bo and some of the others, they organize it all, they do. I just plant. And ever so often, these youngsters come up to have a sleepout.

I enjoys them, I do. Weather’s been good. We worked out a way to get the streams from the mountains to flow to the fields. That was a lot of digging, it was.”

“All these people, they are mostly the ones we let loose from the dungeon. Them and some of their families, so you helped too.

“I gotta ask you something, I do. Where have you been? How come you never came to visit until now? It was kind of like havin’ your best friend pulled away,” Oglebee said as he found a stick and stoked the fire.

“Well, yes, that is a complicated subject. I did want to visit, but I didn’t.”

“That don’t make no sense.”

“My family, my friends, everyone I have cared about has died; I’ve outlived them all.” There it was. It came out in one sentence, the sentence that he had promised himself not to say out loud. The thought had kept him isolated for nearly a hundred years. He hugged his knees a little tighter.

“So,” Oglebee said. “That’s a dumb reason. I’ll have to think about that one, I will.”

Oglebee’s blanket was large enough for both of them. He spread it out and lay back with his hands behind his head. Inky did the same.

They stared into the night sky. The moon was large and golden.

“It’s the only thing, I think, that everybody can see,” Oglebee said.

“I mean, anyone ever in the whole history of the world has looked up and seen the moon, ’cept for blind people, I guess.”

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Inky, in all his years, had never thought of such a thing.

“I don’t think it’s changed much over the years, I don’t. So I think of all the people who’ve looked up at it just like we are. Like to put a message up there so everybody down here can read it. Maybe give it a think.”

“What would the message be?” Inky asked.

Oglebee thought for a moment, then said, “‘Be nice.’ Oh, I know it’s kind of simple, but maybe it needs to be.”

Inky thought about the enormity of Oglebee’s statement. Everyone who had ever lived had looked at it. After a while, a soft snore came from Oglebee’s direction. Inky smiled to himself.

A mist rose from the lake. It blanketed the surface of the water and reflected the moon as a golden blur. For a few moments, Inky was a child again camping with his two friends, Jayson and Samual. Their summers had seemed endless way back then. Every time he thought of them, the fond memories turned bitter. The witch doctor’s curse had not only shrunk him but slowed his aging. His friends had grown old.

He had watched as they became weak and gray while he had stayed young. He had gone to their funerals, then their children’s, and their grandchildren’s. By then, he had taught himself not to grow fond of anyone because he knew he would someday watch their burial. Now here he was with Oglebee, his best friend in the world, and these children.

“I’ll leave early in the morning,” he said to himself. The thought of eventually losing Oglebee was one of infinite sadness. “Best to forget him now.” Inky turned over and pulled the blanket snugly around him while the shroud of mist grew thicker across the lake.

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C hapter 7 Inky had no feeling of waking. He came out of a deep sleep listening to nothing. That was probably what woke him. The complete silence aroused a sense of danger that stirred him. After a moment of motionlessness, he opened his eyes. The noisy chorus of chirps, peeps, and croaks was now gone. A muffled sound, like a flap of a cloak, drifted through the woods behind him. Moving as little as he could, he turned his head to look in the direction of the sound. A flickering glow sliced silently through the dark. Emerging from the silhouetted tree trunks came a group of people with crackling torches. As quietly as possible, he pulled off his covers and crouched by his friend.

A line of the most bedraggled women he had ever laid eyes upon stood shoulder to shoulder. The line bent around in a semicircle.

They stood motionless, each holding a torch and staring straight at the campsite. Old, young, skinny, and plump, they stood as still as statues. The rippling torchlight made an eerie effect on the ground for an instant and looked as though they floated just above the soil. Inky knew what they were but had never seen so many together at one time.

He eased his head back down and poked Oglebee’s shoulder.

“Oglebee, wake up. We have visitors.”

“Ummph, not time to get up yet, it isn’t. I can tell. It’s too dark.”

Inky gave him a sharper jab in the back. “Listen to me. There are a great many women standing only a few feet from us.”

Oglebee rolled back over and pushed himself up on his elbow.

“What in the world…”

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“What I am trying so urgently to tell you is that we are only moments away from being overrun by a group of extremely unattractive women.

And I am being overly kind when I use the word ‘unattractive.’” He looked over to Oglebee, but he wasn’t there.

“Oh, no,” Inky whispered to himself. Oglebee was already walking towards the women. Inky stood and ran after him.

“It may be wise to allow me to talk to them,” Inky said, running behind Oglebee.

“Naw, I’ve learned from you, I have.” Oglebee cleared his throat.

“Now, what can I do for an extremely unattractive group of women like yourselves on a fine autumn night like this?”

The effect was immediate. Some of the women growled, some hissed, and a few reached out as if to claw his face.

“Oglebee, why did you insult them?” Inky asked.

“What? You said you were being extremely kind when you called them unattractive.”

The line of women in front of Inky and Oglebee separated to form a wide opening. The tallest and ugliest woman either had ever seen emerged from the darkness. The others bowed their heads as she entered the circle and walked toward the two small men. By now, most of the children were awake. One look at the group standing before them, and they ran along the lake back to their parents.

The witch’s eyes were just a shade darker than the puffy bags beneath them. Two misshapen ears stuck out through greasy, shoulder-length hair. A huge black mole clung to the right of her mouth. She touched it with the gnarled fingers from her right hand.

An equally unattractive witch stepped out from behind the tall one. The short, skinny girl kept her head down.

“Petit et très petit,” the tall hag said. The rest of the women in the circle laughed.

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“What did she say?” Oglebee whispered.

“It’s French. She called us small and very small.”

Oglebee reached down for a rock lying beside his sandal. “Let’s see if she thinks this rock is small when I chuck it at her bony carcass.”

Then before Inky could stop him, Oglebee hurled the stone at the bedraggled figure.

“Pour moi?” She flicked a finger at the rock streaking toward her.

The stone changed directions in midair and circled straight back at Oglebee. He had just enough time to duck. The rock flew past and splashed into the lake behind them.

Oglebee dusted himself off. “I wish she would stop speaking French. It’s like they have a different word for everything.”

“Very well, I will speak so even grubs like you may understand.”

She smiled, showing her yellow teeth and rotten gums. “This is my daughter.” She pulled the young girl close to her side and ran her hand through the girl’s greasy hair.

“Her heart has been broken,” She paused. “By a liar.” The others in the circle became very still; their eyes darted from one to another. With her voice still rising, the old witch screamed, “Someone has proposed marriage but has not followed through!” She yanked her daughter by the ear, pulling her in front. “Now, which one of you did it? Which one of you asked her to marry him?”

Still looking at the ground, the unfortunate girl brought her hand up and pointed at Oglebee. Several gasps went through the onlookers, but the loudest gasp came from Oglebee.

The crone pointed at Oglebee. “Say it now in front of all. Did you ask my daughter to wed?”

“Naw, I’d never marry her. Even if you were a witch and you cast an evil spell on me.” He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned.

“Oglebee,” Inky whispered, “they are witches.”

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Oglebee’s eyes grew wide, and the grin disappeared. “Oh, I hate witches, I do. But I never asked anyone to marry me. I don’t wanna get married, at least not to any of them.”

“Yes, you did,” the daughter spoke up. “I met you on the way home from the field. You asked if I would come home and live with you.”

Oglebee looked confused. “You were the dog?”

“You lie and insult us. Now you will pay.” A smile twisted across the old hag’s weathered face as her hand rose towards Oglebee.

“Wait one moment.” Inky stepped in front of Oglebee. “My friend may want to reconsider. This comes as a shock to him, but marriage is a fine institution.”

“Wait one long minute,” Oglebee said, looking at Inky.

“Let me handle this. She may just be bluffing,” Inky whispered.

“She looks pretty serious to me, she does.”

“Well, don’t let that bother you.”

“Would it bother you?” Oglebee whispered.

“Enough of your whispering. I will be back tomorrow night, and if you’ve not fled like a coward, you will either marry or be cursed.”

“Sounds like the same thing to me,” Oglebee said, looking at the girl.

“Remember this, my family always lives with the coven, so I will always be there to watch over you.” The same sliver of a smile crept across her face again. With that, she turned and pulled the young girl with her. She strode through the opening, and the daughter followed, but not without giving a quick look back over her shoulder at Oglebee.

Two by two, the line of witches filed in behind them, disappearing into the woods. The air became lighter, and crickets began to chirp.

“A curious turn of events.” Inky looked up at his friend. “I don’t suppose it’s always this exciting out here in your neck of the woods.”

“I’m not gettin’ married, I’m not. I wouldn’t want to live in the middle of that bunch. No, no.”

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“There are some very odd things going on here. Perhaps we could sit out on your water balcony and discuss our course of action. I, for one, do not think that I could go back to bed, even at this hour.”

“Naw, don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep for a week after gettin’ a good look at that bunch. What happened to all the youngins?”

Inky looked at the village. “I believe they took off for home and by now have rousted their parents out of bed. It won’t be long before they start arriving to see what’s going on.”

“Witches they were,” Oglebee said under his breath.

He rekindled the fire, and the two sat looking out over the lake.

The crackling flames sent a million shadows dancing across the water.

“It was odd, though,” Inky said, “that they gave you time to think about marriage rather than telling you when the wedding would be.

And what was that business about running away? Would you have ever thought about leaving?”

“No,” Oglebee said. “Not thinking about getting married either.”

“But that’s what they want you to do,” a rough voice said.

Inky jerked his head around. “Who’s there?” He peered into the darkness.

“It is I, Shrogg.” A large dark bullfrog hopped out from a clump of cattails near the water’s edge.

“Shrogg’s a frog,” Oglebee said.

“Indeed I am, at least for the time being. Inkydomus, you are quite correct in assuming that this is not a circumstance of forced marriage.”

“What’s he saying?”Oglebee asked. “He uses big words, especially for a frog.”

“Yes, my amphibious friend, what are you saying?” Inky asked.

“I am saying that the witches do not want him as an in-law. They wish you to leave the lake area. You are in their way. You thwart their dreams.”

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“In their way for what?” Oglebee asked.

“That I do not know,” the frog said, looking somewhat proud of himself. “But they have been here quite some time trying to get control of the lake. They came from a region in the mountains called the French Pyrénées. The witches call themselves The Coven of Rennesle-Château.”

“And how do you know these things?” Inky asked.

“Only a few months ago, I was a man, a traveling author. I have heard the story of you, Inkydomus, and your friend here saving a kingdom. So I set off across the land to hear the story and write about it to add to the stories I have already gathered about you. If they are even half true, your life has been very impressive indeed.”

A smaller frog hopped out of the bushes and positioned itself right beside Shrogg, its snout resting against the side of his white belly.

“This is my friend, Anura,” Shrogg said sheepishly. She was light green with smooth, slimy skin. She closed her eyes and rubbed her face against Shrogg’s side.

“It looks like the frog here has himself a girlfriend.” Oglebee elbowed Inky. “Watch out there, Shrogg, or she will be giving you warts.”

“Yes, well, you would do better keeping company with a frog than the dogs you have recently been spending time with.”

“I suppose he’s right, he is,” Oglebee said.

The smaller frog shot a long tongue and snatched a firefly out of the air. She offered it to Shrogg, who declined.

“As I was saying, I was crossing the mountains when I came to a hillside of beautiful spring flowers. The bright sunshine must have aroused the butterflies because there were thousands of them flitting from flower to flower. Oh, that was a sight worthy of a sonnet.”

“He sure talks funny, he does. Do you suppose that’s the way all talking frogs go on?” Oglebee asked. Inky shook his head.

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“Well, I spied two dirty women chasing after the butterflies, laughing and giggling. I was surprised to see anyone that far out in the wilderness. I approached them, and to my horror, I saw they were not only chasing these beautiful butterflies but also catching them. They pulled their wings off and ate their bodies. They stuck the beautifully colored wings on their sweaty faces and arms.

“When they saw me, they lost interest in the butterflies. I decided it was best to drop my pack in the tall flowers and not divulge what I was doing. I had a bad feeling about them. I knew they were not normal people. I was repulsed, but when they beckoned me back toward their camp, I followed, not knowing why. As we approached, I could smell the place before I ever laid eyes on it. It was horrible. And for some strange reason, the light dimmed there. I shivered as one does when a dark cloud passes over and the temperature drops.” He hopped closer to them.

“The vilest creatures surrounded me. They circled me somewhat as they did you tonight but then snarled and screeched in French. I think maybe this group would have tried to cook me if their leader had not stepped out of her hut at that moment. She shoved several others out of her way and stepped into the circle. With a raised hand, she silenced the group.” Shrogg shot out his tongue and licked one eye, then the other. “She said something in French, and they all laughed.

Not a funny laugh but a mean one. A big mole right in the center of her forehead bounced as she walked closer.”

“Her forehead?” Oglebee asked.

“Please let Shrogg continue his story,” Inky said to Oglebee.

“She smiled at me with brown crooked teeth.” “‘I think I would like to have frog legs for dinner tonight,’ she said in English, then snapped her hands at me as if she were flicking off water.

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“Well, my friends, I can tell you now, that was the most horrible moment of my life. My skin began to burn, and I felt like I had dropped through a hole in the earth. The witches moaned as if disappointed.

I think they believed that they would be eating man-sized frog legs, but the head witch did something wrong. I had turned into a rather ordinary frog. In the end, they all became uninterested and sort of melted away. That is except for Lottiebien, the leader, who tried to stomp me into the ground. To my surprise, I was quite the hopper, and I escaped intact. For the next several days, I flitted from bush to bush.

I looked for water as a normal frog would.” Shrogg glanced across the lake.

Anura did not leave Shrogg’s side. She ribbitted twice.

“What about your girlfriend here?” Oglebee asked. “What was she before she was a frog?”

“A tadpole, I presume,” Shrogg said with a hint of impatience, then continued his story. “I would sneak back to safety under their shelters at night. I was continually on the watch for a hawk or a snake to ambush me.”

Inky and Oglebee looked at each other.

“I listened through the floorboards. Lottiebien was always screaming, always planning a way to get the lake for herself. Do you know that they were ready to burn down the entire farm? They would have, too, except for that week of rain. There was always something to ruin their plans. Then just a few days ago, I was hit with another spell or curse or something. After that, I could speak again. Found out there were quite a few people turned into animals by these witches. I’ve spoken to a few myself.”

Inky, Oglebee, Shrogg, and Anura sat in silence for a while, letting this information soak in. Groups of lights twinkled in the lake village.

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turn woke their neighbors. Before long, a line of torches wound its way along the edge of the lake toward them.

“Let’s not frighten them any more than need be,” Inky said as the people approached. “Maybe it would be best if they did not make your acquaintance tonight, Shrogg. Witches and talking frogs may be too much for them to handle in one night.”

The villagers gathered in their nightshirts, frightened and uneasy.

Inky explained to the farmers what had happened, omitting the fact that these witches had already turned several people into small animals.

The news was received with anger and fear.

“Witches? Here? After everyone has worked so hard?” Bo paced the campsite.

“Don’t you worry a bit,” Oglebee said to the crowd that had gathered. “It will take more than a bunch of bony, stinky witches to run me off, it will.”

Inky stood in front of the farmers. “We must remember that this was not an attack. They have injured no one. For some reason, I believe they cannot take the lake in that way. Our interest will be best served by keeping our wits and being cautious.”

“I’d still like to sting the side of one of their heads with these.”

Tupelo tossed a rock casually in his hand. “The hypnotized never lie!” he shouted.

Inky put up his hands. “I do not think that would be wise.”

“Or possible,” Oglebee said.

“We should all get some rest and see what tomorrow brings,” Inky said to the crowd. “Go back to your families. We appreciate your cooperation.”

The farmers made their way back toward their homes, some talking in muffled voices.

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“Do you want to sleep here or indoors?” Oglebee asked Inky.

“I believe that any danger will be faced tomorrow, not now. Here under the stars will be fine.”

“Witches. I hate witches.” Oglebee mumbled as he drifted back to sleep. “I liked that little dog, though.”

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C hapter 8 The morning was bright and chilly when they woke the next day.

Inky sat on a rock in the sunshine and said his morning prayers as Oglebee tidied up the campsite. They went back to Oglebee’s cottage to clean themselves and eat breakfast, which consisted of honey and raspberry bread given to Oglebee by village women. Doves cooed outside a window ledge. Somewhere across the lake, a rooster crowed.

Oglebee was anxious to show Inky his invention, one that allowed the crops to ripen even though the farm had existed only a couple of months.

“You do have the ability not to let things bother you,” Inky told his friend. He had been thinking about the witches all morning. But Oglebee apparently had not.

“Nope. Most things people worry about never happen, they don’t,” Oglebee said as they started walking toward the farm. A flock of ducks glided over the lake, then disappeared behind a clump of golden oak trees. Somewhere in the distance, Tupelo shouted, “Bald cats bark louder!”

Inky cast a confused look to Oglebee.” What was that all about?”

Oglebee shook his head. “Don’t ask. He’s a little strange.”

The trip took longer than usual because of the length of Inky’s strides. But they enjoyed the time talking as they walked. Inky wanted to know about the farm, the crops, and, more importantly, the queen’s visits.

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“I think she likes it out here, she does. She likes the people, too.

And oh, do they love her. She sure don’t act like a queen out here, and she gets more beautiful each time I see her.”

Inky smiled. “You mustn’t let the king hear you say that.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t think too much of him. If I were king, I would sure pay more attention to the queen. He doesn’t seem to notice much.

And what kind of a king has a gaggle of witches living just outside his kingdom and knows nothing about it?”

Inky stopped walking. “That, my friend, is a good question.”

Oglebee’s invention stood wickedly in a barn as the mid-morning light blazed through the open doors. It looked more like a weapon than something used on a farm.

“It’s a seed drill,” Oglebee said as they stood beside the ominouslooking vehicle. “We wanted to plant the seeds and let them start growing even before we cleared the land. So I built this.”

It was a horse-drawn wagon like the ones the farmers carried their produce in. The attachment in the back was the thing that made it different. A long wooden arm was attached to the bed with a hinge. This arm extended over the rear into the wagon. There, another wooden beam was attached crossways. A dozen or so very sharp spikes had been hammered through the cross beam. The spikes were long enough to reach the ground.

“See, what happens is we drive along the patch we want planted.

We get six big strong men back here in the bed to lift up the arm.”

Oglebee pointed to the six handles fastened to the long beam.

“Every few feet, they pick up the beam and drop it. It makes twelve deep round holes, it does. We got people walking behind the wagon with bags of seeds, dropping them into the holes. Then later, we can come back and clear the land. So the seeds start growing even before we clear the land. Saves a lot of time, it does.”

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Inky was duly impressed. “So this is how you have the crops ripen so soon. You never cease to amaze me.”

Oglebee showed Inky the rest of the barn; then, they walked to the village. The women cooked a group lunch, and the smell of food drew the pair toward a long table in the center of the village. One of the women rang the huge bell that signaled the men to come in from the field. Inky recognized many people from the night he and Oglebee had caught giant eels out of the moat for a community fish fry. The women laughed and joked with Oglebee. Inky was given a perfectly carved chair his size at a place of honor on the table.

“I told them you would come here one day, and they wanted to make sure everything was right for you. They even carved a plate and a mug for you, they did.”

The ladies fell all over themselves to make sure that he had a helping of everything they served. Inky watched as two of the ladies walked toward his table carrying jugs of what looked to be strawberry lemonade. One of the ladies laughed. It was the kind of laugh that caught Inky’s attention right away. As she came closer, he saw that she had golden hair, the color of the straw at the end of summer, and light green eyes. They began filling the mugs, starting at the opposite end of the table. The closer they came, the more beautiful the laughing lady looked. She filled Oglebee’s mug with the last of her lemonade and turned to Inky, who suddenly realized that he had been staring at her the entire time.

“I’ll be right back with—” Her green eyes met Inky’s cold black eyes and she froze. She didn’t finish her sentence, and Inky couldn’t start a new one. Their eyes locked as if no one else existed. Then she turned and hurried away. The people around continued to talk and laugh and eat. No one else seemed to notice that something had just happened between them. Nobody except Oglebee. He stared at Inky and raised 166

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his bushy eyebrows. Inky waited for the laughing lady to bring out more lemonade, but when it came, the pitcher was carried by another.

Afterward, Inky and Oglebee walked to the construction area.

Large buildings were being built to store more food for the winter.

Oglebee explained that in the next two years, they were hoping to add livestock to the farm.

“This is truly amazing.” Inky looked from left to right at the tidy farm. The farmers were as organized as bees in a hive. “And these workers, they’re the people who had nothing, least of all hope. And now, they’re building their own future.”

“I told them how to plant, and they did the rest.”

“No, I cannot agree with you there. You gave them leadership; you gave them a vision of the life they could have. You saved them from an unkind life of misery.”

“You’re starting to talk like that frog, you are.”

By late afternoon most of the workers had gone home to their families. Nearly all had come by to ask what they could do when the witches came back. The concern on their faces was not for their own safety but for the safety of Oglebee and Inky.

Oglebee waved them off. “Don’t worry, we’ll handle them. Get yourselves a good night’s rest.”

On the way back to his cottage, he asked Inky, “What are we going to do?”

“Why, my friend? Are you starting to worry?” Inky looked up at Oglebee. “I think we will surprise them by doing something that they would never expect us to do.”

Even after much questioning, all Oglebee received in the way of an answer was, “We’ll surprise them.” After dinner, which consisted of the same bread and honey from breakfast, they sat on the porch next to the lake. As much as Inky had enjoyed the day, he’d looked forward 167

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to just sitting with his friend. They had lighted several torches around the cottage. The stars began to dot the sky. After a long silence, Oglebee said, “Mayhap they won’t come.”

“Oh, I assure you, they will come,” a voice said from the bushes.

Both Inky and Oglebee jumped. Shrogg hopped up onto the wooden planking. Anura hopped up beside him.

Sintya, Oglebee’s snake, slithered out the door and coiled up, flicking her tongue at the two frogs. Shrogg’s bulging eyes got even bigger. Anura rubbed closer.

“Don’t worry,” Oglebee said, “As long as you’re talking to us, she knows we’re friends. Besides, I think her tongue tells her you aren’t a normal frog.”

“What about Anura? She’s a normal frog.”

“Well, I figure,” Oglebee said, “that she has rubbed up against you so much you both kind of smell alike.”

“Is that supposed to be humorous?” Shrogg then turned toward Inky. “I want you to know, Inkydomus, that we will be near when the time comes that you need us. And you will need us.” With that, Shrogg and Anura plopped into the lake.

They sat in chairs that had been made especially for them. “These chairs are everywhere,” Inky said.

“Ya, the people made bunches of them. They were always asking me, they were, when you were coming. They really love you, they do, for putting those royals in the storage room that night in the palace, for getting some of them out of the dungeon, and bringing those eels to fry that night.”

“Yes, but you helped with those things, too.”

“Ya, and they also made me chairs. But it don’t bother me. Why is it that you have trouble letting people be nice to you? They just want to say thank you. You know, be friendly. I like having a chair that fits.

That don’t make me selfish.”

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Inky wanted to tell him that everyone he had allowed himself to grow close to was now gone. He wanted to say that people being nice made him like them, and he would start to care about them. Inky wanted to ask Oglebee how many friends he would try to make if he knew that he would live longer than them.

“Let me ask you something,” Inky tried to change the subject. “Did you happen to notice a lady at lunch today?”

“You mean the one that stopped in the middle of her sentence and ran away while you sat there with your mouth open and couldn’t muster a word to say back to her, then sat like a lovesick puppy dog the rest of lunch?”

Inky opened his mouth to say something, then decided against it.

“Yes, that would be the one.”

“Yaw, what about her?”

Inky leaned forward. “Well, who is she?”

“Don’t know. She only got here a few days ago. I’ll find out if you want. Looks like you can’t manage to line up enough words in a row to ask about her yourself.”

A soft snap made both of them turn their heads toward the lake.

Seeing nothing, they both sat back uncomfortably in their chairs. The stars in the sky seemed a little dimmer, and the trees a little darker.

The sounds of frogs and other night creatures came only from the other side of the lake. Their side was quiet. It was as if the wildlife had abandoned them.

“Not the first time I’ve heard something over there in the last few minutes,” Inky said. “I don’t think the witches would make any sound at all. Doesn’t sound like an animal, though. Maybe I’m just getting a little jumpy.”

“Nope, I’ve been hearing something, too. I just didn’t want you thinking I was getting too worried about things ahead of time. You do have a plan, don’t you?”

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“Worry not,” Inky said.

They waited. All the animals were still now, and the lake looked like a black mirror that lay out before them. Inky had the feeling there were many things around them that he could not see.

“Have you ever heard of the witching hour?” Oglebee asked.

“Because I think this is it.”

“I believe witching hour is the time when the night creatures go to sleep and the day creatures are not quite awake yet. All is quiet and nothing moves.” Inky felt a chill as a breeze blew across the brittle leaves in the forest. They sat and stared into the black night while an invisible blanket of unease settled around them.

Then, as if on cue, a lone dog howled in the distance. Others began to bark as a pack ran down through the dry leaves of the mountainside.

The yelping and snarling became louder as the pack neared the tree line where they would become visible. Inky expected to see a vicious group of dogs erupt from the darkness, but instead, the barking stopped, and a line of ugly hags emerged from the shadows.

They came halfway to where Inky and Oglebee sat. Every other one held a torch. Their appearance had not improved overnight.

Lottiebien walked through the group and stopped a few feet in front of the others. Inky and Oglebee walked toward her. Oglebee hesitated as they grew closer, but Inky continued confidently. A diluted blue hue shone from her eyes.

“What’s the plan?” Oglebee whispered.

“Don’t worry, my friend, I have a very good plan,” Inky whispered back.

“Well, now might be the time to share it,” Oglebee said without taking his eyes off the tall, bony witch. He looked at her more closely.

The large protruding mole was now on her left side.

“Look.” Oglebee pointed at the witch’s face. “That thing wasn’t on that side yesterday.”

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Inky ignored him. “Welcome back. I hope you’re all well on this fine autumn evening. ” He smiled warmly.

The witch leader put her hands on her hips. “I see you have not run away like cowards. Perhaps you have stayed like idiots. So, what have you decided about this proposal of marriage?” She narrowed her eyes as she stared down at them.

“My friend Oglebee would be delighted to marry your daughter.”

“What!” Oglebee blurted out.

Inky stepped on Oglebee’s foot. “Yes, I believe the ceremony should be performed as soon as possible. My friend here is ready. Would you like a warlock or priest to conduct this joyous celebration?”

“What are you do—“ Inky stepped on his foot again.

“OW!” “See how excited he is. What he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for in enthusiasm.”

The witch snarled and bent low and close to Oglebee. Her rancid breath blew back the hair from his forehead. She stamped her feet in the dirt and grabbed her greasy hair and pulled. Her long knuckled fingers traced across her cheek and plucked off the large dark mole. It turned out to be a tick. As she pinched it between her fingers, its tiny legs kicked in the air. The witch stared into Oglebee’s eyes as she put the engorged tick into her mouth and crunched it between her teeth.

Her own blood popped from it and oozed over her bottom lip.

Oglebee turned pale and began to sway.

“I would not have this miniature ogre in my family.” She turned on Inky. “And you, you are behind all of this marriage nonsense.”

“I must be mistaken. I was sure that last evening, on this very spot, you insisted that these two lovebirds wed. Perhaps you misspoke.

Perhaps even though your English is quite good, something was lost in translation. And what exactly is your wish, then? If they are not to be 171

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married, what is it you would like us to do?”

“No! You are not going to change things around. It is I who is in control here.” She walked around Oglebee, circling him like a shark.

Oglebee stood still. Only his eyes followed her to his left, then back to his right as she came around behind him.

“You think you are clever, you two tiny idiots!” She drew her lips tight across her sharp yellow teeth. “Here’s what I think of you.” She splayed her fingers wide and pointed them at Oglebee. Black sparks shot out of her hands. Oglebee covered his eyes. To everyone’s surprise, the sparks came only a few inches from his scrunched face and bounced aside as if an invisible shield protected him.

The witch lowered her hands and screamed with fury. Anguished cries came from the rest of the witches clustered around them.

“How did you do that?” Inky asked.

“Do what?” Oglebee asked with his eyes still closed.

Lottiebien’s muscles tensed in her jaws. Her right eye twitched. She seethed with anger.

“She just shot sparks at you, and they bounced off. If you didn’t make them do that, who did?” Inky whispered. Oglebee opened his eyes.

The witch paced back and forth around them. A smile spread across Oglebee’s face. He took a step toward her and stood up to his full three-foot height. “So, you and your band of uglies thought you could come here and push us around. Well, I don’t think so, I don’t.

And I think if I’m not fit to be kin to you or your barking daughter, then you just better trot back up the mountain.”

The witch stared at Oglebee. She stared so hard that she began to vibrate, and a small drop of blood trickled out of one nostril. Her head swiveled towards Oglebee’s cottage. She held her head back and laughed so hard that spit flew out of her mouth, illuminated by the torchlight. Still laughing, she turned and grabbed the torch from one 172

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of the unfortunate witches nearby.

“If I cannot remove you, I will burn you out of this place.” She walked past Oglebee toward his cottage. He stuck his leg out to trip her, but she simply stepped over it. As she brought the torch higher to ignite the roof, a stone whizzed out of the darkness. With a crunch of bones, it smacked into Lottiebien’s hand. The torch dropped to the ground and burned harmlessly.

“Everyone’s naked under their clothes,” Tupelo screamed, stepping out from behind a tree.

“Get the rock-throwing man!” Lottiebien screamed. As the witch band started towards Tupelo, another man stepped out from behind a bush with a pitchfork in his hands. Then another with an axe. Instantly, farmers stepped out from every bush or tree on Oglebee’s side of the lake and outnumbered the witches ten to one.

“I reckon we did hear someone back there, only they were on our side,” Oglebee whispered. Farmers continued to step out from hiding places. Soon it was difficult to distinguish the farmers from the trees.

Oglebee, feeling quite brave, took a step forward and puffed out his chest. “So, why don’t all you Frenchies go back home and relax? Go eat some frog legs or snails or slugs—whatever it is you eat. You’ll feel better in the morning, you will. Go ahead, shoo.”

Lottiebien held her throbbing hand, looked at Oglebee, then slowly smiled. Her smile was far more frightening than watching her scream and pull at her hair. “You and your big mouth have given me an idea, mon ami. Oui, I can look into your mind, even as small as it is.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. ”Maybe I cannot hurt you, but perhaps there is one you love. Tell me, Mon petit ami, who is it that holds your heart?”

A frightened look passed over Oglebee’s face. He glanced down at his hands, then up and at the sky. Inky knew he was trying to think about anything but the queen.

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“Oh, no, no!” The witch released a sickening giggle. “This is too perfect. What a naughty little commoner you are. How could a dirty urchin like you have such high hopes? Now let us see, what were you saying about us French and the things we love to eat? After tonight we’ll see who is loving the slugs.” She turned her back on Oglebee, Inky, and the farmers. “Let us leave these swine.” She clicked the fingers on her good hand and, in a thick fog, rolled down from the mountain. It washed like an ocean wave, and the witches instantly became invisible.

As soon as they were enveloped, the panting and barking started again. Something brilliantly blue hesitated at the edge of the mist, then limped away and disappeared.

Oglebee stood frozen to his spot. A tear trickled down his beard.

He wrung his hands.

“Did you happen to see a flash of blue just there before they left? I do believe that was the same fox I saw in the Royal Zoo on my first visit to the castle. If that’s so, it complicates things to no end.”

Oglebee continued wringing his hands. Even when the farmers raised a joyous cheer, he stood motionless. They hooted and hollered and slapped each other on the back. A celebration was about to break out.

Inky raised his hands. “We thank you for all your help, but now everyone should go home and get some much-needed rest.” The farmers, still loud and secure in their victory, filed back to their village.

Inky said, “I’m afraid, my friend, that this is just the beginning of our troubles. Tomorrow we must go back to the kingdom; I have some questions for the king.”

The next morning a thunderous knocking on the door awakened Inky and Oglebee. Two serious-looking royal guards wearing gleaming helmets and breastplates stood on Oglebee’s porch.

“Sir Inkydomus and Sir Oglebee.” The shorter guard saluted the pair. “You are summoned to the castle by orders of the king. We must 174

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leave immediately. You are permitted to bring only a few articles of clothing. If you’re not ready in two minutes’ time, we are to forcibly place you in our wagon.”

Inky and Oglebee did as they were told and hurried to the carriage without having time to eat or clean up. Oglebee did little packing but had the chance to find a canvas bag and slip Sintya into it. Inky brought an extra outfit for each of them.

The air was clean and crisp. Huge silvery clouds already hung high in the sky, soaking up the sun wherever they floated past.

Because of the queen’s journeys to and from the lake, the king ordered the road to be made smoother. This allowed the entourage quicker passage to the castle. Oglebee kept Sintya in the bag and smiled, knowing how the king felt about snakes. After a while, Oglebee fell asleep, and Inky passed the time watching the clouds and trying to figure out what could’ve happened at the castle to have them summoned with such haste.

The journey took less time than Inky had anticipated. The two white stallions pulling the carriage crossed the drawbridge and then cantered to the center of town with a chorus of hooves and wheels on cobblestone. They entered the main building through the carved visitor doors and were ushered through the castle.

“Well,” a sweet voice echoed through the hallway, “at any given tragedy, one may take a look around and find the likes of you two.” The blue Sammy walked down the hallway pulling the rickshaw contraption that he had used before to chauffeur them throughout the castle.

“Imagine my surprise when I was assigned to pull you around like an old nag.” He was dressed exactly like the first time Inky had seen him: oversized shorts and shiny tights, all in the same bright blue. His long neck, bald head, and thin legs gave him a bird-like appearance. All the Sammies were rude, but Inky brought out an even nastier disposition in this one.

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“I shall start calling you Gloom and Despair.”

Inky looked at him and smiled. “Could we possibly convince you to cease your useless observations, and take us to the queen?”

The Sammy tilted his head back and gave it a little shake. “How droll.”

Inky and Oglebee climbed into the rickshaw. Oglebee laid the bag with Sintya between them.

“We would also like you to keep your speed down to a trot, please,” Inky asked politely. “Is the king with the queen now?”

“No, he is not. Will you continue to ask these trite and unimaginative questions?”

Oglebee’s mood soured when he heard the king was not spending time with the queen. “I think the king should be with his wife if there is some kind of trouble here. What kind of husband is he?”

They rolled through the passageways until the Sammy spoke. “You are wrong.”

“Wrong about what?” Oglebee’s voice had a little sting to it.

The Sammy cleared his throat and slowed down. “Just about everything.” He shook his head and picked up the pace. “Never mind.

I do not know why I need to help everyone with everything in this castle. I should call you Death and Destruction. It will be a burden on myself, but if you two are going to aid in this situation at all, I am going to have to instruct you. Without my help, you would be as lost as the last time you were summoned.”

The Sammy’s strange behavior confused Inky. “It was more like a kidnapping,” Inky shot back.

The Sammy sighed. “You are wrong in assuming that the king cares about the queen; he does not. You are also wrong about the queen being his wife. She is not.”

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Inky and Oglebee looked at each other. There was such an utter silence between them that the Sammy stopped pulling and turned to look at them.

“Oh, don’t be so thick. It happens among the royals all the time.”

He started pulling again. “How do you two get along without me?”

Inky had been around enough royal families to know that this definitely did not happen all the time. Queens were always married to kings. He’d been in some strange kingdoms, but this one was passing all the others by leaps and bounds.

“For how long has she not been married to him?” Oglebee asked.

“Several years now. But besides you, only a few people know about it. A priest was brought in to do the coronation, and many thought a wedding also, but I was there, and I know what I saw. It was definitely not a wedding.”

“But why? Why would he want her as a queen and not a wife?”

Oglebee scratched his head.

The Sammy looked up and down the corridor, then stepped closer and lowered his voice. “The king was losing his power. Everyone hated him and thought him a weak leader. Then when his parents died, there were no revenues coming in.” The Sammy took a quick glance down the hall. “The kingdom was headed for ruin, and he knew no one who could help without giving up some of his power. So someone came up with the idea of a queen. Well, they brought her in, and immediately everyone fell in love with her. She smiles, and everyone is ready to become loyal servants. She helps save the kingdom and takes none of his power. Since they are not married, she does not own half the kingdom.”

“But what’s in it for the queen?”

“That’s just it, you dumb troll. She gets to be queen without having to marry the king. Think about it. Have you ever heard her call him 177

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‘my husband?’ She always calls him ‘the king,’ and he always calls her ‘the queen.’”

Oglebee sat back and shook his head. “Nope, I don’t believe it, I don’t. I can’t see her wanting to be a queen for selfish reasons. That’s too uppity for her. Nope, she’s not like that.”

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Inky said to himself.

The Sammy resumed a pulling position, and they began to roll again. Before long, they reached a marble-tiled hallway with gilded torch holders and beautiful paintings on the walls. Two guards stood beside carved mahogany doors. The metal of their swords and helmets reflected the flames of the torches. The Sammy’s footsteps were the only sounds except for the whispering flames of the torches.

“Who goes there?” asked one of the guards.

“Oh, must we go through this every time,” the Sammy said. “Just knock on the door.”

The guard looked at his partner, shrugged his shoulders, and knocked.

The door opened a crack and the guard whispered to someone inside. This silent conversation went on for several seconds until the guard looked back over his shoulder and waved them in. They passed the guards and started to enter the room.

“No, just the two small ones. You, skinny legs, you stay out here with us.”

The blue Sammy walked back by the guard with a chrome helmet.

He stopped and looked at his reflection in the shiny surface, curled back his upper lip, and scratched a piece of food from between his teeth with his fingernail.

“How droll,” he said.

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C hapter 9 A stout woman in a white smock motioned them in. Her gray hair was pinned up in a bun. A musty odor nearly knocked them over as they entered the lavish bedroom. Chandeliers suspended from chains hung from the high ceiling. Windows took up one entire wall, but all the drapes had been drawn. Rich burgundy curtains softened the gray block walls. Several people, all dressed like the stout woman, moved around quietly.

Inky and Oglebee were led to chairs that were placed facing the bed. Inky had been very sure that the queen was ill, but as they neared the bed, he did not see what he expected.

Her head and arms were exposed, but a sheet covered the rest of her body. Clear slime glazed the queen’s skin. Her black hair, matted to her scalp, left a wet stain on her pillow. She held a handkerchief in her hand to wipe the slime out of her eyes as it dripped down her forehead.

Oglebee helped Inky into a chair and then sat on the other. He held the bag containing Sintya and the clothes.

“What happened to you, your queenness,” Oglebee blurted out.

“It is not my best look, now is it, Oglebee?” She tried to smile. “To answer your very candid question, I’m not at all sure. I awoke in the night feeling very wet. I rolled over and felt as if I could have slid out of bed and across the floor.” She coughed thickly and began to choke. The attendants in the room rushed to her side. One of the nurses stepped in a puddle of slime that had dripped down the mattress and onto the floor. She slipped and fell flat, causing more confusion.

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“I am all right,” Queen Rayne said to the head nurse. She turned to Oglebee. “Just a little drainage, you see. Now, how are things at the lake? I do suspect that the fall leaves are even more beautiful than when I visited last. I’m very interested in how the crops are coming along.”

“Now look here.” Oglebee leaned forward in his chair and spoke in a tone that Inky had never heard him use with the queen. “Don’t be worrying about nothing except getting back on your feet. We’ll take care of things at the farm.”

The queen opened her mouth to say something but broke out in another horrible coughing fit. Ragged choking coughs, deep and wet, erupted from the queen’s small body.

“Out, the both of you,” the sturdy nurse said as she came up behind them. “It’s very hard for her to talk without choking. And she’s been trying to talk since you came.”

Oglebee helped Inky out of his chair and they were ushered out.

The queen watched them go with sad eyes. Oglebee did not have the chance to say goodbye. Out in the hallway with the mahogany doors closed behind them, Inky looked at his friend.

“The witches,” they both said at the same time.

“They’ve done something really bad to her, and it’s my fault, it is.

I’m the one that started this whole business, talking to that dog. Then I had to go and think about her when that witch was readin’ my mind.”

“Oglebee,” Inky whispered, “there’s more going on here than kindness to a dog. Much more.”

“Well, I’m not going anywhere; I’m stayin’ here.” Oglebee crossed his arms over his chest. “She needs company, she does, lying in there, dripping all over the place.”

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bushy black eyebrows. The two guards posted at the doors had been standing there all along, staring down at them and listening.

“What are you two lookin’ at?” Oglebee yelled at them. Surprised, they both snapped to attention and stared straight ahead.

Inky raised his hand. “Oglebee, don’t get yourself so worked up. I happen to agree with you.”

Oglebee took a step toward the guards. “Yeah, well, I’ll take those two shiny helmets off of you, and I’ll—” He turned to Inky. “What did you say? You agree with me?”

“Yes, let’s see if we can make some arrangements.” Inky turned and tapped lightly on the door. The stout nurse pulled the door open and looked out, then down. “May I have a word?”

The nurse would not agree with anything that Inky said until he mentioned that he was somewhat worried about the queen’s safety, which was not entirely a lie. Her eyes narrowed when he mentioned the king. After that, she and her staff listened to all of Inky’s suggestions.

Inky walked back out to talk with Oglebee. “When you need me, I’ll come, but until then, stay here.”

Oglebee walked through the door and did not look back.

The Sammy kept his sharp tongue unusually quiet. When they reached the guest doors, the Sammy said, “I have not seen inside the bedroom, but I’ve heard the whispers of those coming out. If the queen dies, the kingdom will crumble. Who can the king protect if he cannot protect his own queen? Do whatever it is you do and do not falter.

Heaven help us all if you cannot save the queen.”

The Sammy pulled the huge door shut, leaving Inky standing alone in the empty street. He pulled out his flute and played and waited for the strange music to float to the hawk. It arrived within moments, and they began the flight back to Oglebee’s cottage. Inky was so immersed in thought that he did not realize the hawk was circling over Kettlefish 181

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Lake. They soared like that for quite a while, the hawk allowing Inky to think without any earthly disturbances. Only when the sky began to turn pink did Inky grasp that they had been circling all afternoon.

The hawk shot across the darkening sky and landed on the porch. A candle had been left burning on Oglebee’s table. Beside the candle was a plate of delicious-looking food, along with a pitcher of strawberry lemonade. For the first time all day, Inky smiled.

Before he ate, he built a fire in the fireplace. The food was as tasty as it looked. After the meal of fried fish, baked apple, and pumpkin pudding Inky fell fast asleep. He slept on even when distant thunder rolled across the lake.

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C hapter 10 Without breakfast, Inky left the warmth of Oglebee’s home and stepped out into the gloom. His usually dazzling white hair became as gray and lifeless as the sky. Within a few moments, it became plastered to his head, and the rain dripped down into his eyes and off his long nose.

He walked through the wetness for several minutes until he reached the edge of the woods. It took another several minutes to find a stone in the right spot for his needs. The forest became soaked, but by searching under the leaf litter, Inky found enough dry sticks for kindling. Then he gathered long branches and built a shelter large enough for himself and a small fire. A small flint stone from his robe ignited it. He sat on the stone and watched the smoke rise through the crack between the branches. He began to pray.

The cracks that allowed the smoke to pass through also allowed the rain in. Water soaked his robe and continued to run down his hair and into his eyes. The sun was only a ghostly blur as it slid across the darkened sky. Morning passed into afternoon, and Inky continued to pray. The hawk, who had most certainly been watching from the trees, swooped down with a beak full of dry twigs and dropped them on the fire.

Tupelo watched the little man from a distance. He sat in the rain nearly as still as Inky. The forest was void of any other life and as desolate as an abandoned mine. The drizzle continued.

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The farmers mulled around nervously. It was the first time Oglebee had not come to work with them. Everyone at the camp waited without knowing what they were waiting for. Bo sent most of them home to work on their own just to get them out of his way. Time passed very slowly at Kettlefish Lake.

The rain started to fall in earnest, with big fat drops crashing onto the fallen leaves that covered the forest floor. A distant boom of thunder echoed across the mountain. Black clouds rolled in. Tupelo rose to a crouch to get a better view of the still-motionless Inky. A few wet leaves were swept up and carried through the branches as a wind began to blow.

Finally, after several hours, Inky’s eyes slowly opened. A brilliant burst of jagged light shattered the sky and ripped into a century-old oak. The lightning splintered the tree and shook the ground. Inky sat stone-like. Tupelo looked up to the sky and then sprinted back toward the barn in silence. The rain came harder, and the wind whistled through the trees.

Inky stood slowly and pushed the shelter so that it fell away from the fire. He watched the flames as the rain pelted them. The fire hissed and steamed, and after a few moments, nothing was left except a pile of salt-and-pepper-colored ashes. Then, as Inky stared down, a peculiar thing began to happen. The raindrops created a pattern in the ashes. A very detailed map formed in front of Inky’s eyes. Mountains, valleys, and even lakes and rivers were forming with more clarity than any map Inky had ever seen. Then the rain stopped, the wind died, and clouds parted. The sun shone down, and Inky felt the warmth across his shoulders. A bird sang from a distant branch.

At the edge of the ashes, on what looked to be the side of a forest, glowed a red-orange ember. Inky stared and realized the path to saving the queen lay with that ember. The hawk landed beside Inky and stared at the ash map.

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“Can you take me to this place?” Inky pointed to the glow. The hawk craned its neck to scan the map, then let out a small screech.

“Not too enthusiastic about this, are you my friend?” The hawk’s golden eyes met Inky’s for an instant. It unfolded its wings and left the forest floor. A breeze blew around Inky’s feet and formed itself into a tiny funnel that raced across the ashes. It erased all the detailed features, then finally twisted across the one glowing ember, extinguishing it.

Inky turned to walk back to the cottage. An eerie feeling crept over him. He jerked around, expecting to find someone following him. The only thing that caught his attention was a lone leaf fluttering in the breeze. He turned and looked back once more, then continued down the path. The leaf slowly turned over, showing its light underside and the open eye beneath it.

“You’re leaving?” Bo asked. “Why?” The two sat at Oglebee’s wooden table. Three homemade candles burned in the middle. Their odor was not pleasant. “My friend, the problems are here, yes. But the answers are not.” Inky exclaimed that he didn’t know where he was going or what he was going to find. He didn’t know how far away or when he would be back.

“But what will I tell the workers? Oglebee is gone, and you will not be here. They have no one to calm their fears.”

“Aw, but they do. They have you. Tell them the truth; let them know that we are doing all we can. You have always been a leader to them.”

Bo reconsidered for a moment, then stood and looked out the open window. The morning was cool and crisp and not as gloomy as the day before. The hawk sat perched on a railing of the porch. It looked from side to side, then ruffled and smoothed its feathers.

Bo and Inky stepped out of the cottage together. “Send word to Oglebee that I am searching for answers, but do not allow him to know that I have left. I don’t wish to worry him in the way that I seem to 185

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worry you. And please,” Inky said with a twinkling in his eye, “don’t go calling on any of those beautiful witches.”

Bo just stared at him. The hawk leaped off the rail and landed beside Inky. He climbed on its back, and they were off. They climbed higher than Inky had ever gone before. The ground seemed an incredibly long way down, and the wind was much stronger amongst the clouds.

By noon Inky’s arms ached from the cold and were sore from hanging on so tightly. It was getting colder wherever they were going, and his eyes began to water. Hunger wormed its way through his stomach.

By evening he couldn’t remember ever being so uncomfortable. As the sun set, the hawk dropped lower, searching for a spot to spend the night. Its sharp eyes fixed on a huge flat stone in the middle of a roaring stream.

It circled twice, then dropped between the trees and landed on the stone. The rushing water was very loud. Inky didn’t realize that the hawk had left until he turned to look for it. Moments later, it returned, clutching dry sticks and twigs. Then it was gone again. Inky managed to get a fire going and then studied the darkening woods on both sides.

He felt more trapped than protected by the torrent around him. Before long, the hawk was back. It landed noisily and dropped a freshly killed field mouse near the fire. With a few well-placed pecks, the hawk ripped out several hunks of flesh, dropping each in front of Inky. The little man managed to spear each piece on a stick, and before long, they were roasting over the fire.

The hawk left for the night not long after Inky finished with the meat. Inky had the feeling it had gone to a nearby tree to sleep and felt safer knowing it was close. Sleep was difficult on the hard stone. The air was cold and damp, and Inky had the continual feeling that he was being watched. He wondered if the witch had that kind of power, like a crystal ball with which to see what he was up to. He awoke in the 186

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morning feeling like a dog that had slept out in the rain. The mist from the stream was cold and soaking. The first sight that met Inky’s gaze that morning was the head of the hawk bending down to look at him.

“Eager to be off, my friend?” Inky said as he stood up.

The hawk looked side to side.

“You feel it too, don’t you? This is a strange and mystical land, and I will be very pleased to be shed of it.”

Inky climbed on the back of the hawk. “Let’s be off then.” They left the campsite and stream behind. Near the surface beside a rock, a fish turned quickly, revealing its silver-white side. There, in a pattern on the scales, was a large eye. It blinked once, then closed, and the fish disappeared into the murky water.

The wind became erratic, slamming the hawk from the left, then from the right. Twice they fell nearly fifty feet as if the sky had dropped out from beneath them. The landscape below changed; the terrain was much more mountainous. The only trees visible were pines an odd color of green, like they’d been underwater for a long time.

The hawk turned its head toward an opening among the trees and started its descent. Inky realized they were at their destination but felt no sense of relief. To the contrary, his sense of gloom grew rapidly.

Every nerve tingled and his sense of danger prickled.

As the hawk touched down, Inky regretted his decision to come to this awful place, yet he didn’t know why.

The hawk’s eyes met Inky’s and held for an instant; then, it took off and did not look back. Inky watched it and realized that no matter what happened, he wouldn’t be flying back via hawk. He turned and scanned the wall of pine trees growing close together. The branches were so low to the ground that there was no clear way to pass through them.

A chorus of voices called to him so sweet and clear; they seemed very alien in this land. They sang, “Who goes there?” in sweet singsong 187

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voices. Inky turned a complete circle looking for the singers, only to realize the sound came from inside his head. A thousand sparks of light, like a swarm of fireflies, appeared in front of Inky. They constantly moved in a random pattern of light. They glowed brighter every time they spoke. “Why are you here, intruder?” they sang in unison.

“I am drawn here to find answers. I was shown the way by ashes in a campfire.” The lights swarmed into a flat disc and then morphed back into a sphere.

“Then you are here to see the Hoople? The Hoople knows many, many things. The Hoople knows you are here waiting for her wisdom.”

“Will she see me then? I have had a long journey, and innocent people are in jeopardy.”

“In jeopardy, they may be, but innocent, not as much as you believe,” the voices sang.

They slowly faded away. Inky felt as if they had opened a door and left his brain. The gray-green branches of the pines swept apart, revealing a dark passage. The ground smelled of pine sap, and roots rose out of the dusty soil. He was bombarded with pinecones as he passed under the bending branches. They cracked and crunched as they parted, leading Inky deeper into the forest. Bright sunlight shafted through the last few branches, and Inky peered into a bright opening. He stepped out from under the trees to look up at a brilliant blue sky. The billowing clouds traveled from left to right across the sky at a terrific speed, as if the earth moved at twice its normal speed under them.

“After all these years, our paths finally cross, Inkydomus,” a deep voice said from the shadows across the clearing.

Inky wanted to turn and run at the sound of that voice. It was powerful and confident but also feminine. The sky seemed to stop, and then the clouds began moving in a different direction.

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“You know of me, but I not of you,” Inky said in the calmest voice he could muster. Walking toward the voice, Inky spotted two large yellow eyes staring at him.

“You know nothing of me because I wish to remain unknown, unlike you, who seemed to be the prized pet of royalty just a few years ago.”

Inky stopped. There was a huge purple shape just out of sight behind those glowing yellow lights.

“That is a life, as you must know, that I have given up,” Inky said, still walking and searching for an outline of a face.

“But yet you are still skittering around the countryside all for the folly of a queen.”

“What do you know about the queen’s predicament?” Inky asked.

The yellow eyes squinted in the darkness. “How much do you know about your own predicament? Do you know how precarious your situation is?” She let the question hang, then continued.

“The Hoople will not, or should I say, cannot help you. But I can help you to understand; that will not be a violation. But before we start, how is it you and your flying friend found me?”

Inky described how he had prayed and how the ashes had formed a map.

“A prayer.” A smile of brilliant white cracked open under the yellow eyes. “If everyone knew the power of prayer there would be no need for people like us, would there, Inkydomus?”

Inky wondered if the Hoople was a person at all. His skin began to crawl.

The Hoople began, “There are many mystical things in France, well-hidden for many, many years, and for good reason. Some of these objects are powerful magic, but even more powerful when combined with another object. Your witches, as stupid as they are, have one of 189

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these objects. This is how they get the power for the spells they’re throwing around. If they were smart enough to use it correctly, none of us could stand to face them. Everything they have done so far—the curse on the animals, the curse on the queen—are ways to exile you from the lake. The lake is what they want. Well, that is to say, what the lake hides is what they want. If they find it and couple it with what they have, then God save us all.”

There was silence, and the clouds changed direction again. “How do you know these things?” Inky asked.

“This, Inkydomus, is what I do. The Hoople balances the power.

There are many mysteries on heaven and earth, and I am the one who keeps the dark side dark and the light side illuminated.”

“Then it may be that sometimes you side with the evil?” Inky asked.

“Mostly evil does not need help. Like a weed in a garden, it sprouts wherever the slightest crack is found. But if need be, I would help that side also. One does not exist without the other. Without bad, there cannot be good; without light, there cannot be dark. God wants people to choose their own path. It’s their decisions, as much as their destinations, that he is interested in.”

“So . . . .” Inky was still not sure if he was talking to a friend or someone not to be trusted. “Are we a union in this matter?”

“This time, yes,” the Hoople answered, “but the next time, if you live through this, perhaps not. Now, I believe the queen you are trying to save is nearly ready to slither up a wall.”

“No, wait,” Inky said. “I have many more questions. How do I find what is hidden? What powers could it have? Who—” “But I have no more answers. Only two more things will I tell you before you are off. The first is that all magical objects have protection.

It will do you well to know and remember this.

But most importantly, this conflict—the witches, the queen, the lake—all of it will come back to you, Inkydomus. It will come down to 190

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a decision you will have to make. It will be very interesting for me to see what type of man you are.”

Inky looked up. The sky turned from blue to purple to indigo. The stars twinkled, and the moon rose. Lights appeared out of nowhere, swirling and throbbing in rhythm. They flitted around Inky like his own personal snowstorm. The Hoople laughed in the background.

“Remember, Inkydomus, all is not as it seems to be in the Kingdom of Norwood.”

Inky looked down at his hand. The lights attached themselves to his fingers and forearms. They swooped in and covered every inch of his body until he looked like a glowing, glittering mummy. They covered his eyes and ears, blocking out all light and sound. Inky struggled to breathe; the lights surged down his throat and into his lungs. Then he felt as if he were falling down a mine shaft into complete darkness.

When Inky opened his eyes, he was lying in Oglebee’s bed at the cottage. He felt completely rested. It was dark outside, and Inky had no idea how long he had been asleep. It could have been days, as rested as he felt. Then he thought of the queen and Oglebee. He hopped out of bed, still somewhat dazed, and reached for the flute hidden in his robe.

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C hapter 11 Here Inky was, already having lived five times longer than most men, and how many things he didn’t know about this earth. The balance between good and evil was fought mostly unseen, unheard, and unknown to all.

The hawk soared quietly under the starry sky. The moon illuminated the land below with a silvery sheen. Without being told, the hawk headed toward the castle in a different direction. Before Inky knew what was happening, they crossed the moat, climbed over the wall, and headed for one of the few lighted windows on this side of the castle. The bird landed soundlessly on the balcony, still hidden by the shadows. Inside, the king talked to a very strange man. His purple satin jacket shimmered as his matching pants jutted from a pair of gleaming black boots. His yellow shirt buttoned up to his chin on, which grew a jet-black goatee. The duke.

Inky rolled his eyes.

“Why did she put a curse on the queen?” the Duke of Woodenhausen asked.

Inky dismounted and peered around the corner into the room.

There was ornate furniture scattered around the room, but neither man was sitting.

“She did not,” the king said. “The curse is on the meddling little hairball. It’s meant to make him suffer.” The king slumped into a very kingly-looking chair. The duke clasped his hands behind him and 192

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paced around the room. He stopped every few moments to work out a thought that came to his head.

“But why didn’t she just kill him?” the duke asked.

The king rubbed his temples. “From what I understand, she tried.

But he was protected somehow, probably by that irritating Inkydomus.

He has become like a splinter in my behind: unable to be gotten rid of and festering all the time.”

Inky listened closely while the hawk groomed itself. A gentle breeze blew through the open doors and swayed the curtains. Inky stepped back into the shadows.

“If I knew the little bladder was going to cause this much trouble, I would’ve never brought him here. It would’ve been better to let the gold dwindle away.”

They thought for a few moments in silence. The duke stepped up to the open balcony window and stood looking out into the night. Inky slid farther back into the shadows. Finally, the duke turned back to the king with his hands still laced behind him.

“What if we kill the one called Oglebee?” the duke asked. “Then the spell on the queen will be dropped.”

Inky looked from one man to the other and swallowed hard.

“I’ve thought of that, but we can’t. The people love him. He has become almost as revered as Inkydomus.” The king sighed. “Besides, right now, he’s controlling most of the food for the whole kingdom.

And he doesn’t even realize he has this power. There’s also Inky’s promise I must consider. The ingredient used against the thief is also in our bodies. If anything happened to Oglebee, Inky would add the other ingredient and we would meet the same fate as the thief. I would rather not have any of my parts dropping off and scampering across the floor.”

Inky thought back to the plan he’d devised a few months ago to catch the castle’s gold thief. He held back a laugh remembering the 193

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potion he’d mixed that made the thief ’s tongue flop out of his mouth, grow six spindly little legs, and scurry across the room. It was thanks to solving this mystery that the king granted Inky’s wish for Oglebee to own Kettlefish Territory.

“Yes,” the duke said. “I see what you mean. Then in my humble opinion, the best choice is to back away. As I see it, we have two enemies—the two small ones and the witches. Let them battle it out over the queen. When that’s over, we will have only one enemy to deal with.”

“Sound advice,” the king said. ”But I’d still like to know why those bloody hags are so interested in the lake. They are very serious. You realize the Royal Zoo was just a forest until they got here. It was a veiled threat. Look at what evil we can do. Well, it worked on me. I’m scared of them.”

As the duke said good night to the king, Inky ambled back to the hawk and climbed aboard. The bird turned and leaped off the balcony into the darkness. A flap of its powerful wings lifted the pair around the corner of the castle and toward the only other lighted window on this side. That window was the one adjacent to the balcony on which they had watched the animals several days before. They came to rest on the queen’s windowsill. The bed had been taken away, and only the frame remained. The queen rested on slabs of wood that allowed the slime to drip between them and fall into great pans on the floor. Even though the sheet covered her, Inky could tell that her body had changed even more. Her delicate neck had enlarged, and her shoulders narrowed.

Large clumps of scalp, along with strands of hair, had slipped from the sides of her head and floated in the pans below. Her facial features had grown less defined and smoother, and her large eyes protruded from their sockets. Her mouth had shrunk into a small line, almost disappearing under a flattened nose. Her skin, glossy as it was, had 194

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taken on a brown cast and oval spots a shade or two darker dotted her arms. Oglebee was the only other person in the room. He sat in the chair, talking away.

“Nearly a year ago, to the very day I left, I came home, and no one was there. The whole family had up and gone.”

Oglebee turned quickly and saw the hawk and Inky standing on the windowsill. He smiled and stood, then he looked down at the queen, and his smile faded. He looked back at her as he walked towards the window. Her eyes followed him. He scooped Inky off the back of the hawk and lowered him to the floor. Without a word spoken between them, they walked back to the queen’s bed.

“I don’t think she can hear now.” Tears welled up in the corners of Oglebee’s eyes. “Her skin is growing right over her ears.”

“Yesterday she told me she was scared of losing touch with the real world. She knew she was gonna lose her sight, and she had already lost her sense of smell. She’ll be trapped inside her body with nothing.”

Inky tried to imagine the horror of that.

Oglebee looked at the floor. “I’ve been talking, I have, telling her all about my life. I thought if I kept telling her stories, she would have something new to think about if . . . you know, she couldn’t do anything but just think.”

The two stood silently for a few seconds.

Oglebee shook his head and took a deep breath. “So, what have you found?”

Inky told him everything that had happened since he’d left and what he believed he could do next. They spoke quietly for several minutes until the door burst open, and the king strode in. The duke stayed in the hallway but peeked around the door.

“Great heavens!” the king stopped and looked at the queen. “She— she looks like a giant slug. She’s dripping some kind of disgusting slime.”

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“That’s no way to be talking to the queen.” Oglebee started toward him, his fist clenched. Luckily the king was so overwhelmed by the sight of the queen that he neither heard nor saw Oglebee. He walked past him and crept up to the bed, staring at the thing lying there.

“No one else in this room!” he yelled. “We cannot let word of this out. What a repulsive sight; she’s a monster.” He looked down and saw Inky and Oglebee standing there.

“So, Inkydomus, now you come and go from my palace as you, please? Does my humiliation from the queen humor you?”

“No, your highness,” Inky said. “You humiliate yourself far more than your queen ever could, and I do not find that humorous.”

The king glared down at them. They stared right back.

“She will cause me trouble no longer. Believe me when I tell you she will be dealt with.”

“What do you mean by that?” Oglebee stiffened his arms stiff to his sides, opening and closing his fists.

“It means I’ll do with her what I wish. If I wish to throw her out the window or down a well, I will.”

That was all that Oglebee could take. He was across the huge room in three steps and launched himself headfirst at the king. It was as if a short hairy rocket had been aimed at the king’s stomach, knocking him down with a loud “oomph.” They knocked a mirror off the wall and broke a chair. Once on the floor, Oglebee reached out and grabbed a handful of royal beard. He yanked hard with the other hand and tore a great clump of hair from the king’s bellowing chin. With fists, knees, and elbows flying, they rolled across the floor. Somehow the king managed to break free and stand.

His hair was sticking up, and his robe was torn.

“I’ll have your heart for this!” the king roared.

“Listen to me,” Inky said quietly. “You will not touch anyone in this room. I swear on my mother’s honor that you will regret any actions 196

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in that regard.” Inky’s jet-black eyes were so intense the king deflated.

“When this is over, we will see.” He tried to push his hair back down and straighten up his ripped robes.

“Yes, we will see when this is over if you and your little blue fox friend are still allies.”

The king froze. A vein in his neck began to pulse as he turned to leave the room.

“You are in way over your head, your majesty,” Inky said before the king could get completely out of the room.

Oglebee stood up. “That felt right good, it did.” Bits of broken mirror fell from his hair and clothes. His arms were speckled with blood from the broken glass.

“But, my friend, you cannot do that anymore. I think you have pushed him to his limits.”

“Well, he pushed me to mine, he did.”

“You must stay with the queen. You are all she has here in this heartless kingdom. He now knows that he will have to deal with us to do anything to the queen, but please do not aggravate him again. I won’t be here to cool your head.”

“You’re leaving again?”

“Things here are worse than I expected. I must find the source of their power, then find what they desire from the lake.” He started to walk to the window where the hawk had been watching quietly. A moaning sound came from the queen’s bed. What was left of her tiny lips moved. She stared at Inky with what was left of her large eyes.

Inky climbed up onto the bed slats and managed to step across without slipping in the slime. He put his ear down to her mouth. “What is it?” he whispered.

“H-Hurry,” she gurgled.

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C hapter 12 Inky spent a restless night back at Oglebee’s cottage. He dreamt that the castle was full of blue foxes searching for food. They overturned every piece of furniture, searching for slugs to munch. Finally, in the predawn hours, Inky gave up, lit a candle, and set out to write a plan.

This proved to be very valuable, not the plan, but the realization of how little he knew about the witches’ camp. He stood up and walked to the window. “Shrogg!” he yelled. He pulled himself up onto the window ledge. “Shrogg!” he yelled again into the darkness.

“A very odd time to be calling out for someone, but nevertheless, here I am.” The bullfrog hopped into view, and right behind him, Anura. They spent the next several minutes discussing the layout of the camp and the duties of each witch. Shrogg, the writer, was very astute in finding out who was important and who was not. Even though the information was very detailed, Inky detected that Shrogg wasn’t telling him everything.

“Oh, very well,” Shrogg said after Inky called him on it. He scratched in the soil with a pointy toe.

“There’s a witch that I haven’t mentioned. She doesn’t eat with the others, nor does she take part in their discussions. She inhabits a cave away from the group. They carry food to her, very large amounts of food. One evening I crept behind them. Well, actually, hopped behind them. That was the first time I saw her, and I understood why they carried so much food. She is huge, my friend.” He squatted on his back legs and clasped his two front feet together.

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“She’s the largest person I’ve ever seen, and her body is broad and strong. Two men standing shoulder to shoulder would not equal her width. She truly is a monster. Her clothing is made from canvas sewn raggedly because there are no clothes that would fit her.”

Inky sat quietly and listened.

“The other witches are afraid of her. Even Lottiebien, the incarnation of evil itself, treads lightly around her. When they speak of her, it’s in whispers. They call her ‘Moo.’” “Why have you not told me about this witch before?” Inky asked.

Shrogg blinked. “There was never a good time.” He looked behind him. Anura hopped up beside Shrogg and gazed longingly at him.

“I decided to keep this to myself until the last possible moment. She doesn’t travel with the others, so perhaps we will never see her.”

“But perhaps I will. I’m leaving for their camp tomorrow.”

“What? No, you mustn’t. You couldn’t hide from them, not even at your size. Your scent would condemn you. They would find you; they have powers to sniff you out.”

“But why didn’t they find you out, and for that matter, why did they not know about all the farmers hiding behind the trees?”

“They could not smell me because I am a frog, and they did smell the farmers behind the trees, but they expected human smells here.

But they do not expect them at their own colony.”

They were quiet for a few moments. The very top of the sky began to lighten, but before it had a chance to turn into a soft morning gray, Inky had formed a plan.

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C hapter 13 “But you must return with me,” Inky pleaded. He stood at his own underground borough in the foundation of the demolished castle. The hawk had flown him back so that he could convince Cassieus to come with him to the witches’ camp.

“The queen needs your help. I need your help.”

Cassieus sniffed and lay there looking very comfortable in front of the fireplace.

“Then, if not for the queen, for adventure and glory?” The newt raised its head a fraction and sniffed again. From where Inky stood, this was as good as a nod. He didn’t mention that he wanted Cassieus for his odor.

“I have been contemplating a way for you to travel.” He led Cassieus out through the maze of tunnels and caved-in masonry to an exit under a barren lilac bush. There the hawk had laid a small hollowed-out tree trunk just big enough for the newt.

“You see, my friend, you may crawl in. Then we will fit the stones in each end so you cannot slide out on the ride back to the castle. The hawk will hold it in its claws without harming you. A brilliant idea, I must say, with all humility.”

Cassieus looked at the trunk, but this time did not sniff.

Inky changed clothes grabbing a few vital things he thought might be useful. He convinced Cassieus to get into the log, closing off one end with a black stone. “You see, there are air holes where the smaller 200

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branches have broken off.” Inky pushed the other stone into the open end and climbed on the back of the hawk.

It was a very strange sight, the hawk taking off in the fading light, with the small man on its back and in its talons a short tree trunk with stones lodged in either end. What made it stranger still was that the round black stone in one end had turned into a brilliant blue eye.

The hawk flew as far into the mountains as Inky thought was safe.

The brook ambled through the trees just as Shrogg said it would. The hawk landed, and Inky released Cassieus by pulling out the gray rock.

Inky crouched down beside the newt and rubbed his hands over its moist, slimy skin. He smelled his hands. The odor was very earthy but not vile. He rubbed the slime all over his face and hands. Before long, every inch, including his hair and clothing, had been rubbed down with newt oil. The night settled in before them. The two started their journey, following the gurgling brook up the mountain. At times the bank was too steep, so they trekked across open meadows and dark forests, always listening for the sound of the water. A full moon lighted their path as the dew glistened like a million diamonds in the still night. They walked on, resting for only a few minutes at a time. The night went by quickly, and the sun pulled itself into the sky.

Inky sensed the camp before they actually arrived. It was a forlorn place, where the sun shone only because that was its duty. The crooked trees bent as though, if not for their roots, they would have escaped along with the animals.

Cassieus was right beside him. Inky looked down at his old friend, and for the first time, a look of fear flashed across the newt’s face. Then he sniffed and started walking towards the camp.

Inky followed Cassieus as they snaked from bush to bush, looking for signs that the witches might be awake. They stopped at a spot where Inky could see all the witches’ dwellings and began searching 201

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for the one that Shrogg described as Lottiebien’s. Silently they headed for it, keeping to the shadows. The dark opening under the cabin was right where Shrogg said it would be. Cassieus darted into the hole first, for his senses were better in dark, underground places. Inky followed and immediately felt like he’d been buried alive. This was very different than his underground home. It wasn’t high enough for him to stand, and the damp dirt smelled like earthworms.

“What have I gotten us into?” he whispered. “We’ve walked into a nest of vipers, and I have no idea what we’re looking for or how we’re going to get out.” They were both exhausted and needed rest. Inky hoped that sleep would bring him an idea or luck. It did both. *** The transformation was complete. The Queen of Norwood was now a slug. She lay under the bed, hidden from any light that leaked through the drapes. The antennas that had sprouted from her featureless face were her only bridge to the outside world. They extended then retracted, touching and probing as she acclimated herself to her surroundings.

Oglebee knew the queen was buried somewhere inside the slimy body. It wasn’t that the witches had turned her into a slug but instead wrapped the slug’s body around her spirit. At night when he told her stories, the antennae found his hand and lightly touched it.

The king had been back only once. He came through the door and discovered Sintya coiled just inside. He left and did not return. Sintya stayed in the room, only leaving to hunt rats every other day.

Oglebee spent most of his time lying on the floor. The queen’s favorite place was now under the bed. This was the only way he could talk to her and be able to see if his words had any effect at all.

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Food became a problem. The king allowed only regular food to be delivered. This was to contain the increasing amount of rumors about the queen’s health. Oglebee ate well but couldn’t get the queen interested in any of the meals delivered by the cooks. The king was slowly starving the queen, and he knew it.

The nurses and attendants were no longer allowed to enter the room. Oglebee knew if he tried to leave that he would be detained, and the queen would be left by herself. He realized that the only way to get food for her was to get it himself. And the only way to get it was to slip out at night. He wished Inky would hurry and return because the plans he made himself usually turned to disaster. One of Oglebee’s first ideas was to make a rope to tie to the balcony. Another was to get someone below to raise some type of ladder. Both of these prospects seemed dim. While he was on the balcony, idea number three came to him in the form of a bird.

A sparrow swooped into the castle and landed on the tiny ledge that ran around the second story. The ledge was only the width of a good-sized book, but the stonework on the walls was rough and craggy with enough cracks for Oglebee to slip his fingertips in. There were more windows on the wall beyond the queen’s windows. Once it got dark, he would inch his way down the ledge and climb into one of the windows. “A nice little walk in the evening,” he said to himself. “Inky would be proud.”

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C hapter 14 Under Lottiebien’s hut, Inky awoke feeling as though he were encased in cold mud. His first conscious thought of the morning came in the form of a question. Why does Moo live away from the others? His second thought was, Why am I so wet?

A steady rain had set in, and a small stream flowed into the crawl space. Inky hoped it wouldn’t wash off the newt’s smell. But to be safe, Inky scooped up a handful of mud and smeared it over his robes and through his hair. Without realizing it, he had also camouflaged himself.

The rain fell harder, coming down with an unnatural determinedness.

Even witches wouldn’t venture out in this weather. If they would, they’d smell better. Inky would’ve stayed hidden and scouted the camp more carefully had time permitted, but it did not. Besides, he could make good use of this weather.

He poked Cassieus in the side with his finger. The newt gave a little snort without opening its eyes.

“A little adventure this morning,” Inky whispered. His coal-black eyes crinkled around the edges as he smiled. He pulled himself slowly off the wet ground and felt the cloth of his robes pulling away from the wet mud underneath. Crouching, he walked back to the opening they had entered the night before.

The rain came down so hard that a brown cloud of mud hovered above the ground. It was just enough to hide Cassieus and the bottom half of Inky’s body. They darted out and kept to the center of the path, not bothering to conceal their getaway. Water ran everywhere and 204

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trickling streams formed across their path, upending stones and small sticks.

They struggled through the water to reach the cave. The closer they got, the more cautious they became. Two small hemlocks flanked the cave’s opening. Others grew sporadically across the rocky hillside. A grove of apple trees grew directly across the flat land a few feet from the cave. The branches hung thick with ripe yellow apples that were being pelted by the rain.

“How remarkable that the rest of this place seems to be poisoned and dark, yet these apples appear to be perfect.” Inky had expected to see torrents of water spewing down the slope above the cave. But that wasn’t the case; the water drained elsewhere.

They slipped under one of the hemlock bushes near the opening of the cave. Inky motioned for Cassieus to stay put and slowly slid around the mouth of the cave. As he stepped inside, the rain stopped instantly, and the sun burst through the clouds and shone as brightly as a hot day in June. It illuminated him like an actor on a stage. Something moved and grunted inside the cave. It was deep and guttural, the sound of a monster.

Inky scampered out and dove under the hemlock bush opposite the one where Cassieus hid. The newt looked at him with an expectant expression.

With a crushing step, Moo burst out of the cave. All Inky could see was a huge foot with long dirty toenails only inches from his bush.

Very slowly, he positioned himself to look up through the leaves.

Shrogg was right; she was huge. Her dirty black hair hung past her broad shoulders, and her bangs were so long that they mercifully covered her face from the nose up. A filthy smock of undetermined color ended halfway down her well-muscled and very hairy calf. A fly buzzed unnoticed around her face.

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She grunted and looked into the sunlight, then sniffed and stood as motionless as a boulder. No one moved for a very long time. Inky watched the bush’s shadow crawl across the pebbles in front of the cave. From Inky’s vantage point, Cassieus blended in perfectly with the soil under the plant, and he felt very confident that he was also invisible to the giant.

Moo slowly inhaled a great gulp of air and turned her head from side to side. She took short, sharp breaths and rotated her head, zeroing in on the odor.

Inky squeezed his eyes shut. This was it. After a few minutes, he forced one eye open. Moo turned and sniffed in the direction of the path. She shook her head back and forth in an effort to see through her bangs. Muffled voices snaked through the trees toward them. Their French words sounded angry as they became louder.

Two witches carrying a bucket of what Inky assumed was food tramped up the muddy path. They stopped when they saw Moo panting outside the cave. Each tried to push the bucket into the other’s hands. After arguing for a moment, they apparently decided to leave the bucket right there in the clearing across from the cave. They spoke to Moo in French and turned to walk back to the camp, still arguing with each other.

Moo looked around, still confident that she had smelled something.

Inky couldn’t imagine anyone who would be dumb enough to bolt into a cave where a creature like this dwelt, but here he was.

She stepped across the open space between the cave and the food, then bent down to grab the bucket. As she began to rise back up, she froze. Inky watched as she let out a grunt so loud that small stones rolled down the hill above the cave.

The two witches came running back up the path and stopped in front of Moo. The giant finally stood back up to her full height and 206

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pointed at a tree behind them. There hanging with the apples was a large eyeball. It was the same general size as the other apples on the tree and hung from a thin stem as they did. It blinked at the three witches. Inky could see it, too.

One of the witches ran back down the path while the other two stared at the eye while it stared back. It shifted its gaze back and forth between Moo and the other witch. The cave was left unguarded.

Inky crawled out from under the bush and slid into the cave for the second time. But this time, Cassieus followed. After hours in the sunshine, Inky had trouble adjusting to the pitch-black cave. The farther they continued down the cave, the more it smelled like dead fish. Torches hung on the walls ahead. The cave ended abruptly, but Inky was still close enough to the outside to hear the yelling as more witches arrived at the tree. A cricket chirped near the cave’s entrance, and Inky and Cassieus both jumped.

“Find something magical-looking,” Inky whispered to Cassieus.

There was a large table adorned with an ancient candle flickering in the center. It had been shoved against one of the smooth walls with a mammoth chair pushed underneath it. On the other side of the cave was Moo’s cot. Even though the legs looked sturdy, the bed bent in the middle as though it had been holding a great weight.

Inky’s heart sank. The walls and ceiling were smooth, solid rock; no hiding places there. The fluttering flame of the candle cast eerie shadows on the wall. As Cassieus sniffed around the legs of the table, Inky realized that if the object was here, it was in a place where it would stay protected. Lottiebien had outcast her most fearsome guard for a reason, so the object would have to stay with Moo or at least in a place she could guard it even when she slept. That was it.

“Under the bed,” Inky whispered to himself. He raced over to the bed and lifted the crusty stained sheets high enough to slip under.

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Cassieus was already there waiting for him near a small wooden door in the floor.

“Well, you could’ve told me you found it.”

They crouched in the dim light and examined the door. It was round and nearly as long as Inky was tall. It had a round hole in the middle. All a normal-sized person would have to do to remove the plate would be to stick a finger in the hole and lift it out. But it wouldn’t be that easy for Inky.

“Help me get this thing off.” Inky groaned as he pushed the edge of the plate. Cassieus put the tip of his snout against it, and they both pushed. It moved only a tiny bit. “Again,” Inky said. This time it moved a little farther, and there was just enough room for Inky to lay on his stomach and look inside. He reached in and pulled out a leather pouch that was half his size. The leather was cracked and old and topped with a twine drawstring.

Something very large moved across the opening of the cave, blocking most of the light. Even from under the bed, Inky felt the room darken. He peeked out from under the overhanging blanket.

The silhouette of the huge figure plodded down the cave toward them.

Moo was coming back.

Inky moved as far back under the bed as possible. He cowered against the wall and waited with Cassieus. From the opening under the bed, they watched two enormous feet walk by. With each footstep, a little dust cloud rose from the bottom of misshapen heels. Moo’s breathing was loud and wet. Her feet left their view, and Inky heard the chair groan as she sat.

The sound of her eating dinner was enough to turn even a pirate’s stomach. It sounded exactly like what it was: a giant eating with her mouth open, burping and belching, and smacking her enormous lips.

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dessert if the opportunity presented itself. Cassieus looked as cool as ever, lying there in the shadows.

Moo got up. The tortured chair squealed when she stood and stomped to the bed. She sat, and the underside of the bed bowed toward them. Each joint of the crude frame tightened as she rested her full weight on it. Moo picked both feet off the floor and reclined. Inky held his breath as the bed creaked. The blanket was drawn up out of sight giving the two a perfect view of the cave floor.

The light outside the cave entrance turned a golden color. For some odd reason this color brought back the memory of the green-eyed lady with blond hair—the same color as the sun on an autumn afternoon.

Inky shook his head. That sounded like something Shrogg would say. The room became quiet except for Moo’s guttural breathing, which was thankfully less revolting than her eating. A cricket chirped somewhere outside the cave. As much as Inky feared this monster above him, his need to save the queen was stronger.

Cassieus’ eyes opened at Inky’s touch. Inky motioned for the newt to stay next to the wall and lead the way out. Crouching, he followed Cassieus out from the safety under the bed. He looped the drawstring of the pouch over his neck and shoulder. He peeked back to see the outline of the huge, unmoving body on the bed. The escape was going to be easier than he expected. They were just about halfway out when the black cricket that had chirped earlier landed on the shadow line at the cave entrance. It let loose with a loud chirp. Inky looked back and saw Moo readjust herself in the bed.

“Cassieus,” Inky whispered, “chase that cricket back out of here.”

The newt, with its mouth wide and looking as frightening as possible, scuttled at the cricket. The cricket, assuming that he was under some type of attack, took three quick hops and bounded over both of them, landing only a few feet from the bed. Inky froze; he knew 209

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exactly what would happen next. The cricket let loose with another high-pitched chirp.

Moo jumped and rolled over, propping herself up on one elbow.

She shook the hair from her eyes and looked around. Then she raised her free hand and started scratching the very top of her head. She dug through the matted hair as if her scalp were alive with lice. With her arm up, her underarm was exposed, showing the tiny finger that had grown there in a nest of dark hair. The tiny finger moved at the exact same speed as the large finger that scratched her head.

When the cricket chirped for the fourth time, Moo stood up. Her hair hid her eyes, but Inky knew she was looking around, trying to see from which direction the sound came.

Cassieus was right in the center of the tunnel. Moo stood and stepped forward. With a wet pop, she stepped on the cricket and started walking toward Cassieus. Inky blended back into the shadows along the wall as Moo walked by. The newt scampered out of the cave and turned left as soon as it hit the sunlight.

Moo stepped to the cave entrance and turned left into the evening sun. She shook her head to clear the hair, but it did no good. Every time she looked down, her hair fell back over her eyes, blocking her view of the ground. Finally, she held her hair back with both her massive hands. But by this time, Cassieus had camouflaged himself completely under the bush. She stood with her back to the cave entrance and slightly turned to the left. Inky saw his chance. Crouching he exited the cave as quietly as possible. Rather than crawl through the bush on the right, he decided to walk around it. He was more exposed this way, but he reasoned that walking around the bush was quicker.

As he reached the halfway point, the giant began to move. Inky had no place to hide. Luckily Cassieus saw what was happening. Before Moo had turned all the way around, Cassieus crawled out from under 210

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the bush and began a series of strange little movements in front of the giant. It danced around and stopped abruptly, freezing in place. Then it started another gyration, standing on its back legs. Moo stopped turning and looked back at Cassieus. He touched one clawed finger to the top of his head and twirled around.

Inky ran. Without knowing where he was going, he ran in the opposite direction of Moo. He ran as fast as his skinny little legs could carry him. The span of distance to the woods looked endless. By the time he reached an opening in the foliage, his lungs and legs burned.

He stopped to catch his breath and looked back for Cassieus.

The newt snapped his tail back and forth, still being watched by the giant. When Inky disappeared into the woods, Cassieus ran right between the giant’s legs and headed for the opening in the woods. Moo watched as the lizard ran off.

Moo grunted and turned to walk back into the cave. Then she stopped suddenly and looked over her shoulder at the woods.

Inky and Cassieus ran through the woods, scampering over rocks and pebbles. Inky turned in the direction of rushing water. They lost the path completely, but the sound of water became louder. It led them to an open area where rocks were strewn everywhere and a rapid stream crossed in front of them. They could hear the heavy grunting of Moo crashing through the woods behind them.

Looking around, Inky couldn’t find a good hiding place. The clearing was so big that Moo would be there before they could make it to the tree line on either side. The rocks were all small and the late afternoon sun illuminated everything.

Then Inky saw it. An old turtle shell, a huge one, lying upside down on the stream bank. It was bleached out by the sun but still intact. The flat bottom was still attached, leaving six holes, four for the legs and one each for the head and tail.

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“There!” Inky called to Cassieus. He ran over and peered into the hole where the head would have been. Animals and insects had meticulously cleaned out the inside. It was like a big boat with a lid on it.

He pushed the leather pouch into the hole, then climbed in behind it. Cassieus slithered into another hole. His tail disappeared as the giant burst from the trees and into the clearing. It was cramped and dark in the shell as Inky felt around for the pouch. Moo’s breathing outside became louder than the rushing water as she crunched across the pebbles to the stream. The pair remained motionless inside the shell and listened as Moo walked by them When there hadn’t been any sound except the water for several minutes, Inky raised his head out of one of the leg openings. Moo had walked downstream, still looking for the crazed newt. She stood there, legs wide and fists on her hips, staring. Cassieus popped his head out to look, too. They both ducked down as Moo turned and began walking back their way. As the giant passed by, one of her huge feet clipped the shell’s side and sent it spinning like a top.

They were pinned against the sides, the motion making them dizzy.

It spun over the smooth rocks and slid itself down into the water. As it entered the brook, the spinning slowed to a gentle rotation. When Inky’s head cleared enough to realize they were floating, he popped his head out of the opening again. He saw Moo walking back to the cave.

The sun was setting and shining off the calm water behind them. He turned to look downstream. The water ahead was anything but calm.

It swirled and smashed into the thousands of rocks and boulders. They didn’t have time to try an escape. The current was very strong, and before they knew it, they were bouncing downstream. This wasn’t the gentle brook they had followed last night; this was another stream that the storm had created.

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“The rainwater must have come around this way instead of down in front of the cave,” Inky said to Cassieus.

There was nothing they could do but hold on. Inky prayed the shell didn’t hit a stone hard enough to break it. The first waterfall was a gentle one, the kind that made your stomach drop. Then their stream joined a larger one. Another small waterfall dropped them into the raging part of the stream, where they immediately crashed into a partially submerged rock. The shell bounced up, spun in the air, and smashed into another one. After that blow, Inky felt it impossible to tell one crash from the next. The ride was a continuous series of collisions over several minutes. They were flung from one curved wall to another.

Water splashed in through the openings at the top. The shell took a beating. With each hit, Inky thought the next might splinter the shell and send them both into the cold water.

Then, to Inky’s relief, the bouncing slowed down. When the ride became smooth enough to stand, Inky popped his head back out of the shell. The stream became a smooth, swift highway that led straight to a lake. They floated as gently as a sled down a snowy hill. Cassieus raised his head out of the shell, blinked his eyes, and looked around.

The shell drifted for a long time. The pitch of the land flattened, and the two passengers watched for landmarks they might recognize.

The calm water grew dark. Long skeleton shadows reached across the stream bank and into the water. The force of the current gradually subsided until they were left floating on the water. Where the trees looked healthy and green with the sunlight, they looked distorted and eerie with the moonlight. If Moo had alerted the others, these woods could now be thick with witches.

Finally, the stream emptied into the lake. The night was clear, and thousands of stars sparkled across the horizon. The dark lake met the sky, and the moon reflected perfectly on the water. In the silence, Inky 213

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looked up. It was as if he and Cassieus were alone in the universe, save for whatever creatures swam below them.

Cassieus crawled out of the shell and onto its flat bottom. Inky took a cord out of his robe and tied it gently around Cassieus’ slimy neck. Cassieus slid into the water with Inky holding the end of the cord. Swimming like an alligator, Cassieus’ powerful tail swept back and forth through the water. In no time at all, the shell quietly cruised over the placid lake Back at the castle, Oglebee was ready for his midnight search for food. He told the queen that he was leaving and would soon be back. She looked at him with her antennas alternately extending and retracting. He thought she understood, but he had no way of knowing for sure. He walked through the door and climbed on the balcony railing like he was mounting a horse. The streets were empty, dark, and silent except for the constant dripping of water somewhere down on the street. Once he was astride the railing, Oglebee slid off the outside and placed both feet on the edging that created the narrow pathway.

As he stepped onto it, he realized it was wider than he thought. He faced the wall, his arms spread. Then he scooted his right foot down the ledge and brought his left foot up to it. He slowly scissored his way down the ledge. His goal was to reach the shuttered windows at the end of the wall, then pull them open and climb in. Anyone guarding the hallway would not see him.

He looked down, knowing that he wasn’t supposed to. The cobblestone street looked terribly far away. He moved one foot, then the other. After only a few moments, he was nearly to the window. In the distance, he heard a clatter of horses’ hooves and wagon wheels rolling on the cobblestone streets. He froze, hoping that no one would have a reason to look up in the darkness between the window and the queen’s balcony. Two horse-drawn wagons with riders rolled up the 214

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street right beneath him. The lead wagon slowed and pulled to the side. It stopped directly beneath the shuttered window.

The driver of the first wagon said, “Let’s leave ’em here for now, and we’ll roll out when the farmers bring their fruits in.”

The two men climbed off their wagons and ambled around the corner. Oglebee relaxed for a second and focused on his task. As he reached the window, a light flickered on inside. He heard footsteps coming toward the window. With nowhere to go, he ducked below the sill and prayed whoever was inside wouldn’t look down. Above him, the shutters swung open, and torchlight flooded out the window.

Oglebee tilted his head and sneaked a peek.

The king stood there. He splayed out his hand on the windowsill, tapping one of his ringed fingers. His long black hair was mussed up from being in bed, and his red eyes drooped. He scanned the streets of the city without looking directly down. With a loud exhale, he pulled the shutters back. For the second time, Oglebee relaxed and started to stand up straight. As he did, his right foot slipped off the edge, and he hung there for the longest moment. His arms twirled, and he tried to regain his balance, but it was a lost cause. He fell backward off the ledge with his arms and legs sticking straight out. He dropped directly into the back of the first wagon, which was filled with rotting garbage. He hit with such a thump that lettuce, tomatoes, and all sorts of kitchen debris popped up off the floor of the wagon. Some of it shot out onto the cobblestones, but the rest rained back down on Oglebee, covering him from head to toe. The two horses hitched to the wagon were so startled that both reared up on their back legs and tried to gallop away from the noise behind them. They took off so fast that the wagon slid sideways around the first corner. Oglebee was thrown against the side and the rest of the garbage washed over him like he was in some type of terrible stew.

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The frightened horses raced on, causing enough racket to wake the rest of the kingdom. They shot around another corner with the wagon swinging so badly this time that it knocked over several barrels on the side of the road. One of the barrels hit a wall and split, spilling hundreds of pickles over the street. The other two rolled in different directions, creating quite a clatter on their own. The horses continued to run, speeding up on straight stretches and sliding around corners.

During this, Oglebee tossed from side to side against the wagon’s walls.

When it seemed that the horses had traveled up and down every street behind the castle walls, the wagon slid across a street, hit the curb with its wheels, and flipped over. The wagon stayed as the horses ran off; finally, they eluded the noise behind them. Oglebee crawled out from under the wagon, covered in rotten vegetables.

“That was some trick, mate,” a voice from the shadows said. As Oglebee stood, his blurred vision saw four people standing there.

“Hey, I know who you are,” a young man said. “I worked in the kitchen when you and that little Inkydomus locked those brats in the cupboard. You’re all right, you are. But what you doin’ out here?”

Oglebee tried to blink the voice into focus. The people standing in front of him kept splitting into two groups and then focusing back into one. “I just need to get back to the queen, I do.”

“No problem. I believe her balcony is right around the corner.

Here, let me help you.”

The young man put his arm around Oglebee’s shoulder and guided him down the street. “You stay right here. I know where I can get a rope. He left Oglebee sitting on the street, leaning back against the wall only a few feet from where he had fallen. Oglebee’s head throbbed so loudly that he did not realize the man was gone until he heard his footsteps returning.

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“Look, I found my partner,” he said. An older heavyset man looked down at him.

“This the one who scared off the horses?” he asked.

“Yep, he fell off the balcony, I reckon.”

The man eyed Oglebee. “What you think he’s doing climbing around on the queen’s balcony?”

Oglebee held his head in his hands. “I’m protectin’ the queen from the king, I am.”

The young man threw the rope up to the queen’s balcony. It hit the railing and fell back. He put his hands on his hips and stared up at the balcony. Then he snapped his fingers and walked back to the wagon.

He broke off a piece of wood and tied it to the end of the rope. He spun it above his head like a lasso and threw it. When it caught, he pulled himself up.

While this was going on, lights began to flicker in the windows up and down the street. Oglebee felt a stinging sensation in his hand.

There were ants crawling over it. They ran over the pavement where he sat, coming out of a crack between two large pavement stones. Oglebee stood and brushed them off. He had several red welts across the back of his hand.

The man finally got the rope to the balcony and coaxed it through the spindles under the railing. He lowered the end with the wood back down to them.

“Are you sure you’re supposed to be up there? Don’t look too presentable if you ask me.”

“No, it’s all right, I’m takin’ care of the queen, I am. But if you don’t trust me, stay here for a little bit, and I’ll come back and wave. Then you’ll know that I’m not sneaking around.”

He looked at Oglebee for an instant. “All right, I’ll do that. I like the queen. If you were breakin’ into the king’s quarters, I’d be tempted to help you. I’ll just sit out here until I know everything’s all right.”

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Oglebee tied the rope around his waist and held on to the piece above his head. The man grabbed the other end and yanked. The rope pulled taut through the railing, and Oglebee shot up as if flung from a catapult. He reached for the railing and crawled up and over.

“Thanks for helping. I’ll be back soon as I check on the queen.” He disappeared through the doorway.

The queen slithered to Oglebee and ran her antenna over his legs.

She pulled off a rotting piece of green pepper and chewed. It was the first time he’d seen her eating in a long time. Oglebee pulled off more chunks and made a little pile. “I’ll be right back,” he said.

At the balcony, he spoke to the men below. “Where’d you get all this garbage?” he asked.

“Kitchen. That’s where we work. Take a load of the stuff out every morning before dawn.”

“Can you come back tomorrow morning and bring a bucket? I need a bucket of it every morning.”

“What are you going to do with it? It’s all rotten.”

“I can’t tell you right now, I can’t.”

“What’s in it for us?” the heavy man asked.

“I’ll give you a reward, I will, in a few days. Can’t do it right now.”

The men discussed it between themselves. “All right,” the young man said. “We’ll be back tomorrow with a bucket. You keep the rope and lower it down to us.”

Oglebee thanked them again and was struck with an idea.

“Tomorrow, when you bring the first bucket, could you fill it full of sugar?”

“What for?” the heavier man asked. “Do you want to sweeten up your garbage?”

“Mayhap that’s exactly what I want to do,” he said, knowing that Inky would be proud.

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C hapter 15 Inky squelched into the dark cottage alone, carrying the drawstring pouch over his shoulder. Cassieus had abandoned him at the door and was off to find a quiet rock to lie beneath.

Inky had protected the pack as best he could, but the outside was still damp. He climbed up onto a chair and then onto the table, dragging the pack with him. Oglebee’s flint stone and lamp were in the center, and soon flickering golden light filled the room.

For the first time, Inky could see the pouch properly. The stamp in the middle of the leather had been worn almost smooth. It had undoubtedly weathered many years of hiding before landing in Lottiebien’s hands. Inky adjusted the pouch to let the candlelight play over the stamped symbol. A horse with two riders came into view as he rotated the pouch. He had seen this many times on his father’s belongings. The Hoople was right. This was becoming much bigger than he had expected. He slipped his hand into the puckered opening and widened the hole. He peeked inside. Hands shaking, he pulled out a parchment that had been folded many times.

Mysterious symbols and strange drawings covered one side of the paper. There were pictures of human bodies with animal heads doing things that Inky could not understand. Frustrated, he turned the parchment over and found a map on the other side. Something stirred outside the open window, and Tupelo’s head peeked in.

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Inky slowly exhaled a long breath. “I had an idea you would be keeping an eye on the cottage. In fact, I wonder if there’s a thing that goes on in these woods that you do not know about.”

Tupelo ignored the question and then asked in a gravelly voice, “How’s the queen? I’ve heard she’s unwell.”

“Yes, very unwell indeed. In fact, I feel that if we cannot help very soon, all hope will be gone.”

Tupelo stepped closer, and for the first time, Inky could see his features completely. From a distance, his eyes looked blank and stupid.

But up close, they just seemed sad and tired. His grizzled growth of beard hid his craggy face and made it difficult to read his expression.

He belonged to the woods.

Inky looked back at the map. The Kettlefish Territory was depicted here, along with strange symbols and writing. Whatever it said, it was written in a language he had never seen before. In the center of the map was the lake.

“This was drawn before the castle was even built,” Inky said to himself as much as to Tupelo. “Look, even the bottom of the lake has been mapped out.”

Tupelo hopped up on the windowsill and swung his legs inside.

Inky had always thought that Tupelo and Oglebee were about the same size, but up close, he looked much larger than Oglebee.

Forest covered the area where Castle Norwood and the surrounding villages should have been. Only the shoreline looked the same. Inky’s eyes rested on a picture of a beetle drawn in the center of the lake.

“I’ve seen this symbol before on Egyptian things. It’s a scarab beetle.

I wonder why it’s drawn in the center of our lake?” Inky sighed. “This is very frustrating. Time is of the essence, and each clue only leads to another clue.”

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“Mayhap what you seek is in the center of the lake. It’s quite deep for a lake, you know.” Tupelo gestured to a section of the map. “What do you suppose that other symbol is—the one there hidden in those leaves?”

An eye with wavy lines underneath lay hidden near the bottom. It blended in so well with the map that Inky had missed it. “Tupelo, you know this land better than anyone else. What do you think it means?”

Inky asked.

Tupelo’s voice became very soft and his eyes met Inky’s. Then he looked back out the window into the dark night.

“I know this forest watches us. It’s too quick to catch, but sometimes I can feel it watching me. Sometimes I can see it looking. Then when I turn quickly, it’s gone.”

His gaze dropped to the drawing of the eye; then he scanned across the map. “Looks like there’s another one here.” He pointed to another eye with lines at the top edge of the map. The same symbol was etched into the parchment there. After a bit more searching, they found two more, one on the right and one on the left side of the lake.

“It looks as though the beetle was being watched on all four sides,” Inky said. “For all these clues, I know only one thing for certain.”

“What’s that?” Tupelo asked.

“I know where to look for the next clue.”

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C hapter 16 Inky sat in silence at Oglebee’s table and concentrated on his list.

He knew that Bo would be there before long and wanted to be sure the list was complete. Sleep had come quickly last night, so quickly that he had not washed or changed his damp clothes. There were many things to do and so little time left. A soft rap sounded upon the door.

It opened slowly, and Bo stuck his head in.

“Come in, come in. We have many things to do, and I cannot tell you how perilously short on time we are. Here’s the list of things I need; beside each is the amount. I also need someone who is an expert seamstress.”

Bo read the list and raised an eyebrow. “You need two buckets of sap to save the queen? Or to fight the witches?” He folded the list.

“Well, never mind, I’ll get several people working on these. I’ll ask about a seamstress, but from what I’ve heard, Meg Swiffens is the best.”

“I’m not sure who she is, but that doesn’t matter as long as she can sew. Now, who would be able to tell me about the bottom of the lake?”

A green blur landed on the windowsill. “That would be me,” Shrogg said.

Bo looked surprised. “Buckets of sap and talking frogs! You have livened things up around here, Inkydomus. I’ll get to work on these things and find a seamstress. Be back in a few hours.” He limped to the door and was gone.

Inky turned back to Shrogg. “Now, you were saying?”

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The pots bubbled and hissed. The air smelled very strange, not bad, but not pleasant either. It was a very earthy and old smell. Bo, as promised, had returned that afternoon with nearly all of Inky’s requests. The fire blazed in the fireplace, and on the racks above it, Inky had placed three different-sized cauldrons. Yellow flames danced across the hickory and licked the bottom of the iron containers. He had lined up all of the herbs and roots on the table and had the two buckets of sap on the floor. Bo had helped them mash and pulverize many of the items and measured them out into the kettles.

The tiny cauldron contained a wooden cube of various amounts of pulverized herbs. They had been mashed into the cube, and its lid forced shut. It boiled in olive oil. The small pot contained clear, thick sap along with other ingredients. When heated, this mixture did not boil in the normal way. Hundreds of tiny bubbles rise to the surface when most liquids are boiled. In this pot, only one large bubble rose every so often. It flowed to the top, looking like it wanted to fly away, but didn’t have the courage. Inky watched this intently. Finally, a suitable bubble formed and rose to the sticky surface. Without taking his eyes off it, Inky grabbed a wooden paddle and scooped up the bubble. Then he placed it on the table and let it cool. As it did, it kept its spherical form and became even more transparent. When the bubble was cool enough for him to pick up, he placed it over his head and used his hands to shape the bottom to fit snugly against his shoulders. Using a tiny sharp knife, he cut a round hole in the back of the bubble.

Inky was just about to start on the second cauldron when he heard muffled voices at the door. He looked at Bo, and Bo looked at the door.

Then there was a soft knock. Inky turned back to the fireplace, and Bo went to answer the door. When Inky turned back around, three women stood with Bo. One of them was the green-eyed lady with the golden hair. Their eyes met, and her neck and cheeks flushed a brilliant scarlet. Inky fumbled with the paddle.

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“This is Meg Swiffens. She is, according to everyone, the best seamstress we have.” Bo pushed her in Inky’s direction. Inky mumbled something to her, relieved that no one actually heard what he said because it didn’t make sense.

She regained her composure a little and knelt down beside him.

“I’m sorry I ran away the other day. It’s something that, that, well, I can’t talk about it right now. But I’m very honored to help you in any way I can.”

She had just a trace of an Irish accent. Inky yearned to hear her laugh again. He would’ve stood motionless, just staring up into her eyes, if the kettle had not started boiling violently. “I need to add some things to this now.” He pointed at the lurching kettle.

It hung over the flames on a large metal rod. He swung the rod and the kettle out into the room. The whole contraption was built so that the contents of the pot could be poured into another away from the flames. But Inky had no need of another cauldron. He tipped the container and spilled part of the black sap onto the stone floor. The thick puddle oozed out and spread evenly. It dried, creating a thin black rubbery substance. Against the stone floor it cooled quickly.

Inky looked at Meg. “Do you have some type of marking material?”

“Yes, I have some chalk,” she said in a more relaxed voice. She seemed very happy to have the conversation turn back to sewing.

Inky lay flat on the cooling black surface. “If you would please, mark around the outline of my body. You do not have to do my head.”

She bent over him, concentrating hard not to look into his eyes.

She was so serious that Inky wanted to giggle. After she had finished, he found a sharp blade and cut out his silhouette. He picked up the scrap pieces, tossed them into the kettle, and pushed the whole thing back over the flames.

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“Well, now that we have a few moments, would you like to talk about that day? I thought perhaps I was rude or did something wrong.”

“It’s just that, well, I’ve had dreams about you my whole life. All kinds of dreams. When I came to the village and heard the others speak of you, I realized that I might actually meet you. But when we met for the first time, well, I was overwhelmed. Your eyes were so dark.” She lowered her voice and glanced at him for the first time. “My feelings were very unexpected.” She looked at him, waiting for some sort of reply.

Luckily for Inky, the pot began to boil and rattle. He was forced to attend to it rather than respond to what she had said. He swung the kettle back around and poured another puddle. This time the cooling seemed to take forever. She continued to wait for him to say something, anything. He tried to come up with something to say that did not sound like a rejection or a complete change of subject. Sadly he could not. He pretended she had said nothing.

“If you would be so kind as to draw around me again.”

Meg looked as though her heart had been trod upon. She took the chalk and marked around him quickly and did not look at his face at all.

When she finished, Inky set to work, cutting out another silhouette of himself.

“I have thought about that day as well,” Inky said finally. This time it was her turn not to respond. Both looked around the room. Inky gave up.

“Now, if you would be so kind as to sew those two pieces together, I will have a suit that will be worthy of an underwater adventure.”

“You mean you are going to wear this into the lake?” Her eyes shifted nervously to Bo and the other woman.

“Yes, not only in the lake but to the bottom of it.”

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Inky looked up and saw a horrified look on Meg’s face. He didn’t know if she was scared because this was a dangerous journey or that the responsibility for sewing the suit was hers. Ignoring her fear, he retrieved the scraps from the second silhouette and asked her to use them for pockets and compartments on the suit.

Using a pair of tongs, Inky lifted the wooden cube out of the remaining cauldron. It dripped across the floor as he took it to the table. Once there, he set it down and tapped it with the tongs. The lid popped open, and a cube of the mashed herbs rolled onto the table. He placed it in a cut glass container that Bo had brought.

“What you holding there?” Bo asked.

“My breath,” Inky replied.

There was some nervous laughter, but no one asked him to explain.

Meg had finished the sewing quickly and looked like she wished she had never set foot in the place. The light began to fade.

“I’d be wise to get everyone back to the village before the sun sets completely,” Bo said.

“I agree, but I would like to show my gratitude in some way.” Inky looked at Meg. But Bo had nearly pushed her out the door.

“Mayhap when this is all over, we can all celebrate,” Bo said as he closed the door.

“Yes, when it’s all over,” Inky said softly.

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C hapter 17 In Oglebee’s dream, a big brown dog was licking him.

He rolled over and opened his eyes. The queen had taken one of her antennae and stuck it in his ear. He sat up and wiped the slime off. Someone whistled outside. Oglebee ran to the balcony and looked over.

The two men who had helped him the night before stood on the street below.

“Got your bucket of sugar and the garbage. Lower that rope over before somebody hears us.”

Oglebee did as they asked. “Sorry, fell asleep, I did.” He carried the wooden bucket back into the bedroom and poured it into a big tub. Then he lowered the bucket again, and they filled it with the bad vegetables and fruit. “See you again tomorrow morning.”

“There had better be a good reward,” the heavy man said to the young one.

Oglebee poured the garbage out onto the floor, and the queen tore into it with a vengeance. “You go ahead and have a good tuck-in. I’ve got something I need to do.”

He took the bucket and filled it halfway with sugar, then lowered it onto the pavement below.

The rising sun painted the castle with the grays of morning. An excited group of ants poured out of their crack and tapped their antennas on the bucket, looking for the sugar they knew was there.

After a few moments, the bucket was a seething mass of ants. He pulled 227

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the bucket back up and untied the rope. Oglebee slipped over the railing for the second time. This time, however, he balanced a bucket in his right hand. The ledge was easier to navigate in the light, and in no time, he was slipping into the king’s window.

The king was still asleep, covers drawn tightly over his bulbous stomach. Oglebee tiptoed to the bed and dumped the entire bucket over the royal bedspread. The only sound Oglebee made on the way back to the queen’s room was muffled giggling.

The next morning Inky arose with great anticipation. He searched for something to eat in Oglebee’s cupboards and found nothing but some dried-up brown bread which he gnawed on. He retrieved his flute from beside the bed and played a soft chorus of the strange music.

The air held the slightest bite of chill on this glorious autumn morning.

The hawk circled, looking for a place to land. It found a log bobbing gently in the lake. Inky walked to the edge of the water. “Please keep a watchful eye on the lake today. I may need your help.”

It opened its great wings and took off effortlessly. Inky stood in the sunshine and quietly said his morning prayers as the hawk drifted above.

The birds in the trees chirped happily, unaware and uncaring of the drama unfolding in the kingdom. Inky looked around at the trees dropping their leaves. Out in the forest somewhere, Tupelo was watching.

As he walked back to the cottage, he grabbed a handful of dry dirt and rubbed it over his skin. This would help in the daunting task of sliding into the diving suit. It took several minutes for him to wiggle down into the large opening in the neck. He pointed his toes and pulled the suit on little by little.

“Lucky I’m only twelve inches tall,” he said out loud. Next, he took out the jar. Like a diamond, the facets etched in the sides sparkled, even 228

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in the dim light of the cottage. He popped the top off with his thumb and quickly shoved the open end into the hole in the helmet. Inside the jar rested a small brown cube. It didn’t look like much, but he would not survive without it. He carried the helmet under his arm and stiffly walked out of the cottage. The sap-made suit was very difficult to bend in the knees even though it was sewn perfectly.

At the water’s edge, he pulled the flute from a pocket along his back. With great effort, he lowered himself to the edge of the lake and dipped its tip under the surface of the water. The strange music sent minuscule waves pulsating out into the lake, gently swaying the cattails growing near the bank.

The sun came up over the trees. Inky waded through the water line. He submerged his tiny instrument and blew into the flute a second time. A golden light descended on the lake as the sun cleared the mountain. Every wave and ripple sparkled with an essence of light from above. Looking into the distance Inky spotted a swell on the water approaching the shoreline. He backed up until he stood on the bank. The head of a huge catfish broke the water; its body slid halfway up on shore. It was several times longer than Inky and broad across the head. Its large dark eyes stared at Inky as he walked closer. Inky felt tiny beside it. The mouth could have swallowed him whole.

Inky whispered instructions to the fish. Then he drew the symbol from the map in the mud along the shore. Upon seeing the eye with wavy lines underneath, the fish flapped its tail.

“What’s that extra jar sticking out the back of your helmet,” an invisible Tupelo yelled from the forest.

“The brown cube is concentrated air. It should last a couple of hours. Keep a weathered eye out for me, will you? I may return in a hurry if things go badly.”

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“Everybody’s naked under their clothes,” Tupelo yelled randomly.

That would suffice as a yes, Inky thought.

He placed the helmet over his head and fastened the suit around it. Then he put the flute back in a hidden pocket and stepped closer to the giant head. The tiny man patted the fish between its eyes and swung one leg over its back. He had just enough room to put his legs behind the gills and still fit in front of the dorsal fin. As the fish slid backward into the water, Inky’s helmet smoothly disappeared into the green darkness.

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C hapter 18 The sun was shining in the east giving the west side of the lake bright light. Inky lay on his stomach, resting his head between the catfish’s great eyes. He made himself as streamlined as possible. He balled his hands under his helmet and hooked his legs around the dorsal fin. The fish swam close to the surface, and the bright sunlight illuminated the water around them. Occasionally, Inky caught a glimpse of a large fin or the shining side of a fish in the distance. The sensation was nearly the same as flying on the hawk, except that he couldn’t see the bottom.

The green around him faded into the darkness below.

Inky wondered how far the fish would have to swim to get to the place marked by the eye with the wavy lines. They moved close to the surface for a long time, and then the fish began to descend. The surface slowly lifted away above him. Even through his suit, he felt the water become colder. The fish swam with strong but smooth whips of its tail and did not alter its course. There was no sound at all.

The darkness around Inky was stifling, and he felt very alone.

He wondered if something grotesque swam behind them, cloaked in darkness, only inches away—something that could see in this darkness.

Something that hunted and fed in this cold, dark place. He held on a little tighter.

The catfish swam deeper. Inky wasn’t sure where they were or even how long they’d been gone. He knew that if something happened now, he would never be found. He thought of Oglebee and the queen, then of Cassieus and the hawk. He wished he could be any place else but 231

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here. He felt the fingers of fear slide up his spine. Until now, each time his panic began to rise, he fought it back. But now it came in waves, each one stronger than the last. Then he thought of Meg Swiffens and was able to calm himself. Just as quickly, he tried to push the thought out of his mind. He was already worried about outliving Oglebee and some of the others. He didn’t want to add her to the list.

Inky stiffened as something huge and brown loomed on his right.

A rocky wall illuminated by glowing plants spanned out beside them.

The beautiful, neon-colored plants grew as far up and down the craggy walls as he could see. The plants lighted the way, guiding Inky and the catfish like torches in the night. The green, purple, and blue ones waved gently like giant palm leaves. The red, pink, and yellow ones had long thin leaves like seagrass.

As they swam further along the wall, the plants thickened. The rainbow of plants now illuminated the bottom. Their beauty calmed Inky and, for some reason, he couldn’t understand, gave him strength.

Schools of tiny multicolored fish swam in and out of bushes. They moved in groups; when one turned its shiny side, a hundred more did the same, swimming behind the first. The bottom of this lake teemed with life. The catfish continued on.

A hazy shape appeared in the darkness ahead of them. An archway was built into the rock wall, with the opening constructed of crudely squared stones. The keystone in the center had a picture carved on it.

An etching of the eye symbol looked down on them as they entered the passageway. Something moved through glowing bushes beneath them, but the catfish paid no attention to it.

The neon plants grew thickly here and led them through a tunnel large enough to drive a wagon. The ceiling was rounded and made of the same crude stones. They swam down the center, avoiding the beautiful plants on each side. There were no tiny fish here, and the 232

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water changed from a green tint to golden. There was more movement beneath the neon leaves. For the first time, Inky saw the things crawling underneath.

A thin flat tail was exposed between two of the plants. It was a dark muddy color, like the ground in a swamp. The head and body became visible as they passed over it. It was a lizard, twice as large as Inky. Bluish-black spots covered its head and body and converged into stripes near the tail. There were very strong-looking legs with four toes at the end of each. Strangest of all were the feathery gills, which stood out from its body and gave it a devilish appearance. It stood still on the bottom and watched them pass overhead.

Inky remembered somewhere in his youth learning about these creatures. He recalled that they had a very nasty disposition but did not think they were supposed to be in this part of the world. His teacher had called them devil dogs.

Another one had come out of hiding up ahead, then another. The catfish must have kept to the center of the tunnel, knowing that these creatures lurked under the bushes. Inky shuddered to think that if not for the light of the plants, these creatures would be scurrying all around them unseen. They were not hiding anymore.

The tunnel ahead of them gently sloped upward. The catfish stayed to the center and swam upward. For the first time, it began swimming faster.

A devil dog lunged from the left side and nipped at the catfish’s tail.

Luckily it missed and sank stiff-legged back to the bottom. Ahead more devil dogs prepared to jump at the fish. It swam even faster. Inky held tightly as its powerful tail swept back and forth. Just as Inky decided this was a very bad idea, a different kind of light came into view in the distance.

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The catfish swam toward the light. The color, something between black and yellow, was remarkable and one that Inky had never seen before. It streamed through the water in shafts and moved with the current, traveling unlike any earthly light.

Inky and the catfish broke the surface of the water and entered a cavernous room. Stalagmites and stalactites clung to the floor and ceiling, and a sandy beach met the water’s edge. An ornate platform at the back of the cave held several expertly carved containers.

The strange color bouncing around the room cascaded in waves from one small container. The shadows swirled and danced, making the room twist before Inky’s eyes.

The catfish slid up on the sandy bank as Inky sat upright on its back. Inky swung his leg over to get off the creature when suddenly the fish jerked to the left so hard that Inky went flying into the shallows with a splash. He sat up quickly and looked back. The water erupted with attacking devil dogs. They pounced on the catfish tearing at its flesh with tiny sharp teeth. The catfish’s white belly flashed as it rolled over, throwing one of the evil lizards across the water into the rock wall. It hit with a loud smack and sank limply into the water.

Inky scrambled across the sand and watched helplessly. The catfish jerked back and forth, using the sharp barbs on its fins to puncture the devil dogs. It was a valiant fighter, but the numbers were too uneven.

The lizards were biting and scratching, taking chunks out of the catfish’s fins and back.

“Go!” Inky yelled. “Swim quickly back into the lake!”

A devil dog sprung out of the water and bit down on the fish’s bottom lip. The catfish swung around and punctured the lizard’s side with a barbed fin. The two were locked together. The dying lizard impaled on the barb hindered the catfish’s movement and allowed the others to attack.

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“Go, my friend. I’ll find my own way out of here!”

The fish gave a final shake, flinging bodies dead and alive, then disappeared under the water. The remaining devil dogs followed, leaving Inky sure that the battle raged somewhere else.

Bodies littered the water and bank. The complete silence added to the eerie scene. The strange-colored shadows danced over the bodies and across the smooth glassy surface of the water.

Inky turned to the platform and walked toward its brilliance. A power radiated from a carved lidless container. He squinted as he peered over the edge and into the light.

There, at the bottom of the container, lay an ordinary stone. It was a little pockmarked and crumbly but looked completely unexceptional.

He reached in and poked it. As soon as his glove-covered finger touched it, the glowing stopped. It lay there as dead and cold as a piece of coal. He retrieved the old leather pouch from one of his pockets and shoved the mysterious rock into it.

A thought struck him. With this stone in the bag and its light extinguished, why was he able to see? This was a cave; it should be dark. He looked up. Light flooded in through a slit near the ceiling.

Upon further inspection, Inky found a huge pile of rubble under the opening, possibly high enough to climb. Looking around through his helmet, he saw the other containers placed around the platform.

Which ones did he need? They all looked as if they contained powerful magic. He walked to the closest one that had a scarab beetle carved into the lid. This was a very shiny, carved wooden box with a lid about as long as he was tall.

Sweat ran down Inky’s forehead and into his eyes. He glanced around and found no sign of the devil dogs. He decided to take everything he could carry.

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He took the lid off, and there in the box lay a small booklet engraved with a scarab beetle. He pulled the book from the container and shoved it into the leather pouch. It was a tight fit, but with just a little pushing and shoving, he managed to tighten the drawstring. He slung the whole thing over his head and shoulders so that the pouch hung down on his hip.

Then a noise behind him froze Inky in his tracks.

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C hapter 19 Snip, snip.

Inky turned and saw an orange-colored crab walking sideways across the beach. It held its pincers high, opening and closing them, making a “snip snip” sound. It stared at Inky with black beady eyes on the ends of long stalks. The crab’s eyes focused on Inky even as it moved across the sand. Without the waves of light, the large room looked completely different. The craggy walls turned into porous slabs of rock with large holes in them. Out of these holes came more crabs, each with those horrible stalked eyes and their sharp claws held high, snipping the air.

Inky started backing up, watching them closely. He moved toward the rubble pile, taking one slow step at a time. The crabs formed a semicircle around him now and temporarily trapped him. He turned and sprinted around one end of the crabs and ran up the pile. The loose stones made it terribly hard to climb. The pile shifted under him, and he kept sliding back. He wondered why the crabs had not caught up with him. Then he looked down and understood why.

The crabs’ hard, pointed legs had no grip at all on the large stones.

They slid until they started piling on top of each other. One leaned against the hill, and another climbed on its back. There was no shortage of crabs as they continued to flood into the cavern.

Inky quickly learned that he could cover more ground if he climbed around the pile instead of going straight up it. The crabs gained on 237

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him, piling up like snow on a windowsill. Inky realized that these snowflakes had pincers that could slice him to ribbons.

He was nearly to the roof and the slit of daylight when something brushed against his foot. A huge orange claw tried to get close enough to snap down on one of Inky’s scrambling feet. He reached up, tore his helmet off, and threw it at the crab below. A sickening snap echoed through the cave as the helmet hit the crab’s fragile eye stalk. It broke like a dry stick, and the crab fell into the swarming mass of orange shells below. The helmet spun in the air for an instant. A claw reached up and snipped it in two. The two pieces were severed by more claws.

The helmet was sliced up completely before it reached the floor of the cave.

Inky crawled to the very top of the rock pile. The crevice was just big enough for him to slide through. He pulled himself out of the opening and squinted in the sunlight. He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he left the confinement of the cave. But the joy of his escape was short-lived.

He stood on a ledge about halfway up a rock cliff. Above him, a solid smooth rock wall headed straight to the blue sky. Scampering over to the edge, Inky looked down to see a forested gorge far below.

He was trapped again.

The underwater passageway led under the mountain and came up nearly halfway on the other side. For some reason, all the water on the mountain drained into Kettlefish Lake.

He turned toward a scraping noise behind him. An orange claw wrenched through the slit of rock that Inky had just come through. The claw opened and closed, tearing away at the rock. The stone crumbled, and the opening grew larger and larger. Inky tried to find some way to get off the ledge. He reached for a dead bush that had been growing out of the side of the cliff. It pulled out easily, trailing its lifeless roots.

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He tore off the smaller branches and swung it like a club. The persistent crab was almost completely through the rock, with one claw, three legs, and half of its body now exposed. One of its stalked eyes peered around the corner. It shook violently back and forth, trying to wiggle through the opening. A big hunk of stone fell away and released the crab. It stood still for a moment and then strode slowly toward Inky like a tarantula toward a fly.

Inky decided that he wasn’t going to be sliced and diced on this day. He ran towards the crab with what was left of the bush, screaming like a banshee.

Surprised by the movement and stunned by the screaming, the crab didn’t have time to prepare for the attack. Inky swung the homemade club right at its eyes. With a squish, he got both of them with one swing.

Blinded but still dangerous, it charged Inky. He sidestepped it and stood completely still. The crab listened for him. Inky walked to the edge of the cliff and whistled. The crab turned and ran at the noise, pincers slicing the air in front of it. Just as the crab was about to reach him, Inky dropped and flattened himself to the ground. The crab ran right over him and off the edge of the cliff. It disappeared into the trees far below.

Inky took a long breath and puffed out his cheeks as he exhaled.

He leisurely turned to walk away from the edge. Then he stopped in his tracks.

Crabs flooded out of the opening. One by one, they formed a semicircle around him. Inky took a step backward. The crabs raised their claws again and made the snipping sound. With one look over his shoulder, Inky eyed the forest below him. In front, the circle tightened, and the orange crowd closed around him. The gap between them grew

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smaller. Inky raised his club again and ran at the crabs. This time they were prepared for his attack.

As Inky swung the club, one of the crabs caught it in midair and snapped it in two. Inky was left with a bit of stick with the roots trailing behind it. He dropped that and backed up to the very edge of the cliff. They could almost reach out and touch him now. The whirr of snapping pincers filled the air. They were so close Inky could smell their fishy breaths.

The crab on the left took a step forward and reached its open claw towards Inky. He pulled back his fist for one last punch. Then, swoosh!

Inky felt the breath knocked out of him and a crushing feeling on his shoulders. He opened his eyes and saw two scaly claws clamped onto his rubber suit. The hawk had swooped out of the sky and plucked Inky off the ledge just as one of the pincers had reached for him. The bird soared on an updraft that lifted them in the arc back over the ledge. Inky looked down. Hundreds of crabs still rushed out of the opening, but no space was left on the ledge. The crabs closest to the edge were pushed over. It was like an orange waterfall of falling bodies.

Inky, who realized that he’d barely escaped, had such a feeling of joy that he tingled all over.

“They must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” Inky yelled to the hawk. “They were really crabby!” He laughed so hard that his vision blurred.

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C hapter 20 The pressure on his shoulders was incredible. If not for his sap suit, the talons would have crushed them. Flying wasn’t as relaxing dangling beneath the hawk as it was riding on its back. The wind hit Inky full force, and he had no way of protecting himself. He clutched the pouch and waited for the flight to be over.

They circled around the mountain and back toward Oglebee’s side.

Inky could see how the streams fed the lake and where Oglebee and the men had changed some of their flows. He’d never seen the lay of the land from this angle and did not realize how long the lake actually was. Narrowing and widening, it wound its way around the base of the mountain and off into the distance.

As they swooped toward the cottage, the hawk slowed and hovered for an instant, then dropped Inky inches above the grass. Then it flew off without ever setting a foot, or a talon, on the ground. Inky heard something in the woods. Tupelo came running into the clearing.

“Thought you were deceased or something. Saw you all limp hanging from the bottom of that bird.” Tupelo relaxed for a moment.

“Made quite a sight coming across the sky like that.”

“No, I’m none worse for the wear,” Inky said, rubbing his shoulders.

“Have you noticed anything different in the forest today?”

“No, nothing out of the usual.”

“I believe that we may be in for a visit from the witches. And this time, they will be as civilized as they’ve been on their last two visits.”

“You want me to watch for you?”

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“Yes, that would be very helpful, and as soon as possible, please.

We have very little time, I’m afraid.”

Tupelo disappeared into the woods without a sound. Inky walked into the cottage and put the pouch on the kitchen table. He searched the cupboards for a knife sharp enough to cut off the suit. Once he had removed the suit, he found one of his extra robes and put it on.

He walked back up to the table and climbed up onto the chair seat and then onto the table. He sat next to the pouch. He opened the drawstrings and pulled out the booklet. The rock came with it, rolling across the table and onto the floor. Inky scrambled over to the edge and looked down. It lay there with no black sparks or magical light, broken into two pieces.

Inky exhaled loudly, then crawled off the table and down to the floor. For the first time, he noticed Cassieus lying in a dark corner of the room. He looked up at Inky and sniffed, then closed his eyes again.

Inky reached down to pick up the pieces. As his hand touched one piece, someone else’s hand grabbed the other piece at the same time.

Inky froze. He was sure there was no one else in the room when he came in. Still bent over, his eyes traveled up the intruder’s arm and into his own face.

The intruder was an exact copy of Inky. His clothing, his hair, everything was identical. Astonished, Inky sucked in his breath. The sound made Cassieus turn and look. The newt did something Inky had never seen before: he snarled. As Inky slowly stood and started to back away, so did his twin. It was like a mirror image. Inky reached behind him, feeling for the table. He kept his eyes on the twin. He tripped over his tiny chair, falling backward and landing on his behind. When he hit the hard floor, the stone bounced out of his hand, and the twin vanished. The stone the twin was holding dropped to the floor. Inky blinked and stared. Then he looked at Cassieus, who was still staring 242

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at the exact spot last occupied by the twin. He got up, walked over, and sniffed the air, then the stone.

“What was that?” Inky asked, still lying down. The two just looked at each other for a moment. Inky rolled over and reached out to get the stone he had dropped. As soon as his fingers touched it, the image appeared again right beside Cassieus. The lizard was so surprised that he jumped halfway across the room. Inky looked at the double of himself, then back at the stone in his hand. He let it slip out of his grasp and onto the floor. The twin vanished again.

Inky crawled over to get the stone that the twin had held. Cassieus walked back over and sniffed it. Inky grabbed the stone, and both their heads slowly pivoted to see the twin materialize right where he had just been. Sprawled out by the overturned chair, the other Inky looked back at them. The room was completely quiet. Inky dropped the stone he held, and, as he had predicted to himself, the twin disappeared.

“Now I see the value of this stone,” Inky said to Cassieus. He held them together, and the two stones merged back into one large stone, like drops of rain. Inky grabbed one side of the stone with his left hand and the other side with his right hand. Then he twisted the stone in opposite directions. The stone broke cleanly into two halves, and the twin appeared directly in front of them “Who are you?” Inky asked.

“I am you,” the twin replied.

“Where did you come from?”

“Nowhere. I’m not another person; I am a projection of you.”

“Do you know everything I know?” Inky asked.

“I don’t know,” the twin said.

Cassieus’ head had been pivoting back and forth between the two Inkys. He let out a long sniff and turned and walked out of the room, still looking back over his shoulder at them.

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Inky took one of the halves of the stone and broke it in half again. A third Inky appeared. “This is getting very strange.” The other two Inkys nodded in agreement. Mashing two of the rocks together, one Inky disappeared. The real Inky closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead for a moment. Soon he realized he was seeing with his eyes closed. In his mind, he could see through the double’s eyes. Without really trying, he could make the double turn his head and look around the room. He could see himself standing there with his eyes closed.

“Amazing!”

“Yes, it is,” the twin answered.

He tore one of the halves apart again and the second double appeared. He concentrated and immediately saw through its eyes.

Squinting and pushing his mind, he made the second double walk over and stand next to the first. He took the three parts and pushed them all back together. Both doubles disappeared. Inky put the stone back into the leather pouch and sat down limply on the floor.

This might be interesting, he thought to himself without anyone answering him this time. Pulling out the stone, he broke it into two pieces and put one piece on the table. A double materialized and stood looking at him. Inky closed his eyes and willed the double to walk to the door, then out to the porch.

“Shrogg,” the double yelled.

Inky, who still had his eyes closed, watched for Shrogg to appear through the double’s eyes. A green face bobbed up to the surface of the water, which was soon followed by a smaller face. Choosing his words carefully, he said, “Could you please join me inside?”

Shrogg and Anura hopped up on the porch without a second glance at the twin. Inky put the two stones together and dropped them back into the pouch.

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When the two frogs hopped into the room, they saw Inky standing in front of them with a huge smile on his face. They both looked back out the door, wondering how he had gotten past them. Inky motioned for them to hop up onto the table.

“Shrogg, I desperately need your help.” Inky slid folded pieces of parchment across the table so that Shrogg could see. His bulging eyes quickly grew bigger as he looked at the papers. He unfolded them with his webbed hands. They turned out to be a kind of book folded in on itself. On the cover was a drawing of a beetle.

“So this is what the witches are searching for. Do you have any idea what you have here?” Shrogg said without looking away from the book.

“I’m not sure, but I’ve seen those drawings before. They’re Egyptian.”

Shrogg didn’t say anything for a moment but quietly examined each page before going on to the next. Inky grew impatient. Each time he started to ask a question, he was cut off with a “shhh” from Shrogg.

Shrogg grimaced and said, “It looks as though we have a very rare and powerful document here. First, it has a scarab beetle on it. That means it’s of great importance. This is part of The Book of Coming.

These are part of the rules that the Egyptians thought they needed to follow to go on to the next life.” Shrogg turned a page. “It looks as though our witches are trying to find immortality. Legend has it that somewhere in the text are ways to control your enemies so they will not bother you in the afterlife.” Shrogg closed the book. “If this is true, and I don’t believe it is, these witches would be able to eliminate anyone they thought was an enemy. They would rule the land.”

Inky thought back to his meeting with the Hoople. She had said that this was far bigger than he knew. She also told him that she was the balance between good and evil. This could definitely disrupt that balance. She also told him that he would have to make a decision.

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Shrogg reopened the book. “There’s also something here in the back. It almost looks like an afterthought.”

Inky looked at the page with hand-drawn symbols across it.

“I believe,” Shrogg went on, “that this is a counter curse. They didn’t want any curses following them into the hereafter.” He looked closer at the drawings. “This allows you to completely erase every spell your enemy has thrown.

“This is it then? This is what we need to save the queen?”

Shrogg thought for a moment. “Yes, in a roundabout way, I think this would do it. One person’s lifetime of work, be it good or evil, would be abolished. That would erase the spell put on the queen and every other spell that she has ever cast. That means I would turn back into a man.” His wide mouth turned into a grin. “I’ll be able to finish my book and finally have a meal that doesn’t fly or crawl. I’ll be able to dry off and have real conversations with—” He looked around and saw Anura. His smile disappeared. She was still there by his side, looking at him longingly.

“Well,” he spoke softer, “with people who have opinions . . . about things.

“Inky looked at him kindly. “Conversations with people who care little about you.”

“We have company,” Tupelo yelled from outside. “Whole bunch of people coming down the mountain. Probably be here in just a couple minutes.”

“Shrogg, take a look at this.” Inky produced the map of the lake.

“Look at the back.”

Shrogg studied it for a few moments. “This is a spell to turn humans into animals. Did the witches have this? This must have been the bungled curse that rolled across the forest.” Shrogg cocked his head.

“These are notes from a place called ‘The Oracle of Delphi.’ This lady, 246

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her name is Pythia, is trying to turn her husband into a snake. Doesn’t say if it worked or not.”

Tupelo yelled from the trees. “The dogs are here. Two-legged this time.” He swung off a branch and landed on the roof of the cottage, just like a chimpanzee.

Shrogg slid the map onto the floor and kicked it to Anura.

Inky looked out the window and saw the witches emerging from the woods. “Shrogg, you must hide if they get inside. You’ll do well to let me handle this. Now be quick. I hope the next time I see you, you will be back to your old self.”

Inky walked to the back part of the cottage farthest away from the witches, pulled out the flute, and blew for the hawk. Then he crawled up to the windowsill. As Shrogg and Anura watched, Inky reached into the pouch and pulled out the stone. He broke it in two, and the twin appeared before him. Shrogg gasped. Inky closed his eyes and willed the twin to walk out the front door. The witches were waiting for him.

“So, here is the little sneak who has decided to steal from me. You are no more than a pimple,” Lottiebien screamed. The hawk circled above.

“Oh, a pimple is so crude. I would much prefer blemish,” the twin said, smiling. Tupelo took aim and fired a stone at the group of witches.

It thumped a rather grotesque witch in the side of the head. She closed her eyes and fell face-first into the dust. Tupelo dove off the roof and, with a loud splash, crashed into the lake behind the cottage. “Frost on the pumpkin,” he yelled.

The hawk disappeared below the roofline and landed undetected on the back windowsill beside Inky. Inky opened his eyes, put the stones together, and crawled on the back of the hawk. When the stones touched, the twin disappeared before the witches’ eyes. They all screamed except Lottiebien. She looked around frantically.

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“Where is that filthy little worm?” she screamed in French. “I want to crush him with my boot. Crush him so not even the animals will want to eat his remains.”

As the hawk flew, Inky pulled out the stone and severed it down the middle. He closed his eyes and pictured Oglebee’s cottage from behind the witches. The twin materialized in that very spot.

“Excusez-moi,” the twin said. “Whom are you speaking to over there?”

The witches spun around, and this time even Lottiebien screamed.

Inky watched them through the twin’s eyes. “I certainly do not mean to be rude, but I must leave now. I bid you farewell.”

Inky chuckled to himself as he soared toward the castle. He put the rock back into the pouch and turned his thoughts toward the task that lay ahead.

248

C hapter 21 The sun began to set, and its warmth lost the battle with the cool autumn air. The light was also losing its battle with the dark. Golden and orange leaves now littered the forest floor, leaving only the skeletal remains of the trees.

The gloom that had settled over the forest also clung to everything on the inside of the castle walls. Just as the trees had given up and gone dormant for the winter so had the subjects of the kingdom with the loss of their queen.

The hawk flew to the queen’s balcony and landed on the railing.

The dim light of the torches flickered from within. Inky’s trepidation grew as he entered her room.

Oglebee sat in a straight back chair, trying with great difficultly to read a book aloud. He looked up as Inky walked in.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes, you are. We’re just having a little read. Really I’m just makin’ up words to go with the pictures.” He hopped off the chair and picked Inky up in a bear hug.

Inky quickly scanned the room but could not find the queen. Then he saw a shiny path that zigzagged up a wall. The queen was upside down on the ceiling.

“How much has she changed since my last visit?”

“Doesn’t do much now except for sleep and eat,” Oglebee said softly. “Had a load of trouble getting her the right food, but I think we got it figured out now.”

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“Well, my friend, perhaps the right food may not be much of a problem if all goes well in the next few minutes. Could you possibly get her down here? We may not have much time.”

Oglebee pulled a rotting piece of lettuce from a barrel by the door.

He held it up as high as he could and shook it. The odor finally reached her, and she began an agonizingly slow trek down the wall.

“Is there any way you can hurry her up?” Inky asked.

“Nope, don’t think so; she’s a slug after all. What’s the big hurry?

She’s been like this for days now.” The minutes ticked by as the queen continued down the wall. Inky paced back and forth. Oglebee patted her on the back when she finally reached the floor. Slime clung to his hand in thick strands when he pulled it away.

Excited voices drifted in through the balcony doors.

“That, my friend, may be the reason to hurry.”

They stepped to the balcony and looked. Soldiers scurried over the ramparts and looked over the castle walls. They were pointing and talking, confused about what to do. As the commotion grew nearer, screams and shouts came from just outside the great castle doors.

With an order from one of the soldiers, the doors rolled back, and the band of witches filed in, torches in hand. Their hateful faces were more gruesome than ever, lighted by the flickering torchlight. Moo lumbered in behind the rest.

“Oh, I hate witches, I do,” Oglebee said. At the sound of his voice, the bedraggled group turned and looked up at Oglebee.

“Oops, I guess they heard me.” The screaming and yelling stopped, and the soft sound of the flames echoed across the courtyard.

“There is the thief!” screamed Lottiebien. The filthy entourage ran for the nearest entrance.

“We can waste no more time.” Inky pulled the spell from his robes and walked back to the queen. “Could you please make sure the door is barred?” he asked Oglebee.

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He began to chant the words that Shrogg had given him. As he finished, he heard footsteps outside the door. Nothing changed; the queen was still as much of a slug as she had been when he started.

“What’s wrong?” Oglebee wrung his hands. “Why isn’t it working?”

The footsteps outside were louder now and mingled with angry voices.

“I don’t know.” Inky tried to think back to Shrogg’s instructions.

But it was the Hoople’s voice that came back to him.

“She said I would have to make a decision, but about what?”

“I can’t help you cause I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.”

Oglebee paced the floor. “What are you trying to do anyhow?”

“This spell eliminates any curses a person has given over his lifetime. It erases them completely. But to get it to work, I have to make a decision, and I don’t know what decision I have to make. I’m sure I want to save the queen. Who else would I want to save?”

Oglebee stopped pacing. “Oh,” he said. “Seems pretty simple to me.”

“It does?”

“Yep.” The noise outside the door was near chaotic now. Oglebee walked over and kicked the thick wood. “You be quiet out there, you bunch of horse-faced donkeys.” He turned and walked calmly back toward Inky.

“What are you always going on about? Outliving your friends, always being on the outside, hiding yourself away. With this spell, you can erase the curse that was put on your father. You’re so willing to help everyone else that you didn’t even see it.”

Inky stood and stared. The thought of living a normal life was so unknown to him that he couldn’t quite comprehend it. And now he had a chance to make it possible. A noise outside the balcony jolted him from his thoughts. A ladder appeared at the balcony.

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“You’d better make your decision, looks like someone wants to make it for you.” Oglebee ran to the balcony and looked over. A witch was halfway up the ladder with another right behind her. He grabbed the top of the ladder and pushed it away from the balcony. The witches screamed as they disappeared into the darkness. Two more ladders appeared. A loud boom rocked the barred doors as someone on the outside tried a battering ram.

Inky looked down and put his hands on the queen’s slimy back.

“May God’s Ka spread over the land and erase any evil and evil-doers that cross it.”

With a resounding crack, the ebony door split across the middle.

Moo stood there with a log in her arms. A torch cartwheeled through the air and then skidded across the floor. Oglebee threw punches at a witch who tried to step off the ladder, but other witches climbed onto the balcony from the other ladder. Sintya rose out of a coil and began to strike at them.

Inky felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips, then an eruption of joy through his whole body. He felt as if he were made of pure white light.

Oglebee had grabbed the torch and was running low to the ground, trying to ignite the hems of the witches’ clothing. But before any could catch fire, a deep rumbling came from the bowels of the castle.

Gleaming white mist swirled around the room. It gained speed and tore at the velvety curtains. It swirled faster, knocking over chairs and several witches unlucky enough to be caught in the strongest gusts.

The roar became deafening. The floor shook so violently that it was hard to stand.

From the corner of his eye, Inky saw Lottiebien off to the side with her back against the wall. Her arms clung to it for balance, fear etched on her face. She looked at him, and their eyes met. Suddenly she was 252

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jerked straight up as if she had been launched out of a catapult. She hit the ceiling and flew straight through it, leaving a gaping hole and a thin tendril of mist in her wake. Another witch was jerked up, then another. After that, it was a continuous sound of splintering wood until just Inky, Oglebee, and the queen were left in the room. The mist continued to swirl until one of the curtains landed gently, covering the queen, who lay there as beautiful as she was on the first day that Oglebee had seen her.

Oglebee was the first to her. He knelt by her side and gently stroked her hair until she opened her eyes. She put her hand over his.

“You never left my side,” she said.

“And I don’t think I ever will either, I don’t.”

“Well, how sweet,” the duke said, standing right outside the door.

The hallway filled with soldiers. “It looks as though love is in the air— for witches.”

“Sorry, pretty boy,” Oglebee said. “They just left.”

The duke stepped into the room. He wore a midnight blue tunic with matching britches that had white stripes spiraling down into white boots. The soldiers followed him in.

“These three are under arrest and charged with witchcraft and sorcery. Take them to the dungeon.”

“It did not take long for the buzzards to get here. Were you circling to see who was still standing before you could swoop in?” Inky asked.

The queen slowly stood, pulling the draperies around her. Inky, seeing that they were completely outnumbered, stood to walk with the soldiers. Oglebee, seeing that they were outnumbered, took a running leap off an overturned cabinet and launched himself spread eagle at the first three guards he saw. They ended up in a mass of wiggling arms and legs.

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Finally, after the help of several guards, a ragged and bloody Oglebee was pulled to his feet. “One-on-one, I’ll take any of you cowards. Just let me loose, and I’ll whip you one at a time!”

While Oglebee kicked, bit, shouted, and cursed, Inky felt the pouch to make certain the stone was still there.

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C hapter 22 The door to the dungeon swung open, and the same hideous smell greeted Inky as it did the night he rescued Oglebee. Not much had changed here in the last few months. The walls looked damp and moldy, and there was a constant dripping sound coming from somewhere in the shadows. The dungeon master and his assistant wore the same grimy clothing as they did on that night.

“Look what we have here. It’s that little feller that gave us such a hard time. He’s even got a little shrimp of a friend with him.” The fat, sloppy dungeon master stood beside his bony assistant. What they lacked in hygiene, they made up for in rotten teeth.

“And look there. What do they have wrapped up in a blanket? She’s quite a beauty, ain’t she?” the assistant said.

The duke, who would never step foot in the dungeon, had left one of the soldiers in charge. They marched the prisoners past the dungeon master and his assistant, both of whom swatted at the flies buzzing around them. Oglebee looked at the young one and said, “Boo!” The assistant jumped back, remembering his last visit. The big sloppy one looked down and snarled, so Oglebee stepped down hard on his sandaled foot. The dungeon master howled.

“These prisoners are not to be touched. Do you understand? They are to be in perfect condition when they are executed tomorrow,” the soldier told them.

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The queen gripped the curtain around her with one hand and covered her mouth with the other. A moment passed before it registered with Oglebee. Then he looked at the queen, back at Inky, then back at the queen.

“They can’t execute her! She’s the queen! Yeah, us, I can see that, but not the queen.” “Tomorrow is a long way off, my friend,” Inky said softly.

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C hapter 23 “You see,” the duke said. “Now we have only one enemy about which to worry. And there will be no worry at all by this time tomorrow.”

The king paced back and forth in front of the dark stone fireplace.

He scratched his chest under his robe. Ugly-looking welts covered his hands and neck. “I hope you’re right. I still worry about Inkydomus.

He’s a sly one.”

“I’ll have to agree. I thought they would be no match for that French witch. But once captured, you should have seen how easily he surrendered.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. It’s been too easy for us. It’s as if he has planned it this way. I want all of the soldiers brought into the castle.” He scratched behind his beard. “And double their pay, at least until this is all over. Has there been any word on Captain Cador’s whereabouts? I’d like to know where he’s run off to.”

The duke stood smiling in the doorway. “The soldiers will be here by tomorrow, and Cador will not be a problem. But rest assured. This whole witches-wizards catastrophe is about to come to an end.”

The king wrung his hands, then scratched his neck. “I wish I had your confidence, but I have dealt with this little man before. He schemes and plans. You seem to think because he’s in our dungeon, he is under our control.” The king dug at a place behind his knee. “He has destroyed the witches, saved the queen, and at this moment is sleeping in my castle.”

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C hapter 24 “Look what we’ve accomplished so far.” Inky spoke loud enough for the other two to hear. “The witches are gone, the queen’s health is back, we’re here in the castle and already know what the king has planned for us. That is a great deal to have done in one night,” he whispered through the hole in the wall.

The three cells were in a row. The queen was in the first, Oglebee in the middle, and Inky on the end. The cells consisted of three stone walls and a barred opening in the front. Inky’s bars had been modified to thwart any attempt of escape. Sharp wire had been bound around the bars so that someone his size would not be able to squeeze through.

The king has had this planned for a while, Inky thought to himself.

Oglebee’s walls had small holes chiseled through the stone, probably by some other poor prisoner who had spent a long time here. Through the one in the left wall, he could talk to Inky, and through the hole in the right, he could speak to the queen. Between Oglebee’s outbursts of screaming at the guards and throwing things around his cell, he would come to the hole and whisper to Inky.

It was the middle of the night, and Oglebee had not yet calmed down. The dungeon master and his assistant had been trying to sleep on two filthy cots near the end of the room. Each time they nodded off, Oglebee created such a racket that both jumped and started screaming back.

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type of meat, which buzzed with flies, holding it up and taking bites of it in front of them.

Inky felt in his pouch for the stone. A grin spread across his face.

He took it out, pulled it apart, and his double appeared.

“I have a plan that I’d like to explain to you.”

“No need to,” the twin said. “I already have it up here.” He pointed to his head.

Inky closed his eyes and concentrated to his fullest. He pictured the kitchen, with its workers busy preparing the day’s breakfast. He pictured all the delicious foods being taken to the food carts, where they would be delivered to different parts of the castle. He could hear the pots hissing and smell the aromas of food cooking.

Suddenly he was there, walking between the carts and grabbing as much food as he could carry. Then he pictured himself standing in the queen’s cell, and there she was sitting before him.

“Oh,” was all she could say as he handed her the food. He was very much beginning to enjoy himself with this stone. He pictured the kitchen again and was there grabbing food that he knew Oglebee would love. His concentration broke when he laughed to himself, trying to picture Oglebee standing in his cell as the twin materialized.

Oglebee was standing with his face against the wall, trying to peek into Inky’s cell.

“Your breakfast is here, sir.”

Oglebee swung around so quickly that he lost his balance. He tripped across the room, collided with the opposite wall, and slid down it into a sitting position. “How?” Then he smiled. “Never mind, you are the darnedest little fella, you are.”

The twin put down the food, and next door, Inky put the stones back together. Inky heard Oglebee’s gasp of astonishment as the twin disappeared.

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“Are you all right over there?” Inky whispered through the hole.

Oglebee jumped again. “Stop doin’ that!” he yelled.

Inky giggled.

“What are you two doing over there?” the queen asked.

Inky giggled harder. He pulled the rock apart, and the twin materialized in the hallway in front of Oglebee’s cell. He walked a few feet toward the queen’s bars so both she and Oglebee could see him.

When they did, they came close so that all three could whisper.

“Eat while we talk; I’m sure you’re as hungry as I,” the twin said.

“Did you see how those witches flew through the roof? Those were some powerful words you said. Where did you learn that?” Oglebee was shoving food into his mouth at an alarming rate.

“We’ll have plenty of time to discuss all of that, but now we must plan for tomorrow.” Inky paused, listening for the guards.

“I owe you both an apology,” the queen said. “I have not been truthful with you, and now your lives are in terrible danger.”

“No, no,” Oglebee said with a mouthful of eggs. “It’s all my fault. I let it slip that—well, it’s my fault that they turned you into a slug.”

“I see you have found the stone of Salomon,” the queen said.

Inky stopped chewing. “You know of this stone?”

The queen gave a weak smile. “Yes, I know of it and all the wonders that the cave holds. Perhaps now is a time that I may be honest with both of you since you have risked so much for me.

“My family has guarded the lake for generations. My ancestors were part of the plot to conceal powerful objects. In that respect, we shared our duties with your father, Inkydomus.”

Inky looked up from his meal. “Your family knew my father?”

“Yes. We lived in the mountains in seclusion, guarding what no one knew was there. A time came when the king was in trouble and about to lose the kingdom. We could not let that happen. He needed 260

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a queen that the people would follow, but one that was not hungry for power. My father was always interested in what was going on at the castle. He would go to the marketplace, wander around and listen to the rumors. He came home one night and at dinner, told us of the king’s problems. I volunteered to be his queen on the condition that we would not be married. My father said absolutely not. My mother and my sister Brooke were also against it.

“But then something happened to my uncle. Something that needed my father’s help. His family is also part of the brotherhood guarding powerful objects. My family needed to make the long journey to help, so after much arguing, I changed their minds. I could guard over the lake from a kingdom next door. And I would have an army at my command if the need arose. It was the perfect solution.” She started to pace across the cell.

“My father sent for some uniforms and royal clothing. He hired some men and horses and went to see the king. The plan was to convince the king that our kingdom was crumbling and that he needed a place for his daughter, the princess, to be safe. King Michael believed the story but would not make a decision until he could see what I looked like. The next day I went to the castle wearing the oldest clothing I had. My father told him that the princess had to be disguised to be smuggled out of their kingdom and that all her clothing was left behind. The next day I was ordained as the Queen of Norwood.” She came back to the bars and looked at them.”

Inky did not know what to say. Oglebee continued eating.

“So, Sir Oglebee, we are in the same situation; I have not seen my parents since that day.”

Oglebee stopped eating. “You heard me tell you the story about my parents? I went on and on, not knowing if you could hear me or if you really even cared what I was talkin’ about.”

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“Yes, I could hear you, and I very much cared. I still do.”

Oglebee’s cheeks flushed red. He swallowed what was left of breakfast in one gulp.

“I suggest we all get some sleep now. Tomorrow should be a very interesting day.” Inky put the rocks back together, and the twin disappeared. He heard Oglebee next door mumble, “And he said he ain’t magic.”

Inky took the flute from his robe. He put it under his arm and pulled the rock apart again. Then he closed his eyes and pictured himself standing next to the dungeon master. There on his desk was a piece of parchment and a quill. He quickly scribbled a note, folded it, and put it in a hidden pocket. He pictured himself outside the castle in the cold moonlight. He brought the flute up to his mouth and played the music. The strange music wound its way through the bare trees.

Soon the hawk approached and landed near the twin, looking at him with a suspicious eye.

“Take this to our friend,” the twin said. The hawk cautiously took the parchment with his beak and transferred it to his foot. With a powerful push of its long wings, it took off and disappeared into the starry sky.

Inky closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the dungeon master again. The twin materialized beside the table. It swung the flute viciously through the air and connected with the dungeon master’s shin. The huge man screamed in pain and bent down to grab his leg.

As he did, Inky brought the flute up and smashed it into his bulbous nose. The ferocious face turned and looked at Inky through watering eyes.

“Boo!” Inky said before the twin disappeared.

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C hapter 25 The next morning Inky was roused out of sleep by a tickling on the bottom of his foot. When he opened his eyes, he saw a figure sticking a long thin pole through the screen that had replaced the bars of his cell.

A very large hat was pulled down over most of his face.

“Pssst, wake up,” he said while pulling the pole back through the tiny weave of the bars. Inky sat up on the side of his bed and rubbed his eyes. The man looked both ways before speaking.

“You’re sleeping in on the day you’re supposed to be executed?”

Inky stepped up to the screen.

“Is that you, Bo?” “Yes, it’s me, but I don’t have much time. The dungeon master will be coming back from the infirmary soon. He had some sort of accident last night.”

Inky smiled.

“His apprentice is sleeping near the door, so we must be quiet.”

“First thing, you are not going to be executed until tonight. The king hadn’t thought this out very well. He didn’t have gallows that would fit someone your size. The royal carpenter happens to be my cousin. Once you were arrested last night, he and all of his apprentices conveniently went fishing for a few days. He stopped by to tell me in the middle of the night. They found a soldier who could build a scaffold for you three.”

“I see,” Inky said. “And under what pretense are you here now?”

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“I am here to serve you breakfast. I have another cousin who works in the kitchen, you see. Next thing, the king has ordered everyone to be here to watch you hang. Soldiers will be at Kettlefish Lake at five o’clock to bring anyone who refuses to come. He’s going to show us what happens to subjects that break the law.”

“But what law have we broken?”

“The king’s proclamation states that you were trying to take over the kingdom by using witchcraft. It’s a wonder that he isn’t going to try to burn you at the stake.” Bo took a step back and looked down the hall again. “What are we going to do?”

“Well, I would ask that everyone come tonight as the king has so graciously suggested.”

“What!” Bo staggered. “We are not going to stand back and do nothing. No one from Kettlefish Lake is going to give up without a fight.”

“We do appreciate your loyalty and thank you for coming here and risking your own safety. But we do not want any of the farmers or their families harmed.”

“No, we do not wish any of them injured in the least,” a voice said from two cells down. The queen stood at the bars of her cell.

“My queen,” Bo said. “We will give our lives to save you and our friends.”

A loud snore came from Oglebee’s cell.

“I’m positive Sir Oglebee would appreciate your courage as I do if he were awake.”

The dungeon apprentice rolled over and yawned. He moaned something unintelligible and then went back to sleep.

“Listen, my friend. The king wants an evening of entertainment for the kingdom, and we plan to give it to him. Do not worry. A very wise man once told me that half the things one worries about never happen.

I do ask one thing.”

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“You name it.”

“There will be a time tonight when we need a small diversion. It needn’t be long, just a few seconds or so.”

Bo took his buckets of food that he’d set on the floor and pushed them into the queen’s and Oglebee’s cells. “I’m sorry,” he said to Inky, “this screen allows me to push nothing in.”

“Don’t worry. I believe I will get my fill at the celebration tonight.”

Inky smiled.

“Until then,” Bo said and limped to the dungeon door. He tapped the sleeping apprentice on the head. “Let me out before your mentor comes back, and I tell him you do nothing but sleep.”

As the door slammed shut, Oglebee jerked awake. He sat up and scratched his head. “So, anything happen while I was asleep?”

The rest of the morning, Oglebee and the queen practiced using the stones without actually going anywhere. They stood in different places around the courtyard and pictured what they would look like standing there, being hung. The nice surprise of the afternoon was Sintya finding her way into the dungeon and slithering into Oglebee’s cell. She coiled under his cot.

“I been thinking about what you said, you know, on the first night you came to visit. About all your friends passin’ on and you still living.”

Oglebee had his eye up to the hole in the wall and watched Inky’s expression. “I told you that I thought it was dumb. Have you been thinking about it?”

“No, I’ve been a bit preoccupied.”

“I did the thinking for the both of us then, I did. This is why it’s dumb. Are you listening?”

Inky repositioned himself on the floor. “Yes, I’m listening.”

“I had a cat once. He lived, then he died. I was sad for a while. But I was happy that he was around for those years. You’re actin’ like you don’t even want us around to enjoy.”

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“No, no, that’s not it at all. I don’t want to be sad when you die.”

“You’re already sad. I’d rather you be sad when I die, not now when I’m alive. Thinking the other way around kind of takes the fun out of life, it does. Don’t waste your life being sad over things that haven’t even happened yet.”

Inky sat and considered this. His mind agreed, but after all these years, his heart was still troubled.

There was a commotion at the door, and all three prisoners looked up. The door swung open, and two royal guards entered. Their helmets shined, and they had their faceplates lowered. One walked with a limp, and the other was so skinny that the uniform hung in folds around his ankles.

“You there, dungeon master, you may go prepare for the executions; we will ready the prisoners,” the limping guard said.

“That’s not how it’s usually done. Why the change?”

The skinny guard spoke up, “This is not a usual execution, now is it? They must feed you dimwittedness for lunch down here. How droll for you.” He pulled up the bottom of the uniform and trudged over to the prisoners. The dungeon master and the assistant left.

“Here I am again, saving the two brothers from different mothers.

I should call you aggravation and frustration.”

“I am very happy to hear your delightful voice again, Blue Sammy, and may I hazard to guess that is Bo in the other uniform?” Inky asked.

“I cannot tell you the trouble we’ve had getting these uniforms. If it wasn’t for the Sammy’s help, I might be in the cell with you.”

“Probably wishes he was in here with us if he’s had to listen to that Sammy squawk for very long,” Oglebee said.

“It’s time to go,” Bo said. “The courtyard is full. A lot of farmers are out there, and a lot of others who are on our side too. I must tell you, most of them are scared. To make matters worse, the king has brought in all the soldiers that are loyal to him.”

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“That may not be many,” the queen said.

“There are quite a few who are loyal when he’s paying big wages, as he is today. We’re to bind your hands and take you to the platform. Is that what you want us to do?” Bo asked.

“Yes, but bind them behind us if you please. You do have a diversion planned, do you not?”

“Everything’s set,” Bo said as he fumbled with the keys.

As soon as they were out, Inky pulled the pouch from a hidden pocket. He gathered Oglebee and the queen and said, “You both understand what to do and when to do it, correct?” They both nodded.

Inky removed the stone from the pouch and held it out for his friend.

Oglebee pulled off a large portion of stone, then allowed the queen to pull off part of his.

The queen bent low to whisper to Inky. “When this is all over, I have another confession to make. Unless you would like to hear it now?”

“As far as I’m concerned, you have confessed enough, my lady. I’m ready to leave,” Inky said to Bo. Bo tied their wrists loosely and lined them up at the door. “I go first, then the three prisoners, then the Sammy.”

“Let’s get this over with,” Oglebee said.

“Yes, let’s,” the Sammy said. “How droll.”

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C hapter 26 A sea of faces greeted them as they stepped out into the sunlight and onto the ramp that led to the gallows. Inky scanned the faces, looking for someone familiar. But each looked away, not allowing their eyes to meet. Inky couldn’t remember seeing the many people wearing hats pulled down to their eyes. The hangman, who was the dungeon master wearing a black hood, stood unmoving with his thick arms crossed in front of him. He looked more evil than anyone he had ever hung.

The king fidgeted in his royal seat and watched the prisoners being led out. Red welts still covered his face, and he was constantly scratching. The hundreds of soldiers watched the crowd. Had the king paid them enough for their loyalty?

The gallows were crudely constructed and looked like a first attempt at carpentry. There was a medium, a small, and an extra, extra small hangman’s noose. The wooden platform at the end of the courtyard faced the castle’s drawbridge. The prisoners’ footsteps rang hollow as they were led over the ramp and onto the platform. Bo and the blue Sammy lined them up at the edge of the platform.

Each held their portion of the stone in their hands which were bound behind them. The queen stood erect, with her shoulders back and head held high. She stared at the king, who sat in the royal box to the right of the platform. He would not meet her gaze.

The duke, seated with the king, wore a violet outfit. He smiled a secret little smile and kept his pasty white hands laced on his lap. He wasn’t nearly as nervous as the king appeared to be. He was enjoying 268

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the moment more than anyone here. He would be the second most powerful person in the kingdom once the queen was gone.

Inky continued scanning the crowd, looking for those who were to create the disruption. He didn’t see anyone that looked suspicious.

Either Bo had done a very good job of hiding them in the crowd or something had gone very wrong. A drop of sweat ran down the back of his neck.

Inky risked a whisper. “Where are the disruptors? I don’t see anyone.”

“I don’t see any of them either,” Bo said under his faceplate.

Oglebee, on the other hand, was having the time of his life. He was giving a big one-eyed wink to anyone he could get to look at him for longer than an instant. As he walked, he slapped his bare feet down on the wooden planks and made the entire platform shake.

He whistled to the king, then he shouted. “Hey, over here, your royal behindness. What are those spots all over your face? They look like ant bites from here, they do.”

“Would someone please shut him up,” the king said to the duke.

“I have just the thing,” the duke said. “Bring out the other prisoners.”

An authentic guard led three people out of a door and up onto the platform. The first was Meg Swiffens looking more angry than frightened. A man and a beautiful woman that Inky didn’t know came out next. All had their hands bound tightly in front of them.

Oglebee shut up.

The duke said something to a soldier standing on the platform near the king. The soldier pulled his sword and crossed the gallows while everyone else watched the latest group ushered up. With one swoop of his free hand, he knocked the helmets off of the blue Sammy and Bo. “I had nothing to do with this; he made me do it.” The blue Sammy pointed at Bo. 269

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The duke stood up. “So, your little escape plan did not work so well. I would have thought the great Inkydomus would have been a little more creative than this. Let it be said that his last plan was his worst.” The duke sat down and motioned for the hangman to rope up his first three condemned prisoners.

The sight of Meg Swiffens bound and being led to her death should have petrified Inky, but it did not. It calmed him. He smiled at her before she was placed behind him.

Oglebee looked over at Inky. “What are we going to do now? I can’t concentrate with all this going on. Where’s the derision going to come from?”

“The word is diversion, but without one, the guards will see us breaking the stones even if we do it behind our backs.”

The hangman pushed the queen from behind, and she stumbled toward the noose. Oglebee’s hands were tied, but his feet were not. He rushed the hangman and kicked his shins twice before the man could react. His hood was loose, and the eyeholes were not situated properly for him to look down. Oglebee ran around behind and got another good kick in while the man was adjusting his hood. Finally, a guard grabbed Oglebee by the back of the neck and pulled him away, but not before the once-quiet crowd hooted with approval.

The queen stood very stately on the trapdoor as the hangman reached for the rope. His greasy hands were just about to pull the noose over her head when a stone flew from the crowd and hit the hangman right between the two eyeholes. With unconscious perfection, he slowly turned on his heels and fell backward into the crowd. People scattered as he fell, leaving a clear path to the cobblestone courtyard below.

“Bloody toenails! Dangerous jewelry!” Tupelo screamed. He disappeared into a group of people who stood tightly together, providing cover.

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“Now!” Inky said loud enough for only the prisoners to hear.

The noise stopped as someone pointed to the top of the castle wall where Inky’s twin stood. “How can you hang me if I’m way over here?” the twin shouted before it disappeared. The crowd gasped.

“Or over here,” the queen’s twin yelled from right in front of the king. A guard lunged for her, but the real queen had already connected the stone together behind her back.

“Or up here, you dirty hunk of pig lard,” Oglebee’s twin shouted from mid-air directly over the crowd. It began falling as soon as it materialized and barely got the words out before disappearing inches from the crowd. “Sorry,” Oglebee said. “I told you I had a hard time focusing.”

The heads in the crowd snapped back and forth, watching the twins appear and disappear. The king looked as frightened as everyone else, and the duke seemed to have lost his enthusiasm. Inky smiled at the king when the queen’s twin materialized behind a soldier and knocked his helmet off before disappearing. The screams from the crowd were more excited than fearful.

Oglebee’s success was limited. The pig comment was still on his mind when he tried to send his twin running toward the royal box.

What appeared was a large pinkish pig with Oglebee’s head and feet dashing through the guards at full speed. It cleared the platform and landed right between the king and the duke, knocking them out of their chairs before Oglebee could reattach the stones.

“Quickly!” Bo said and pulled the trio off the platform, around the back, and into the crowd.

The soldiers looked at one another as the twins continued to come and go. It had been a while since any of them glanced at the empty platform. The duke helped the king to his feet and tried to right the overturned chairs.

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“I need to go back up there,” Inky said to Bo. “Why? We need to get out of here. I came to help you escape, and all of a sudden, you’ve decided not to leave?”

“No, this must end here. The king cannot stay. He tried to kill us along with his own queen. We must remove him, or we will always be in danger.” Inky turned and walked back up on the platform. Oglebee followed him. Then the queen, without saying a word, followed them both.

Bo watched them go. “Couldn’t somebody say thank you?”

The king saw the three of them coming and lined up a row of soldiers in front of him. They stood, one medium, one small, one extra, extra small, and looked up at the guards.

“You’re under arrest, you are,” Oglebee screamed. The crowd laughed a nervous laugh.

“As you can see,” the king shouted to the crowd, “these three are using magic, the very reason they are to be punished.” He turned to Inky, Oglebee, and the queen. “You are the ones under arrest. Do not try to make yourselves appear innocent in front of my subjects.”

Inky looked around. The people in the crowd quieted. They were listening to the king and he was making sense. The soldiers stood with the king. There was no way Inky could deny it. What they had done looked like magic.

“What do we do now?” Oglebee asked.

“It appears that we have a standoff,” the queen said.

A rock flew through the air and cracked one of the guards on the helmet. “Ducks on the pond,” Tupelo shouted.

Without warning, the hawk fluttered to the platform, holding something in its claw. It smoothed its feathers and held out the parcel for Inky. Inky smiled. In the pouch was a small sliver of apple. It was so fresh that it had not yet begun to turn brown.

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“It looks as though this standoff may be over.”

Chains rattled as the drawbridge door descended. The crowd parted as the great wooden doors opened, then they flooded back to peer at who was coming in.

They came in two by two, twelve riders in all, each on a magnificent horse. The horses wore bright body armor that matched the rider.

The steel glistened in its detail and workmanship. The riders had the tan, taut faces of skilled warriors with eagle-like eyes that saw every movement around them. They rode with slow authority, measuring the people around them. The afternoon sun glinted off their swords, which hung loosely at their waists.

“I hope they’re on our side,” Oglebee said.

“It’s the Knights—the Knights of the Round Table!” someone cried. A murmur went through the people as they realized what they were seeing. Each knight had his own symbol emblazoned on his shield. A red and a blue knight led the column through the center of the courtyard to the platform. The blue knight had red circles on his shield. A shiny dagger was holstered at his belt.

“A very impressive entrance,” Inky said to Gawain.

The young knight smiled. “Do you think anyone recognized us as the bumbling guards of only a few months ago?”

Oglebee winked. “I think that secret’s safe.” Everyone in the courtyard was still giving the knights a wide berth.

A loud clang sounded to the left of the platform. One of the soldiers had dropped his sword and was walking toward the drawbridge. He looked back at the other soldiers still on the platform. “Nobody said anything about no Knights of the Roundtable.” The clash of dropped swords warbled through the courtyard as the rest of the king’s army excused themselves.

Perceval, who wore red, asked, “Where’s the king?”

Inky turned. The king and the duke were gone.

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C hapter 27 Once everyone realized that the soldiers were gone, many wandered out of the castle. Others stayed to watch the knights and whispered among themselves. This was a story that they would tell as long as they had the breath to repeat it. The queen spoke with many of her subjects, explaining the castle was safe and that there was no revolt taking place. Inky asked as many people as he could, but no one knew the whereabouts of Captain Cador.

The male with the beautiful woman walked over to Inky. They stood for a moment while Bo unbound their hands. Inky felt like he knew them, though he’d never met them.

“I must say, Inkydomus, this must surely be among the most adventuresome of your escapades,” the man said.

The voice was so very familiar, but Inky still did not know who this could be. He was tall and dark and reminiscent of the duke but not so much of a dandy. The woman was blond with bright green eyes and did nothing but smile at the man.

Oglebee strolled over and looked up at both of them. “She sure looks better than she did as a frog, she does.”

Inky slapped his forehead. “Shrogg? Anura?”

The man beamed. “I apologize for the diversion we were supposed to have created. Bo asked us because no one here had seen us before, but we were nabbed as soon as we entered the castle. Poor Meg. She was ready to attack a whole group of soldiers, but I knew that would have been useless. Anura understood that, too.”

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“Speaking of Anura,” Inky asked. “When I left you last, she was— let’s say . . . different.”

“Yes, well, that was a question that you put before me, Inkydomus.

Would it be best to stay with a frog who loved me or to start over with a woman who was pleasing to the eye but not as loving? I had the spell to turn humans into animals, so I reversed it. It was a philosophical decision that I made.”

Oglebee looked up at the curved beauty. “It was a philosophical decision to make her look like that? I don’t know what a philosophical decision is, but good job.”

Two knights walked passed them, talking. “That Lancelot, he never quits. Look at him talking up the queen over there.”

Inky and Oglebee both looked in the direction of the queen. The knights were right; Sir Lancelot was talking to the queen in a most dashing way. Before Inky could do anything, Oglebee was off and running toward them. From behind, he grabbed a magenta cape from Lancelot’s back and freed it to the wind. The knight chased it down, but when he returned, Oglebee had walked the queen away.

“The best kind of battle is won before the fighting even starts,” Inky said to Gawain and Perceval. They were so tall on their mounts that they looked down on the platform. A white knight rode from the back of the group. It was Gareth, Gawain’s brother, who had worked in the castle’s kitchen a few months ago.

“Greetings, Sir Inkydomus. I understand you have been knighted since the last we saw you. Knighted by the same king who was going to hang you today?”

“Yes. We seem to have had a falling out with him.”

“I’ll say,” Oglebee said.

“My uncle sends his regards and pledges our service in any way you see fit.”

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“I see he is still fond of apples.” Inky held up the slice.

“He gave instructions to send the slice as we approached the castle.

He said that you would understand.”

“We are old friends who have few secrets from each other.”

“What now? Would you like us to search the castle for the king?”

The queen spoke up for the first time. “There are hundreds of places for him to hide. I don’t believe even your knights could find him before morning.”

“Then what should we do?” Inky asked the queen.

“There’s nothing for him there. He’s lost his soldiers and the castle.

I think he will try to escape tonight in the darkness. He’ll use the lake.

It runs for miles around the base of the mountain. I’m sure he has several escape plans already in place.”

“Then we will place the knights between the castle and the lake and capture them there. He will never see the water,” Perceval said.

Inky thought for a moment. “What would we do with him after he and the duke are captured? I have something different in mind. I would like to have the knights stationed around the castle everywhere except the areas between here and the lake.”

“So,” Gawain said, “you want him to get to the lake?”

“Yes, and there we will have a little surprise for him and the duke.”

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C hapter 28 The duke stumbled over a root and fell flat on his stomach, ruining his burgundy and forest green outfit. The trail was dark and uneven.

He had been holding onto the hem of the king’s cloak, but the king was moving too fast.

“I can’t see anything. Are you still there?”

“Yes, I’m here,” the king said. “Stop making all that racket. You’ll have all those bloody knights on us.”

“You need to slow down, I can’t keep up with you. Are we still on the path?”

“I should leave you right here in the dark. You and your great plan.

I would leave you, except I need someone to row the boat. You had better pray its still where it’s supposed to be.”

They wound their way through the dark escape route until it opened up to a tree-covered shore lighted by the moon. There was a crude shelter hidden by trees and bushes. Inside was a boat with two paddles.

They put down the bag of gold that each carried and pulled the boat into the water. Then they threw in the bags of gold and stepped aboard themselves, pushing off into the glassy black water. The moon shone bright and covered every surface with silver light. The only sound was the soft splashing of the oars.

Tupelo sat invisible in a tree and watched them pass. As they did, he lit a small fire on the bank. It flamed up instantly.

“There’s the signal,” Oglebee said.

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Inky pulled the stone apart and concentrated on what the fire would look like from the boat.

“What’s that?” the duke asked when he saw the fire. He faced the rear while rowing, and the king faced forward. The king turned around to look.

“I think we’ve been spotted. It’s all the noise you’re making with those oars.”

Inky’s twin materialized on the plank between them.

“Why are you leaving? I thought you had a celebration to attend tonight.”

The king fell backward off his plank, and the duke dropped one of the oars.

The king’s face grew scarlet as he pulled himself back up in his seat.

“You must have a death wish to show yourself here with no one around to protect you. Your long dignified life is about to come to a horrible end!”

The duke thought along the same lines as the king. He softly pulled the remaining oar out of the water, raised it above his head, and started to bring it down with all his strength. At that moment, the king made a lunge for Inky. Luckily, Inky anticipated an attack and disappeared.

The king’s motion brought him under the path of the oar. With a thud, wood met skull. Thankfully for the king, the duke’s strength was not that great.

“Oh, I’m sorry, your majesty. Are you all right?”

The king was angrier at Inky than the duke. “Where’d he go?” He searched the bottom of the boat. When he realized that Inky was gone, he yelled at the duke.

“Get the other oar, you moron, or we’ll be paddling in circles all night. They know we’re here, and those knights will have their swords at our necks.”

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Back on the bank, Inky put the halves of the stone back together and opened his eyes.

“Well, what happened?” Oglebee asked.

“I invited them to the celebration, but they declined,” Inky said.

“What are you going to do? You’ve got to stop them; they’re getting away!”

“No, my friend, I believe that they will be there for a while.” Inky pulled out his flute and played. The hawk landed, Inky whispered to it, and then it left.

“What are you going to do?” the queen asked. “You won’t hang them; you’re not that kind of man. You have a conscience.”

“What’s a conscience?” Oglebee asked.

“He couldn’t live with himself knowing he did something wrong,” the queen said.

“I’ll give them a choice. The king may leave and never return, or he can leave and return with a consequence.”

“What’s that?” Oglebee asked. “Can’t you talk so I can understand?”

“It means that if the king returns, he will be punished.”

“And you think that will stop him?” the queen asked.

“He has seen the Knights of the Round Table, and I have another little incentive.”

Oglebee threw his hands up. “There you go again.”

The oar bobbed in the water not too far away, but getting the boat to it using only one oar was much harder than the king or the duke expected. Like the carrot and the mule, they could never quite get within reach. Both were hanging over the side of the boat when the twin reappeared behind them.

“Uh-hum.” Inky cleared his throat. “That’s not a very attractive sight.”

They nearly fell into the water. The duke spun around, but the king turned slowly, knowing what he would see.

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“So now, Inkydomus, you have your own kingdom. Stolen from me.”

Inky laughed. “I do not have a kingdom. I told you on the day we met that I have no use for treasure or power. I came to help you, and within half a year, you were ready to hang the very people who came to your aid. And by no means was it stolen from you. Things like that happen when you’re in league with the devil.”

“That’s where you’re wrong!” The king pointed at Inky. “Lottiebien came to me, threatened me, and turned the zoo into the vile place it is. I cannot tell the real animals from the ones that were once humans.

She wanted the lake so badly, but I couldn’t find out why. Then the gold started to disappear. And then you started lopping off parts of the kingdom as rewards for your friends. It was you who gave the lake to that little muskrat friend of yours. You, not me.” The king sat back smugly and waited for a reply.

“What does any of that have to do with trying to hang us?” Inky asked.

The king couldn’t answer.

“I leave you with two choices. The first is to go far away and never return. This is the choice I would strongly advise you to take. The story will end much more pleasantly for everyone. The second is to go far away, then return and try to regain power. This choice will have consequences far nastier than you can imagine.”

“You seem very confident, Inkydomus. I could bring back a very powerful army with incredible weapons. What would your farmers and your peasants have to combat that?”

“Something you wouldn’t understand.” Inky folded his arms across his chest. “Friendship. That’s what we have that you could never overcome.”

“Friendship? That’s not very believable coming from someone who has spent the past hundred years living in a hole in the ground. I find it 280

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hard to believe friends mean much to someone like you.”

The three stared at one another, letting the king’s words settle over the ebony water. A thin silver cloud sliced through the bottom of the moon. Tiny waves lapped against the hull.

Inky swallowed before he spoke. “Leave this place and do not come back. If the thought ever enters your mind, just remember your parting gift.”

“What gift?” the duke asked.

“This one, from my friends and me.” The twin disappeared.

There was a rush of feathers overhead, and out of the darkness came a portion of a tree branch. Attached to the branch was a large gray wasp’s nest. It hit the floor of the boat and burst open, spewing angry wasps in all directions.

On the bank again, Inky opened his eyes and looked at his friends.

They looked back at him expectantly. “Listen.” Inky cupped his ear. In the distance, there were two soft but very distinct splashes.

Oglebee’s cottage was much closer than the castle.

“I have a bit of a confession to make,” the queen said as they began their walk. “I’m not completely sure how this happened. It must be a part of my family’s makeup after guarding the lake for all generations.

We have always called it The Inner Eye. I can watch the forest. I watched you, Inkydomus, in your travels to find a way to help me. I went with you into that strange land of the moving sky. I must tell you that I was in the apple in front of the giant witch’s cave.”

“That was one part of this mystery that I could not figure out,” Inky said. “But I never would have guessed it was you.”

“The man you call Tupelo is very in tune with nature. I think he knows that I can see him in the forest. As I fell deeper under the spell, my Inner Eye became stronger. I could see more and further away than the lake. In some ways, I felt as if I were spying on you.”

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“Luckily for me, you were. If that apple hadn’t turned into an eye, I might not be here,” Inky said.

Their cheerful mood lightened the air. The witches were gone. The queen had protected the treasures at the bottom of the lake, even if some had been used a little. And she was no longer a slug.

Oglebee had the harvest to look forward to. He wouldn’t have left the queen’s side for anything, but he ached to get outside and work again.

Inky was glad the whole mess was over. No one had been hurt except the people who had deserved it. Something was hammering away at his cheerfulness, though. It was what the king had said to him.

He heard the voices of the others behind him.

“Hey, we’re talking to you. You don’t look so happy all of a sudden.”

“I was just thinking about something the king said.”

“Well, let us in on it. Was it funny?” Oglebee asked.

“No, it was about friendship.”

“That’s something he wouldn’t know about, he wouldn’t.”

“He may have understood it better than I have.” They were almost to the porch that overlooked the lake. The cottage looked dark but peaceful. The moonlight cast jagged shadows across the roofline. The smell of autumn in the air was unmistakable.

“I’m not tired now. Why don’t I run in and grab two blankets, and we can watch the moon over the lake? Then we’ll decide how much the king knew about friendship,” Oglebee said.

The queen sat, tucking her legs under her, in a regular-sized chair while Inky found a custom-built one. Since the king was gone, she was losing some of her regality. In some way, Inky felt that made her even more attractive if that was possible.

“Has Oglebee told you his thoughts on the moon? How it is the only thing that everyone on earth has shared?” the queen asked.

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“Yes, he has. I have to say I will never look at the moon the same way again. He has a remarkable way of seeing the world.”

“He told stories the entire time I was under the spell. I never felt afraid while he was near. I know he would have given his life for me. I cannot tell you how fond of him I am,” she said. “As I know you are.”

She looked at Inky and spoke slowly. “Imagine how tragic it would have been not allowing our paths to cross.”

“He must have spoken to you about my fear of watching my friends grow old.”

She smiled and was about to say something when Oglebee came to the door. He had nothing in his hands.

“You forgot the blan—” The queen straightened. “What’s wrong?”

Oglebee looked at Inky. “You have a lizard that helps you. I’ve never seen him, but you’ve told me about him. I think he’s here. I think he’s gone—dead, I mean.”

“Cassieus?” Inky stepped down from the chair and started for the door. Then he stopped. “Are you sure?”

“I hope I’m wrong. Go look.” Oglebee held the door for him. “He’s on the floor by the fireplace.”

Inky walked in slowly. The queen started to follow, but Oglebee held her back. They watched from the doorway. Oglebee had lit candles around the room.

Inky knew as soon as he saw him. The color of his skin had faded.

It had a forgotten look, like leather that had been left in the rain. He lay there in the same way that he always had, head resting on his front feet and his tail curved only at the very tip. His eyes were closed. He was just a shell; the real Cassieus had moved on.

Inky knelt beside him and put a hand on his back. He waited for the sniff that would never come. The queen and Oglebee stood just inside the cottage door and watched their friend grieve.

283

C hapter 29 Inky stood in his empty home and looked around at the barren walls. It really didn’t look that different. There had never been much to begin with. The only thing that he had left was the duke’s purple and white cone-shaped hat, the one Cassieus had slept in the past several months. Inky had packed all his belongings, taking his time to collect and set aside the things that he would need. He found that this pile was small. The farmers would make anything he needed, he was sure of that, but the thought of having his old things around him was very comforting. His table and chair, a bed that was too small, and some pots and pans made for him by an appreciative king were outside to be packed in the wagon. A small pile of clothing lay to the left of the lilac bush. Many of the robes were stained and tattered. There were a few that had been made recently, like the one that he had worn to the ball to catch the gold thief.

Last and most importantly were his books, most given to him by his father. They were made in miniature, expensively copied by hand on tiny pages. He had placed the last load beside the bush.

Inky stood back and looked at the things he’d gathered over the last hundred years. It was a small and meager collection. This didn’t bother him. In fact, it would have bothered him if the opposite had been true. Living with a vast treasure in a hole deep in the forest would have seemed greedy and selfish. The thing that did bother him was that he had little sentimental attachment to any of the things that he was 284

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taking. Only the gifts from his father made him happy, and they were nearly three hundred years old.

There were no notes from friends, no souvenirs of special events, no poorly drawn pictures given by children. Besides the books, there was not a single item to show that anyone had ever cared about him.

He walked through the tunnel and out to his favorite rock by the lake. How many times had he done this by himself? The lake, too, felt deserted. The chorus of animal and insect sounds was gone, replaced by the gentle moan of the fall wind. A group of brown leaves that only a few days ago were brightly colored floated across the surface of the water. They blew into a space between two large rocks and huddled there, waiting to soak, then sink and become part of the vast underwater murk of the lake bed.

A familiar shadow passed over the lake. The hawk had brought Inky and then gone back and led Oglebee here with a wagon and the body. At least, that was the plan. Oglebee’s last experience with a wagon had not gone so well. Inky smiled as he thought of Oglebee telling him the story of rotten vegetables. It was his first smile of the last few days.

Before long, the sound of wagon wheels rolled over the stones on the path.

The hawk landed on the nearest tree to the lilac bush as Inky stepped out of the woods. The wagon rounded the corner and slowed.

“You lived out here all these years?” Oglebee said. “Bit spooky, it is.”

“Hello to you too,” Inky said with a smile. “Yes, all these years. It’s a bit out of the way.”

“A bit out of the way? This is the kind of place where vampires and werewolves lurk behind trees.”

“But no witches,” Inky said. “You’ve to go to your part of the woods for those.”

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“I hate witches, I do.”

Inky showed Oglebee where to pull the wagon and let him load the belongings. Cassieus’ body was in a long canvas bag tightened with a drawstring at one end. Oglebee gently carried the bag to the end of the wagon and laid it down on the tailgate. Then he jumped off the wagon and reached up for the bag. He brought it over to the entrance to the tunnel.

“I guess you’ll have to do the rest,” Oglebee said in a soft voice.

Inky pulled the body through the tunnel until they came to the room with the fireplace, the same room where they had spent so many nights together. He took the duke’s hat and pulled it under Cassieus so that he fit snugly inside.

“Goodbye, old friend,” Inky said, then walked out of the tunnel.

Oglebee put a stack of books in the wagon. “That was quick.”

“Not much to say. He knew how I felt. Did you bring the shovel?”

Oglebee spent the next several minutes filling in the tunnel. When he was finished, he found a stone left from the fallen castle and placed it on the fresh mound of soil.

“That looks right nice, it does. Anything you’d like to say now?”

“No, I’ve made my peace.” Inky climbed the specially built ladder and sat on his custom seat. “Let’s go home.”

As Oglebee climbed into his seat, the trees began to fill with squirrels. They ran up the trunks of the trees that lined the path and across the branches that hung over it. As they began moving, an acorn ricocheted off the wagon; then, a pinecone bounced off the horse. A shower of nuts rained down on the wagon before Oglebee could speed them through it. The squirrels barked at them as they rounded the bend to safety.

“What was that all about?” Oglebee asked.

“Squirrels hate me,” Inky said.

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Oglebee laughed for the next two miles.

Inky remained quiet, but a trace of a smile spread across his lips, and his shoulders were not quite as rigid. A formation of honking geese appeared out of nowhere and flew over the path, making Oglebee jump.

“Think that was a flock of vampires?” Inky asked.

“Funny. That kind of thing is funny to you, is it?”

“I’ve seen you jump on a king and pull his beard, knock attacking witches off of ladders, and pull a cape off Sir Lancelot, but you jump at a flock of birds.”

“I was thinkin’, and they surprised me, they did. I was thinkin’ about how fast you got over this, this death business. I mean, are you actin’ like you’re over it, or are you really over it?”

“Let’s just say I’m trying. I have been thinking about all the things you’ve told me. Cassieus dying made me look at my life. Without friends, I have nothing.”

“That’s what I been tellin’ you all along. Friends are the glue that holds your life together.”

“Yes, well, speaking of that, my friend, you never did tell me your real name.”

“Oh no, not that again. I didn’t like it, and I’m not tellin’ you.”

“Yes, you need to tell me. We’ve reached a point in our friendship where we need to know more about each other. There are things I don’t know about you. We need to bridge those gaps.”

“Let them gap,” Oglebee said. The wagon rolled on, and the bickering continued.

287

C hapter 30 November The plates and mugs had been cleared from the long wooden table.

The farmers sat on benches made of the same wood. The weather had turned cold quickly, and lunch for the farm workers was served in one of the storage buildings.

Nearly everything had been harvested, and only the cleanup work was left to do. The shelves, along with the root cellar, were filled with everything they could cure, smoke, jelly, or preserve. The witch trouble had not prevented a productive year.

This would be one of the last days to work outside until spring; it was also one of the last times they all would be together until the weather broke. Everyone would start to prepare their own homes for the winter months ahead. For most, this was the best chance they ever had of making it through the winter alive.

Today the queen had made the trip from the castle to join the farmers for lunch. Although she talked and laughed with everyone there, she spent most of her time whispering with Oglebee. Inky, on the other hand, looked around nervously. He jumped each time someone came into the room to bring food or to take dishes away.

“What’s wrong with you?” Oglebee asked him after nearly knocking over a plate of cinnamon sweet potatoes.

“Nothing is wrong with me. Why do you ask?”

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“I ask because you’re looking around every time somebody steps into your vision who might be the person who you’re wanting to see and talk to but won’t because you’re scared to say a word to because that someone is a person who might actually have a feeling or two for you.”

“Does it show that badly?”

“Yes,” the queen said. She wiped her mouth demurely with her napkin and left the table.

“You’re a very complicated person, you are. Hard things you do easily and easy things you can hardly do. It’s a good thing we’re friends because I’m just the opposite.”

Inky smiled. “Yin and yang.”

“Who are they?” Oglebee asked.

The queen came back and nodded to Oglebee.

“Where’s your coat?” Oglebee asked.

“Over by the door. Why?” “Because I need you to check on something.”

Inky walked down the staircase built from the tabletop, where his small table sat. Oglebee opened the door for him and said, “That big rock by the lake, go see if anything can grow there.” He shoved him out and closed the door.

“What in the world?” Inky looked at the lake.

There, bundled up on the lowest part of the rock, sat Meg Swiffens.

Inky hesitated for a moment, then walked towards her. She was looking out over the lake and did not see him coming. The chilled breeze coming across the lake blew her golden hair. Just before he reached her, Inky turned to look back at the building. There in the windows were dozens of faces, all pressed against the crude glass.

“Duck!” Oglebee yelled, and the faces dropped out of view.

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Inky walked to the rock, said something, and Meg turned around.

Then Inky climbed to the highest part so they would be the same height. They began to talk.

“What did you say to get her out there?” Oglebee asked the queen.

“I asked if any of the fish had been jumping today. I said jumping fish were an omen that good times were ahead.”

“Can anyone hear what they’re saying?” Oglebee asked.

“Oglebee, that’s not polite. Could someone open the door, please?

It’s getting rather warm in here,” the queen lied.

They all crowded around the door. The wind carried a laugh into the room.

Tupelo’s voice echoed through the forest. “Been bitten by that monster of love!”

The gray sky cast its first snowflake of the year. It flitted down gently and landed on the dark green lake. Others followed until the clouds overflowed and the sky filled with swirling white magic.

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Book Three

Isle of Shadows

291

C hapter 1 The captain stood on the bow letting the cool night air wash across his forehead. He dragged his fingers through the thick black hair that spilled over his shoulders. The sky behind him was filled with stars that glistened as low as the horizon. A much thinner man with a bandanna around his head climbed out of a hatch and approached the captain from behind.

“Is that it?” The captain jerked around at the voice behind him.

“Don’t be sneakin’ up on me like that!” He grabbed the collar of the first mate and pushed him against the rail. He did not fight back but strained against the pressure with wide eyes.

“I beg your pardon, sir,” he turned his head and saw the dark water rolling under the ship. “But I would not be sneakin’ up on you, especially when you’re as….”

“As what?” the captain asked, clenching the mate even tighter.

“As distracted as you have been, Captain.”

The captain pushed him away from the rail and turned back to look at the orange stain in the sky. “I thought you might be thinking of a different term, something other than…distracted.”

“No, sir. Now I feel quite certain that I could use a different term in describin’ the crew’s mood.”

“And since you’re in such an articulate state of mind, what might that word be?”

“Tense, Captain, a bit tense,” the mate said to the captain’s back.

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“So the scurvy dogs are turning a bit yellow, are they now? Well, you let it be known that if any of the scoundrels are havin’ second thoughts about this voyage, they’ll be offloaded with the rest of the cargo. Let ’em chew on that idea for a few hours.

He looked down at the black water below the ship. He kicked the carcass of a mackerel that someone had caught off the edge of the deck.

Instantly the water churned with tentacles and tore at the remaining flesh. Their bodies began to pulsate with color, easily seen through the dark water.

In the dim light, the captain could see the fear on the other man’s face.

“Humboldt squid,” the captain said. “Tenacious as a piranha but the size of a man.”

The first mate swallowed and turned back to the captain.

“Anything else you want me to tell them, sir?”

“Aye. Tell ’em that right now the captain is up on deck figurin’ ways to spend his share of the gold.”

The first mate glanced at the orange smudge on the horizon, then turned and walked away. This time the captain heard the footsteps grow faint.

He shook his head in aggravation. The crew is getting spooked, he thought to himself. I can feel it too. There’s more danger in the air this time. The monsters be closer to the surface. He stared at the orange smear, and it seemed to stare right back. ’Twas greed that killed the king. A good pirate knows when it’s time to cut and run. He wondered if this time he had grown too greedy.

He also wondered if he had not broken the code of the sea in some way. Freedom had been the key to the code, even before he knew his life’s path, freedom to live as he wanted. Freedom to take what he wished for from whomever he wished. There was a dubious honor to 294

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that. But this voyage had no honor. He had no hesitation in running a man through with his sword while stealing his gold. But stealing a man’s freedom, argh, that felt like an abomination. If the pay weren’t so good, he would be off to some other sea in an instant. ’T ‘was greed killed the king, he thought to himself again.

He would have to keep a weather eye on the wind. Reaching the island at night was not acceptable, no, not even in the afternoon. The course he would plot would bring them to the island in mid-morning.

And they would anchor as far away as possible and deliver the cargo.

The wind shifted, and a new breeze brought the slightest hint of a different odor. It was the smell of something burning. Not wood, something else, something that was not supposed to burn. The breeze tickled across the captain’s forehead, and he realized that he had begun to sweat on this cool evening. *** The next morning the odor was stronger, and the clouds to the east had an orange tinge to them. The crew noticed both, and the tension became thick. Arguments broke out over simple things. The captain began assigning chores for needless work to occupy the men.

The “cargo” felt it also. They began to moan and yell for their freedom thinking the ship was on fire. Down below, their quarters had no windows, and they felt the island rather than saw the orange glow in the sky. Sleeping was hard that night. Those that could dreamt of monsters and a sky that was on fire.

They awoke the next morning to see half the world orange and streaked with plumes of black smoke. The wind blew towards the ship, and the burning odor was strong enough to taste. The captain assembled the crew and addressed them.

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“Gents, I give you the Isle of Stromboli. The land seems to have formed a pimple, and she appears about ready to pop.” Some of the men laughed nervously.

“We will be sailing to the south of this island of brimstone and spendin’ the night away from the cantankerous odor.” The crew cheered. “But tomorrow morn, we’ll be landing on the leeward side of this soot-sanded devil’s nest and droppin’ off our cargo. And I’ll be a tellin’ you right now that the lucky dogs on that landing’ party will be getting double shares of the gold!”

To this, no one cheered. They only looked around at each other, wondering who among them would be that brave or greedy or dumb.

296

C hapter 2 As the sun crept over the horizon and brought the first rays of morning, the crew readied the two small boats for landing. Four sailors had been volunteered for the landing party, the only four who were new to the ship and had not been on the last trip. The cargo had been led onto the deck, chained together in groups of ten. After nearly a week in the hold of the ship, their eyes were not used to the sunlight.

They were to be given enough time to allow their eyes to adjust. Even the captain agreed to that.

From this vantage point, the island looked lovely, with only an orange glow painted across the sky above. The pillars of black smoke had disappeared along with the bad odor.

“This witch has two faces,” the captain said to the first mate. “I’ll wager which is the real one.”

“Let’s not dally long enough to find out,” the first mate said. With that, the first boat launched with two pirates and ten prisoners.

The first few minutes of the journey went very smoothly. The prisoners took turns rowing, and both boats cruised easily through the aqua-blue water. Once they got to the surf, though, it was a different story. The pounding waves were not easily managed by the two leastexperienced pirates and the weakened prisoners. Both boats flipped and flung the chained men into the water. Luckily the water at this point was only waist deep. They were able to wade to shore and pull the boats with them.

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The prisoners, after the terrible week they had survived in the hold of the ship, squinted across the beach. What looked like paradise felt like something much more sinister. Once the pirates unlocked the chains, they were eager to help launch the boats to bring the rest of their fellow prisoners to the island. The trip back through the surf was even more of a challenge. The empty boats were much lighter and were tossed around mercilessly. By the time they returned to the ship for the next load, the sailors were exhausted, and two hours had passed. With eighty more prisoners and four more trips to go, there did not seem to be enough daylight hours left.

The captain replaced the four sailors with fresh ones and sent the second batch toward the island. The surf was beginning to calm, and this time the boats stayed on their bottoms and did not overturn. The trek back was much quicker, and the captain began to believe that they might live to tell this tale.

By mid-afternoon, things were moving along perfectly. The boats were returning for the last load, the final group of prisoners was waiting on deck, and darkness was still a good ways off. Then someone shouted.

The captain focused the telescope on the beach. What had been a barren sandy area was now smoking. A hole was opening on the beach, and something black was rising out of the sand. Those left on the beach were backing away from it. The crew was paying more attention to the beach than the prisoners still aboard the ship.

One prisoner sat quietly, watching the pirates as they lost interest in the prisoners. He was the only one that had been able to loosen the chains that bound them. He was tall and strong and had brilliant blue eyes. There was a scar that ran from his left brow straight down, ending on his cheekbone.

An instant of inattention was all the opportunity he needed. Three sailors were overboard before anyone knew what was happening. As 298

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a fourth turned, the prisoner caught him with a left hook and then a roundhouse right. That was enough to get the rest of the ship’s attention.

He ran toward one of the ropes that had held the landing boats.

It hung from the mast overhead. With a mighty leap, he grabbed the rope, swung out over the water, and circled back to the ship in a long, graceful arch. Sailors were knocked over like nine pins. Men were shouting and running all over the deck, trying to guess which way he would move next.

“Form a line across the ship, you sponge brains!” the captain shouted. “Then walk in and surround him.” The sailors formed a line that went across the ship so that he was not able to get past anyone. Just as they were about to corner him on the bow, he crawled over the side of the ship and slid into one of the cannon ports. Everyone turned to look at the captain for instructions.

“Well, go below deck and find him, you morons; we’re runnin’ out of daylight because of his shenanigans! I’d just as well leave him for the sharks but our accord says we leave one hundred souls. If you can’t catch him quick-like, I’LL BE LEAVIN’ SOME OF YOU DOGS ON THAT INFERNAL BEACH!” Suddenly from below deck, there came an earsplitting boom. A palm tree on the beach snapped in two. Within seconds another boom and a hundred yards off on the other side of the ship, a plume of water rose from the sea. The prisoner was running up and down the inside of the ship, lighting the cannons. Then another boom and a cannonball shot up through the deck, leaving a smoking hole only a few feet from the captain.

“He’s shooting at us,” someone yelled.

The captain grabbed a fishing net and walked to an open hatch just as another cannonball shot through the deck. He handed it to the first mate.

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“Now, would ya mind goin’ below and throwin’ this over the scalawag before he turns the deck into Swiss cheese?”

The crew poured down the hatches while the captain and the first mate waited. After a great ruckus, they heard a solitary splash off the island side of the ship. The prisoner had dove out of one of the cannon ports and was swimming toward the island. Some of the crew began to climb into the landing boat to give chase.

“Let him go, you fools. That’s where you’d be takin’ him if you had the wits to catch him,” the captain yelled.

“Wouldn’t mind havin’ a whole crew with that kind of backbone,” he said to the mate as the boat started for shore. The last group of prisoners was on its way. He brought up his telescope and found the black container that had risen out of the sand. From the inside came the unmistakable glint of gold.

“You there, ya seadog, be making sure you load the boat with that gold on the sand before you hightail it back to the ship. Don’t ya be comin’ back with a light load.”

“Aye, Captain, and we won’t be spillin’ a drop of it either,” the sailor yelled back.

But when they had dropped off the prisoners and gone to the box, the gold froze them in their tracks. It was not coins or nuggets as they had received in the past. The chunks were as big as melons. So heavy they were that it took two men to carry one piece. By the time they had loaded one boat, the bottom rim of the sun was touching the horizon, and long shadows began to stretch from the palm trees to the beach.

The sky above the island was turning orange again, and the stench was drifting back. The sailors rowed as quickly as they could, but the boat was so loaded with gold that it lumbered through the water. The others rushed to the sides to help bring the gold aboard. The two still on the beach were running back to the box after carrying the heavy chunks to their boat.

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The prisoners had moved a little farther up the beach after the last group was unloaded. They stood in clumps and kept looking in the direction of the trees. Even from the ship, the shadows seemed odd.

They moved whenever you were not looking directly at them. Not in unison either, like when the wind blows, but randomly. The prisoners kept jerking their heads around like they saw things out of the corner of their eyes.

The captain was standing at the rail tapping his knuckles on the smooth wood.

“Come on, ya barnacles, load up, and get off that cursed strip of sand.”

The sailors on the beach had squared off and looked to be shouting at each other. The taller of the two started walking to the boat, and the other one grabbed him and tried to turn him around. The taller broke free, and the smaller one jumped on his back. They spun around several times and finally fell to the sand.

“Saints preserve us; we’re fighting each other now,” the captain said, looking through his telescope. “Haul up the anchor, you dogs; we’ve not enough light to be wastin’ time while those two wrestle around!”

“But Captain, what of the gold in the last boat?” the mate yelled.

“We’ll not be breathing long enough to enjoy it if we don’t vacate these waters soon!”

As if on cue, the sailors on the beach stopped pummeling each other. They snapped their heads in the direction of the tree line. The captain brought the telescope back up to his eye. Then the sailors jumped up and sprinted toward their half-full boat. One pulled and the other pushed until it was afloat.

The captain breathed a sigh of relief. But then someone onboard screamed. It took just a second to register that it was not a scream of pain, which he was accustomed to hearing, but a cry of pure unbridled terror.

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The tops of the trees were moving as if some strong wind were blowing along the trunks. The movement was still far enough into the forest to obscure the cause, but it was coming their way. It serpentined through the trees.

The prisoners had heard it just after the sailors and were moving up the beach away from the ship. The sun was throwing its last rays at the island, and the shadows below the trees were darkening. Everyone was frozen except the two on the boat, who were paddling like mad.

“Unfurl the main sail and pull the anchor,” the Captain shouted.

The crew burst into action. The great ship slowly began to turn. The landing boat was halfway now, and the Captain was weighing the risk of losing the gold against the speed of whatever was coming through the forest.

He could hear the trees snapping like matchsticks. From above the tree tops, there rose two black whip-like cables. They moved along constantly touching the trees and fronds as the creature moved underneath. And it most certainly was some type of creature, even though the movement was two ships long. It began moving parallel to the tree line but still in the shadows.

The landing boat had finally reached the ship, and sailors started to slide over the side to unload it.

“Belay the unloading, tie it down, and we’ll drag her behind. You scoundrels, man the sails and be gone before the beast shows her ugly head!”

“Too late,” said the first mate.

The palm trees bent then snapped as a huge insect head emerged from the shadows. It was as big as a fine carriage, and the eyes as big as wagon wheels. The pincer and all the smaller projections hanging below it were large and sharp and sickening to look at. They moved independently of each other in preparation for devouring something.

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It slid farther out onto the beach, the antennas still feeling the way.

The legs came next, dozens of them propelling the segmented body like the oarsmen on the slave galleys of long ago. Each of the legs was easily as big as a man. The hard covering of its body made it look more protected than any warship any of the sailors had seen. It followed the antennas across the sand and stopped as soon as one touched the water.

“It’s a centipede!” someone shouted. “The granddaddy of all centipedes!”

“The question is, do it swim?” the captain asked.

No one seemed to know the answer to that.

“Then I suggest that you dogs pray to the good Lord above this particular one don’t.”

While the captain watched, the murderers, robbers, and thieves that were the crew got down on their knees. He could hear their whispering and muttering as the sails caught a breeze and began to pull the ship.

The creature stayed on the beach, like a dog sitting by the door waiting for its master to come home.

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C hapter 3 The New Kingdom of Norwood The snow piled on the windowsill, softening the corners and frosting the crude glass. Each window in the castle had the same icy coating as did all the buildings in the kingdom. The wind blew in through the cracks in the panes and left the rooms so cold the glass froze even on the inside of some windows.

The storm had been relentless. Snow had fallen each day for the last three weeks, sometimes several inches a day. The bushes that grew outside the castle walls were now only lumps under a white carpet.

Trees stood helpless as their branches, laden with mounds of snow, cracked and broke. The branches disappeared into the snow leaving holes their exact size and shape.

The courtyards had to be shoveled daily and the snow was loaded on wagons and dumped outside of the castle. The snow from the ramparts was thrown over the huge gray walls onto the frozen moat below. It piled high, almost reaching the top of the castle wall in some places.

Inky was used to this kind of isolation. He had spent the last hundred years or so hunkered down for the winter. The only companion he had during these times was a newt who could only listen and was usually not very enthusiastic about even that. Since moving into the castle, he had accrued friends the way a dog collects fleas, but the ones that he enjoyed spending time with could be counted on one hand.

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It seemed that everyone in the castle wanted to be friends with the three-hundred-year-old, twelve-inch wizard. In a very big way, he felt much more alone than when Cassieus was his solitary companion. He needed a problem to solve or a mystery to figure out.

His friend Oglebee felt just the opposite. He was so tired of being cooped up that he thought he might go berserk. He volunteered for snow removal but could not be of much help. Being only three feet tall, he was shorter than the snow. So he was only allowed to help within the castle walls, which took only a couple of hours a day.

He had become very close to the queen over the past few weeks but was bored and confused by the affairs of running a kingdom.

Throughout the day, he left her alone and tried to visit everyone/anyone else. There had to be something that he could build or plant, but he was having a hard time finding it. He knocked around the empty hallways of the castle.

In the end, it seemed that the two always found each other. Oglebee needed something physical to do, and Inky needed a mental problem to wrestle. Oglebee liked people but did not want to be kept inside, and Inky did not mind being inside but was ill at ease around people.

It was the classic case of opposites attracting and the perfect recipe for trouble.

The first unfortunate debacle occurred during one of the snow removal jobs.

Oglebee had taken the job of sweeping the snow off the ramparts atop the castle walls. The continual dumping of snow had created a gradual slope from the top of the wall to the ground.

Oglebee finished his sweeping but was not ready to go back in as of yet, and stood looking out over the castle wall. The snow slope glistened in the afternoon light like a diamond roadway.

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“Looks like a perfect route for a sled-riding course, it does,” he said into the cold wind howling across the castle. He had been out in the frigid weather for over two hours, and the chill was already seeping into his bones. Brushing the fresh snow off his shoulders, he climbed down the stairs and crossed the courtyard. After slipping out of his coat and scarf, he trudged back through the cold stone hallways, already wishing he were back outdoors. That afternoon sitting by the roaring fireplace in the guest quarters, he could not get the thought of sledding out of his mind. He went to talk to his friend.

Inky’s guest quarters were not far away. The rooms were identical except for the size of the furniture. All of Inky’s had been built for a person his size. The craftsmanship was incredible not only in the construction but also in the detail. There were chairs and couches, beds and nightstands, tables and trunks. All worked as if they were standard size and had covers and material that was expertly woven and stitched. Oglebee had let it slip that the farmers and their wives were spending their cold winter days making this furniture.

Oglebee’s room had furniture to match his size, also made by the farmers. A few pieces of regular-sized furniture had been placed in both rooms to accommodate guests.

There was a bang on Inky’s door, and Oglebee burst in. “How about we go sledding tonight?” Oglebee said as a greeting.

Inky looked up from the tiny book he was reading and smiled.

“You are here early today, my friend. Have you grown tired of everyone else’s company, or have they grown tired of yours?”

Oglebee stopped for a second and looked confused. He dismissed the question with a wave of his hand. “No, listen. I’ve got an idea.

Everyone’s a bit glum, right? So we have this big sled-riding party, we will. I’ve got it all figured out. We’ll split some barrels longways, and

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they will be the right size for a person to sit in, they will. What do you think?”

Inky sat for a few moments tapping his index finger on the tip of his nose. Oglebee stared at him expectantly while the flames crackled in the fireplace. He looked up. “Where are you proposing to ride these sleds?

“Off the side of the castle,” he said, smiling.

“What?”

“You know, off the wall where the snow is piling up below. It curves off the wall real nice.” Oglebee made a swooping motion with his hand.

“I don’t know, my friend. That sounds very dangerous.”

“Dangerous smangerous, I’m gonna go bonkers if I can’t have some fun outside of this castle.” He took a step closer to Inky and whispered, “It’s starting to feel a bit like a prison, it is.”

Inky let out a deep, long breath. “I have a feeling that I’m going to regret this…”

Oglebee smacked his hands together before Inky could finish the sentence.

“Don’t worry, I’ll do everything. You just come to the top of the wall as soon as it gets dark tonight. Bundle up; it’s going to be a cold one.” He turned and left. Inky stared at the door for several minutes after he was gone.

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C hapter 4 Inky was, in fact, so bundled he could hardly walk. As he opened the outer door, the night air knifed through the opening hard and cold enough to make his eyes water. The wind not only stung his face but also carried the voices of all the people Oglebee had invited during the day. Rowdy laughter tumbled from atop the wall. Light flickered off the ice and snow that was still pelting down. Oglebee or someone had taken wooden poles and attached torches to the tops and placed them around the uppermost walkway. It was a festive sight with everyone dressed n heavy coats, their rosy faces lighted by the torches. Little puffs of steam came from their mouths when they spoke.

Someone shouted, “Condominiums,” and another cheer rose up from the crowd. A reveler lifted him up and took him up the icy steps to the top of the wall where Oglebee was standing in the center of all the commotion. He was only half as tall as all the others, but somehow, he stood out. Maybe it was the way everyone was turned toward him.

Tupelo, the wild man, shouted, “It’s a spring clean for the May Queen!”

“There ya are; we were just about to send someone to fetch you, we were.” He pushed his way over to Inky and lowered his voice. “A bit more people showed up than I thought I told. Must’ve told their friends, they did. But, come over here, look and see what we built.”

Oglebee walked Inky over to the edge of the ramparts. A small wooden staircase had been built, complete with two handrails, from the floor of the walkway to the edge of the wall. On the rim of the wall was a platform long and wide enough for several half barrels. There 308

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was a big handle attached to the end of the floor. The entire thing looked as though it might collapse at any moment.

“Come on, climb up,” Oglebee said.

“No, that is quite all right, I believe I can watch from right here.”

Oglebee smiled, “If I didn’t know you rode around on the back of that hawk all the time, I’d think you were afraid of heights.” He reached down, grabbed Inky gently, and put him up on the platform.

Without wanting to, Inky turned around and looked out over the wall. In the torchlight, the drop looked endless. The snow that had been dumped over the side was compacted by its own weight. It looked as hard and solid as the wall itself. They had placed about a dozen of the torch poles on each side of the path leading away from the snow slope.

A wagon was parked at the far end of the torches, near the edge of the forest. Behind the torches on both sides were hundreds of people. A huge roar rose when Inky and Oglebee stepped up on the platform.

“Oglebee, you didn’t tell me about all these people!”

“Yeah, I know. Might be the whole kingdom, it might. Looks like a night out like this is what everybody needed after bein’ cooped up for so long.”

“FIRST RIDE, FIRST RIDE,” the people below shouted.

Oglebee grinned, “Looks like they want us to take the first ride.”

Inky looked up with wide eyes, “What do you mean us?”

“FIRST RIDE, FIRST RIDE,” the crowd continued to chant.

“It’s kind of an honor, ya know, to take the first ride, and all these folks, they really like you.” Oglebee stepped across the platform, grabbed a halved barrel, and pulled it back to Inky.

“You are insane if you think I’m going over the wall in that. Why for all we know, we could shoot down through the snow into the moat and drown.”

“Oh, you do go on about things, don’t you? You gotta remember you’re a hero to these people. They think you can do anything. Anyhow, 309

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we’ll just slide down the road, get out and wave to everybody, then let the others take turns.” He said this while climbing into the barrel and scooting towards the back.

“FIRST RIDE,” the crowd still chanted.

“No, there is no way that this is safe…..”

Oglebee reached over and lifted Inky into the barrel and set him down in the front of the barrel. He could just barely see over the end.

“Naw, don’t worry about shooting down through the snow at the bottom. Skillit and I fixed it so that wouldn’t happen.”

“Who is Skillit?” Inky asked.

Oglebee used his thumb to point to the huge man standing behind him. Skillit, long beard and hair flapping in the wind, grinned at them.

He did not look too bright.

“See, me and Skillit spent all afternoon pouring water over the side.”

Skillit pulled on the handle behind them, and the back of the platform rose, tipping the front down with a jerk.

“WHAT!” Inky yelled. “Why did you pour water down the slope?”

“So the snow would turn to ice, and it would be too hard to go through.”

Skillit pulled again, and the barrel tilted more. Inky could see over the edge of the wall and the ice sheet that flickered in the light below. “ Once we hit that ice, we’ll have so much speed that we’ll never stop!” Inky yelled over the crowd which was now cheering louder than ever.

“Never thought of that,” Oglebee said as Skillit pulled the lever for the last time.

The platform tilted, and the barrel started sliding off the edge.

They both leaned back, and Oglebee closed his eyes. The barrel left the platform and began sliding down the icy slope. It accelerated so 310

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quickly that they were to the bottom before Inky could take a breath.

The torches and the people blurred by so fast that Inky couldn’t see any individual faces. There was flashing as they passed the torches, then dark, then another flash of light. A rooster tail of snow rose behind them. The barrel began veering to the right and nearly clipped one of the torches. Oglebee tried to steer by leaning hard to the left. He leaned too hard. The barrel swung around so quickly that the entire thing turned, and they were sliding backward. The seconds that passed seemed like minutes, and Inky felt certain that they were nearing the wagon parked at the end of the path. Oglebee was leaning one way then the other, and the barrel swerved back and forth down the path. For the first time, the thing felt like it was beginning to slow. Oglebee turned backward to see where they were going, and this sent them violently to the right. They smashed through one torch pole and then another. The torches broke unevenly, cartwheeling off into the darkness.

After knocking over two more, the barrel came to rest against the wagon wheel. The crowd, which had cheered through the entire ride, became quiet. Inky pulled himself out of the barrel and flopped onto the snow. Oglebee stood on shaky legs and waved to the trees, the hushed crowd behind him. The people roared, and Oglebee realized that he was facing the wrong way. Then for some reason, the crowd began to back away, even though they were quite a distance from them.

Inky looked up and saw a thin spiral of smoke rising from the canvas covering the bed of the wagon. One of the pulverized torches had landed there.

“Some ride it was, don’t think I want another turn, though,” Oglebee said. He stepped out of the barrel and toward Inky. He didn’t notice the thickening smoke. The rest of the spectators did and began to run back toward the castle.

“Oglebee, what is this wagon loaded with?”

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He shook his head, still trying to clear the dizziness. “Oh, it was olive oil, I think. You know I don’t read too well, I don’t.” He turned to look up where Inky was staring. “Looks like somethin’s on fire up there.”

“You need to crawl up there and make sure that the barrels say olive oil because those people took off awful fast for just a wagon fire.”

Oglebee walked around to the front of the wagon and climbed the wheel. He held on with one hand and pulled back the canvas with the other. Then he smiled and jumped back to the ground.

“Well, I was wrong. It’s not olive oil; it’s somethin’ else called lamp oil.”

“Lamp oil. Oglebee, my gracious, the whole thing is going to explode!” They looked at the wagon as the flames grew large enough to start making a flapping sound. The sideboard was now afire, and the canvas was fully consumed.

“Run!” Inky yelled. They both took off as fast as they could in their thick clothing. The path stretched out before them. When they had raced halfway back to the castle, there was a loud THUMP as the first barrel exploded. The area around the castle brightened. For an instant, their shadows stretched out before them. Then, an earsplitting ‘BOOM’ sent them flying forward as if an invisible hand of heat had slapped their backsides. They shot forward and landed face down in the snow.

There was another boom that sent a wall of fire across the snow and up their backs, singeing their coats and hair as it rolled over them.

A black char covered their backs where their coats had been, and all the hair burnt off the backs of their heads. Luckily their faces had been buried in the snow.

Inky rolled over and sat up. Oglebee did the same. They looked at each other, then at the burning wagon, which was now lying on its side.

One of its wheels had flown completely over them and was smoldering 312

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near the snow ramp. Another was tangled in the branches of an oak tree. The flames from this wheel had already started to spread through the tree.

Oglebee grinned broadly. “First ride,” he nodded.

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C hapter 5 The crowd had reorganized inside the walls as they trudged back into the castle. Some began to snicker when they saw the bald backside of the pair’s heads. Oglebee laughed with them, but Inky looked straight ahead and remained quiet. The queen came rushing out, followed by Bo and several attendants. She wore no coat but had a cloak thrown around her shoulders.

“What has happened?” she asked. “We thought we heard explosions.” She was standing in front of them and could not see their burnt hair. “Are you all right?”

The crowd grew silent. Oglebee looked up at her.

“Would someone please tell me what is going on? What is that odor? It smells as if someone is burning a goat.”

Laughter burst from the crowd.

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C hapter 6 The queen stood before them radiant and bedazzled. They stood before her, soggy and bedraggled. Small pools of water were beginning to collect under the two, and the odor of singed hair and clothing still lingered. The only sound in the room was the soft dripping of water hitting the floor.

“It is very apparent that you two are having a difficult time being isolated here in the castle.” She folded her arms and turned away, thinking as she walked. “I will be forever grateful for all you have done for me and the kingdom, but I will admit you two are driving me crazy.”

Inky wasn’t sure what she was talking about. This misadventure was the only one he had been involved in. Oglebee looked at the floor; apparently, he had had some situations that he had not told Inky about.

“I just need something to do, your Queenship,” Oglebee said.

“Somethin’ to sink my teeth into, I do.”

“Something constructive,” Inky offered.

“Maybe we could build a tower. Along the castle wall that would be real high and...”

“I said constructive, not construction,” Inky said.

“Oh.” “Yes, that might be a bit ambitious for even you, Inkydomus,” said the queen.

“And you,” she said, looking at Oglebee, “After the destruction tonight, are not to build anything. We have lost half of our supply of lamp oil in one moment of folly.”

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She had always been a bit smitten with the coarse little man, but now she was running the kingdom and was obliged not to play favorites, even though Oglebee was loved by nearly everyone.

“We will figure this out, but not tonight,” the queen said as she showed them to the door. “In the meantime, please avoid any type of destruction or mayhem that comes across your path.” She smiled at her own words.

Inky and Oglebee left the room together and started down the hallway. The queen had to place her hand over her mouth to suppress a giggle. It was the first time she had seen their singed backsides and burnt hair.

316

C hapter 7 As the days passed, the storm abated, and the sky began to lighten.

The air was still cold and the winds brisk; winter still had a grip on the kingdom. Inky and Oglebee pored over ideas of things they might be able to do without causing any havoc for the queen. Oglebee thought most of Inky’s ideas were boring, and Inky thought all of Oglebee’s ideas were too dangerous. The two began to get frustrated with each other and their isolation from the outside world.

The situation became worse when the lamp oil was rationed because of the shortage. The castle was dark and gloomy with only a quarter of the lamps lighted. Individual rooms were limited even more severely.

Inky was in his room, sitting by the fireplace and trying to read by the light of the flames, when there was a pounding on his door.

Oglebee burst in, gleaming with excitement.

“I got it, I do! I know what we can work on!”

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C hapter 8 “No! Absolutely not,” the queen said. “You two have already blown up one wagon of lamp oil. You want me to allow you the ingredients to make more? You could destroy the whole kingdom.”

Oglebee had rushed to the Throne Room with Inky trailing behind, trying to explain some of the reasons this was not such a good idea.

Oglebee would have none of it and wanted to share his idea with the queen. He was more than disheartened when he heard her decision.

“May I offer a compromise?” Inky asked the queen.

She cautiously nodded.

“What if Oglebee and I were to take a trip and buy the lamp oil?

Then we could have it delivered when the weather clears.”

Oglebee looked back and forth between the queen and Inky, starting to get excited again. The queen stood motionless, thinking.

“We would be providing a service for the kingdom,” Inky started. “... and get us out of your hair,” Oglebee finished.

“Is that what you think? I want rid of you?” She put her delicate hand on Oglebee’s shoulder. His cheeks turned scarlet.

“I care very much about both of you, but I do become stressed when I see that you have nearly blown yourselves up.”

“That’s it then; we will be off to the nearest port as soon as the weather breaks?” Inky asked.

“Maybe sooner than that. I have an idea,” Oglebee said.

“Oh no,” the queen and Inky said together.

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C hapter 9 That afternoon Inky, Oglebee, and Bo were in the storage area at Kettlefish Lake. They had bundled up and reined a pair of horses and a small wagon, then made their way through the snow. The inside of the building was cool but comfortable. The melting snow was dripping off the wagon onto the hard-packed floor.

“See, if we put a long board between the horses here, and attach it to the wagon here, we can build a two-sided plow for the front,” Oglebee was saying. Bo was used to working with Oglebee on projects like this, so he understood completely.

“Like the front of a boat?”

“Yep,” Oglebee said. “We need to get some small logs, chop the ends off at an angle, and find a way to attach everything, and we’ll have our snow boat, we will.”

With Bo’s skill, Oglebee’s enthusiasm, and the help of several others, the snow boat/ wagon was finished in two days. They decided that it should also have a hard covering over the back, nice and tall, to protect the contents of the wagon. The whole kingdom became interested in the project and the gossip spread throughout.

While the vehicle was being constructed, Inky and the queen were plotting the route to the port and the specifics of the payment for the oil exchange. It was decided that Bo should also go along so that Inky could stay hidden and not cause a stir with his appearance. He was known far and wide across the land, but more in legend and not as a 319

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real being. This kind of journey was made by officials of the kingdom dozens of times a year, but never in weather like this or by such a small contingent—both literally and figuratively.

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C hapter 10 On the day of the departure, crowds gathered for the send-off. They were boisterous and celebratory, a change from the depression that had settled over the kingdom. The wagon was loaded with food for both the men and the horses, along with warm clothing and blankets for the animals.

Before they pulled out, the queen asked Oglebee to promise to return safely. She asked Inky to watch out for their friend. “He does have a tendency to get himself into trouble. I do wish Captain Cador were here,” she said. “He would be perfect to accompany you on a trip such as this.”

Bo gave a tug on the reins and the snow boat started to move. A cheer went up from the crowd and continued until they disappeared around a bend. Overhead, a red-tailed hawk floated on the breeze. The kingdom already seemed a little dimmer with them gone.

321

C hapter 11 The excitement soon faded into boredom as the trio passed through snow-covered pastures. Any landforms were blanketed and smoothed under windblown drifts. The road was difficult to follow in places because of the absence of detail. The temperatures had risen during the days and refroze during the nights making the snow brittle on top and soggy beneath. It crunched under the wagon wheels and a slushy mess was left after the wagon had passed. Once past the mountains that surrounded Norwood, the weather began to lighten.

“So whatever happened with the green-eyed woman?” Oglebee asked.

Inky paused, then said, “I don’t think she was as interested in me after almost being hung by the king.”

“Don’t blame her,” Oglebee said.

“Me neither,” Inky said.

“Don’t have much going for you, do you? You’re old, you’re short, and somebody’s always tryin’ to kill you,” Oglebee said.

“Thank you lining it all up for me like that.”

Oglebee smiled, “What are friends for?” He slapped Inky on the back with two fingers.

Oglebee was smiling wide and talking loudly. It was almost as if they were actually on a boat sailing into an adventure.

“You know what?” he said. “I have this feeling this is going to end up being more that just buying lamp oil.”

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“I hope you’re wrong,” Bo said. “These ports can be full of some unsavory characters.”

“I can be unsavory too,” Oglebee said. Then he whispered to Inky, “What does unsavory mean?”

The first night they found a place where they could scrape the snow off the hard ground and built a fire with the wood they had brought.

They fed the horses, roasted meat over the fire, and slept under the stars.

The next day, when they awoke, the air was warmer. They repacked what they had taken out of the wagon and began rolling again. Midmorning, the sun came out, and the snow started melting off the trees along the road. The muted shapes under the snow were more distinguishable as the crusty layer collapsed beneath.

“Your plow seems to be working well,” Inky said to pass the time.

“Yep, it sure is,” Oglebee said enthusiastically. “But to be truthful, we probably didn’t need it. The wagon wheels are thin, and the horses haven’t had any trouble getting through the snow. But it was a confidence builder for the bunch at the Lake. We started something, and we finished it, we did. That’s always good for morale.”

“You never cease to amaze me, my friend,” Inky said.

“He’s always thinking about things like that, how to make people think better about themselves,” Bo said.

“You’re an enigma,” Inky said. Then whispered, “Do you know what that means?”

“Nope,” Oglebee said.

Every so often throughout the day, Oglebee would stop the wagon, hop off and get a bucket full of snowballs. He would try to hit tree branches or any other targets he could find. With the temperature rising, the snowballs didn’t last long. Bo concerned himself more with keeping the wagon on the road, and Inky had no range because of his 323

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stature. Several times Inky had Bo stop the wagon, and he listened for sounds no one else could hear.

Before stopping for the night, they came across the first wagon wheel tracks other than theirs. After two days without seeing another human being, Inky and Bo were a bit apprehensive. Oglebee was getting excited.

“Probably going to be there by mid-morning,” Bo said. “We’ll pass through some farmland, then through the city, and the port is on the other side. Depends on how much snow is still there.”

That night they slept in the wagon. Much of the food they had brought for the horses was gone, so there was room for Bo to stretch out. Inky and Oglebee did not take up much room. Again, Inky heard strange sounds coming from outside of the wagon.

The next morning the three awoke to the sound of birds chirping.

The air was fresh and much warmer, and the snow was almost completely gone. It was as if springtime had slipped in overnight.

They got rolling quickly and soon passed the first of the large farms they would encounter before reaching the city. The road was much better here and more clearly defined, so the speed increased.

At the next farm they passed, some of the workers were outside starting their day. Even though they were several hundred yards away, Oglebee whooped and hollered to try to get their attention. They waved back tentatively.

Before long, they spotted a wagon coming along the road toward them. Inky thought it best to hide for the time being. His presence sometimes caused too much commotion. He slid into the covered part of the back. Both wagons slowed and then came to a stop as they were about to pass each other.

“Pleasant days to ya,” the old man said slowly. He was thin and boney, had a long white beard, and looked weather-beaten. “Don’t 324

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recollect seein’ you around these parts before. Don’t ever remember seein’ a contraction like that before.” He looked it over from his seat.

“We invented it, we did.” Oglebee said. “Cuts right through the snow.”

“Hummm,” said the man. “Comin’ from the north, are you?”

“Yep,” Oglebee said, “Going to buy some lamp oil for the queen.”

The man nodded, “Well, I hope you didn’t bring too much money, if you’re going into the city, that is. If they can’t cheat you out of it, somebody will knock you over the head and take it. Be careful.”

He started to give the reins a shake, but stopped. “You do know there’s a man on top of your wagon, don’t you?”

Bo and Oglebee looked at each other. “A man?”

“I thought he was your lookout or something,” the man said. He made a clicking sound with his mouth, and his horses pulled away.

Oglebee stood and then climbed the side of the support holding the roof. There on the top, sitting cross-legged, was Tupelo.

“Smoke on the water,” he shouted.

Inky was out of the wagon as Oglebee climbed back down. “That’s what I’ve been hearing,” Inky said.

“What are you doing up there,” Oglebee yelled.

“Thought I’d see the world. Been in the woods all my life.”

“When did you get up there?”

“When you rounded that first bend, that first day.”

“You’ve been outside this whole time?” Inky asked.

“I live outside; this don’t bother me none.”

“What do you have with you up there?” Oglebee asked.

“Got some dried squirrel... and a bag of rocks.”

“Rocks?”

“Ya, nice throwin’ rocks.”

“What are we going to do with him?” Oglebee asked.

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“What can we do? He’s going to come with us.”

“You’re going to have to watch him. He could get us into big trouble in a city,” Oglebee said.

“Then who is going to watch you?” Inky asked.

“Me? I’m the one who always gets us out of trouble.”

“Interesting perspective,” Inky said. Overhead, the red-tailed hawk soared and watched. *** Buildings began popping up along the sides of the road the farther they traveled. Most were dusty with streaked windows. The materials they were built with had seen better days. Within an hour, the streets became cobblestone, and the buildings began to get higher and higher.

People in Norwood had clothing that was worn and threadbare; that was nothing to be ashamed of. The people here had dirty clothing like they had lived in them for days. Every one of the people they saw here reminded them of the people they met in the dungeon. Oglebee waved to and tried to greet everyone he saw, but most of the people trudging through the streets never looked up. Those who did had a cautious look about them. No one gave even a half-interested glance at their vehicle.

They began to smell the saltiness of the ocean air as they made their way to the port side of the city. Seagulls circled overhead, looking for bits of food left on the street. The group passed the last of the big buildings, and the ocean opened up in front of them. The view offered the horizon of the endless ocean, and the giant ships docked at the harbor.

Groups of men carried large containers while others barked orders and marked manifest sheets. It was like the kitchen of the castle tenfold.

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“My Mama told me the ocean was the biggest thing in the world.

I couldn’t believe her then, but I do now,” Oglebee said in awe. Tupelo was eerily quiet.

They gazed at the scene for a while, something none but Inky had ever seen before.

“Makes you feel tiny, it do, lookin’ at it,” Oglebee said.

“Yes, it does,” Inky said. “But for now, let’s be about our business before we become a target for some privateer.”

Oglebee looked at him.

“Robber,” Inky said. Oglebee nodded. *** They followed the queen’s instructions concerning where to go and whom to talk to. The horses slowly pulled the wagon down one of the roadways and near a building where many of the goods were being offloaded and stored.

Bo stopped the wagon close to a building, but not too close that they would be in the way. He started rummaging around in his leather pouch.

“How we payin’ for all this lamp oil?” Oglebee asked.

“We’re not actually paying for it,” Bo said. “I have something better.”

He pulled out a wallet and flipped the flap over to the side. There, under the flap, was a beautiful silver medallion. It gleamed in the sunlight. Oglebee could just make out the letter N in the design.

“It’s the mark of the queen,” Bo said. “They pour some hot wax on a receipt, and the queen will pay for it when it’s delivered. Pay for it in gold.”

“You mean we’re not taking the oil back ourselves?” Oglebee asked.

“No, the queen said that would be too dangerous.”

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“Did you know about this?” Oglebee asked Inky.

“No, but I’m not surprised. After all, we did manage to blow up one wagon full of oil.”

Oglebee sniffed. It was obvious he wanted to finish the job.

“You two go in and make the deal. We’ll stay here and mind the wagon. Is that all right with you, Tupelo?” Inky yelled.

“THE MOUNTAINS SHOULD CRUMBLE!” he yelled back.

328

C hapter 12 The two climbed down and went into the building. Inky stayed hidden in the wagon, hoping Oglebee could keep his cool and the deal could be made easily. Then he heard someone just outside the wagon.

He leaned forward to hear what they were saying.

“Not seen a rig like this before. You?” “No, I haven’t, Clem. What you suppose they do with somethin’ like this?”

“Looks to me like some kind of specialized vehicle. Might be worth quite a bit of value to the right buyer.”

“I think you’re right. Course that potential buyer would want to see the vehicle first. And we wouldn’t know how much to offer these folks until we shopped it around to see how much we could get out of it.”

“So, are you proposing what I think you are proposing?”

“Yes, Clem, I think we are of the same accord.”

As Clem started to climb aboard the wagon, Tupelo rose from the top and threw a rock at his head. It hit with a dull thud. He dropped like an anchor. In a flash, Tupelo rose up again and hit the other man.

Both lay motionless beside the wagon wheel.

Inky popped out, not knowing why they had stopped trying to steal the wagon. “What happened?”

Tupelo leaped off the top of the wagon and quickly went through their pockets. He pulled out two handfuls of silver coins and thrust them into his. Then he grabbed each man by a leg and pulled them 329

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to the side of the building. He found an old tarp and threw it over the pair.

“What did you do? Did you kill them?” Inky was horrified.

“Naw, didn’t hit them in the right spot to kill them. They will wake up after a while with horrible headaches and empty pockets.”

“But...you robbed them.”

“Teaches them a lesson,” Tupelo said.

While Inky was pondering that, Oglebee and Bo returned from the building.

“Let’s get out of here quick,” Oglebee said.

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Inky replied.

“Why are we in a hurry?” Inky asked.

“Because Oglebee knocked down the assistant and was about to pummel him when I pulled him off,” Bo said.

“I waited until we had made the deal, I did,” Oglebee said.

“Barely,” Bo said.

“But why?” Inky asked.

“He was makin’ cracks about me being small, so I waited until they stuck the seal in the wax and signed the paper. Then, I took a chair and swung it right into the side of his leg. Brought him right down, it did.

After he was my height, I was on him like a chicken on a grasshopper.”

Inky put his face in his hands.

“I’m hungry. Where we going to eat?” Oglebee said.

330

C hapter 13 “This has to be quick,” Inky said. “We should be back on the road to Norwood before the sun sets.”

They had started back through the city and stopped at the first pub that looked like it was selling food. It was located right on the street. Inky thought that might be safer than down some back alley.

The wagon and horses were left and tied to a post where they could be seen from the inside. Inky was to enter the place in a leather carrier that Bo slung over his shoulder. Tupelo had a canvas bag of rocks with the strap over his shoulder. The noise from inside the pub could be heard out in the street.

“Sounds like a happy place,” Oglebee said as he started in the door.

“Well, it’s certainly loud,” Inky said.

Inside it was bright with many lamps illuminating the room. The place was packed. A piano player pounded the keyboard, and a few men sang along. The only women in the room were waiting tables.

Everyone seemed to be having a great time. No one even noticed them come in and sit. Inky was still in the carrier.

They were in a booth farthest from the piano. Tupelo dropped the bag of rocks on the wooden bench with a loud clatter. No one noticed.

The waitress came to the table. “First, let’s see your money.”

Tupelo reached into his pocket and produced a pile of silver coins.

He slammed them onto the table. “Just checkin’,” she said. “We get all kinds in here.”

“What’s on the menu?” Oglebee said.

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“On the menu?” she said. “You sound very proper and all, like you been dining with the king.”

Oglebee started to say something, then stopped himself.

“For one of those shiny coins of yours, you each get a hunk of meat and some oranges and a port. How does that sound, your highness?”

Tupelo nodded without saying a word. She turned and left, saying to herself, “What’s on the menu?”

Inky’s carrier was on the seat and was the perfect height for him to see out without too much chance of being seen. All four sat and watched the goings on of the pub without saying too much.

A man sitting at a table in the middle of the room was gesturing wildly to the men he was sitting with. All had headbands holding back long, gnarly hair, and two of the three had tattoos on their sinewy forearms. Whatever he was saying was attracting the attention of everyone within earshot.

The waitress came back and slapped down three thick plates, each containing a bloody piece of meat with globules of yellow fat clinging to the sides. She brought back a bowl of oranges and three mugs of foamy brown slop.

“Money,” she said.

Tupelo put a coin on the table and slid it to her with one finger.

She took it and started away, then he took another one out and did the same thing. She reached back, took it, and said, “Enjoy.”

It was the best meal they had ever had. Bo cut tiny bits of meat from his and Inky ate it with his hands. He did the same with the oranges.

Tupelo had never had an orange, so it was comical for the other three to watch him taste its tartness.

The man at the middle table had gathered a crowd. Men nearby had pulled their chairs over. Several others were standing, leaning in to hear. Someone yelled for the piano man to stop the infernal racket.

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He did. The room became quiet except for a clanging of a plate and the scrape of silverware. “...was a real burr in the captain’s behind, that one was. The other prisoners call him Cador,” the man was saying.

At the booth, the four froze. “Did he say Cador?” Bo asked.

“Before anyone could stop him, Oglebee was out of the booth and across the room.

“Did you say Cador?” Oglebee said, pushing his way near the table.

Everyone stopped to look at Oglebee, including the man telling the story.

“And who might you be, little man?” he said.

“Uh oh,” said Bo. “He used the L-word.”

But Oglebee didn’t react. “He might be a friend of mine.”

“Might be and is are two different things. So it might be smart of you to run back off to whatever hole you crawled out of and not bother your betters.”

“That’s not going to sit well,” Tupelo said.

The men who had been watching had been swiveling their heads back and forth between the two.

Oglebee grabbed the back of a chair and pulled the person out of the way, so he was right up against the table.

“What does he look like? Where did you take him? Did he have a scar on his face?”

The man pushed back from the table and stood. “That’s load of questions for such a tiny elf.”

That did it. Oglebee leaped on to the table and planted a front kick right into the man’s stomach. With the air knocked out of him from the savage blow, he dropped straight down onto the table.

While this was going on, Bo had emerged from the booth and was heading toward the table, Tupelo had bolted out of the booth and into the crowd, and Inky remained semi-hidden in the carrier.

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Oglebee had the side of the man’s head mashed under his boot while the other side was smashed into the table.

“What did he look like, and where did you take him?” Oglebee growled.

The man was just getting his breath back and said something, but Oglebee was pressing so hard with his foot the words came out garbled. Another man at the table decided to take things into his own hands and started to swing a mug at Oglebee’s head. The mug exploded in his fist. Tupelo was standing on another table near the door, another rock already in his hand.

“A big man, captain or something, but not a ship’s captain, a captain of something else. He had a scar that ran down his cheek,” the man mumbled.

“Where is he?” Oglebee said through clenched teeth. “Where’d you take him?”

“Don’t know where! We dumped ’im off on an island with the other prisoners!”

Oglebee grabbed an arm and pulled it backward while stepping harder on his head. The rest of the crowd watched.

“How can we find him?” Oglebee said and pulled the arm harder.

“Don’t know how; only the captain and the first mate knew the navigation.” The man’s face was turning extremely red.

“All right then. Where can we find the captain?”

“He’s recruiting sailors for the next voyage... at the Dragon’s Fang.”

“Where would that be?” Oglebee was not letting up on the pressure on the arm.

“Three blocks down and two blocks to the left... no, to the right!”

“If you’re lying to me, we’ll be back.”

Oglebee released him. He stood up straight with some difficulty and looked at Oglebee with blazing eyes. “You’ll not be leaving this 334

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place in one piece tonight!” Several men around the pub started to move closer to the table.

Bo returned to the booth and retrieved Inky and the carrier.

Oglebee, still on the table, said, “Oh, I think we will.” He reached down to the tabletop, where there were still mugs standing, and held one up high. “Imagine this being your head.”

Tupelo threw a rock sidearm that shattered the mug into a hundred pieces. Glass flew into everyone’s face. Oglebee was nearly to the door before the rest of the bar opened their eyes.

Bo, carrying Inky, backed out of the pub. Oglebee followed, then Tupelo, rock in hand.

As they left, they heard the man yell, “Wouldn’t try to rescue him, mate; he’s already dead.”

Out on the street, they turned the corner to climb onto the wagon.

It was gone. Vanished. Stolen right out from under their noses. They had no choice but to get to the Dragon’s Fang on foot. In the dark.

335

C hapter 14 While the last place they had been looked a little rowdy from the outside, the Dragon’s Fang was decidedly scary. There was barely any light passing through the windows which were obscured by a film on the inside. The name Dragon’s Fang was painted on a board over the door and was barely visible in the dim light. They had to step over a man who was lying on the cobblestones flanking the entrance.

Inky was saying the whole way there, “We should think about this before we do anything rash. We need a plan.”

“Our plans never work,” Oglebee said. “Besides, we got no way to get home. Without this captain, we have no way of finding this island.”

A man stumbled to the door. He was heavy and smelled like an old rug left out in the rain. He walked crookedly through and disappeared inside.

Oglebee followed him in, then Tupelo, then Bo and Inky in the carrier.

There were only three lamps in the entire place. One was flickering at the far end of the room where two men sat. Both were watching the man staggering toward them.

“Are you the two sea dogs that are looking for a crew?” His speech was a little slurred.

One of the men sitting, a wiry thin man with mean eyes, gestured the man over to the table. They began a quiet conversation which ended with the smelly man signing a paper. The wiry pirate yelled to the bartender, “A drink for our new shipmate! And keep him happy!”

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The other man said nothing. He was much bigger than his friend.

His jacket was huge, made from black cloth, and adorned with black feathers. A gold sash crossed his chest and rested on his ample stomach.

His hair was bushy and black under his pirate’s hat and across his face.

His eyes were as black and smoldering as everything else about him.

He silently watched Oglebee make his way to the table. He could just see over it.

“You still need a crew?” he asked. The others followed and caught up with him.

“Perhaps,” said the skinny first mate.

“Where will we be traveling to?” Oglebee asked.

The first mate looked at the captain.

“Wherever I said,” the captain said in a deep, rough voice.

“When will we be back?” Oglebee asked.

“Whenever I say,” the captain said.

“This isn’t getting us much of anywhere, is it? Have it your way.

Four to sign up.”

A smile spread across the first mate’s face. “Not much on numbers, are you? I’m only looking at three of you there unless you got an invisible man in your company.”

The captain wasn’t smiling. “We’ll take you two, but not this one,” he nodded toward Oglebee. “I’ve seen his kind before, nothin’ but trouble.”

“Not know much about ships then, do you?” Oglebee said.

The Captain didn’t move, didn’t change expression, but you could feel his heat rise.

“Last voyage, I worked for a smuggler. I could fit in places that others couldn’t. Had booty hidden all over the ship no one else could get to, I did.”

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The first mate whispered to the captain, “We can count the body, nothin’ says anything about this size.”

The captain considered this. “What be the reason you be wantin’ to be sailing with us so badly?”

Bo spoke up, “We have some people we’d not want to meet up with for a while.”

The Captain said, “Well, a bit of honesty.”

As if on cue, the door opened, and the man that had told them about Cador entered the pub, followed by ten of his friends. He still had Oglebee’s boot print on the side of his face.

“There they are,” said one of the men.

The captain leaned back in his chair in the dim light and lit a big cigar. “So there you are, Cutter.” He blew out a puff of blue smoke.

“Come with your friends to join the crew again?”

The man stopped in his tracks.

“I’ve got no argument with you, Captain. It’s these three I have business with.”

“These three are part of my crew, so if it’s business with them you have, it’s now business with me,” the captain said. Without taking his eyes off of them, he pulled a huge silver musket from under his jacket.

It was aimed at the man he called Cutter.

The first mate leaned toward the captain again, “This group would put us to our quota; what do you think?”

The smallest smile creased the captain’s mouth, “So, Mr. Cutter, will you be joining us as cargo or part of the crew?”

The first mate cackled with laughter.

338

C hapter 15 The first mate, whose name was Mr. Hamilton, had everyone sign their name to a contract. Mr. Cutter and his friends did so at gunpoint.

They were then led to a dormitory-style room in the rear of the building. Two of the men had to carry the stumbling man, and two others dragged the man who was lying outside of the building in by his feet. No one said anything about Bo’s carrier or Tupelo’s bag of rocks.

“Just so as you know it, we have two guards posted at the door, just in case you have any ideas of breaking the contract you’ve just signed,” Mr. Hamilton said. “Sleep well, me hardies.”

There were already five or six men sleeping in cots. It was difficult to see an exact number because of the dim lighting.

Oglebee crept over to Bo’s cot. Tupelo was right behind. “So, what do you think?” Oglebee asked.

“I think we’re in trouble,” Bo said.

“Big trouble,” Tupelo added.

“Did anyone notice that they didn’t ask if we had any sailing experience?” Inky asked. “If we were hired on to be part of the crew, they would want to know what we could do.”

“Then we ain’t part of the crew; we’re the cargo,” Oglebee said.

“Big trouble,” Tupelo said.

“Since we’re already here and cannot do anything about our circumstances tonight, I suggest we get as much rest as we can and see what tomorrow brings,” Inky said.

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“Not a chance I can sleep in here with all this racket,” Oglebee said as he crawled back into his cot. Within seconds he had joined the chorus of snores in the room.

340

C hapter 16 Inky had been up before daylight trying to work things out in his head. The rest of the men awakened to the clanging of pots and pans being hammered with soup ladles. The sailors began pulling the men who would not wake up onto the floor and banging the pans near their heads.

The scraggly bunch was herded onto wagons and taken to the harbor where they were led aboard the Black Widow. The ship was not as ominous as its name. It looked like every other ship docked there.

Maybe even a bit more decrepit.

The men were told to sit on the deck and wait for their morning meal. Each was given a bowl of something watery that smelled like potatoes. Not many of the men wanted theirs, so Oglebee ate four bowls of the stuff.

Mr. Cutter and his group stayed to themselves, throwing menacing glances at Oglebee. Oglebee acted like he was ignoring them. Inky stayed hidden, knowing that making himself known now would not be in any way an advantage. He reasoned that the captain was allowing Bo to bring the carrier and Tupelo to bring his bag of rocks to pacify everyone. The captain didn’t want anyone thinking that they were not coming back. What Inky didn’t know was the captain was happy for any extra weight. Usually, he would want the ship light to move through the water faster, but this was the stormy season. Fierce winds and rain could be on them in an instant, and a ship with more ballast could handle a rocky sea more easily.

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The gangplank was pulled up and the ship began to sail out into open waters. Once the land vanished, the crew started forcing the men down into the hold. Very few resisted. Those who did were beaten with blackjacks and belts.

The hold was much like the dungeon in the castle. It was dark and smelly, and the air was stale. Because of the lack of light, it was hard to see. Once their eyes adjusted, the men, who were now the cargo, spread out into little groups of their own. There was a sense, like in the dungeon, of hopelessness.

Cutter and his group were allowed to go back up topside. They were given jobs and allowed to sleep with the crew, not the cargo. Inky also reasoned they were allowed that privilege because the captain lacked a full crew and needed them to get the ship to wherever they were going. Allowing them to stay on deck also prevented them from killing any of the cargo.

Below deck was split into two sides, one side for the crew and the other for the cargo. They were separated by a simple wooden wall. The rear part, or the stern, was the captain’s chambers. It was also separated from the other two by a wooden wall. From his carrier, Inky was already working out the layout of the ship.

It was impossible to tell the time down in the hold. There was only the sound of gently rushing water and the feeling of movement. The ship was well built, and there were very few cracks for light to pass through, so no matter if the sun was up or down, the light was absent.

Inky and his friends were near the bow of the ship, which is the sharp part at the front. Inky left his carrier and scurried around in the dark in search of anything that might be of use. He still had his bag of magical tools hidden in the carrier. Those were things he thought might be useful later.

He found a compartment that was too small for a normal-sized man. In the darkness, he found a hatch in the ceiling. His curiosity 342

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wanted him to open it and see where it led, but his intellect told him to wait. Wait until he was sure he wouldn’t be discovered.

Sometime later, they could hear footsteps on the other side of the wooden wall. The crew must have been turning in for the night. He decided that now was as good of a time as any to explore the hatch.

He told Oglebee what he was doing and that he would be back later. Oglebee was half asleep and just nodded at Inky’s words.

He lifted the hatch gingerly, then slowly stuck his head out enough to see all around. The deck was deserted. One sailor stood at the wheel on the helm, but no one else could be seen. He had been tied to the mast to keep from falling asleep and sending the ship off course. Ropes, cartons, and all types of seagoing equipment littered the deck, giving Inky the perfect cover to roam around.

He found several other hatches in the next few minutes. Another one near the end of the cargo hold, two more in the crew side, and one that went into the captain’s quarters.

It was amazingly calm and peaceful on the deck at night. Inky had little experience on a ship of this size, certainly not as much as his father had had. But the experience that he did have was always during the day when there was much activity and all the chaos that goes with manning a ship. But at night, there was only a soft whisper of a breeze and the tender splashing of the bow cutting through the water. The moon was full and illuminated the crest of every wave for miles. The billions of stars twinkled with a brilliance which Inky had never seen.

After examining the entire deck, he returned to the rear of the ship and climbed down into the captain’s quarters.

The captain was snoring loudly in a huge bed. A lantern hung from a cord attached to the ceiling, bathing the room in a soft amber light.

It swayed rhythmically with the motion of the boat. Inky scanned the room, trying to memorize every detail.

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He found a hole near the baseboard that had been chewed by a rat.

It led to a landing that veered in two directions. He took the one that looked the most traveled, and it led him back into the cargo hold.

But his friends were at the opposite end of the room. He zig-zagged through the bodies, then tripped right in front of a whiskered face.

The man opened his eyes to see a foot-tall wizard at the end of his nose. Inky waved. He slowly closed his eyes, then sat up quickly. But not before Inky had hidden behind another man’s boots. The man looked around quizzically and blinked several times. Then he lay back down. Inky waited until he heard the man snore and then counted to a hundred before he took a quick peek.

Inky navigated the rest of the way across the room without incident.

He crawled back into his carrier and went to sleep without anyone realizing he had left. His plan was forming nicely.

344

C hapter 17 Inky wasn’t sure how many days they had been aboard the ship.

Each night he had gone out and explored as much of the ship as he could. He had been to the captain’s each night as well as the crew’s. He had found every nook and cranny and knew the number of men on board.

He was sure that there were enough men in the hold to organize and take over the ship if Cutter and his men were on their side. Having them on your side would be only a temporary situation. Inky was sure that once the status quo changed, he and his friends were as good as dead. There was an uneasy balance of power keeping them alive.

During the night, the atmosphere changed. The air in the hold, which had been damp and musty, now had a different odor. It was harsh and sulfurous and felt like it wanted to burn the inside of your lungs. The cargo coughed and sneezed, and it was obvious that panic had started to settle in.

On the other side of the wooden wall, the voices of the crew were strained. Arguments and fights were breaking out. At one point, the captain shouted down into the crew quarters. He told them that they would become rich, or they could become cargo; it would be decided by how they acted in the next few hours.

The smell grew stronger, and the crew calmed only a little. Things in the hold were still tense. Inky huddled his friends in the darkness.

“Whatever is going to happen is going to happen soon,” Inky told the other three. “We have to be prepared.”

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“Prepared for what?” Bo asked.

“We have to plan for several situations,” Inky said.

“Our plans don’t ever work too good, they don’t,” Oglebee said.

Inky ignored him. “We have to find a way to pit them against each other.”

“That shouldn’t be hard; they’re all back stabbin’ cheats,” Oglebee said.

“I believe that fact may be just the angle we need,” Inky said.

“You do talk in circles,” Oglebee said.

“I’m going to watch Cutter and his group. I feel sure they are planning something, but I don’t know what it will be. And I don’t know how we can use them to our benefit.”

“Just be careful,” Bo said.

“Naw, he don’t know how,” Oglebee said. *** It didn’t take Inky long to navigate the narrow passageways and gnawed holes to get into the crew cabin. Once inside, he spotter Cutter whispering to his men. Inky crept around the rest of the sleeping crew and got close enough to hear. “...but what if the captain wants us on the boats? How is the plan to work then?”

Cutter smiled then slapped the man hard across his cheek. “You let me handle the captain.”

“Perhaps it best and go along with the captain, split the gold and not take the chance of the mutiny not working,” another man said.

Cutter sensed that his crew was getting cold feet. He decided to reason with them. “Listen to me, you mullet heads. The captain has no intention of splitting the gold with us. He’s not letting us off the island.

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Why would he want to divvy up the booty even further? He can turn us in as cargo, make more gold, and split it fewer ways. We have no choice.” He looked around into each set of eyes.

“So, do we have an accord?”

The men grumbled their agreement.

Cutter smiled a snake-like smile. “Then, as soon the captain starts sending the boats over, and we outnumber them on the ship, we pull out the weapons.”

The men nodded.

“And how will we know where they are hidden?” Cutter asked.

Another man spoke up, “Each container on the deck that has an X carved into the top has either a knife or a sword. Compliments of the armory in the captain’s closet.”

Apparently, I’m not the only one sneaking around, Inky thought.

The men kept whispering, but Inky had heard enough. He slipped back to the cargo hold with a plan. There were still a couple of things left to do tonight to get his plan going. *** When Inky was back to his container, he found his bag of tools and rummaged through it. He found what he was looking for, the stone of Salomon.

In the darkness, he concentrated on the layout of the captain’s cabin. He imagined himself at the foot of the captain’s bed, watching the bearded man sleep. From his visit, he remembered every detail, every color and smell. Then Inky pulled the stone apart.

He was there, on the bed listening to the captain snore. A lump of bedding that was the captain’s foot was to the left of where Inky stood.

He kicked it hard.

The captain jerked but didn’t open his eyes.

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Inky gave him another kick. This time the captain sat bolt upright and instantly swung a dagger out from under his pillow.

“Who goes there?”

Inky watched as the captain scanned the dark room. Finally, his eyes settled on Inky. The captain squinted as if to make Inky disappear.

Inky, the real Inky, back in the hold, put the stone back together, and the twin in the captain’s cabin disappeared. He counted to ten, concentrated on a different spot on the bed, then pulled the stone apart.

The captain was still sitting up, and he quickly spotted Inky. He held the knife out and pointed the tip at Inky. “What kind of magic is this?”

“The kind of magic that will keep you alive,” Inky said.

Stunned, the captain didn’t know what to say, so he lunged at Inky.

Anticipating a reaction like this, the real Inky simply put the stone back together and counted to ten again. Then he pulled them apart again.

This time when Inky returned, the captain was standing by the bed in a dingy nightshirt. He wasn’t quite so fearsome without all of his pirate gear.

The captain was still speechless, so Inky began, “You have been at sea your entire thieving life, and you know that the sea holds mysteries and monsters that the land lovers know nothing about. Well, my friend, I am one of the mysteries.”

The captain started to regain composure. “So, what is it that brings you creepin’ into my chambers in the middle of the night?”

“I’m here to save you and your ship,” Inky said.

The captain almost smiled. “A shrimp of a soul like you, saving me?”

Inky disappeared again, then reappeared again near the Captain’s foot. He brought his foot down hard on the captain’s big toe.

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The captain yelped and hopped on one foot. Inky disappeared and reappeared on the bed.

“Now, would you like to know how I’m going to save you? Or would you like another demonstration of what I can do?”

“I’m listening,” “Cutter and his men are planning a mutiny as soon as they outnumber your crew, which will be when some of your men are in the boats with the cargo.”

“The scabrous dogs,” the captain muttered. Then a thought passed over his eyes. “How is it you be knowing this?”

“Does it matter?” Inky said. “I know they have weapons taken from right here in your cabin.”

“That,” said the Captain, “would be next to impossible.”

“See for yourself,” Inky said.

“Turn around. No one sees my honey hole,” Inky rolled his eyes and turned around.

The captain crossed the room and lifted a hidden door on the floor. It swung open on a hinge. The weapons inside were gone. He cursed and closed the door. Inky had reappeared on the other side. The captain jumped. “Stop doin’ that!” he said.

“Now, do you believe me?” Inky asked.

“I believe you, but I’m surely not trustin’ you.”

“How about this, then? The weapons are in containers on the deck marked with an X. Confiscate them before sunrise and see if Cutter tries to get them when the boats leave. Better yet, put some of his men on the boats and see if he tries to talk you into leaving them on the ship.”

The captain nodded slowly. “That might just work. But what has me perplexed is your interest in my interests. What are you getting out of helping me?”

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“A time will come when I need a favor. I help you now, and you will help me later.”

“And if it’s a favor that may not benefit me?” the captain said.

“Then I will find you as I did tonight. For the rest of your life you would be looking over your shoulder. A hole under the waterline of a ship. A lantern fire at an inn where you might be staying. There would never be a time when you felt safe.”

“I feel as if I’m making a deal with the devil himself,” the captain said.

“Perhaps you are,” Inky said, then disappeared.

350

C hapter 18 The next morning the odor was even worse. The burning was not only in the lungs but in the nostrils also. The stinging in the eyes was enough to make the cargo’s eyes water.

Inky wanted badly to get on deck and see if the captain had checked the containers marked with X’s, but he had not been on deck during the daylight. And today would be particularly bad if the deck was crowded with crew and cargo. He stayed in his container but suggested to Bo, Oglebee, and Tupelo that they move closer to the ladder so they would be the first to be taken.

As soon as the hatch was cracked, an orange glow shafted down into the hold. It blinded the cargo; they had not seen light for several days. It was not a bright light but one that coupled perfectly with the odor.

“You scrounging mutts down there; I need six of you up here on the deck! Make haste, or we’ll feed you to the slimy squid below us.”

Oglebee was the first up the ladder. Then, Bo, Tupelo, and three other men. Because of the odor and the light, everyone but Oglebee had trouble keeping their eyes open.

“Look at these two with their handbags,” said a pirate mockingly, looking at Bo’s carrier and Tupelo’s bag of rocks. “Would you two ladies like to have a cup of tea?”

“Leave them be,” said another pirate. “Where they are going, they’ll need all the comfort they can carry.”

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Inky was crouched in the corner of the container when he heard Bo say, “You have to see this; I think it’s safe.”

Inky slowly raised his head out of the container and saw the island spread out before him. Palm trees and beach stretched from side to side as far as he could see. It was a beautiful view until you looked deeper into the island. There, in the background, a huge volcano rose out of the trees and spewed fire and smoke into the sky. Everything had an orange cast. It was as if Hates had opened up and was trying to take over the island. Lava flowed toward the other side of the island, miles away.

“We’re goin’ there?” Oglebee said.

“Just wait, mate, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” said the cruel pirate.

A splintering crack of lightning split the air behind them. Everyone turned to see a malevolent black cloud rolling toward the island. Fat drops of rain began splattering the deck.

“Mr. Cutter, would you be so kind as to have two of your men row this group of cargo to the beach,” the captain said. “This is the storm season in this part of the world, and I’d rather not stay longer than need be.”

Cutter quickly stepped over to the captain and said, “I think it best if you would use some of your more experienced men to make the first runs.”

That was all the captain needed. He pulled his sword and placed the tip against Cutter’s throat. He had already stationed one of his men near each hiding spot. Each of Cutter’s men was near a hiding spot also.

“Wrong play, Mr. Cutter,” the captain said. “Lads?”

The captain’s men reached into their pants or jackets and produced the weapons that had been hidden. “I’m one step ahead of you, Mr. Cutter.” He smiled coldly. “I believe you six will be the first to visit the island today.”

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Their hands were quickly bound in a way that allowed them to climb down the rope ladder and into the boats that had been pulled behind the Black Widow.

“You think Cador is here, on that island?” Oglebee whispered down to Inky, who had hidden again. “How are we going to find him?”

“Something tells me that part will not be difficult. But there is something very dangerous going on here. The payment must be very high for the captain to sail into a place like this. And what kind of business needs more and more men,” Inky whispered back.

Everyone on the ship watched as the storm behind them became more violent and the rowboat in front of them neared the island. The sky opened, and the rain came so hard that the view of the boat and the island was obscured.

The storm pounded the ship harder over the next few minutes. No one moved from the deck, cargo and crew alike trying to see what was happening on the island. Lightning crackled all around them.

Someone from the bridge yelled, ”There they be!”

The rowboat was moving slowly, bouncing on the choppy water.

There was only one of the crew in the boat; the other one was missing.

As the boat pulled closer to the rope ladder, the captain yelled, “Where’s your mate?”

“Don’t know. He’s either still on the island, or he fell overboard.

Either way, when I looked around, he was gone,” the man yelled over the wind.

“One less share to split,” the captain shouted to the crew. Then he turned and looked at them. “Who’s the lucky sea dog to take his place?”

Everyone looked down or to the side, anyplace except into the eyes of the captain, except for one simpleton who looked right at him.

“You there, snap to it and get yourself over the side,” he said, showing yellow teeth. “It’s either over the side and into the boat or over the side and into the water.”

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The poor man trudged to the side and climbed down the rope ladder.

“Gentlemen,” he said to Bo, Tupelo, Oglebee, and three other men.“Your chariot awaits.” Their hands were tied in the same fashion as others.

Bo and Tupelo slung their carriers over their shoulders and started down the ladder. One of the crew, the one who had protested about their bags before, said, “Captain, are you going to let them take their gear with them?”

The captain said, “What business is it of yours?”

“I was wonderin’ to myself, what is it that’s so precious that they take it everywhere with them?”

The captain, who didn’t care one way or another before now, started to wonder.

Quicker than one could see, Tupelo unhooked his hands, reached in, found a stone, and side armed it at the sailor. It hit with a loud crack on his kneecap. He dropped to the deck, clutching his knee.

“There’s the answer to your question, Mr. Elliot,” the Captain said.

“Stones!”

“Mad dog done lost his way!” Tupelo shouted over the din.

Once all were aboard the rowboat, the new sailor began rowing toward the island. The other sailor, the one who had rowed back to the ship, looked at Oglebee, and Oglebee looked back at him.

“Oglebee?”

“Cador?”

Thunder boomed overhead.

“What? How?” Cador started.

“We came to rescue you, we did,” Oglebee said in a low voice.

“I knocked the other two in the head when the first group landed. I took one of their bandannas. I knew in the rain they couldn’t tell it was 354

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me. I was going to get back on the ship and hide. I’ve had this escape planned for weeks,” Cador said.

“Well. We have a plan too, although I’m not sure what it is,” Oglebee said.

“Who is we?”

“Bo, Tupelo, me and Inky.”

“Inkydomus is here?”

“What’s all the chittering goin’ on back there?” the sailor rowing the boat asked.

“Just get us to the beach, or I’ll put my foot in your behind,” Cador said to the sailor.

“When we get to the island, follow me. And don’t look back.”

Oglebee, Bo, and Tupelo nodded.

355

C hapter 19 As the rowboat made it to the shore, the waves became stronger, tossing the men and bashing them with seawater. When the water was waist high, Cador leaped off the boat, grabbed a rope, and pulled the boat to the shore.

Once there, Cador said to the other pirate, “Help me get them untied.”

“Nobody said anything about untying them.”

“We can’t leave them here like this.”

The pirate, who was clearly spooked, started to notice that he didn’t recognize the pirate that he was talking to.

“You do what you want,” he said. “I’m going back to the ship.”

Cador didn’t answer him, but he said to Bo, Oglebee, and Tupelo, “Follow me.”

They left the other four poor souls there on the beach, untied but floundering around in the sand.

They ran fast and low to the tree line about fifty years inland. The tops of the palm trees were swaying furiously. Under the canopy, debris was falling from above. Branches, fronds, and hunks of tree trunks were raining down from the battered trees. They ran hunched over with heads down, protecting themselves from the barrage.

They crossed a place where a path was torn through the trees.

The trunks of the palms were splintered, and the trees themselves were strewn along the side of the path in a jumble as if a stampede of elephants had passed through.

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“What did this?” Oglebee shouted over the noise.

“Safety first, then we’ll talk,” Cador shouted back.

“Ain’t no safety anywhere around here,” Oglebee mumbled to himself.

Finally, they came to a craggy opening in the side of a rocky hill, a place where a mine shaft had been abandoned. Slipping through the scrub brushes that had grown around it, they stepped in, out of the storm. Cador lit a battered lantern.

Bo took Inky out of the container. His clothes were disheveled, and he was a bit dizzy from the trip.

“Inkydomus,” Cador said. “I wish we could be reunited under better circumstances.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Oglebee said. “Just tell us what’s going on here.”

Over the next few minutes, Cador explained all that he knew.

“I was drugged and brought here to be a miner. Every few days, the Black Widow arrives with a new batch of men.”

“To mine for what?” Inky asked.

“Crystals. These particular crystals form under the base of volcanoes. There is a mine, I’ll take you there soon, where the workers have constructed a rail system to dig out crystals, then transport them to the top.”

“Who wants the crystals?” Inky asked.

“The Shadow People.”

“The Shadow People? Who are they?” Oglebee asked.

“No one knows. You can’t really see them. If you look at them directly, they disappear. You can only catch a look at them out of the corner of your eye. If you refuse to work or do something they don’t like, they stab you with spears.”

“What do they want with the crystals?” Inky asked.

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“Don’t know,” Cador said. “Don’t know where they take them or where they get the gold to pay for the men the captain brings. The Black Widow is the only ship that comes and goes.”

“Why do they need so many men?”

“People disappear. Some try to build rafts; some sneak off into the jungle. In the end, they either come back for food or they don’t. And yes, some get eaten.”

“Eaten? By what?” Oglebee asked.

“The thing that tore out that pathway, a giant centipede.”

“A what?” Oglebee said.

“The Shadow People keep the order in the mines; the centipede keeps order on the beach... and sometimes in the jungle.”

Everyone turned and looked at the opening to the shaft.

“It’s too big to get in here,” Cador said.

“How big?” asked Oglebee.

“As long as the Black Widow,” Cador said.

“That could be problematic,” Inky said.

“You think?” Oglebee said.

Just then, a rumble started outside the cave. It grew from a small vibration to a shaking so violent rocks and dust fell from the ceiling of the shaft. Seconds later, it was over.

“Another problem to consider,” Cador said. “The earthquakes are longer and stronger of late. I think this entire island is going to blow.

Soon.”

Inky considered for a moment, “How many workers are on the island?”

“About fifty, I’d say.”

“And tell me about the crystals. What happens when they are brought out of the mine?”

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“Large iron carts are pulled out of the mine with cables. The cables are on spools that are wound up. Then the carts are unhooked and pushed into the forest. The next day the crystals are gone, and the cart is filled with hunks of gold. That’s what is given to the captain of the Black Widow.”

“Perhaps the spot in the jungle is a portal to another dimension.”

“A what?” Oglebee and Tupelo said together.

“Another plane of existence that could be happening right here with us, but we can’t see it.”

“We can’t see it?” Oglebee said.

“Yes. Let’s say you are watching a lizard craw on a branch. It crawls to the other side. It’s still there, but you can’t see it. The branch is blocking you. Well, there are things out there that we don’t understand that could be blocking us from seeing these Shadow People clearly.”

Everyone nodded but Oglebee. “I think you all are crazy as bedbugs, I do.”

Inky said, “I think the first thing we need to do is acquire a means to get off this island.” A small vibration passed under the mine. “Soon,” Inky said.

359

C hapter 20 The day grew gloomy. The storm dissipated into a rainy drizzle and cast darkness over the island. The vibrations did not stop. Everyone was uneasy, including Cador, who had experienced all this before, but even he could feel the tension ratcheting up.

He caught Inky’s attention and motioned him to the front of the mine.

Inky walked to the opening, and Cador followed. They looked out, and Cador knelt down on one knee.

“There’s something else I haven’t told you,” Cador said.

“What’s that?” Inky asked.

“The workers in the mine, the ones that have been kidnapped.

They are not all like you and me.”

“What do you mean, you and me?”

“There are several, fifteen or twenty, like Oglebee. It’s hard to tell how many; they’re all over the place. They call themselves Tulls. I don’t know if it’s part of their name or the kind of people they are.”

“Oglebee’s lost family,” Inky said to himself.

“I can tell you they’re wild, always fighting the Shadow People, always in trouble. They work hard to sabotage the Shadow People.”

“That’s something to think about. I’m glad you told me in private.

Oglebee may not be as patient as we will need him to be if he knows his people are here.

“I have an idea if you are willing to help,” Inky said.

“I’m at your service,” Cador replied.

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“Take Oglebee back to the beach and see if they have finished unloading the men. If they have, look for the Black Widow and see how far away she is,” “I can do that,” Cador said. “I have a theory that I need to try out also. I may be able to do both at the same time.”

So Oglebee and Cador left, taking the same route by which they had come to the mine. Inky took his flute and followed them as far as the clearing made by the centipede. Once there, he took the flute and began to play.

A huge seahawk began to circle overhead. Only its motion through the sky made it visible against the dark volcanic clouds. It screeched twice and landed near Inky.

“Hello, my new friend; you are indeed much larger than my means of transportation at home.”

The seahawk looked at him and screeched. It allowed Inky to climb on its back. With a mighty thrust of its wings, it pulled itself into the air and caught the wind.

The island spread out below them. To one side lay the green palm trees, white sands, and beautiful blue ocean. To the other, the dark charcoal smoke, orangish-red lava, and white steam where the two met.

“Take me to the mine,” Inky said to the bird.

It changed direction swiftly and dropped down lower. They were there in no time.

From the air, it was a plain and simple operation. The tracks came straight from the mine shaft and into the forest, where they ended abruptly. Near the end of the track was a large building. Inky could see from his angle that the building had no walls, just a roof and foundation. It was built like a large pavilion. The only things on the inside were the supports holding up the roof and rows of cots.

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“Land there,” Inky told the seahawk. “Near the pavilion.”

Once they were down, Inky moved to the first cot and stood motionless. He memorized every detail from where he was standing.

The more he remembered, the easier it would be to materialize at that spot.

When he finished and was ready to board the seahawk, he caught a glimpse of something off to his right. But when he turned, there was nothing. Then to his left, something caught his attention again, a huge figure standing motionless. But as soon as he looked to see it headon, it was gone. They were there, watching him. He could feel them, waiting, watching.

He steeled himself against his rising fear and walked to the seahawk.

“Let’s get out of here,” he said quietly to the seahawk.

362

C hapter 21 “I was spotted, I’m sure of it,” Inky told the others back in the mine.

“And it was a feeling I’d be happy not to have again. They gave off a sense of menace, but not being able to see them made the feeling much worse.”

“That’s how they are able to keep everyone under control,” Cador said. “It’s not the jabs with the spears. The fear of them is much worse than any injuries they cause.”

“Scouting report?” Inky said.

“The last load of cargo was dropped, and the ship left or was leaving,” Cador said.

“Yep, those poor men were jumping around like they were being stung by bees, they were,” Oglebee added.

“They lead them to the mine and start them working. That’s probably why you didn’t see anyone at the camp. They take everyone down in the mine the first time anyone new arrives to show them the ropes and give them a good stabbing. Lets them know who’s in charge,” Cador said.

“One other thing. I had a theory about the Shadow People. I just barely spotted it today, and then when Oglebee and I went back, it somewhat proved it.”

Everyone leaned in. “They don’t like to be in the heavy rain. When it was raining hard and we got out of the rowboat, they weren’t around.

And I think the reason they don’t like the rain is because you can see them in the rain.”

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“Well, not really see them but know where they are. When the rain is coming down, there is kind of a blank space where the rain slides off.

Like the space under an umbrella has no rain, only the Shadow People have a no-rain shape of a body. You can see the rain coming down around them, but not in the space they are supposed to be.” Cador looked around to see if anyone was picking up what he was putting down.

“And did you prove this theory?” Inky asked.

“I think I did,” Cador said. “Ask Oglebee.”

“Yep, I could see the rain coming down all around them, but not where they stood, I couldn’t.”

“We have some work to do before tomorrow,” Inky said. “Everyone has a job. An important job if we’re to carry this off.”

Another rumble spread across the floor of the mine. No one made a comment.

364

C hapter 22 “While in the air, I saw several stands of bamboo trees growing on the island. Are there any cutting tools that we could get our hands on?”

Inky asked Cador.

“I have a stash of tools that I have been sneaking out of the mines.

I think I have three machetes that were used to clear away some brush.

Will that work?”

“What we need are weapons. So if you could cut the bamboo to the size of a sword and produce about a hundred, we would have two for every prisoner on the island.”

“A hundred?” Oglebee asked.

“Cador said there were about fifty prisoners, that allows one for each hand. Do you know of a place where we could find that many bamboo stalks?”

“That should not be a problem,” Cador said, then went farther back in the mine to find the machetes.

“Oglebee, you and I will stay here; there are some things we need to discuss after I visit the captain.”

“The captain? He’s a no-good kidnapping pirate!” Oglebee said.

“I agree,” Inky said. “But he does have one redeeming quality.”

“What’s that?”

“He has a ship,” Inky said. *** 365

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Inky took the multiplying stone out of his bag, imagined the captain in his cabin, and pulled the stone apart. Instantly he was there, staring at the captain. He wasn’t noticed at first, but when the captain did see him, he jumped and let loose a string of curses.

“Don’t you ever announce yourself before appearing?”

“I most enjoy the pop-in. It allows for the unexpected.”

“Well, say your piece and be off with ya,” the captain said.

“What? No thank-you for saving you from Cutter and his gang?”

“Yeah, all right, you saved the ship from being taken over, blagh, blagh, blagh.”

“And now I’ve come to collect on my part of the deal,” Inky said.

“And what would that be?” the captain asked.

“Turn the ship around and head back to the island,” Inky said.

The Captain smiled a wolfish smile, “I think not. I’m done with that infernal fire pit.”

“What about the deal we had? Are you saying you’re not going to honor it?”

“If there are two things I’m not known for, they’re keeping a deal and honor.”

“That’s very disappointing,” Inky said. Back in the mine, he put the stone back together and imagined the lamp that was fastened to a bedside table. He pulled the stone apart again.

Inky appeared on the table beside the lamp. The captain was searching the cabin for Inky and was facing away. Inky pulled a piece of the bed clothing from the bed and laid it over the top of the lamp. It didn’t catch fire, but it began to smoke.

“I hear the worst thing that can happen on a ship is fire,” Inky said.

The captain spun around and saw the smoking cloth. Inky disappeared and then reappeared in a different part of the room. The

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captain was on the floor smothering out the fire with another piece of cloth.

“You understand that it might be a fire, or it could be a bomb. I also have a friend with a very large snake. The life of a deal breaker is cursed when you break a deal with me.”

“Point taken,” The captain said, still on the floor.

“I will want the ship offshore far enough that it can’t be seen. At daybreak.”

“Tell me truly, what’s in this for you?” the Captain asked.

“Gold,” Inky said. “More than you can possibly imagine.”

367

C hapter 23 Inky and Oglebee sat a few feet from the mine shaft’s opening.

Oglebee sat on a crude stool that Cador had fashioned out of some thick roots and a palm trunk. Inky sat on a rounded rock that must have been washed ashore by a long-gone storm. The rain continued to drizzle outside of the entrance. The only sound besides that was a soft drip-drip somewhere down the shaft.

Oglebee sat expressionless, something unusual for him.

“Back a long time ago, when we first met, you told me about your family. How you went back to your village, and everyone was gone,” Inky started.

“Yep, it’s only been about a year since I met ya, but it seems like fifteen.”

“There’s something I need to talk to you about. About your family,” Inky went on.

“Yep, we’ve had us some adventures, we have.”

“My friend, I’m trying to tell you something.”

“I know that. You’ve got us alone. You’ve got that fatherly tone to your voice. Mayhap I don’t want to hear what you have to say.” Oglebee looked down into the dirt.

“Oglebee, I think they are here,” Inky said softly.

Oglebee didn’t react at first. Then, a single tear ran down his face.

“I thought you were going to tell me they were all dead. That Cador had found out that they were all gone.” His eyes lit up and a smile split his face.

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“Here on this island?!”

“Let’s not get too excited,” Inky said.

“I knew it! I could feel something, but it wasn’t good. It was a strong feeling but not a good one. Like a strong sadness. Let’s go get them!”

He jumped up.

“You need to calm down. We can’t be sure it’s your family.”

“Oh, It’s them! I can feel it. I can feel my Ma!” He was up, moving back and forth across the mine.

“When it’s time for them to rest and everyone is in their cots, I’ll go and find out for sure who they are,” Inky said.

“Why can’t I go?”

“Because you don’t know where you want to go. That’s why I had to fly there today, so I could memorize the spot, then materialize there.”

Oglebee stopped pacing. “Listen,” he said. “There’s someone coming.”

They both went farther back into the mine and hid the best they could.

Tupelo appeared at the entrance. “Yoo hoo,” he called out.

Inky and Oglebee came out of hiding. Tupelo said, “We cut the bamboo; now what?”

“We want the bamboo in a place easily accessible to the workers,” Inky said.

“What does that mean?” Tupelo and Oglebee said together.

“A place where they can get their hands on them quickly,” Inky said. “Cador knows the area; carry the bamboo there.”

“Oglebee, you go with them and help them carry the shafts. And... have Cador cut about forty to fit people your size.”

Oglebee smiled widely and started to leave with Tupelo. Then he turned and came back to Inky. He picked Inky up and hugged him.

“Don’t get your hopes up,” Inky said.

Oglebee wiped away a tear. “Too late,” he said.

369

C hapter 24 Once the bamboo was cut and everyone was back in the shaft, Cador explained where the bamboo was hidden.

“It’s just a few paces north of the place where they sleep, hidden in the forest. The bamboo works well too. It’s light and strong. Easy to handle also.”

“Did anyone see you?” Inky asked.

“Don’t think so, but you never can tell with the Shadow People.”

“Everything is in place; now all we need is rain,” Inky said. *** The afternoon was long. Everyone muddled around inside the mine, occasionally commenting on something unimportant.

“I wonder why the smell is not so bad now, are we just used to it?”

“Can’t see if the sky is pink or not with this orange glow. Pink sky at night, sailors delight.”

“When are you going to check to see if it’s them?” It’s got to be them; I don’t know of no other people like us.”

It continued like this until the last bit of light had been drained from the sky.

“What is your father’s name,” Inky asked.

“Skag, Skag Tull,” Oglebee said. “Me mom’s name is Flo, and me little sister’s name is Pud.” “Pud?” 370

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“Yep, short for Puddle,” Oglebee said as if that made more sense.

“Does your father have a beard?”

“Yep, me mom does too, but it’s not as long.”

Inky stopped asking questions.

“Is it time?” Oglebee asked.

“I think so,” Inky said.

He sat on the rock, closed his eyes, and tried to remember exactly what it looked like under the pavilion. He pulled the stone apart. Of course, he didn’t move from inside the mine, but his double appeared in the pavilion.

Standing between the cots he could hear some soft snoring. There was also some whispering going on somewhere down the row. The person on the cot to his right was a regular-sized man. So was the person to his left.

He crept slowly down the rows looking and listening for someone like Oglebee.

The whispering became louder the farther he moved down the rows. The starless night gave little good light. There was only the orangish-red glow of the volcano to see by.

Two shapes were sitting on the edge of a cot, whispering to another figure sitting on the opposite cot. Of the three, not one set of feet touched the ground.

Inky stayed just out of sight, not wanting to surprise them. He listened.

“It works, it do; I tell you, I can see them,” one raspy voice said.

“That’s a load of apple peelings,” said a lighter voice.

“Try it tomorrow and see if it don’t,” said the first voice.

“I ain’t trying it, gives me a brain ache,” said another voice.

Inky decided there would not be a better time. He stayed hidden and began talking.

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“Excuse me.”

The figures twisted toward his voice and became very still.

“I’m here to help.” He stepped out of the darkness into the orange glow.

The three of them gasped. “I know who you are,” the one with the shortest beard said. “You’re that little wizard me gran told stories about.”

“I never thought that any of that was real,” said another.

“I can assure you that I’m real,” Inky said.

“He talks kind of funny, he do,” said a voice from behind. Inky spun around. Three more of them were behind him.

“Inkydomus,” someone said. Two more arrived.

“Your lot seems to be very light sleepers,” Inky said.

“And what does that mean?” said an angry voice.

“It means nothin’, ’cept he talks funny,” said another voice.

There were at least ten of them around Inky now. They were sitting, standing, and kneeling as close as they could get. All were hairy and shoeless.

“Is there a person called Slag here?” Inky said, asking the big question.

There was a moment of amazed silence. “That’s me, it is.”

Inky moved toward the voice and extended his hand. Slag took it and said, “How is it you know my name?”

He looked exactly like Oglebee. Inky had to smile.

“Because of Oglebee.”

Another silent moment. Everyone reached out and placed a hand on Slag’s shoulder. It was a very moving gesture.

“He’s here with me, on the island.”

Slag had been looking down when everyone had laid hands on his shoulders; now he looked up with tears in his eyes. “Here on this island?

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“Yes, here and not too far away. He’s going to get you out of the horrible place.”

Instantly, everyone was joyous. They started slapping each other’s shoulders. Hard. They were running around, making all kinds of noise.

Cots were being knocked sideways in the once straight rows. Some of the other regular-sized people began yelling at them to quiet down.

Inky had a difficult time getting them to calm down.

“Don’t worry. They are used to a bit of rowdiness from us Tulls. It’s nothing unusual,” Slag said.

Then someone said loudly, “Quiet! Someone is coming!”

The whole bunch moved softly back to their cots and listened.

Someone or something was coming through the woods. The soft padding of feet hit the packed ground near the pavilion and continued toward the cots.

“Anyone awake?” Oglebee said.

Instant pandemonium. The exuberance continued for a while, with Inky trying to quiet everyone. They didn’t seem to care about getting caught.

Once Oglebee had untangled himself from a twelve-person hug, he said to Inky, “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t wait any longer. I had to see if it was them.”

“I understand,” Inky said.

“And I have the plan from Cador all laid out for tomorrow. I’m going to explain it to them now. Well, as soon as they settle down.”

They were still whooping and hollering.

“No one will know that there is one more of us; I’ll blend in.

“You’re, going to stay here?”

“Ya, I don’t think they’d let me leave.”

A very unattractive female came over and said, “You should stay, too.”

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“Pud! Behave yourself,” Oglebee said as she winked and walked away.

“Be careful around her,” Oglebee said to Inky. “She’s lookin’ for a husband.”

374

C hapter 25 Back in the mine shaft, Inky listened as Cador explained the tactics for the next morning. All of the prisoners would help, even though most of the regular-looking people were worn down and weak.

“The timing is going to be perfect if we are to pull this off,” Cador said. “Then there is the problem of the captain of the Black Widow. I don’t see how we can trust him.”

“Leave him to me,” Inky said, “His dishonesty is what I’m counting on. I think I need to pay him a visit to solidify my plan.”

Inky took the stone and pulled it apart.

He appeared in the captain’s cabin again. This time it was empty; no one was around, and all he could hear was the creaking of the ship pulling against the anchor.

He found some parchment and a quill with some ink.

SORRY I MISSED YOU. THIS TIME, I LEFT NO FIRES, BOMBS, OR SNAKES. BE JUST OFF THE COAST WITH YOUR WONDERFUL SHIP TOMORROW, RAIN OR SHINE. He left the note on the bed with the bottle of ink on its side, leaking onto the sheets.

Outside of the mine entrance, the wind began to kick up. Sleep was difficult for those inside. Sheets of rain started falling right before dawn. The ground vibrated often.

Not far away, under the pavilion, the Tulls slept soundly.

375

C hapter 26 Inky was awake before dawn, standing near the entrance, looking out. Cador joined him.

From what they could see, the morning sky was going to be dark and pink.

Cador spoke first. “Pink sky in the morning, sailors’ warning.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Inky said. “I hope it is true.”

Far off at sea, a bolt of lightning struck the water.

“Let’s get the lads up and get started,” Cador said. “We can get into position and wait there as well as here.”

“Couldn’t agree more,” Inky said.

So they left the mine for the last time. Inky in the carrier, carried by Bo, Tupelo with his bag of rocks, and Cador leading the way. The rain continued to beat down.

Once they were at the place where the bamboo was hidden, Inky climbed out of the carrier. “Everyone ready?”

They nodded.

“I’ll check Oglebee.” He pulled the stone apart and appeared between the cots.

“Oglebee?” Inky said over the rain pounding on the pavilion roof.

“Over here.”

Inky moved to the voice.

“Everything ready?” Inky asked.

“Ya, all the prisoners know what to do, they do.”

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“Wait for Tupelo’s signal. Good luck, my friend.” Then Inky vanished.

Inky put the stone together. “Waiting for your signal.”

Tupelo stood and, with his loudest voice, screamed, “SAME AS IT EVER WAS!”

377

C hapter 27 Through the darkness, the voice was electrifying. Oglebee’s people sprang up from their cots and ran toward the forest. Immediately Shadow People began chasing, jabbing with their spears. They were still invisible under the canopy of the trees. Not enough rain fell through to tell where they were. The regular-sized prisoners waited for the Shadow People to attack the smaller prisoners, then they went into the mine for supplies.

In spite of the pain, the Tulls continued to run to get the weapons.

They stumbled and fell but picked themselves up and forced their way through the trees. Oglebee’s people moved quickly. Once they were almost to the bamboo, Bo, Tupelo, and Cador jumped from their hiding places and started swinging their weapons over the heads of the Tulls.

Several swings connected, and they could feel the thud of bamboo hitting flesh. A glimpse of darkness appeared where the Shadow Person was struck, then was gone.

Once Oglebee’s people had their bamboo, they began to swing wildly. Connecting rarely and getting stabbed repeatedly, they continued to take the fight to the Shadow People. The wounds inflicted by the spears were not deep but still painful and bloody. There were grunts and howls of pain, but that served to energize Oglebee and his people.

Slowly the battle moved closer to the beach, where the sheets of rain made the Shadow People slightly more visible.

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At one point, Oglebee swinging the bamboo savagely, saw his mother grab her back in pain. He dropped his bamboo and sprinted across the sand, then jumped at the place where the Shadow Person should have been. He missed, but he did feel something solid as he flew by. As soon as he landed, he was up and jumped to where he felt something. This time he hit something solid. For a moment, a dark figure materialized in his arms, no eyes, arms, or face, just a swirling body of darkness. He used his weight to wrestle it to the ground, then got on top of it and started pounding it with his fists. Almost instantly, more Tulls were on top of the thing doing the same.

One of the regular-sized men had been assigned to bring rope from the mine. They tied up the Shadow Person on the sand, leaving an empty space where the rain was not hitting. The battle continued around them.

Tupelo had separated himself from the others and was watching the same thing that Oglebee had seen, people reacting to the stabs. He spotted a tall man reaching down and grabbing his stomach in pain.

Tupelo fired a rock at an area where the stab came from. For only a moment, a dark form appeared and fell, again leaving a space that was absent of rain. The rope man was on that one as well.

“I CAN’T GET NO,” Tupelo yelled as he looked for another target.

Two of the Shadow People were down and tied, but the battle was not going well. Oglebee’s people were fighting hard, but some of the taller people were wearing out. They swung the bamboo weakly and connected with nothing. Some were slumped over and some were on the ground.

The wind blew even harder, and though no one had time to notice, thunder rumbled in the distance.

Bo, squinting through the rain, bumped into something invisible and felt a sharp pain in his side. He dropped the bamboo and moved 379

Book Three—Isle of Shadows

to where he thought the jab came from. Without seeing anything, he swung savagely and connected with a Shadow Person. It flashed a smoky black for just an instant, then Bo was on it, punching viciously with both hands. He felt the blows landing. Then, Oglebee was across from him, wielding his bamboo and hitting so hard the Shadow Person went down.

One of Oglebee’s people yelled, “Cross your eyes! Then you can see them, you can!”

Oglebee tried it. As soon as he looked up, one was right in front of him. It was much bigger than he thought it would be, at least seven feet tall. There were no features, just swirling black smoke that was out of focus. Its head was in a hook-like cloak. The darkness revealed nothing of the face except fixed two eyes, gray with little black dots in the center. The eyes were completely round and very inhuman. Surely these were creatures from somewhere else.

Oglebee launched himself at the thing, tackling it around the knees or where the knees would be on a human. Another Tull smashed into its other side, then a third climbed up Oglebee and somehow managed to grab it around the neck. It struggled to get away, but more little people leaped on. Soon it was in the sand with Oglebee’s people raining blows.

Once everyone’s eyes were crossed, the battle was all but over. The Tulls swarmed like bees protecting their nest. Like most bullies, the Shadow People were easily defeated once the playing field was evened.

Within a few minutes, all were bound and down on the sand.

“Be sure to bind them securely!” Cador said. “If one gets loose, it’ll untie the rest.”

Oglebee and his people were wet, bloody, and bruised. They had never been happier.

380

C hapter 28 While the battle was being fought, Inky was off to the side watching and waiting. He knew he was of little help in the fighting respect; his strength was his intellect.

He pulled the stone apart, and his double appeared in the captain’s quarters.

“Time to move the ship to the shore.”

The captain jumped. “I do wish you would quit doing that!” he growled.

“Send a rowboat with the longest ropes you have. Attach the ends to the Black Widow.”

“In this storm? Not even Davy Jones himself could manage that!”

“I promise that you will be as legendary as Davy Jones once this day is ended. That is, if you listen to me. If not, you will be an ordinary captain remembered only for his ship burning at sea.”

“On my first glimpse, I knew you were to be trouble,” he mumbled.

“I’ll do as you say, then I’ll be done with ya!”

“The ship needs to be in position quickly,” Inky said, then vanished.

The captain stood staring at the place Inky had been. “We’ll see who ends this day with the gold,” he mumbled.

381

C hapter 29 The ship could not raise the main sail in winds this strong. It would have rocketed out of control and likely torn the rudder from under the vessel.

The captain climbed to the bridge and barked orders at the crew.

Through the wind and stinging rain, they turned the Black Widow around and headed to the island.

Back on the beach, the Tulls were still celebrating their victory.

The wind and rain were pelting their faces and bodies, but they didn’t seem to care in the least. One gust of wind picked up Pud and sent her rolling across the sand toward the ocean. If not for another one of Oglebee’s people diving on her, she may have ended up as food for some ocean creature. A cheer went up when she was tackled at the water’s edge.

Lightning crackled across the sky a blasted a nearby palm tree, shearing off the top half and dropping it to the ground. The trunk stood, blackened and smoldering. Again, a cheer went up among Oglebee’s people.

“Why are they cheering?” Bo asked.

“They like loud things,” Oglebee said. “And they like cheering.

They tend to get riled up.”

Just then, a series of loud crashes came from somewhere in the jungle. The cheering was drowned out by the sound of the shrieking wind and the explosions of thunder overhead.

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Everyone turned to see two palm trees being uprooted and tossed aside as an enormous black head emerged from the jungle. It moved quickly and smoothly from the trees to the beach, tapping ahead with two gigantic antennas.

Everyone scattered in all directions. Everyone but Oglebee.

He ran straight for it, then cut sharply to the right. Its head was not flexible; it had to turn the whole front half of its body to see to the side.

Once past the large black insect-like eyes, Oglebee was invisible. He stuck his bamboo down the back of his canvas shirt and jumped onto one of its legs.

Shinnying up the six-foot leg, he jumped onto its back, grabbing the edge of a hardened segment. The centipede didn’t notice him there and kept sweeping across the beach, looking for something to attack.

Oglebee’s mother yelled above the raging wind, “KEEP AWAY FROM THE FRONT TWO LEGS; THEY’RE THE ONES WITH THE POISON, THEY ARE! Oglebee held on with one hand and used the other to grip the bamboo. He cracked the centipede across the back to no avail. No matter how hard he swung, the armored shell of the centipede protected it. It didn’t even feel the blows.

Once the rest of the Tulls saw him atop the creature, they all wanted to join in. They ran to it from the sides, leaping on the legs and climbing on it as Oglebee had. One of them took it upon himself to distract the centipede by running in front of it, then dodging to the side. He was nearly touched twice by the searching antenna but was quick enough to get out of the way before the poisonous legs could impale him.

The centipede now had a dozen little people on its back, pounding it with bamboo. Inky watched from the edge of the jungle, helpless.

Impossible as it seemed, the storm was getting stronger still. The lightning strikes were closer and stronger, and the thunder was so loud that it vibrated the ground like the volcano.

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One of Oglebee’s people decided to try a different tactic. He dove off the top of the centipede and began to attack the legs. He whacked away mercilessly with the bamboo, but the same shell material protected the legs also.

Then, there were voices and shouts. Two rowboats were paddling their way through the pounding surf to the island. The Black Widow was anchored just offshore, bouncing and buffeting with the wind.

Inky appeared on the beach. Cador couldn’t tell whether it was him or the double.

“We need to get those two ropes onto the tail of the centipede. We are going to pull it into the water,” Inky yelled. “Pull it in and drown it.”

The sailors got the rope to the shore and fell, exhausted. The battle through the pounding surf had worn them out. Inky imagined the threats the captain leveled against them had to be quite severe to get them to paddle through the storm to an island guarded by a giant centipede.

Cador and Bo sprang into action. “KEEP THE BEAST STATIONARY!” Cador yelled over the din.

“What’s that mean?” a Tull asked.

“Don’t know,” another one said. “They sure do talk funny!”

The two Tulls got in front of the creature with their bamboo and began striking the antenna, first on one side, then another. They nimbly avoided the poisonous front legs.

Bo took one of the ropes, dragged it across the sand, and tossed it over the last segment of the long body. Quickly, Cador grabbed it and then handed it to a Tull, who scrambled under the moving legs and then handed it back to Bo. He tied the ropes securely. Then they did the same with the other rope.

Inky materialized on the bridge with the captain. The captain startled again. “Keep doing that, and I’ll have a heart jolt, and there will be no captain for this vessel.”

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“Pull,” Inky said. “Pull the creature off the beach and into the sea.”

The captain spun the giant wheel and barked orders to the sailors who set the rigging to catch the wind in the proper direction.

The ship spun, then jerked to a stop. The rigging and sail pulled taut and a creaking grinding sound came from deep in the ship. It inched forward on the whitecaps, then came to a stop. It strained against the ropes and the wind.

On the beach, the centipede finally realized it was in for a battle.

Once the ropes tightened around its last segment and started the gradual pull toward the water, it began wiggling so wildly that all the Tulls were tossed off its back. A loud grinding chitter came from deep inside the beast.

The ropes had turned it so that some of the back legs had slid across the sand. The front half had dug in, so now the ship and the centipede were locked in a giant game of tug-of-war. The ship was pulling straight toward the ocean, and the centipede was pulling toward the jungle. At this point, neither was winning.

The wind and rain swept across the island while lightning bolts formed directly overhead. There was a constant BOOM-CRASH, KABOOM-CRASH happening as the lightning struck the trees.

The centipede anchored its legs in the wet sand, and the Black Widow caught the wind in its sails, neither having an advantage.

Inky appeared on the beach beside Slag. “Where is the gold?” Inky asked over the wind.

“You want the gold now? While the beast is still here?”

“Yes. Where is it? How much is there?”

“A lot, there is. They keep it in a chamber in another old mine.”

“Far from here?”

“No, pretty close,” Skag said.

“How does it get here to the beach?”

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“They have carts. Like the ones we use to get the crystals out of the mines, they do. Only they don’t have wheels. The bottoms are like boats so that they can slide across the sand,” he yelled as another gust of wind knocked them both back.

“Have your people get the carts and slide them as close as you can to the centipede. Quickly! While the storm is still strong.”

Skag got his people together, and they ran into the jungle.

386

C hapter 30 Inky reappeared on the bridge of the Black Widow. This time the captain didn’t jump; he was too busy trying to keep the ship under control. It bucked and rattled. It sounded like the masts were about to be torn from the ship.

“Hold her steady, Captain,” Inky said.

“Me ship’s about to be torn apart, and that’s the advice you’re givin’ me?” he said.

“Hold tight, Captain; I think a little luck is about to be coming our way.”

“It best be, or we’ll be dining with Davy Jones himself tonight!”

“I’ll be back,” Inky shouted above the storm.

The Tulls were sliding the carts of heavy gold down to the beach.

They nestled the carts as closely to the centipede as they could. At this point, it was paying no attention to anything except the rope and the ship.

Once six carts were arranged, Oglebee came to Inky and asked, “What now?”

“We wait for the lightning to do the rest. But tell your friends to get back away.”

Most of the Tulls were still standing near the carts, watching the centipede struggle against the ropes. They were brave and tough, but safety was a concept they were not familiar with.

Oglebee shouted for them to move away, but the wind was gusting so strongly they couldn’t hear or understand him.

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Lightning crackled from a charcoal cloud above them. A bolt of pure white energy sprang from the cloud and zig-zagged down to the gold around the centipede. It connected, and the beast shuddered as thousands of volts of electricity pulsed through the gold to the only thing nearby.

The zap was so strong that the Tulls were knocked to the ground.

One was closer than the others and was sent cartwheeling through the air. He landed in the surf, shook his head as if to clear it, and staggered to his feet. The rest of the Tulls cheered.

The centipede dropped to its belly and was motionless, small slivers of smoke rising from between the segments. One of the Tulls smacked it in the head with his bamboo just to see if it moved. It lay silent.

Another cheer went up.

Oglebee turned to Inky, “Now, what do we do about getting everyone off this island?”

Suddenly, excited shouts came from where the Tulls were examining the centipede. One of its antennae was tapping the ground. After all of that, it was still alive.

“I know where the dynamite is kept,” Pud yelled to the others.

“Let’s blow it up!”

“She likes to blow things up,” Oglebee said.

“Don’t let them near any explosives,” Inky said. “Let me talk to the captain.”

He pulled out the stone and pulled it apart. He was back on the bridge. The captain was startled again.

“Pull, Captain. The thing is out cold on the beach, but it’s starting to wake. Pull it off the island while it’s not fighting back.”

The captain started barking orders to his men. “The wind is dying down; hoist the main sail!” The sailors on the ship bolted into action.

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The main sail caught the wind, and the ship began to win the tug of war.

The ropes, which had slacked when the beast dropped, pulled taut, and the body began to move toward the water. It moved slowly at first, then more quickly, leaving trails in the sand where the legs were dragging.

As the tail of the creature touched the water, there was a bit of life that came back momentarily. The antenna and a front leg moved, but that was it. By the time it was halfway submerged, it had stopped moving entirely.

The Black Widow was moving swiftly now, and the entire body disappeared into the dark water. Seconds later, the water erupted, then boiled. Dozens of Humboldt squid were attacking the body, their sharp beaks tearing the armor plating of the centipede.

From the beach, Inky and the Tulls watched someone on the ship cut the roped and let them fall into the ocean.

The rain had turned into a drizzle. The sky was still dark above them, but far off on the horizon, there appeared a tiny patch of blue sky.

The Tulls gathered around Inky and Oglebee and were working themselves up for some more cheering.

“We are not out of this yet!” Inky shouted. The Tulls quieted.

“We still have the captain to deal with,” Oglebee said.

“Let’s blow him up!” Pud shouted.

The Tulls cheered.

“I have already planted another seed,” Inky said. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”

389

C hapter 31 Once the captain had heard the statement that Inky had made about “There being more gold than you could possibly imagine,” he had plotted a way to make it his.

Now that the beast from the beach was gone, he was going to see how much gold the infernal little man was talking about. He could imagine quite a bit.

He was going to do something that he had never done before, leave the Black Widow anchored and unguarded. If there was a large amount of gold, he would need the entire crew to carry it off the island.

The crew had dwindled since the voyage had started, and it was a small crew to begin with. He would be on and off the island before anything could happen to the ship, on and off with a life-changing amount of gold.

The two sailors who had taken the ropes to the island had hightailed it back to the relative safety of the ship. That made ten sailors plus himself for the three rowboats. Enough to carry the gold from wherever it was to the rowboats and then load it onto the ship.

Not all the sailors could be trusted, but none would be dumb enough to do anything before the gold was back on the Black Widow.

The deal he made with the little man was to bring the ship back, which he had done. Anything else would be negotiable.

The wind had calmed down to a gentle breeze, and the patch of blue sky was getting larger in the south. The volcano still spewed out flames and plumes of dark smoke.

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The beach, as the captain and his boats approached the island, was littered with debris from the storm. Palm trees that had been either torn out by the centipede or blasted by the storm lay scattered across the beach. From his point of view, there was no living thing visible.

When they landed, the captain left two sailors to guard the boats.

The rest went with him into the jungle looking for anyone who could point him to the gold. They passed by the semi-melted gold in the carts figuring that they could pick it up as they left the island. He also kept a watchful eye out for the creatures he had done business with. He was fairly sure the cargo had taken care of them. How he couldn’t imagine.

“Found a path over here, Captain,” someone yelled.

The nine men converged on the voice and started to follow the path deeper into the jungle. Soon they were at the pavilion and the entrance to the mine. In the silence, they could hear voices coming from deep in the bowels of the mine.

“Shhhh,” the captain said softly. “Any of ya that makes a noise will feel the bite of my sword.” They started down the shaft, following the voices below.

It was a deep dark incline, illuminated by lanterns hanging every few feet. They followed the voices, which kept fading deeper into the mine. Behind the captain, the crew grew more nervous. This danger was far worse than anything they faced on the wide-open sea.

391

C hapter 32 As soon as the captain and his men entered the jungle, Cador, Bo, and Tupelo sprang into action. They were at the edge of the jungle but far from where the pirates had entered.

Tupelo stepped out from behind a tree with a rock in his hand. He launched it at one of the men guarding the boats. It took a high graceful arc and landed against the man’s skull. He dropped to the ground.

“Good shot,” Bo whispered as Tupelo stepped back to the hiding place.“Not really,” he whispered back. “I was aiming for the other one.”

The man left standing was looking around nervously. He could not imagine that anyone could throw a rock that accurately from as far away as the jungle.

Cador blew a sharp whistle, and all the prisoners popped out of hiding and sprinted toward the boats.

“You, sir, have a choice,” Cador said when he reached the boats.

“You can be attacked by the Tulls, or you may help row the boats back to the ship.”

The Tulls were still holding their bamboo.

The pirate got in the boat.

“Skag, organize a group of your people to carry the gold down to the rowboats. You there, sailor,” he said to the pirate. “What’s your name?”

“They call me Dead Eye.” “Well, Dead Eye, would you be so kind as to start rowing the first group to the ship, then return as quickly as possible?”

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“Yes, sir, I’ll do that.”

“Bo, will you get the second boat? Get as much gold as you can from the carts.” Dead Eye will be back by the time you’re back. Tupelo, you can get going. Don’t let them hear you!”

On one of the fallen trunks, Inky and Oglebee sat with their eyes closed, each holding two pieces of the stone. *** The captain and his men continued down into the mine.

“I don’t know about going this deep,” one of the men said. “We’re awful far underground.”

“Do you think they would keep the gold right out in the open? No, they’re going to place it somewhere it can’t be seen,” said Cutter.

“So once the gold is near, you’re back on my side? Is that it, Mr. Cutter, you mutinous dog?”

Cutter let that go and kept walking.

The voices that they had heard were now getting louder. The captain recognized one of the voices as Inky’s.

They rounded a corner, and Inky and Oglebee were standing in an empty cavern. They acted startled to see the captain.

“How did you get here?” Inky said.

The captain laughed. “I’m not one to be outsmarted by a fairy or whatever it is you are.”

Oglebee chuckled. “He thinks you’re a fairy.”

“So. Where be the gold you were talking about? I don’t see any gold. Do you see any gold, Mr. Cutter?”

“The gold,” Inky said. “Belongs to the people who have been working in the mines, not the people who kidnapped them.”

“Know what?” Oglebee said. “The captain reminds me of an old stinky toad.”

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While Oglebee insulted the captain, Tupelo had zipped down the mine behind them. He waited just out of sight, listening for his cue.

“I bet his toenails are bad, stuck in those boots all the time,” Oglebee said.

“Oh yes. I bet they’re yellow and curly.”

“That’ll be enough from the two of you!” the captain shouted.

“That Cutter fellow, he reminds me of a soft little rabbit. All innocent and helpless, he does.”

Oglebee began to sing a nursery rhyme he knew from his childhood.

He marched in place; Inky marched beside him.

That was Tupelo’s cue. He gently tossed a rock at the lantern. It fell off the wall and broke on the floor with barely a tinkle. Tupelo ran back up the shaft, breaking each lantern and leaving a completely dark mine behind him.

“You have not been good people,” Inky said to the group. “Not good at all.”

“I’d be marginally better if I knew where the gold was so as I could get my hands on it and leave the two of you misfits here in this cave.”

“I can tell you where the gold is. It’s aboard the Black Widow,” Inky said.

“It’s on my ship?” the captain asked.

“No, OUR ship,” Inky said. He looked at Oglebee.

“Our ship,” Oglebee repeated.

The pirates drew their swords, “And how do you expect to get out of here to get back to YOUR ship?” the captain said.

“It’s not going to be a problem for us, but on the other hand, for you...”

“Time to go?” Oglebee asked.

“I believe it is,” Inky said.

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In the rowboat, Inky and Oglebee were sitting on the cross plank.

They each put the stone back together. In the cave, they vanished, leaving everyone but the captain horrified.

“Quick, you slathering dogs, get back to the ship before they leave us high and dry.”

They started running back up the mine and hit a wall of darkness.

Several of the men tripped over each other and landed in the dirt.

“How will we get back to the surface?” A frightened sailor shouted.

“Morons, someone get the lantern from the wall where we just were. We’ll carry it with us,” the captain said. But as Cutter went back into the cavern, Oglebee was there, waiting.

“Forgot something,” he said and threw one of Tupelo’s rocks straight into the lantern. The room went completely dark.

Oglebee reappeared in the boat beside Inky.

“Do you feel bad about leaving them down there?” Inky asked.

“Nope, they’ll find their way out eventually. And Tupelo is giving them a little surprise when they do make it out.”

“What’s that?” Inky asked.

“He just untied one of the Shadow People.”

Tupelo sprinted through the pounding waves and grabbed onto the boat.

“Did you think that money was heaven-sent?” he yelled back at the island.

395

C hapter 33 The Tulls were chasing and tackling each other all over the ship.

“Can anyone drive this ship?” Cador yelled above the noise. Inky, Oglebee, Cador, Bo, and Tupelo were standing on the bridge.

“I believe I can,” said Dead Eye, stepping over a pair of wrestling Tulls. “With some help, that is.”

“Well, you’ve got us,” Cador said. “And them, when they can calm down.”

“That is calmed down, for them,” Oglebee said. “We have some able-bodied big people. Once they’re rested up, they can help too.”

Under Dead Eye’s directions, the ship pulled anchor and began sailing away from the island. The orange cast was not as great as before, and the volcano was now only belching steam instead of the dark gray ash. Either way, all aboard the ship were happy to see it fading away behind them.

They spent the rest of the day exploring the ship to see what provisions were left. There was some food, but it would have to be supplemented by allowing the Tulls to fish off the side. The crates were opened to see what kinds of cargo the Black Widow was carrying.

None of it was very useful but very entertaining. The Tulls found royal clothing they modeled and wore while doing their assigned chores.

None of the clothing fit, but they continued to wear it while they tripped and stumbled all over the ship.

The next morning there was a tremendous explosion off the port side of the ship. Everyone rushed topside to see Pud light another stick 396

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of dynamite and toss it off the side. A loud BOOM sounded as a plume of water shot up as high as the ship. The Tulls cheered.

“She found the explosives?” Inky asked.

“I told you she likes to blow stuff up,” Oglebee told Inky.

“We’ve defeated a bloodthirsty pirate, a giant centipede, and creatures we couldn’t see. But I don’t know if we’re going to survive your people,” Inky said.

Oglebee nodded.

In the mornings, they fished, using spoiled meat as bait and giant hooks they had found below. One end of a rope was tied to a mast, and the hooked end was tossed off the back of the ship. One fish was so big it took all of them to pull it up onto the deck. It flopped around so much that two Tulls were knocked through an open hatch by its mighty fin.

Oglebee’s sister, Pud, picked up Inky and carried him around every chance she could, ignoring both Inky’s and Oglebee’s requests to leave him be.

On the last night, Inky decided to slip out of bed and go up on the deck to think about how they were going to get back to the kingdom.

Once there, he found he was not alone.

“What you doing up here in the middle of the night?” Oglebee said. He was lying on a cloth, hands behind his head, looking up at the stars. Inky lay down beside him.

“I needed an open place to think,” “Can’t get more open than this.”

“What are you doing up here?” Inky asked.

Oglebee didn’t say anything for a few moments, “You know we’re still a long way from home, but the stars look pretty much the same.

Like the night we watched them at Kettlefish Lake.”

“They do,” said Inky.

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“It’s almost planting time out there at the lake.”

“You miss it, don’t you?” Inky asked.

“I surely do,” Oglebee said. “You think this bunch will want to go back where they were or come with me and work on the farm?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to ask them. What do you want them to do?”

There was a long silence as they looked at the stars.

“Haven’t figured that out yet,” Oglebee said.

“How are we going to keep them under control once we’re back to the harbor? We can’t have them running around causing havoc.”

“You let them off the ship, and there will be a ruckus, there will. We got to make provisions before we let them touch dry land. Got to keep Pud away from the explosives and the fellers.”

“I’ll watch the explosives,” Inky said. “It’s safer.

398

C hapter 34 The Black Widow reached land the next morning. They anchored far enough from the harbor that the Tulls could not swim the distance, but it was easily rowed in one of the small boats.

With the ship stopped and the sun shining brightly, the Tulls had taken to jumping over the side to find who could make the biggest splash.

“Mayhap I had better stay here with them,” Oglebee said.

“I agree. Tupelo also, just in case something goes wrong,” Inky said.

“Oh, something is sure to go wrong,” Oglebee said.

Bo, Cador, and Inky took a rowboat to the harbor. Inky’s carrier was left on the island, so he had no other choice than to walk with them.

As they moved through the streets of the harbor town, Inky began to get noticed. At first, it was just whisperings. “That must be Inkydomus,” someone would say. “I never would have believed it; he’s actually real.” And another person, “My Gram used to tell us stories about him.”

By the time they had reached the warehouse where they had purchased the lamp oil, a hundred people were following them. They entered the building and closed the door behind them.

With Inky running the negotiations, the deal went quickly. The ship was sold for a bundle of five wagons and ten horses. It also included a sizable pile of gold coins that would be given back to the Kingdom of 399

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Norwood. That, plus the large amount of gold on the ship, would be a fortune for any enterprising thief.

Inky added two more items to the deal. He asked for a buggy that could be brought to the back of the warehouse, so they could get back to the ship unnoticed with the gold they were going to be carrying.

There were about two hundred people now standing outside the warehouse. The owner of the warehouse was happy to oblige; he was getting the deal of a lifetime.

The second request was baffling to the owner, but he was happy to fulfill it. Inky asked for an apple.

Inky told them his plan. The owner handed over two large bags heavy with gold coins. Bo took one, and Tupelo took the other. They lugged them to the buggy parked in back.

Cador opened the front door. The people had spread around the front of the building and throughout the street. A wagon was stuck in the middle of the street because of all the people milling around waiting to get a glimpse of Inky.

Cador strode out the door and into the street. The crowd scattered as he moved through them. Inky was behind him.

When they got to the wagon, Cador lifted Inky onto the top. A loud “oooh” went through the people when they saw Inky atop the wagon.

Cador quickly turned and went unnoticed back into the building. The people slowly crept closer to get a better look at the legendary little man.

Up until now, Inky stood motionless, head down and eyes closed.

Then slowly, he lifted his arms straight out and opened his eyes. He smiled at all the faces.

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Cador had slipped out the back and onto the buggy. On the seat next to him sat Inky, eyes closed in concentration and holding two parts of the stone.

Out on the street, the double looked at the people one last time, then vanished.

In the buggy, Inky put the stone away and brought out the flute.

“All those people will be telling their grandchildren of their encounter with the great Inkydomus today,” Cador said.

Inky said nothing. He began playing the flute while the buggy took the back streets to the dock where the rowboat was waiting.

Before long, the red-tailed hawk was circling overhead. It landed on the edge of the buggy.

“I hoped you would still be here. Find our friends and give them this,” Inky said. He pulled the apple out of his robes, and the hawk took it in his talon. The apple had a hole bored through its center and a rolled-up note poking out either side. “Lead them here.”

They rode back to the dock without incident.

401

C hapter 35 That evening the wagons were delivered. Inky gathered everyone together to explain what would happen over the next few days. The chance of them actually following these directions was very slim, but he decided that he should do it anyway.

It was decided that Inky, Bo, Cador, and Tupelo should each stay with a wagon overnight, leaving only one unguarded. Oglebee would stay on the ship and guard it against the Tulls. They had taken to tying ropes to the yardarm and swinging over the deck, then letting go and falling to the water. It was stupid and dangerous, and they loved it.

The gold was to be divided five ways and placed in the five wagons.

It would be less likely that robbers would get away with all of it. The wagons were loaded with everything needed for the trip. The Tulls looked like worker ants carrying parcels down the gangplank and into the wagons.

Flo Tull, Oglebee’s mother, stepped to the side next to Inky as the others continued loading the wagons.

“You know my boy thinks a lot of you,” she said with a steely stare.

“I think a lot of him also,” Inky said. “He has saved my life several times, and I his.”

“You’re saying that my boy, Jethro, has saved the life of the great Inkydomus?”

“Not just mine but the queen’s life as well.”

“He knows the queen? My boy?”

“Yes, they are quite close.”

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“I can’t believe it,” she said to herself.

“May I ask, if his name is Jethro, why does he call himself Oglebee?”

“We could never figure that out either,” she said and started back up the gangplank for another load. “The queen,” she repeated to herself.

403

C hapter 36 The next morning a sense of adventure filled the air. The four rescuers and Cador were going home, and the Tulls went to a new place to restart their lives. Oglebee had talked with them, and they had decided to go with him to settle at Kettlefish Lake. The other prisoners were allowed to choose between going their own way and the kingdom of Norwood. All of them decided to go back to the lives and loved ones they had had before they were kidnapped.

So, as the sun rose that morning, the sojourn began. They intended to slip out of town quietly, but with a wagon train of Tulls that was impossible. They waved and shouted at everyone they saw.

“We’re going to Norwood, we are!” they shouted at a lady walking by.

“Starting a new life there with the queen!” Flo yelled at her.

That behavior continued until they reached the outskirts, where there was no one to shout at. Even though it was quiet and peaceful here, Inky knew this was where the danger began. Any of the hills or woods could offer places for an ambush by thieves.

The terrain looked different as they passed through the farmland.

The fields were green, and the rows looked ready for planting. There were people in some of the fields who appeared puzzled as they waved back at the shouting Tulls.

They passed the same farmer who had spotted Tupelo on top of the snow wagon. He slowed his wagon as they passed and looked at 404

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the Tulls hanging out of their wagons. “Not thinking of settling around here, are ya?”

“Nope,” Oglebee said.

“Probably a good thing,” he said and kept on going.

The road twisted and turned and came to a patch where hills rolled up on each side of the road. Each side was thickly forested, a perfect spot for an ambush. Oglebee was driving Inky’s wagon, which was the first in the line.

Inky asked Oglebee to stop. The other drivers, including Skag, who was given the honor of driving the fifth wagon, dismounted their wagons and gathered around Inky and Oglebee.

“A dangerous stretch of road coming up,” Inky said.

“Any way of going around it?” Bo asked.

“I don’t think so,” Inky said.

“If there is anyone up there watching, they know we’re suspicious.

They may not wait for us to go through the pass. They may attack right here,” Cador said.

“Then again, there might not be anyone up there,” Inky said.

Everyone settled into a thoughtful quiet.

Then, Oglebee said, “I got an idea, I do, but you’re not going to like it.”

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C hapter 37 Inky wasn’t happy, but he realized this was the only way. They switched the wagons so Pud’s was first. Oglebee would drive, Pud and Tupelo would be in the back.

Oglebee started off slowly, then picked up speed as it neared the robbers might be hidden. In the back, hidden from everyone Pud was lighting fuses. Tupelo opened the cloth that closed off the back of the wagon and started throwing dynamite first to the left, then to the right.

Huge chunks of earth and trees were blown into the air on both sides of the road. Rocks and branches cascaded down on the road as the wagon sped past. A fog of dust filled the air behind the wagon as Tupelo kept throwing the explosives. The other wagons started to follow. The Tulls’ hooting and hollering nearly as loud as the explosions.

The robbers, who were hidden along the trees near the road, scrambled for shelter further up the hillsides. There were perhaps a dozen running, crawling, and diving behind any tree they could find.

When the last of the wagons passed through the hills and into the open country, they stopped. The Tulls continued cheering.

Everyone was slapping Oglebee on the back. Another cheer went up when Tupelo and Pud jumped out of the back.

“You knew she had dynamite with her?” Inky asked.

“Nope, but I know she’s good at hiding things. So, I figured...”

“You know they are not going to stop. We may have won this battle, but they will have plenty more chances in the next couple of days,” Cador said.

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Just then, a shadow passed over the group. Inky looked up to see the hawk flying a lazy circle overhead.

“Perhaps not. I think their chances now are going to be very limited,” Inky said.

The hawk circles became lower and lower until the bird swooped down and landed on Inky’s wagon. A cheer went up from the Tulls.

“Wait until they get a load of this, Inky said.

There in the distance behind them, between the two hills, came riders on horses. They rode two by two, and even from this distance, one could see they were very tall in the saddle. The sun glinted off their armor. Their swords hung off their waistbands like dangerous jewelry.

“Everyone back to your wagons,” Inky commanded.

Each rider had a personal crest on his shield. The colors of each knight were his own; no color was duplicated. The horses were magnificent. They were tall with shiny coats. Muscles rippled under their skin.

There were ten in total. The first pair split, one passing the right side of the wagon and the other to the left side. Soon each wagon had a knight on each side.

For once, the Tulls were speechless. They watched with eyes wide and mouths open. They didn’t make a sound as the knights took their positions. Then someone said, “Sweet dancing Moses, it’s the Knights of the Round Table!”

A deafening roar went up among the Tulls.

Sir Percival had ridden up to the position nearest Inky and said, “We are here at the request of our good friends Sir Inkydomus and Sir Oglebee to escort them and their company to the kingdom of Norwood.”

“Sir Oglebee?” someone said.

“Our boy has done well for himself,” said Skag.

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“I hope I have not asked for your help one too many times,” Inky said to both Sir Percival and Sir Gawain.

“Not at all,” Sir Gawain said. “Our skills dull, lest we stay idle in the castle.”

“We cherish the chance of battle,” Sir Bors the Younger said from farther back in line.

“And I thought you talked fancy,” Oglebee said to Inky.

In the last wagon, Pud was hanging out the back talking to Sir Lancelot, “You sure look pretty on that big horse, you do.”

The countryside had never seen a more elegant or deadly procession than the one that traveled the roads to Norwood. Seldom did the knights travel in a group this large, which was a great tribute to Inky and his legend.

On three different occasions, robbers were hidden on the side of the road. Once the knights unsheathed their swords, the robbers retreated. The awesome image of the knights high on their horses and their impregnable armor diffused each battle before it was fought.

They traveled through the night with torches on the sides of each wagon and Sir Kay and Sir Lamorak out in front of the first wagon. It seemed the knights never tired.

At dawn, Inky called for a break. He asked the knights to allow a quick sleep for the drivers and the Tulls. They agreed.

Before Inky took his rest, he wrote a note and sent it to the queen by air. Then, he watched the hawk fly off into the morning sky. The note read; “Expect a happy group of Norwoodians before the moon rises tonight.”

408

C hapter 38 It was late afternoon as the riders and wagons rounded the last turn and the kingdom came into view. When they had left, the snow had blanketed the entire kingdom. Now, the air was warm, and the fields green. Spring flowers poked their tiny heads out of the earth, and if the Tulls had been quiet enough, the travelers could have heard birds chirping in the trees.

What they saw even Inky didn’t expect. The entire kingdom was outside of the city walls waiting for them. They lined the moat and the street. Hundreds of people cheered loud enough to impress even the Tulls. The wagons and riders were funneled into the castle across the drawbridge through an opening in the crowd.

The royal trumpeters started a procession march.

“It seems as though you have been missed,” Sir Lancelot said.

The group rolled forward into the crowd, which surged forward, touching the wagons as if they were magical artifacts. They were as astounded to see wagon loads of Oglebee-looking people as the Tulls were to see this many people cheering for their son.

A large group of Oglebee’s farm workers from Kettlefish Lake had been invited by the queen to join in the celebration. From their rowdiness and cheering, they were going to be a good fit for the Tulls.

Or not.

The crowd was cheering for the Knights, also. They had helped Inky overthrow the king and made Norwood a better place for all.

They were also so impressive and disciplined one had to cheer.

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The queen was standing on a platform in the center of the square— the exact spot where the gallows had been constructed to hang Inky, the queen, and Oglebee. The irony was lost on no one.

The queen was radiant in a dark blue gown. As beautiful as her jewelry was, her eyes outshone everything else. Standing on the platform beside her were Shrogg and Anura. Beside them was the Blue Sammy, who looked extremely bored and irritated.

The wagons pulled around in a semi-circle behind the queen. The Knights stayed on their horses.

Queens are not supposed to show any kind of surprise or to seem unsure of themselves. But this queen could not suppress her surprise when she saw the Tulls exit the wagons and climb onto the platform with her.

The crowd cheered wildly, which in turn got the Tulls cheering again.

One of the Tulls did a cartwheel across the platform, and the whole scene fell into chaos.

Shrogg raised his hand, and the royal trumpeters started playing again. That quieted everyone.

“We would like to welcome our fellow Norwoodians back to the kingdom!” Another cheer rose from the crowd.

“And thank them for returning with our much-needed lamp oil!”

“Lamp oil? I encountered no lamp oil on our voyage,” Gawain said to Percival.

Oglebee said, “They didn’t deliver no lamp oil?” He turned to Inky, “We got ripped off!”

The queen had heard. “What? All that time you were away and no lamp oil?”

“We got something better,” Oglebee said. “Go get it,” he said to the Tulls. The Tulls scampered back down to the wagons and started 410

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bringing the melted lumps of gold onto the platform. Many of the lumps were so large they had to be carried by two Tulls.

With each piece that was placed on the platform, another excited cheer came from the crowd. Inky never imagined that they had brought so much gold with them. He had always been occupied as they were loading or unloading it.

“We thank you all for coming!” the queen shouted above the noise.

“The return feast will start at sunset!”

She quickly stepped off the platform and into the castle, followed closely by the others.

She walked into the Throne Room, the place where she had first met Oglebee. Shrogg and Anura followed along with the Blue Sammy.

The rest of them shuffled behind. The place was empty, and their footsteps echoed over the marble.

The queen sat on the steps that led up to the throne.

“Where did all that gold come from?” she asked.

“The invisible people,” Oglebee said.

“Invisible people?” the queen said.

“The Shadow People,” Cador said.

For the first time, the queen saw Cador. “Cador! You’re back!”

“Yes, my queen.”

“We rescued him, we did,” Oglebee said.

“Rescued him from where?”

“The island,” Oglebee said.

“I think it’s the island of Stromboli,” Cador said.

The queen looked terribly confused. “So you went in, rescued Cador, and took the gold from these Shadow People?”

“Then we left them on the island tied up in bundles, we did. Tupelo was supposed to untie one, but I’m not sure he did. We were in a hurry; we thought the island was going to blow up.”

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“That’s horrible,” said the queen.

“Nope, they deserved it.”

“Was there anyone else there to help them?”

“Not after we killed the giant centipede,” Oglebee said.

“The what?”

“Electrocuted it, we did. With a lightning bolt.”

At that point, the door to the Throne Room opened, and Oglebee’s parents came trudging in carrying four bags of gold coins. They walked halfway to the queen and dropped the bags on the marble floor. They hit with a thud and a jingle. A single coin popped out and rolled drunkenly across the floor.

“Here’s the rest of the gold, your Grandness,” Skag said.

“Where did this gold come from?” the queen asked.

“The pirate ship,” Oglebee said.

“You robbed a pirate ship as well?”

“No, no. We stole the ship and sold it.”

“Where are the pirates?”

“On the island with the Shadow People, except we left them at the bottom of the mine. They deserved it too.”

“You left Shadow People, pirates, and a giant centipede on this island that was going to blow up?”

“No. The centipede we tied to the ship and dragged into the ocean.

I think the squids ate it.”

“All of this over lamp oil?” the queen said.

“All of this over lamp oil!” Oglebee said proudly.

“Inkydomus, tonight at the feast, you are going to have to explain this to me in a reasonable manner,” the queen said.

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” Inky said weakly.

412

C hapter 39 The feast was a wild one. The people of Norwood were not only celebrating the return of their favorite subjects but also the arrival of spring after a hard winter. There were several fire pits cooking different kinds of meat. They came from all parts of the kingdom and migrated from pit to pit, greeting each other and tasting the various foods.

The music was as varied as the food at the different locations. At one spot, the Tulls sang some of their folk songs to the people gathered around. They amazed the crowd with the gentle harmonies coming out of their crude exteriors. Many a tear was shed that night because of their beautiful voices. Pud discharged the rest of the explosives, giving the festivities even more excitement.

The only affliction to the party was the Blue Sammy, who said in his flute-like voice, “How unamusing.”

The partying lasted long into the night, with the last of the embers dying out as the first rays of light came over the mountains.

Oglebee and Inky had grown tired of the merry-making and took one of the wagons to Kettlefish Lake. They put down a blanket at their favorite spot and watched the sun rise over the lake.

“I have my family back,” Oglebee said. “Never thought it would happen, thought they were gone forever.”

“Do you think they will be happy here? At Kettlefish Lake?”

“Oh, yeah. This is the life they always wanted. Open air, good land.

A place for Sintya. ” “What about you?” Inky asked his friend.

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“It kind of scares me, it does. This is everything I ever wanted. Me family, me friends. Not sure I deserve all of this.”

“What about the queen?’

“We’re good, I mean, I like her and all. And she is beautiful, but we’re friends. We’re good like we are.”

They watched the sun’s reflection on the water.

“What about you? Are you happy?” Oglebee asked.

“I think I am. You’ve taught me a lot.”

“Me?” “Yes, you. You’ve shown me how to live for the moment and how to enjoy the things and people around me instead of worrying about the future. For that, I thank you.”

“What about that Meg Swiffens woman?”

“I’m not even sure that was her name. No, I don’t think our lifestyle suited her. We are...a little too adventurous for her liking. She was also too tall for me.”

“Who isn’t?” Oglebee said.

They both chuckled.

“You know the queen said there were plenty of other mysterious things buried under the lake,” Oglebee said.

“I thought that interesting as well. But perhaps for another time.”

“So, are you going to stay at the castle?” Oglebee asked.

“The castle seems too confining for me,” Inky said.

“Yeah, me too.”

“I was thinking about asking the queen about her old castle, the one somewhere up on the mountain.”

“An old collapsing castle, that sounds about right for you,” Oglebee said.

Off in the distance, they heard Tupelo yell, “YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT!” “But if you try real hard, you get what you need,” they said together.

414

C hapter 40 The hawk soared over the lake with Inky on its back. It found an updraft, and the pair lifted high into the sky. The queen had told Inky the castle’s location, but she wasn’t sure of its condition. Finding it might be problematic for a human, but not for a red-tailed hawk.

The castle was built into the side of a mountain, near the top. It was small compared to the castle in Norwood. But, from the air, it stood apart from the mountainside trees around it. And through it.

The courtyard was overgrown with trees and bushes. Some seemed to have sprouted right up through cracks in the floor. Parts of the exterior had either fallen off or caved in. There were balconies scattered across the entire front of the structure. Some were uneven, and some had rusty railings.

“Perfect,” Inky said to the hawk.

They landed on one of the balconies, and the hawk took off, leaving Inky to explore.

After a while, he came out onto one of the balconies and sat. The view was extraordinary. Kelttlefish Lake spread out beneath him, and Oglbebee’s farmland was to the south. In the distance, the castle and the village around it were visible. All of his friends were within his view.

Now that he had allowed himself to have friends, he wondered if he would become lonely when they were not around.

A movement caught his eye. Climbing up over the edge of the balcony was a tiny newt. It crawled up to Inky’s folded legs and 415

Book Three—Isle of Shadows

stopped, looked at him, then blinked twice. It had the exact markings as Cassieus.

“Hello there, my little friend,” Inky said. The thought of Cassieus made his chest tighten. But then it relaxed.

“Perhaps one day I can tell you about some of the adventures we had.”

The newt blinked twice.

“Would you like to hear about how he saved me from a giant wolf spider?”

The newt dropped its body to the slate floor and blinked twice.

“Well, one day, I was sitting at my table...”

One of the large white clouds twisted in the sky, allowing a sun ray to shaft down across Kettlefish Lake. It glowed like the edge of a honed sword, then it vanished. Two squirrels chased each other across the branches of a tree, and a bird sang from another branch off in the distance.

Inky not only found a home; he finally found peace.

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