by E. G. Foley
“Whoever marries the princess becomes the next king, and Kaia would never want to marry dumb old me, not the way I am. I’m nowhere near good enough for her.”
“Don’t say that! Come now, don’t worry,” Jake encouraged him. “We’ll help you win this princess for your bride!”
“Hold on,” Archie broke in, staring at Jake like he feared he’d lost his mind.
Jake glanced over at him in surprise. “What’s the matter?”
“I am not going to Giant Land! This is daft.”
“What? Archie! How could you stand to miss a chance like this? Giant Land!” Jake exclaimed.
But Archie shook his head, looking more stubborn by the minute. “My panel’s been rescheduled for four o’clock this afternoon, and my big speech is in three days.” He cast an indignant glance at Snorri. “I was set to unveil the Pigeon to the world before this brute came and wrecked her. Now you want me to help him? Let him help himself! I’m busy! I’m going to need every free minute until my speech to fix the mess he made of my poor girl. If she can be fixed,” he added in reproach. “Besides, how can you even think of gadding off to Giant Land when Henry and Helena are still out there somewhere, stuck as animals?”
“Why do you think Loki did that to them?” Jake countered. “To keep them from interfering in his plans! Archie, if we don’t go and warn the giants what Loki’s up to, it could mean the end of the world!”
“That’s a lot of hokum,” Archie said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. “There’s no such thing. The world has been around for millions of years and will continue on for many millions more. Nothing you or I or even Loki does is ever going to change that.”
Jake was taken aback by his narrow-minded remark. “You’re starting to sound like those arrogant scientists.”
“And you sound like a harebrain!” Archie declared, losing all patience. “You can’t just jump on your Gryphon’s back and go flying off to Jugenheim.”
“You have a Gryphon?” Snorri asked, but both boys ignored him.
Red had been sitting out of sight from where the giant was tied down.
Jake was upset that Archie was even considering not coming along. “How boring can you be? Mr. Responsible! Is it really so important?”
“You would say that,” Archie retorted.
“Come on! You go to these conventions every year! So what if you miss this one? The Pigeon’s already broken, anyway. Just postpone your speech till next year!”
“I’ve been preparing for this for months!” Archie said angrily.
“You know what I think?” Jake retorted. “You just like the attention.”
“This is very important to me!”
“More important than seeing Giant Land?” Jake asked eagerly, already excited at the prospect of what he knew would be an unparalleled adventure. “Oh, come on! You know you want to.”
“What if this brute is lying to us, eh?” Archie countered. “Did you consider that? Use your head for once! Why would you possibly trust him? He was going to eat my brain, Jake. My brain.”
“Well, he said he was sorry.”
Snorri nodded sincerely and repeated his apology. “Very sorry, Master Archie. I was tricked. Er, will somebody please untie me?”
“Don’t push your luck,” Archie growled at the giant, then gave Jake a dirty look. “Unlike some people, I don’t back out on my responsibilities. I gave my word that I’d make my presentation, and that’s that.”
“Pfft,” Jake retorted. “Don’t come, then. If you’re too scared, I’ll bring the girls instead!”
“Oh, no, you won’t!” Archie stepped closer. “It’s too dangerous for young ladies!”
Jake snorted, more rattled by his cousin’s refusal to join him on the adventure than he let on.
But Snorri, meanwhile, was full of questions. “Master Jake, do you really think I have a chance with Princess Kaia? I mean, I know she likes me better than Gorm. We’re friends, like. But she’s a princess! So pretty. And smart! She can even read, and that’s something not many giants can do, I can tell you. The truth is, she could have anyone. Without the potion, I don’t see why she’d ever pick me.”
“Great, a giant who’s insecure,” Archie muttered.
Jake looked at Snorri, unsure what to say. He was probably right. No female in her right mind would fall in love with him. “Well, maybe we could just…clean you up a little,” he suggested, though he didn’t have the foggiest idea where to start.
“I see. So you’re going to transform this giant toad into a prince?” Archie folded his arms across his chest and looked at him wryly. “What, maybe you can have him spout a little poetry for the princess? Bring her giant flowers?”
“I don’t know!” Then inspiration struck. “I’ve got it! We’ll bring Isabelle! She’ll know what to do. Isabelle’s fourteen—practically a grown-up lady,” he told Snorri. “Main thing is, she’s a girl, so she’ll know all about that mushy, romantical junk that girls like. I’m sure she’ll be able to give us some tips on how you can charm the princess—assuming giant girls are more or less like, er, regular ones?”
“I should think so,” Snorri said eagerly.
“You are not dragging my sister into a kingdom full of these oversized barbarians! It’s too dangerous! She’s delicate!”
“Oh, I have a feeling Izzy’s tougher than she looks,” Jake remarked.
“Can this Isabelle of yours really help me?” Snorri asked, sounding breathless at the possibility that he might have a chance.
“Of course,” Jake declared.
Still hogtied, the dusty, homely giant was suddenly beaming with newfound hope for winning his ladylove.
“This is insane, Jake. You’re as mad as Loki. How’s this poor soul going to win a princess? He’s a mess. He smells like a volcano that shoots off cow manure instead of lava.”
“He just needs a bit of spit and polish, and a little advice from the girls.”
“Have you ever seen my sister when she gets around boys her own age? She turns beet-red and practically dives under the furniture to hide! She doesn’t know anything about courtship. She’s still two years away from her debut in Society. But even if you had an expert governess like Miss Helena to guide you, I mean, look at him. He’s hopeless!”
“Aw, he’s not so bad.” Jake leaned closer and added confidentially, “Between you and me, I doubt this giant princess is much of a prize herself.”
“Hey!” Snorri yelled, overhearing.
“Well, you’re not bringing Isabelle and Dani into danger. I forbid it.” Archie folded his arms across his chest. “It is my duty as a gentleman to protect our girls—especially Dani, since she’s only ten!”
“You’ve never been properly punched in the nose by Dani O’Dell, have you? Not yet. But you will one day, I’m sure.”
“You just want to see Giant World!” Archie thundered at him.
“And you just want to stay back on the campus where all those people treat you like a brainy little god! You’re just the darling of the scientific world, aren’t you? Well, fine! Enjoy your fame! Stay back and bask in all the adulation.”
“My, that’s a big word for you!”
Jake scowled at him, insulted past patience. “Do as you like. I’m going on an adventure. Red! Give us a ride back to civilization.” He whistled to his pet.
“What’s that thing?” Snorri exclaimed as Red pounced into view and flexed his feathered wings.
“That’s my Gryphon,” Jake replied. “His name is Red, and if you cause any trouble once we’re on the road to Jugenheim, I’ll sic him on you and let him eat your liver.”
“Why would I want to cause trouble?” Snorri cried.
“’Cause you’re a giant,” Archie growled. “And giants are bad. That’s probably why the gods sealed off your world, you know.”
Snorri thought this over for a moment. “We’re not all bad, and besides, maybe Odin sealed off your world, not ours. Did you ever think of that?”
&n
bsp; “Enough!” Jake interrupted. “Never mind my cousin, Snorri. Some of us believe in giving people a chance, even if they’re a little different from us. Some of us have been there and know what it’s like when others treat you like a joke.” He gave his brainy cousin a dirty look. “Let’s get out of here. I may not be a genius, but I’m smart enough to know we need to be gone before Loki comes back to check on Snorri’s progress in rounding up the geniuses. When Loki sees them back on campus, he’s going to know something’s up. We don’t have much time till then, so let’s get going.”
“Gladly,” Archie shot back, throwing his tool-bag angrily over his shoulder.
As the two boys scowled at each other and headed for the Gryphon, Jake was quite upset. It was the first time he and Archie had ever argued.
It didn’t feel very good. Worse, the prospect of his adventure to Giant Land did not sound near as fun with only the girls along. They were the best girls he knew, but still.
It wasn’t the same.
“Wait! You can’t leave me here like this!” Snorri yelled after them as the boys walked toward the Gryphon, who waited for them to climb onto his back. “Aren’t you going to untie me? Please?”
Jake paused and glanced back uncertainly over his shoulder.
“Don’t leave me here defenseless!” Snorri pleaded. “What if Loki comes back and tries to punish me for letting the brains escape? At least untie my hands so I can defend myself!”
With a frown, Jake walked back cautiously toward the giant. “If I set you free, do I have your word I can trust you? You promise not to go causing trouble? Better yet, don’t even leave this cave.”
“Snorri gives his word,” the giant answered with a solemn nod.
“Very well. But remember, if you break your promise, no one’s going to help you win Princess Kaia’s love. And that’ll hurt even worse than Archie’s aether gun.”
Snorri shuddered. “I want to marry her more than anything! You’ll understand when you see her.”
Ugh, thought Jake. Falling in love made people look so silly. He was very sure he would never fall prey to such nonsense.
“Let me borrow your knife,” he muttered to Archie, who handed it to him in spite of their quarrel.
“You’re lucky I remembered to ask for it back from Dr. Wu before they left,” his cousin remarked with a huff.
Thrusting off his doubts about the wisdom of freeing the giant, Jake sawed away the knotted ropes holding him captive. “I’m trusting you,” he warned. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Snorri thanked him profusely as he sat up rubbing his wrists. He stretched his neck this way and that, then rubbed his bald pate where the stalactites had whacked him. “Ow,” he mumbled.
“Sorry about that, but you did bring it on yourself.”
“It’s all right,” Snorri said with a sigh.
“Now then.” Jake tilted his head back to look the giant sternly in the eyes, pointing at him. “Wait here and stay out of sight,” he ordered. “Use the time to gather up your things and get ready for our journey. So help me, Snorri,” he added trying to look as threatening as possible despite the fact that even sitting down, the giant still towered over him. “You’d better be here waiting in this cave when I come back, or I’ll let Red hunt you down and have at you.”
Red growled on cue and slashed the air with his front claws to intimidate the giant into complying.
Snorri eyed the Gryphon meekly. “I’ll be right here the whole time, I swear.”
“Good. I should be back in less than an hour with the girls.”
“No, you’re not,” Archie said.
“With Isabelle?” Snorri asked.
“That’s right, and another one called Dani. And I say we leave the decision up to them, whatever the girls choose to do,” he added in a crisp tone, handing his cousin back his folded knife.
“Fine!” Archie retorted, tossing the knife back into his tool-bag.
But he did not take his eyes off the giant for a second now that Jake had untied him. Instead, Archie backed steadily toward the Gryphon.
Jake could understand why his cousin didn’t trust the giant after being kidnapped by him. But to Jake, now that their interrogation was complete, the only frightening thing about Snorri was his breath.
The smell was awful as the giant let out another lovelorn sigh.
Coughing slightly, both boys climbed onto the Gryphon’s back. Red, too, retched a bit at the odor, gagging through his beak.
“Do you really think this Isabelle of yours might be willing to help me?” the giant asked hopefully.
“No doubt about it. Isabelle’s just a big softie,” Jake assured him. “She could never say no to a charity case like you.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
A Great Quest
“Absolutely not,” said Isabelle. She shook her head stubbornly. “I’m sorry, Jake. As much as I’d like to help, I need to stay here to wait for Henry and Helena. They’re more important.”
“More important than stopping the end of the world?” Jake exclaimed.
“I’m the only one here who can talk to animals,” she countered, “and since that’s the form they’re stuck in, what if they need me? They’re like family, Jake. After all they’ve done for us, I can’t run off with you and abandon them.”
Jake scowled, but he could understand her feelings. “All right,” he grumbled. Snorri was going to be disappointed, but there was still Dani, who was technically a girl. He turned to her. “What about you, carrot?”
Dani shook her head in regret. “I hate to miss it, I really do, but if you’re not going to be here, and Loki’s on the loose, then I’d better stay here to protect Isabelle and Archie.”
“I beg your pardon!” the boy genius said indignantly.
Dani shrugged. “No offense.”
Archie scowled, pushing his spectacles up higher onto his nose. But Dani was right. The little rookery redhead was much tougher than the two sheltered aristocrat children. Somebody had better stay behind who wouldn’t freeze up in a fight.
“Looks like it’s just me and Red, then,” Jake mumbled. As the realization sank in, the prospect of going to Giant Land suddenly sounded considerably more scary. It was somehow much easier to act brave when the others were there, if only for his pride’s sake.
Without them, he’d have to face his fears alone.
“Right,” he said, slightly dry-mouthed, but he gathered his resolve. “We’ll go it alone, then—me and Red. You keep the Lie Detector Goggles so you can watch for Loki. Don’t trust anyone unless you check them out through the goggles first. You never know what form Loki might take to try to trick you. Also, the Galton whistle,” Jake added, reaching into his pocket. “You can keep using it to try to summon Henry and Helena. If they’re still in animal form, they should be able to hear it.” Then he frowned. “Where the devil did I…?”
Feeling in one pocket, then the next, he checked his coat; his vest; again, his trouser pockets. He glanced at Archie. “Did I give the dog whistle to you?”
“No.”
They checked all the rooms, but it was nowhere.
“Blimey, I can’t believe I lost it. Would you just check your tool-bag?” Jake persisted, turning to Archie again.
“You didn’t give it to me! But all right, if it makes you happy,” the young inventor muttered, obviously still annoyed with him over their quarrel.
But the Galton whistle wasn’t in Archie’s pocket or his tool-bag or anywhere. Jake shook his head in frustration. He could have kicked himself. “Blast it, I must’ve dropped it somewhere along the way. Maybe flying over the forest or somewhere in the cave. It’s so dark in there, I’ll never find it.”
“Don’t worry, we can manage without it,” Isabelle said. “I’m sure the Prince of the Polymaths can make more. Besides, Henry and Helena know where to find us if they want us.”
“She’s right,” Dani said. “We’ll be fine here. You just concentrate on what you have to do and get ba
ck here in one piece, all right?”
He nodded.
“Here, Jake.” Isabelle gave him a satchel of supplies and two canteens of water.
“Thanks. I don’t expect this to take more than a few days,” he added as he pulled the leather knapsack up onto one shoulder. “You lot keep your wits about you.” He glanced at Dani. “Somebody should go and check on Miss Langesund later. She’s going to be very happy to see her father again. He and the other scientists should be wandering back onto campus any minute now, if they haven’t already arrived.”
They nodded.
“Good luck, Jake.” Dani startled him with a quick hug. “Be careful in Giant Land. Don’t get stepped on.”
He gave her a lopsided grin. “I won’t. Good luck to you all, too. I’ll see you soon.” He turned to go.
“Oh—fine then, you win!” Archie burst out.
“What?” Jake glanced at him in surprise.
“Hang on, let me get my things. I’m coming with you!”
Jake turned around, brightening. “You are?”
“I can’t let you go and do this by yourself. You’re going to need at least one intelligent person on hand. But I’ll only come on two conditions!”
“Yes?”
“First, you have to promise me we’ll be back here in three days so I can give my big speech, as scheduled. Second, I’ll need time along the way to fix the Pigeon. We’re bringing her with us.”
“We are?”
“Your giant can carry her for me—as he jolly well should, since he’s the one who broke her. She’s not heavy. I’m sure Snorri can carry her easily. We’ll strap her across his back. That way, I can work on her and get her ready for my speech while you’re doing…whatever it is you plan to do.”
“Anything else?” Jake asked in amusement while Archie, still annoyed, threw some extra supplies into his tool-bag.
“Yes, in fact. You promise not to interfere while I go about collecting some data on the giants and their world.”
“Ah, I knew there’d be a catch.”
“It’s called field work. It’s not just for fun, it’s for science!” Archie retorted defensively as he put his Super Subminiature Box Camera into his tool-bag, along with some pencils, and of course, an extra notebook. “It seems a fair exchange. You save the world while I do some research on the giant race.”
