by Alan Snow
“Open the hatches!” Snatcher yelled above the noise.
Trout Junior operated a winch that wound in the chains connected to the doors, while Trout Senior took his place by the control panel on the rails and inserted a key. Soon the chains were groaning under the strain.
“More power, Little Trout!” shouted Snatcher.
Slowly the doors lifted and revealed a tiled shaft.
“Bring up the Great One!” screamed Snatcher.
Trout Senior turned the key in the panel and a great creaking came from below. The members stared toward the open shaft from their various stations, and everybody chained to the railings pulled back.
Trout Senior took his place by the control panel on the rails and inserted a key.
The creaking grew louder, and there was another sound, a hissing, sluggish breathing. It grew heavier as whatever it was rose up the shaft. Willbury and the others strained against their chains to no avail. Their chains were fast.
Snatcher peered down the shaft. Then he looked up at Willbury and laughed menacingly.
“You are about to meet my creation, Nibble. For all your meddling, it’s done you no good. See what I am about to unleash on the world!”
Everybody chained to the railings pulled back.
A massive, bloated creature, larger than an elephant.
chapter 45
THE GREAT ONE!
What looked like a huge jelly covered in filthy gray, matted carpet started to emerge from the shaft.
A massive blob of what looked like a huge jelly covered in filthy gray, matted carpet started to emerge from the shaft. As it did, the smell of fetid cheese engulfed the lab.
Higher the great gray jelly rose, wobbling as it did. Something very long and rope-like was attached to one side of it, and on the other side . . .
Willbury gaped as a pair of door-size ears came into view.
“It really is a monster . . . .”
The ears were followed by great, red, dinner plate–size eyes. They swiveled about madly.
Willbury gaped as a pair of door-size ears came into view.
“No, it couldn’t be!” cried Tom.
Still the creature rose. Its snout, bent and hairy, appeared.
Tom was jibbering, pulling wildly at his chain, “No! It can’t be. It just can’t!”
There was a loud clunk and the platform stopped as it reached the top of the shaft. Before them, in all its glory, was the Great One. A massive, bloated creature, larger than an elephant.
“What is it?” wept Willbury.
“I . . . I . . . I think it’s a rat,” moaned Tom. “And I think it’s . . . Framley.”
“YES! What was once Framley is now . . . the Great One!” cried Snatcher. “Once just nasty . . . . Now made monstrous by the hand of man!” Snatcher broke into hysterical laughter for a few seconds, then stopped suddenly to look directly at Tom.
“I’d been looking for someone really nasty, and when I saw dear sweet Framley in action, I realized what a perfect subject he would make.”
“I . . . I . . . I think it’s a rat,” moaned Tom. “And I think it’s . . . Framley.”
Tom’s gaze darted between the Great One and Snatcher. Framley had always had an unpleasant look about him, but now he just looked evil. As his huge eyes fixed on Tom, an enormous grin revealed great yellow tombstone-size teeth. Then one of the eyes winked . . .
“Now you will witness the fulfillment of my dream.” Snatcher stamped on the roof of the shed and shouted, “Extract the size!”
Snatcher stamped on the roof of the shed
At the controls in the shed, Gristle threw a lever.
A flash of blue light shot from the cage. Willbury blinked, then blinked again. Marjorie was gone! Then he heard another cry from Snatcher.
“Gristle! Give the Great One what he needs!”
There was another flash, but this time from the great funnel above, and the Great One gave a great wobble.
Snatcher called out another order. “Next please! I think we will have the boy from the dungeon.”
“No!” screamed Willbury and Grandfather simultaneously.
“Oh yes! You’ll enjoy watching!” cackled Snatcher, then he called after the member who had headed for the dungeon to fetch Arthur. “And can you bring back one of those shoe boxes down there. We need something to put all our friends in.”
“You’re going to pay for this!” Willbury shouted.
“Quiet!” replied Snatcher. “Or I’ll turn up the voltage and you’ll all be reduced to the size of ants!”
Willbury fell silent.
Snatcher spoke again. “Get the little creature out of the cage.”
Trout Senior left his post by the railings, opened the door of the cage, and groped about the floor inside. Then he stood up with something in his hands.
“What shall I do with it?”
“Perhaps Mr. Nibble would like to be reunited with his friend?” Snatcher joked. “Show her to the lawyer.”
Trout Senior walked over to Willbury and held out his hands.
Standing there was a miniature Marjorie, no taller than seven inches and looking very agitated.
Standing there was a miniature Marjorie, no taller than seven inches and looking very agitated.
“Are you all right?” Willbury gasped.
“Yes!” came a squeak. Marjorie looked startled by the sound of her new, high-pitched voice. Then she squeaked again. “I should never have built the prototype! I just never foresaw the consequences. What am I going to do?”
Trout Senior looked warily at the little talking boxtroll in his hands and lifted it up to take a closer look. Just as Trout realized who it was, Marjorie kicked him right in the eye. Trout screamed, dropping her. She scurried under one of the machines.
“Get back to your post!” Snatcher ordered Trout. “We’ll let the hounds find it later.”
Trout skulked off. Willbury looked about to see where Marjorie had gone, but he couldn’t see her anywhere.
“Please, please find somewhere safe to hide.” Willbury begged under his breath. “I couldn’t bear it if you were eaten.”
“Now, where is that blooming kid?” boomed Snatcher as he looked toward the dungeon.
She scurried under one of the machines.
A struggling Arthur appeared, being held by the scruff of his under-suit.
chapter 46
THE NEXT VICTIM!
There’d been quite a lot of noise from the dungeon.
No sooner had Snatcher said this than Arthur appeared at the entrance of the lab, struggling frantically, being held by the scruff of his under-suit. His captive was shorter than Snatcher remembered.
“Oi!” Snatcher bellowed. “You’ve forgotten the shoe box. Bring the boy here, then go and get it.”
As Arthur was led through the machines, loud metallic footsteps reverberated through the room. Snatcher looked around, puzzled.
Grandfather and Willbury watched in despair as the boy approached. Arthur looked at the chained group in shock. Then Arthur and the member froze. They’d seen the Great One.
“Come on! Come on! We haven’t got all night. Get a move on!” ordered Snatcher.
The member prodded Arthur toward the shed. As they passed, Arthur had an oddly intent look on his face, and Grandfather noticed the member was holding something under his ceremonial robes. They paused just before the shed.
“What are you waiting for?” snapped Snatcher. “Shove ’im in the cage and go and get a shoe box.”
“No,” the member snapped back. “Get your own shoe box.”
Snatcher was gobsmacked. No member had ever answered him back before.
“What!” he screamed. “Me! Get me own shoe box?”
“Yes, Archibald!” replied the member. “Get your own shoe box!”
Snatcher went red with rage and almost fell off the roof.
“You . . .” Snatcher roared as he waved his duck stick at the truculent member. Suddenly the member releas
ed his grip on Arthur and threw off his hat and robe. It was Herbert. In his iron boots . . . with his walloper.
Snatcher went red with rage and almost fell off the roof.
The members froze and Snatcher went deadly pale.
“Oh my God! Get ’im!” Snatcher demanded.
The members didn’t move.
“Get ’im!” Snatcher screeched again. Still the members held back. They all had experienced the walloper and weren’t willing to get within range.
Snatcher was starting to panic. “All right! All right! Break out the weapons!”
As the members rushed toward a large cabinet on a wall of the lab, Grandfather shouted to Herbert. “Smash the railings!” Herbert grinned happily at his friend; then he raised the walloper and brought it down hard.
Then he raised the walloper and brought it down hard.
Crash! A massive section of the railing shattered. The blow was so hard that the Great One started to wobble violently and let out a low awful moan. Some of the boxtrolls were able to slip free, and Herbert moved on to the next section of railings. There was another blow and the Great One let out a huge bellow.
Snatcher was nearly apoplectic. “Faster!” he screamed at the members, who’d reached the cupboard and were fiddling with the keys.
With two more blows, all the railings lay shattered and the prisoners freed. Arthur ran to his grandfather and hugged him hard. Willbury smiled at the sight, then turned and shouted to Herbert. “Could you bash a hole in the wall so we can get out of here?”
Arthur ran to his grandfather and hugged him hard.
Herbert gave him a look. “Where I wallop is my business!” Then he winked at Willbury and made for the wall opposite of where the members were now arming themselves with blunderbusses.
Snatcher screamed. “They’re going to get away! Open fire!”
The first shot sent bits of broken cutlery over them all. The second boomeranged off a machine, right back at the firer.
The first shot sent bits of broken cutlery over them all.
“Follow me!” Willbury shouted. “Kipper, help Arthur get his grandfather out of here.”
Kipper saluted and ran to help.
Meanwhile Herbert, with two huge smashes, bashed a large hole in the wall. “Would you like it any bigger?” he asked Willbury.
“No,” said Willbury, smiling. “An elephant could get through this. Well done!”
Herbert, with two huge smashes, bashed a hole in the wall.
Willbury guided the escapees through the hole.
Snatcher was dancing about on the roof of the shed in rage. “They’re escaping! Shoot them!”
Volleys of marbles, nails, bits of china, and even old boiled sweets clattered against the wall of the lab as the escapees scrambled through the hole. The last out were Kipper, Arthur, and Grandfather.
“Make for the Laundry!” Willbury shouted. As they all began to run, Willbury stopped short and asked Herbert, “Can you bring down the wall? It might stop them from following us.”
“A pleasure!” Herbert took a good long look at the wall and swung his walloper.
There was a dull thump, and for a moment Willbury thought it hadn’t worked. Then cracks ran up the wall and a low rumbling started.
“Let’s get out of here!” shouted Willbury.
Masonry crashed down as the wall collapsed, sending out huge clouds of dust.
As the dust settled, all that could be heard was the sound of rain and distant iron socks on cobbles.
Iron socks on cobbles.
Willbury and Herbert caught up with Kipper and Arthur just as they were helping Grandfather up the gangplank.
chapter 47
HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIX IT?
Tom and the captain came forward to meet them.
Willbury and Herbert caught up with Kipper and Arthur just as they were helping Grandfather up the gangplank. The Squeakers had gone, the dummies on deck had stopped dancing, but the crows were still very happily playing the harmonium. They hadn’t gotten much better.
“Is everybody all right?” Willbury looked to see that everyone had made it to the ship.
“I think so,” Arthur said, helping his grandfather sit. “But where is Marjorie?”
Willbury gasped. “I forgot about her in the rush! She must still be hiding somewhere in the lab.”
“We’ve got to go get her!” Arthur said, jumping up.
“We do,” Willbury agreed. “And we also have to try to save Ratbridge from Snatcher and Framley.”
“How are we going to do that?” asked the captain.
“I don’t think we have any choice but to take them on, and the sooner we do, the better.”
The captain agreed. “I don’t really know how we take on Framley now that he’s so monstrously big, but I suppose we do have to try.” He turned to the crew and gave the order. “Okay! Gather all the weapons you can find!”
“Can we take off these stupid boxes?” asked Bert.
Fish looked very offended.
“I’m sorry,” apologized Bert, “but damp cardboard . . . it chafes my legs!”
“Okay, everybody get changed! Then get the weapons,” ordered the captain.
Kipper raised a hand. “May I keep my box on?”
“Oh, if you really want to!” replied the captain. Fish smiled at Kipper, who smiled back.
Herbert held up a foot. “And would you get me out of these darn socks?” he pleaded.
Kipper found a chisel, held it against the hinges of the boots, and with two careful blows of Herbert’s walloper the socks were off.
Everyone stepped away a bit. Arthur held his nose.
He held it against the hinges of the boots.
“I think you had better go and wash those in the canal,” Willbury said kindly. “And, Kipper, can you see if you can find some tin snips. Herbert needs to cut his toenails.”
By the time the others had changed, Herbert had sorted out his feet and was back on deck.
“Do you need shoes?” asked Willbury.
“Nah! After years in those socks, me feet are as hard as granite! And by the way, you need some new tin snips.”
“And by the way, you need some new tin snips.”
The captain looked from man to man. Then he said, “Right. Herbert, I think you should lead the assault.”
There was a cheer, and Herbert smiled.
Then Mildred came forward. “Is there any chance we crows could come too? We could play you all into battle.”
Everybody went quiet, and then the captain took charge. “It would be splendid if you gave us a rousing send-off, but somebody has to have the important job of looking after, and err . . .”—the captain paused and raised an eyebro—“. . . entertaining Grandfather and the miniature underlings.”
There was another cheer. The crows returned to the keyboard and tried to play a march.
Arthur suddenly grabbed his grandfather’s arm. “Do you realize that now that Herbert is free, you have a witness to what happened? We could clear your name . . . and live aboveground.”
The crows returned to the keyboard and tried to play a march.
“Yes, Arthur, maybe we could. But first we need to stop Archibald Snatcher and whatever it is he’s up to.” He looked fondly at Arthur; then his expression grew more serious. “I’m not going to stop you from going back with the others to the Cheese Hall, but please think about it.”
Arthur looked him squarely in the face. “I have to go back. I am not sure what’s going to happen but I need to be there.”
“All right, but . . .”
“I’ll be careful!” Arthur smiled. “I haven’t come this far to . . . well, you know?”
“Yes, I know,” said Grandfather, and he winked. “Go on. Off with you!”
Arthur looked him squarely in the face.
“Careful now, Gristle; we don’t want to hurt baby.”
chapter 48
LET’S HIT THE TOWN!
A smile spread ov
er Snatcher’s face.
As the clouds of dust settled, a smile spread over Snatcher’s face. There was a massive hole in the wall of the lab.
“I was wondering how we were going to get the Great One out of here.” Then he snapped out an order. “Ready the armor!”
Members ran to a corner of the lab and pulled dust sheets from a strangely shaped heap. Beneath the covers was a set of iron war armor. It looked like a cross between a giant snail shell and an old riveted boiler. Cannons were fixed above a small platform on either side, and in the center of the back was another platform for someone to ride on.
Beneath the covers was a set of iron war armor.
Inside the shed, Gristle flicked a lever and a crane moved across the floor to the armor. The members attached a hook from the crane to the armor so it could lift it from the floor. With the armor swaying in the air, the crane moved toward the Great One.
“Careful now, Gristle; we don’t want to hurt baby.”
When the armor was over the giant rat, the members maneuvered it onto him. Snatcher climbed down from the shed and inspected the armor for fit.
“It’s a bit loose around the edges,” Snatcher muttered, poking here and there. “We really did need the extra size from those wretched underlings.”
Then he yelled out, “Gristle, lift the armor off for a moment and could the Trouts please go into the cage and check that the extractor funnel is correctly positioned. I am not sure it’s working properly.”
Snatcher followed the Trouts to the cage but stopped outside the door. Then in a blink, Snatcher snapped the door closed and locked it.
“Shrink ’em, Gristle!”
The Trouts looked horrified. “But Masterrrrrrrrrrrrrr . . .”
