“Thank you,” Mr. Smithers replied, flattered that King Rupert found him to be a worthy addition. “I am honored to assist you,” he added with a slight bow, then immediately stood and snapped his fingers as if remembering something. “Oh, by the way, there’s a question I’ve been meaning to ask you, King Rupert. Whatever happened to that other member of your group? Didn’t he make it back through the timedoor?”
King Rupert and Artemas looked guiltily at each other and then the King shrugged his shoulders. “Only Artemas and I went through the timedoor into your world. I don’t know who you’re talking about. Well, let’s go!” he said, ready to climb back on his horse.
Mr. Smithers scratched his head. “No, no, no! I’m sure there were three of you. Artemas and yourself, and that other fellow I followed to the caves. I assumed you all got separated.” Everyone looked at the King who had one foot on the ground and the other lodged in a stirrup. “Don’t you remember him? He looked kind of spooky. The one wearing the black cloak.”
Christopher and Molly walked toward the King as he removed his foot from the stirrup. He looked at the children, red in the face, and then glanced at Artemas for advice. “Who was that other person, King Rupert?” Christopher asked.
“Other person? Well I– I, uh, well...”
Molly looked up at Mr. Smithers. “Are you saying someone else besides King Rupert and Artemas entered our world through the timedoor?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying. But whoever he was, he didn’t seem very pleased staying there. Many times over the past week I saw him beneath the bridge by the river, furiously tapping at the stone support as if looking for something.” Mr. Smithers chuckled. “I thought he looked silly, but now I know better. He was trying to find that magic door, only it was closed.”
“Enough idle talk!” the King said. “We have a mission to complete. So let’s stop wasting time!”
“But we want to know about this other person,” Christopher insisted.
“Mr. Smithers has a wild imagination. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” The King threw a disdainful glance at the man. But no matter how often and loudly King Rupert ordered the others to follow him, nobody moved.
“What are you trying to hide?” Christopher asked. Neither the King nor Artemas appeared eager to offer an explanation. They stood like two children who had been scolded by their parents.
Molly gently took hold of King Rupert’s hand and softly spoke. “Please tell us, King Rupert. Tell us about that man in the black cloak.”
King Rupert stood at a loss for words. All eyes were focused on him. He wiped the sweat from his brow and took several deep breaths. But not feeling any better and seeing no way of escaping the truth, he plopped down on the cold ground, holding his head and moaning. “I’ve been a bad king,” he mumbled. “A very, very bad king. What a dreadful thing I’ve done.” Then he went silent.
Several anxious minutes passed before the others could get him to speak. The children were curious yet fearful about what he had to say. Finally, after a few kind words of support from Molly, King Rupert decided to tell everything, not omitting even the tiniest detail.
“I always suspected you were hiding something,” Christopher said. “But I could never figure out what.”
King Rupert nodded. “I must confess that I never told you the complete story. My castle was attacked by Malaban’s troops, who also kidnapped my daughter Rosalind. And Artemas and I did flee through the timedoor to escape the sorcerer’s wrath. That is all completely and honestly true as the air is cold,” he said. “But there is something else. One little item I neglected to mention.”
“Tell us,” Molly whispered.
“When Artemas and I escaped through the timedoor, we entered your world in the early morning. A dense fog rolled on the ground. The two of us ran and hid behind some nearby bushes and waited.” King Rupert combed his fingers through his hair. “We watched the bridge, and watched and waited until we saw what we had feared the most. A dark figure emerged from underneath the bridge and quickly searched the area. Not finding us, he headed off along the road by the river, thinking we had gone that way.”
Christopher’s jaw dropped. “Do you mean to say–?”
“Yes, Christopher,” the King said. “It was the sorcerer. Malaban had followed us through the timedoor.”
Molly couldn’t believe her ears. “Malaban was in our world? In my very own neighborhood?”
“I’m afraid so, Molly,” Artemas said, taking over for the King who appeared too upset to talk anymore. “When King Rupert and I saw Malaban walk away, we rushed back under the bridge to the timedoor. But we were too late. It had already closed. So we ran down the road in the opposite direction, not wanting to run into Malaban. We eventually took refuge in a deserted building in a field.”
“Mrs. Halloway’s barn!” Christopher shouted.
“We thought it best to hide out there until the timedoor reopened. But then you children found us, and well, you know the rest of the story.”
“Not all of it.” Christopher looked directly at King Rupert. “Why did you lie about when the timedoor would reopen? Artemas calculated that it would open at sunrise.”
“I can explain that,” he said. “After Artemas completed his work at the planetarium, he secretly informed me that the timedoor would open about three hours before sunrise. Since it remains open for only three hours, it would close at sunrise. I instructed Artemas to tell your father that it would open at sunrise.”
“But why?”
“Because Artemas and I didn’t want to return to Endora until the last possible moment,” he explained. “If Malaban was watching and saw us return through the timedoor, he would be certain to follow. So I figured if we waited until the very last moment, then the door would close before anyone else could go through. That’s why I wanted to get rid of everybody at Mr. Smithers’ diner. The less commotion, the better the chances my plan had to work.” King Rupert looked around at Christopher, Molly and Mr. Smithers. “Well, I guess my timing was off a little. The three of you made it through. But apparently Malaban hasn’t. My kingdom will be rid of him forever!” he shouted jubilantly. He frowned soon after when seeing that the children were less than enthusiastic with the news. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” Christopher said. “Think about it. Malaban won’t cause any more trouble in your world, but imagine what he’ll do while in ours!”
Molly angrily shook her finger at the King. “How could you pull a stunt like that? As soon as Malaban realizes he can’t get back to his world, he’ll start taking over ours. That sorcerer will probably turn everyone into snakes and dragonflies and wiggle worms before the week is over!”
“I hadn’t thought of that. I just wanted to get rid of the pest. I never meant to cause your world any trouble,” he said. “Dear me, but I’ve really fouled things up.”
“And how!” Molly said.
“What are you going to do about it?” Christopher added.
The King looked at the children with shame in his eyes. What a horrible thing he had done, he thought. Staring at Christopher and Molly and seeing the worry etched upon their faces, he couldn’t help but think of his own daughter. How it pained King Rupert to imagine what hardships Princess Rosalind was enduring. He vowed not to let Malaban cause trouble for anyone else.
“Did you say that you watched the sorcerer?” the King asked Mr. Smithers.
“Yes, sir. After I saw him return to the bridge several times, I decided to follow him and see what he was up to.” Mr. Smithers lowered his voice. “Malaban hid in an old cave about a half mile down the road near the river. I saw where he entered, but I never dared to go inside.”
The King considered his options before addressing his audience. “I have decided what to do. After we rescue Rosalind and return to my castle, we shall wait for the timedoor to reopen its last time. And since I got us into this mess, I guess I shall have to get us out. Therefore,” he said in a booming voice, but paused a
very long time afterward, “I will return through the timedoor and confront Malaban myself. I shall drag that evil sorcerer back here by his collar if I have to.”
Everyone cheered at the good news. King Rupert tried to smile, but now felt like he was carrying the world on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry,” Christopher said, sensing the King’s uneasiness. “I will go with you. I’m not afraid.”
“Me too!” Molly added. “If we can face Malaban’s whole army to rescue Princess Rosalind, then dealing with Malaban alone should be a snap.”
King Rupert shuddered. “Easier said than done, Molly. Though my heart tells me I’m a brave king for proposing to go after him, my mind insists that I’m a fool. Malaban will probably turn me into a sniveling field mouse and crush me underfoot before I even get a chance to speak!”
Though hardly the best sentiment to begin the remainder of their journey, it would have to do. Ulric led the way, though their travels that day proved uneventful. On occasion they stopped at a stream, usually frozen over, and broke through the top layer of ice to get at the refreshing water below. Mile by mile they continued north toward Malaban’s fortress. The only thing that cheered them was the fact that Malaban wouldn’t be there. But this proved to be a minor consolation after Ulric described the army of men, trolls and goblins that awaited them instead.
Evening finally arrived, bringing with it a light snowfall. The change in weather cheered the children, but after an hour or two, the powdery flakes disappeared. The landscape was again a brown and barren wasteland. Molly seemed ready to give up altogether when Ulric halted the procession.
“Close enough. We’ll make camp in that grove of trees over there,” he whispered, pointing to a few dozen swaying pine trees. Their sweet scent refreshed the weary riders. “Malaban’s fortress is about a mile due north. We’ll sleep for a while and then leave a few hours before dawn. Get all the rest you can,” Ulric strongly advised. “The path ahead is a dangerous one. And from this point on we travel by foot.”
CHAPTER SIX
The Fortress of Malaban
Christopher awoke several hours after midnight and peeked out of the opening in his tent. The stars glistened warmly in bunches, but the air bit with a stinging chill. He struggled to put on his coat and hood so as not to wake Molly, wrapped an extra blanket around his shoulders and stepped outside. As tired as he had been a few short hours ago, all desire for sleep had now vanished. He knew everyone else would be getting up in the next hour, so he decided to stay awake and enjoy the solitude.
Christopher trudged over the dead grass to where the cold embers from last night’s fire lay scattered. He sat on a rock but immediately jumped up when hearing a twig snap. A dark figure emerged from the shadows. His heart pounded until he recognized the face in the gloom.
“Oh, it’s you, Ulric. For a minute I thought we might have another spy to deal with.”
“Starting today, we will be the spies,” he said, setting down a pile of twigs he had collected. “Breaking into a castle involves a bit of trickery.”
“Oh, I’ve done that before,” Christopher said in jest, though he was rather pleased that he and Molly had found King Rupert before the castle guards had found them.
“So you have,” Ulric said with a grin. He built up a small pile of dried grass, leaves and wood shavings before removing two small stones from his coat pocket. He repeatedly struck one stone against the other, holding them close to the tinder. In a few moments, several hot sparks jumped from the stones and ignited the dry material. Ulric slowly added some small twigs and then a few larger ones until a steady blaze burned. “I’ll wake the others soon. I always like to get a fire going first. There’s nothing worse than waking up with only the bitter darkness to greet you.”
Christopher watched as the flames darted into the air. Quiet times like this were a pleasure, and the burden of the task ahead didn’t weigh down so heavily. A part of him rather looked forward to the adventure. The thrill of a heroic rescue was something he had only dreamed about, but now he was actually living it. If only his friends at school could see him. Yet deep down inside, he knew this wasn’t a game. Images of the dangerous reality that lay ahead lurked in the back of his mind.
“Ulric, do you think we’ll rescue Princess Rosalind? There are only six of us against a whole army of soldiers. Those aren’t very good odds.”
Ulric agreed. “But we know our opposition from the start, so that is an advantage. They, on the other hand, do not know we are coming.” The King’s chief guard added more wood to the fire then stretched out his legs. “Once we get near the castle, we’ll take matters one step at a time. We really don’t know what to expect, so it’s best to keep our options open.”
Christopher found no fault with Ulric’s logic and said nothing more. Both sat in silence and enjoyed the hypnotic crackle of the flames. An hour or so later, Ulric went around to each tent and wakened everyone. Christopher heard the grumbling of the other party members as they crawled out into the bracing chill. After a short breakfast under the cover of darkness, all were ready to go.
The tents were quickly folded and packed with the other supplies. Everything not needed for the hike to Malaban’s castle was hidden deep within the pine trees to await the group’s return. Even the horses had to be let go. Ulric explained that if a stray horse was spotted near the fortress, suspicions would be raised and a search party sent out. That’s why it would be necessary to walk the final mile.
“There’s a stream in the woods that is not frozen over,” he said. “And plenty of grass for food and trees for protection. The horses will be better off than we are. If we’re lucky, we’ll find them in this area when we return. I would hate walking all the way back to Endora.”
But before anyone dared even to think that far ahead, they first had to travel north to rescue Princess Rosalind. So without further stalling, Ulric led the way across the dreary landscape, following along the woods to their right. King Rupert feared that such a long hike over the cruel terrain would be too much for Molly, but was pleasantly surprised to see otherwise. During much of the walk she and Christopher gleefully discussed with Artemas the number of strange constellations in the sky.
“Daddy would be fascinated if he could see these stars,” Molly said. “There are even more here than in our own night sky.”
Artemas seemed doubtful. “You probably don’t see as many stars back home because of all the dreadful light that blocks them from your view. I remember those monstrous metal light giants that stood guard over your city streets. They emitted such an awful glare that I could hardly see a single star at times.”
Christopher chuckled. “Those were streetlights, not giants.”
“Well, they’re a nuisance to be sure.”
“Our world isn’t perfect,” Mr. Smithers admitted. “But I’m happy to say that we don’t have half-crazed sorcerers running around raising all sorts of havoc.” Then he remembered that Malaban was hiding out in a cave not far from his diner. “Well, one sorcerer anyway,” he muttered, shrugging his shoulders. “What harm can one do?”
Before anyone could answer, Ulric rushed back to the group from his lead position and swiftly herded them into the edge of the woods. “Quiet,” he whispered, signaling for everyone to duck down and keep hidden in the trees.
For the first time during the journey, Molly felt truly frightened. She clutched Christopher’s arm, waiting for whatever terrible thing was about to happen. Then she heard it, faint at first, but growing stronger–the pounding of footsteps. A hundred pairs of them, possibly more. The rhythmic marching shook the ground. Brittle grass and twigs snapped and crunched as they were crushed beneath the weight of the approaching feet. Molly held her breath.
From behind a grassy hill emerged a hoard of hungry, dirty and grim-faced soldiers. They marched in twos and carried torches–men, trolls and goblins all mixed together. They traveled on a dirt road that came out from behind the hill and curved around, continuing farther
north along the woods. Molly realized they were lucky to have had Ulric scouting ahead. If they had hiked on another minute longer, their group would have found the road just as the soldiers approached. All would certainly have been made instant captives. Instead of rescuing Princess Rosalind, they would have joined her in prison.
“Let them pass,” Ulric softly said. “They won’t see us hidden here in this darkness.”
“I didn’t realize we were so close to the fortress,” King Rupert whispered.
“We’re still a half mile away. But I wasn’t expecting to come across a road at this point. It must be new. We’ll follow it ourselves after the troops are out of sight. We’ll save a good deal of time that way.”
They took to the road a short time later and made swift progress. Ulric guessed that the road extended right to the castle gate. “We must be careful,” he said. “Even though the hour is still early, there seems to be much activity near the castle. I wonder what’s happening inside.”
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Christopher said, pointing. “Look.”
There, looming in the distance like a huge squatting vulture, stood Malaban’s fortress. It was built out of gray blocks of stone, surrounded by a moat nearly sixty feet across. Guard towers shot up from each corner of the castle, and a stone parapet encircled the walkways high above the two enormous wooden doors at the entrance. The torch-bearing soldiers they had encountered earlier now marched across the drawbridge and disappeared inside.
“Are we planning to walk merrily across the drawbridge and go inside ourselves?” Mr. Smithers asked. “I see guards standing near the entrance.”
“I’m not that brave or foolish to suggest such a plan,” Ulric said. “Besides, the drawbridge is starting to close.”
Mr. Smithers watched as the drawbridge was slowly raised with a groan by a pair of enormous black chains, sealing the castle shut with an echoing boom. “So much for that option,” he said.
The Endora Trilogy (The Complete Series) Page 6
