Hercules and the Geek of Greece (7 page)

It was strange how it happened.

One moment Hercules and Geekus were out beyond the castle wall, the next, they were inside an incredibly beautiful room.

This room was filled with gold, silver, and jewels. There were necklaces, earrings, bracelets—all sparkling with diamonds or rubies. Emeralds were strewn everywhere.

It looked to be a combination between a queen's dressing room and a vault.

“Wow!” Geekus nearly screamed, doubly shocked by his sudden appearance here and by all the riches surrounding them.

“Wow,” Hercules repeated, though much more to himself. He couldn't help but be dazzled. He had seen many things in his life and he didn't think there was this much gold, silver, or diamonds in the whole world!

The Amazons have been stealing these riches for centuries,
he heard Brooma's voice say.
This will be the first time anyone's tried to steal something back.

“But where is it?” Hercules asked. “Where is the Crown of Xas?”

“There it is!” Geekus answered. “Look!”

Geekus was pointing to a case right behind them. Sure enough, inside was a brilliantly shining, jewel-encrusted crown.

“Are you sure that is it?” Hercules asked Geekus.

“I've seen it on my aunt's head every day since I was a baby,” Geekus replied. “Believe me, that's it!”

They opened the case with a snap of the lock. Hercules reached inside and took the crown out. It was so heavy with gold and jewels, he almost dropped it.

“Be careful,” Geekus warned him.

Hercules unlashed a piece of leather from his belt, tied it securely around the crown, and then back around his waist. The crown was going nowhere he didn't want it to go.

Or so he thought. . . .

“Okay, Brooma, we got it,” Hercules whispered urgently. “Now get us out of here.”

A slight breeze went through the windowless room.

What?
Hercules heard Brooma's ancient voice cackle.

“I said, get us out of here!” Hercules repeated.

Oh, my.
Brooma's voice was now very uncertain.
I'm not sure I know how.

“Brooma,” Hercules nearly yelled. “Use the enchantment!”

Well, yes, but .
. .
you see .
. .
the enchantment was only good for getting you inside the vault. I don't have one to get you out.

Hercules felt his heart sink to his feet.

A moment later, he heard a very frightening sound. The door to the vault was opening!

Before they knew it, a gang of Amazons poured in, swords and bows raised high.

Hercules just looked at Geekus, and Geekus looked back at him. Neither could believe it.

They'd been caught.

Exactly why the Amazons didn't just do away with them right there and then, Hercules didn't know.

They were rough with them though, pulling the crown from his belt and then knocking Geekus off his feet. The enormous women didn't speak—indeed, Hercules got the feeling that they
couldn't
speak. But the movements of their swords made it quite clear that Hercules and Geekus were now their prisoners.

They were marched out of the vault, down a long series of hallways and stairs, obviously heading for the dungeon of the fortress.

“This is not good,” Geekus moaned as they were led down into the bottom of the castle.

No, not good at all,
Hercules heard Brooma say.

The dungeon was ten floors down, and each floor they passed, the colder and darker things became.

The Amazons were so big, that Hercules found them slightly unreal. They were beautiful in a way—all blond with muscular curvy bodies and short but strong armor uniforms. But they were also quite frightening, especially their long swords and huge bows.

Finally they reached the dungeon. It was a long hallway with many doors and water dripping from every part of the stone ceiling.

The door to one of the cells was opened by an Amazon bearing a set of keys. Hercules and Geekus were literally thrown into the cell and the door slammed tight behind them.

“Wow!” Geekus yelled as soon as the door was locked.

“Is that all you can say?” Hercules snapped at him. “Don't you know any other word?”

“Wow. . . .” Geekus said again.

Hercules just shook his head.

“What's the matter with you?” he asked him sternly. “We are in a lot of trouble here.”

But Geekus wasn't really listening. He was pointing to the corner of the dark, dank cell. There were two forms huddled there. Hercules approached them cautiously.

It was two girls. Two young girls. Both blondes. Both crying.

“Wow,” Hercules heard himself say involuntarily.

It was Dedra and Posey.

The two girls were as surprised to see Hercules and Geekus as our adventurers were to see them.

“Hercules!” the girls both squealed at once. “You've come to save us!”

Hercules just shook his head.

“Well, not exactly,” he murmured.

Then both girls looked at Geekus. They recognized him right away, of course. They'd known of him even
before
he'd caused the disaster at the Festival of the Blue Moon.

Now Dedra looked at him like she'd just eaten a sour peach.

“What is
he
doing here, Hercules?” she asked. “He's the village geek. . . .”

Hercules looked at the two girls, then at Geekus, and then back at the two girls. He'd come to know a very different Geekus in the past few days.

“He's my partner,” Hercules said finally.

Geekus's eyes went so wide with astonishment, his glasses nearly fell off. Did Hercules just say that?
Partner? Really?

At that moment, they heard a guard walking by the locked prison door. Hercules moved the two girls back to the corner of the cell and signaled everyone to lower their voices.

“How did you two get here?” Hercules asked them in a whisper.

“We don't know,” Dedra replied, beginning to sniffle worse than Geekus on a bad day. “I was taking my afternoon nap at home and I woke up here.”

“Same thing happened to me,” Posey added with a long, noisy sniff of her own.

A bedeviling enchantment,
Hercules heard Brooma's craggy voice say.
It's Stuka's way of telling Xumonia to back off. The Castletop wizards must have put their forces together to pull this off .
. .
I didn't think they had it in them.

“What are you going to do?” Posey asked. “We just have to get out of here!”

“Yes, Hercules,” Dedra said. “You
have
to save us.”

Both girls then began bawling.

“I mean, look at my hair, Hercules!” Posey cried. “I haven't washed it in three whole days!”

“And look at my skin, Hercules,” Dedra said. “I'm dirty. I'm actually dirty for the first time in my life!”

Both Hercules and Geekus laughed out loud—even in their dire circumstances, it was funny. After what Hercules and Geekus had been through just getting to Castletop, a hair wash and a bath would be welcome—but they weren't all that important at the moment. But the two prim and proper girls were really freaking out!

Hercules made a fist and pounded on the door, but it somehow resisted even his legendary strength. It must have been magic. Next he studied the walls of the cell. They looked at least five paces thick with only the smallest window to look from.

“Well, I don't want to disappoint you girls,” he said. “But I have no idea
how
to get out of here.”

Both girls began gushing again.

“Do they feed you, at least?” Hercules asked the blondes.

“Yes, awful, foul-tasting stuff!” Posey cried. “Turnips. Sprouts. Carrots! Yuck!”

“And such small portions!” Dedra yelled.

Hercules rolled his eyes again. It was strange, but at that moment, he realized that if he had his choice, he preferred Geekus's company to these two.

“Why did they kidnap you?” Hercules asked them. “Did they tell you?”

“They told us that they heard Queen Xumonia had sent some special warriors here after the stolen crown,” Dedra said.

“When these warriors get here,” Posey said, “the Amazons are going to use us as hostages. If they attack, we'll be thrown into the Endless Hole of Mook!”

“Why are you two here?” Dedra asked.

Hercules and Geekus started laughing again.

“I guess
we're
the special warriors!” they both said at the same time.

The blondes had no idea why Hercules and Geekus were laughing, and neither felt like explaining it to them. Hercules just wanted to get out of this place, in one piece—preferably with the Crown of Xas.

“Brooma?” Hercules called out. “Are you still with us?”

I'm here. . . .

“How can we get out of here?” Hercules asked her.

I'm not sure .
. .
I'm working on it. . . .

“Who are you talking to?” Dedra wanted to know.

“Let's just say an old friend of mine,” Hercules replied. “
Very
old.”

I heard that . . .

Hercules smiled a bit. At least Brooma had stuck with them—though she'd also gotten them into this tight spot!

I'm close to getting you out of there!
Brooma suddenly said.

“All of us?” Hercules asked. “There are four to get out now!”

Hmmm, four? That will be hard. I'm trying to get a message to an old friend of mine. I hope they can help.

“Please hurry!” Hercules urged her. “If the Amazons were going to throw Dedra and Posey into the endless hole—then they would certainly toss me and Geekus in, too!”

“Yes, hurry!” Geekus said. “Whoever you are!”

A moment later, Hercules heard Geekus yelp. He looked at Geekus and then he saw a cloud of gold sparkles engulf him.

“Hercules!” Geekus cried out, but a second later, he was gone.

Dedra and Posey were stunned. So was Hercules.

“Brooma—only Geekus has left us!” Hercules cried.

Oh, dear—my own powers are too weak to get you all out. I must find my friend!

“Brooma, wait!” Hercules whispered urgently. “Where did Geekus go?!”

But the absentminded goddess was already gone.

Geekus was holding on for dear life.

He was hanging by his fingers off the forest side of the huge chasm. But just barely. He was so scared that for the first time in his life, his nose wasn't running.

It was a very long drop down. And above him was the darkening sky.

Pull yourself up! C'mon .
. .
you're a boy . . . you have some strength. . . .

Geekus heard these words as if they'd blown in on the wind—but he took the advice, and with more strength than he ever thought he had, he somehow boosted himself to the top. He rolled up onto the solid ground, opened his eyes again, and found himself staring down at the chasm where he'd almost fallen.

“Wow,” he whispered. “Don't know my own strength.”

But what had just happened to him? One moment he was in the cell, the next he was hanging off the cliff.

I only had enough power to get one of you out of the cell,
the words on the wind said again.

Now you must help them.

“Me? How? Who are you?”

You must use your head .
. .
I have to get a friend to help fix this mess!

“What should I do in the meantime?” he asked.

Well, look what happened to you! You almost went into the drink. If we can get them out of their cell, we still have to get them over the chasm. Work on that .
. .
good-bye!

“Wait!” Geekus yelled.

But all he could hear was the wind.

“Wow,” he wheezed. “Now what?”

Hercules was ready when the Amazon guards came in with the nightly prison meal.

As soon as he heard the key in the lock, he took his place beside the door. The Amazons had taken his dagger from him, but Hercules was armed with two other magical devices—at least, he hoped they were magical.

He was lucky—only two Amazons came in. They looked in the cell and saw there were only three people now instead of four. This stopped them in their tracks for a moment—the time Hercules needed to act out his plan.

He didn't want to hurt them with his strength, so he pulled out his two secret weapons—the magic combs that Dedra and Posey had brought with them—and tossed one of them into the first Amazon's hair. Suddenly her hair began to gleam and sparkle. Then the fierce warrior's long, blond tresses began to writhe and twist, causing her to drop the tray of weak soup and stale bread.

Hair went this way, hair went that way. One long tress covered the woman's eyes. Another went over her mouth. Then another around her hands and arms, tying them to her waist. In less than a second, the Amazon was bound and gagged.

The second comb did just about the same thing to the other guard. First over her mouth, then her eyes, then her hands were tied to her side. In a heartbeat, both Amazons were immobilized by their own hair.

Hercules then reached over and quickly pushed the door closed.

It was a good thing the girls had brought the gifts from Aphrodite with them.

But now what?
he wondered.

Geekus was hiding in the forest looking out at Castletop, trying to figure out what to do. It was very dark now.

Suddenly, the wind started blowing strangely.

He thought at first it was the weird voice coming back—but this was different.

He looked up and saw that the stars were disappearing from his view. The moon was almost full tonight, and was giving off lots of light, but that was fading too.

When he looked closer, he realized that something was passing over his head and blotting out the stars and moon. Something big, something close.

It was the dragon.

Geekus flattened himself down so far, it was like he was part of the earth. He began trembling—if the dragon saw him, he'd eat him for sure!

Or would he?

The dragon's shadow moved over his head and he was able to see it a little better in the moonlight. The dragon looked bigger than before. Much bigger.

But what was he doing?”

It flew over the castle and was circling around. There were no Amazons with trumpets bidding him to land. It was as if he were looking for . . . for what?

That's when Geekus got a thought.

Maybe the dragon wasn't such a bloodthirsty beast. Maybe he was just all bluff.

Or maybe the flying beast was just like him: a kid lost in the middle of the night.

“Interesting,” Geekus whispered.

Dedra and Posey were stunned.

They were looking at the two Amazons struggling on the floor of the cell, then up at Hercules, and then back at the Amazons.

“How did you do that?” they kept asking Hercules over and over.

“Never mind, we've got to get out of here,” Hercules told them. “Now let's go. . . .”

But the two girls suddenly stepped back.

“No,” said Dedra.

“No,” said Posey.

“
No?
Why?” Hercules snapped at them. “Do you want to get thrown into the endless hole?”

“We're too scared,” both girls wailed together.

Hercules just stared at them. What should he do? Leave them here? Make them come with him? He didn't know.

But a second later, the question was answered for him. Both girls were suddenly engulfed in the gold sparkling cloud. They were disappearing!

Then, just like that, they were gone!

“Brooma!” Hercules called out. “What about me?”

But though Hercules stood completely still for at least ten seconds, he saw no golden cloud, no evidence that he was fading away.

“Hmmm,” he mused grimly to himself. “Wonder if it was my breath?”

He was on his own now and knew that he had to make one more attempt to recapture the Crown of Xas. Or at least try. Only then would he worry about how to get off the Castletop.

Hercules lifted the two struggling Amazons out of the way, then ran out of the cell, slamming the door behind him. He found himself back out in the very long and dripping dark hallway. There was only one way he could go from here—and that was up. He ran down the hallway to the next set of steps and came to a screeching halt.

Voices . . . he could hear them right above him. He tiptoed up two steps and took a look.

Darn it! The hallway above him was filled with Amazons. They were dungeon guards. There were at least twelve of them, and they seemed to be taking a meal break.

Now what? Hercules worried. He was trapped—again. He couldn't just run by these women. Nor would going back to the cell do any good.

There was only one chance left.

“Brooma!” he called out.

Yes?

Hercules was almost surprised to hear the ancient goddess's voice.

And never was he happier.

“Where is Geekus?” he asked first.

He is safe. . . .

“Where are Dedra and Posey?”

Oh—well, that I don't know. I got them out of the cell—but exactly where they went .
. .
oh dear .
. .
I think I lost them. . . .

Suddenly the Amazons above Hercules began to stir. Mealtime was over. Now they might come down and check on their cell. And when they found out that it was empty, except for their two wrapped-up friends . . . well, then the real trouble would begin.

“How can you help me?” Hercules asked Brooma urgently.

Well, I can't make you disappear. I've used up all my energy with the other three. . . .

“Then how can I get by these guards?” Hercules asked desperately.

Mmmmm. Let me think,
Brooma said.
Well, you could fly over them, I suppose. . . .

“Fly?” Hercules asked, astonished. “You mean you
can
make me fly?”

I can try—but it will only last for a few seconds at a time,
was Brooma's answer.

The next thing Hercules knew, his body was rising from the stone floor. His feet had left the ground, and he was hovering in midair.

“Wow,” he breathed, sounding a bit too much like Geekus.

Then his body began to turn. Now he was floating over the ground—headfirst, like he was lying on a bed. It was the strangest feeling!

“Now . . . now what?” he asked Brooma feebly. Hercules felt like he would fall at any moment.

Now,
Brooma said,
I'll just give a little push, and . . .

The next thing Hercules knew, he was moving very quickly through the air. Up the stairs he went, twisting his body at the last moment to make the bend in the stairway. Now he was heading up to the next floor and out into the hallway where the Amazons were. He was up near the ceiling, going very fast, with the Amazons right below him. He was going so fast, in fact, they couldn't see him. He was over them in a flash and going up the next stairway into the next hall in the blink of an eye.

There were Amazon guards here too, but Hercules went over them in a blur as well.

He was flying! Not on a creaky flying invention—he was flying on his own. It was such a strange feeling! He could move this way and go that way—move that way and go this way. He was in complete control. The only bad thing was, he was moving so fast, it was hard to catch his breath!

Wait till I tell Geekus about this!
he thought.

But just as Brooma had warned, the flight was a short one. Hercules went up ten stories in just a few seconds—and then smashed into the side of the wall.

He crumpled to the floor, not quite sure what had happened. He looked around him.

“Why did it end here?” he asked Brooma.

This is where you wanted to go, dear,
Brooma said.

Hercules got to his feet, shaking his head to clear it. For once, Brooma was right. He had landed right outside the vault room where the Crown of Xas was being kept.

But he had to get inside!

Hercules studied the lock. It looked impossible to break into.

But then he got a surprise: he touched the door . . . and it squeaked open, from the inside.

Hercules took one look in and couldn't believe what he saw.

Dedra and Posey were inside the vault! They were draped in jewels, gold, and silver. They were laughing. Giddy . . .

So this is where they went!
Hercules heard Brooma say.

Hercules jumped into the vault and shut the door behind him. But Dedra and Posey hardly noticed him. They were too absorbed by all the rubies, diamonds, and gold.

“This is so cool!” Dedra was yelling—but she looked ridiculous. Her hair was ratty, her skin was dry—and she had way too much jewelry on. Posey looked even worse.

They have it bad,
Brooma said.

Hercules retrieved the Crown of Xas again and retied it to his belt. But then they all looked at each other and realized they were little better off than when they were in the dungeon cell.

The Amazons would soon find them gone, and they would naturally come up here to look for them.

“Brooma?” Hercules called out. “Have you any suggestions?”

No, my dear,
came the reply.
But there's someone here who might help.

Suddenly there was a flash of flame, and then a swirl of smoke appeared in the middle of the vault floor. When the smoke cleared, Hercules and the girls saw a person in a wizard's cloak wearing a wizard's hat and carrying a wizard's staff. The cloak's hood was so big, though, Hercules could not see the person's face.

This is the old friend of mine that I spoke of,
Brooma said.

Hercules closely studied the strange person.

“You are a wizard?” he asked hopefully.

“I am,” the person replied in a strangely deep voice. “And maybe more.”

“You seem familiar to me,” Hercules said, “though I don't know why. . . .”

The wizard nodded respectfully.

“We may have met, in one form or other.”

Hercules scratched his head over that answer. The person's voice was the strangest thing of all.

“Can you get us out of here?” Hercules asked for what seemed to be the thousandth time.

The wizard barely moved a muscle, but Hercules detected the slight shrug.

“I
hope
so,” came the strange reply.