The Rightful Heir (15 page)

“Jonah…
King
Jonah, I'm so sorry you had to see that.… Now, tell me about this human.”

“Oh, and this is the most incredible thing of all! Later that afternoon this boy comes onto the porch and goes inside the house to talk to my owner. He then runs out and turns around to find me under the porch.
Then
he grabs me and takes the collar off of my neck. I'm yelling at him and he talks back to me…the human could understand me!”

“That,
my friend
, was King Benjamin.” Malcolm smiled at the dumbfounded pug.

“As he left he told me the collar belongs to King Pugsly's heir. I hadn't heard his name in so long, I was confused… and a little shaken. I was talking to a human boy!”

“Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I first heard him myself.”

“Well, I tried to follow him, but he was going too fast. He told me he was going back to the kingdom. So I've been looking for it for the past day, but as you now know, I don't know where it is.”

Malcolm took a deep breath and exhaled with satisfaction. “King Jonah, I will help you find this kingdom. It's been too long since I saw King Benjamin, Paco, and the others, and I have some explaining to do.”

Malcolm and Jonah walked together through the woods. At the raccoon's request, they went in the opposite direction of the old ivy-covered barn.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

B
ENJAMIN FINISHED DRESSED
for school and grabbed his backpack. His mom was alone at the kitchen table.

“You're up
early!” Carol took a long sip of mocha from her mug.

“Did Dad already leave?” Benjamin asked.

“Yes, and I'm about to. I have to help down at the church office. Then I need to check and make sure we have the park reserved for Sunday.”

“The Harvest Home Festival is Sunday. What do you need the park for?”

“You already forgot!” Carol rolled her eyes. “It's time for our fall family reunion.”

“What? I want to go to the Harvest Home Festival!” Benjamin knew Jessica would be there and hated the thought of not seeing her in her Watermelon Queen dress.

“The reunion is in the afternoon, Ben.”

“Do I have to go?”

“Yes! Everybody wants to see you!”

“They all say ‘hi' and then never talk to me again.” Benjamin looked at his mom's offended face. “Will cousin Jon be there?”

“Yes. Their family is coming, too.”

“Alright then, I can't wait.” Benjamin stoically gave his mom a fake smile.

She put down her empty coffee mug and left the kitchen.
“Okay, I'm leaving. Have a good day at school. I'll see you when you get home.”

“Bye.”

He heard her close the front door and went to the window to watch her leave the driveway. He was surprised to see the fog that had rolled in. He looked at the hallway clock. He still had half an hour before the school bus showed up.
That's more than enough time for me to go to the kingdom
. He opened the front door and felt a cool breeze caress him.
I hope it's warmer inside the cave!
The pond looked eerie as wisps of cold fog slowly danced off it.

T
HE EARLY MORNING DAMPNESS
from the ground chilled the rattlesnakes' bellies as they slithered through the forest. Siloam trailed off from the others as they made their way to the barn. “I will meet back up with you after a while. Keep looking for the heir. He could be anywhere!”

“Yesss, Massster.” The others left as he disappeared through the bushes.

He slithered a long way through the trees and grass, finally coming upon a small brook surrounded with limestone rock. A natural spring had filled up a small pool of water, where the trees above dropped their colored leaves. He stared into the calm water, watching for any movement.
“Ribbit! Ribbit!”
A large, fat, dark-green bullfrog with warts covering his whole body croaked from atop a patch of shadowy moss that floated along the side, camouflaging him. Two more bulbous sets of frog eyes stared out of the water behind their leader.

“Hisssssss
. I hope you have sssome…
interesssting
newsss for me?”

“The heir never showed up last night.
Ribbit
. The Snapper is keeping an eye open for him. We'll check back in a couple days to see if anything happened.
Ribbit!”

“A couple daysss?
Hisssssss.”
Siloam's rattle shook. “We had an agreement, Fat Tony.
You sssaid you would keep a continuousss watch on their kingdom.”

“Ribbit
. Do you realize how many workers I have on this project? I had to hire the Snapper, and he wasn't cheap, not to mention the time spent finding tunnels that lead to their spring.
Ribbit
. That lazy, good-for-nothing Marlon's been plundering the forest since all the competition is gone. Even Don Diego has backed away from the ‘coons!
Ribbit.”

“Hisssssssss
. Remember how grateful you were when we killed the raccoon? You sssaid you would help me out!” The bullfrog's bulbous eyes blinked in consideration and the snake smiled maliciously. “I guesss I could eat you inssstead.”

A giant croak popped out of Fat Tony's throat. “I'll head back and see if anything new has happened.
Ribbit.”

“I will return at sssunssset. There had better be sssomething…” Siloam looked over the fat bullfrog and flicked his tongue.
“Juicy.”
He hissed and slithered into the grass.

The bullfrog looked at the other two in the water. “…Snakes.”

B
ENJAMIN PASSED THROUGH THE COLD TUNNEL
that took him down into the earth. He heard no talking.
They must still be asleep
. When he reached the hall, in the pale light he saw masses of animals curled up, sleeping. He remembered when Paco scared the sleepwalking Roscoe and Clementine when he yelled ‘Farangis!' and got a mischievous idea. He tiptoed through the animals. Clementine lay next to the natural spring pool. Benjamin put down his backpack and quietly approached the peaceful, sleeping pig.

Hmmpph!
With one great heave, Benjamin pushed the pig into the freezing water. Clementine's eyes shot out. “What the—?!
Oink! Oink! Oink!
It's freezing!
Oink! Oink!”
All the
animals awoke instantly. They saw the pig thrashing in the pool and their king laughing hysterically. They laughed, too. “Your Majesty, help me! Please help me!” The pig started to dip under the water as his little legs kicked madly.

Benjamin's smile disappeared. “Oh no! Okay, just hold on, Clementine!”

“To what?!”

Benjamin leaned out to grab the frantic pig. The water was cold. He managed to grab a front porky leg. “Gotcha!”

“Hold on tight, Your Majesty!”

“I won't let go!” Benjamin never saw the pig grin right before he twisted his fat body over, pulling the boy into the icy cold pool with him.

“Whoaaaaaaaa!”

The animals watched their king splash around awkwardly while the fat pig laughed his head off, bobbing up and down in the water. Clementine confidently swam to the ledge of the pool and heaved himself out. Roscoe stared the wet pig in the face.

“Nice going,
pig!
You just got the king all wet!” he said in disgust.

“Feel free to help,
Matador,”
Clementine smiled.

The goat walked to the ledge and bowed his head. “Here, Your Majesty. Grab onto my horns.” Benjamin moved close to the ledge and grabbed onto his one full horn. It didn't take much to yank Roscoe into the pool.
“Baaaaaah! Baaaaah!”
Clementine laughed hardest of all. Benjamin grabbed the hysterical goat with a free arm.

“There, there, Roscoe. It's not so cold once you get used to it!”

“Yeah, Roscoe. You gotta stay in longer than that!” Clementine jeered. Loud splashing drowned out the goat's reply…thankfully. Clementine roared at Roscoe's long black ears
drooping over his eyes.

Benjamin helped Roscoe out of the pool and followed right behind. “Ahhh! Okay I'm definitely awake now.” He laughed as he stretched out on the floor, soaked head to toe.

“Good morning, Sire! Good morning, Your Majesty!” They greeted the silly-looking king.

“Good morning, everybody.” Benjamin coughed and sat up. “Well…I've got some good news.”

“Tell us, Sire!” Clementine shook his fat body and the remaining drops flew off his black, bristly hair into Roscoe's face.

“Thanks.”
The goat snapped.

“I talked to the pug with the black foot last night.” His audience leaned in. “And…he
is
King Pugsly's son!”

“Hooray!” The animals jumped for joy and Benjamin smiled, just as excited about the meeting he'd had with Mac.