The Rightful Heir (17 page)

“Hoo, hoo!
The forest is stirring, the monster's about!”

“Malcolm, what is it?” Jonah looked scared.

“
It
…it's a snake!” The two examined the enormously long skin on the ground.

Jonah gasped. “Where—?”

“Underneath you…”

Jonah jumped in fright.

“No, it's just the skin. It shed its skin here.” Malcolm grabbed it with both hands.

Jonah looked closely and suddenly it was obvious what it was. He looked at both ends of what seemed to be a snake skin with no head or tail, disappearing into the trees. “Whoa! Huh…How big is this thing?!”

“I don't know exactly, but—”

“Hoo, hoo!
The myth or the monster?
Hoo, hoo!”
Jonah reached for an itch behind his ear and the owl spotted his black foot. “It's you!
Hoo, hoo!”
He jumped out of his nest and spread his large wings, soaring down to the dog and raccoon.

Malcolm readied himself, thinking the owl was coming to attack. But the bird landed in front of them, kicking up a pile of fallen leaves. “You! You're the…uh, I mean,
Hoo, hoo!
The one, they say, the one who…” The frustrated owl sighed. “Ah, who am I kiddin'? You're King Pugsly's son!” Jonah and Malcolm exchanged a glance. “Am I right?” The owl stared at them. “Oh, c'mon, you
can't hold out on me now!” His eyes opened wide.

“Uh…y-yes, I am,” Jonah said hesitantly.

“I knew it! Ha! Only the son of King Pugsly could have one black foot like yours.” The owl laughed.

Malcolm was curious. “Hey, why are you talking, uh…
normal
to us now?”

“Oh,” he snorted. “Ummmm…because this is how I talk.”

Malcolm put his nose in the air. “Well then what was all that…” He flapped his arms against his sides and darted his head around.
“Hoo, hoo
, race to the place of the chase…with a face,
hoo, hoo, hoo!”

“Oh, tee-hee, yeah…” The owl blushed. “I don't know. I guess I just get a kick out of making people think.”

“Think about what–how dumb you sound?” Malcolm frowned.

“Well, it works!” Jonah said.

“Look, fellas, we shouldn't be hanging around here too long. That scream wasn't far away.”

“Whose scream was it?” Jonah asked.

The owl pointed at the giant snake skin with his wing. “That.”

Jonah gasped. “That?”

“Yeah…
that.”

Malcolm put two and two together. “And I guess that would be—”

“It,”
the owl finished.

“Farangis?” Macolm gasped.

“I'm not sure, but I don't think so.”

“I haven't gone back to the barn since I left the others, so maybe he
is
still alive!”

The owl stared at the shed skin. “No one has seen this monster and lived, but you can sure hear it move through the woods…and smell it! Boy you can smell it from far away! Even
those of us in the trees aren't safe.”

Jonah cleared his throat. “My name is Jonah, and this is Malcolm.”

“Forrest.” The owl nodded.

“Forrest, we need to find the kingdom, and quickly from the way it sounds. Can you help us?” Malcolm asked.

“I can't lead you there—it's time for me to go to sleep. But head west through the pastures. Once the evergreen trees start to get scarce, look for a tall hedge tree standing all alone. If you reach the road then you've traveled too far. There will be a hole in the ground not far from that tree. That is where the kingdom is.”

“Thank you, Forrest,” Malcolm bowed.

“My pleasure. Oh, and if you don't mind, let's keep this little secret about me
talking
to you to ourselves.” He winked at the two.

Jonah smiled. “We can do that.”

“You'd better hurry and warn the others. If that was indeed
it
we heard screaming, it sounded mad!
Hoo, hoo!”
The owl flew over the trees. Jonah and Malcolm had a long journey ahead of them.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

T
HE FOG WAS CLEARING
as Mac and Zeus ran over the soft mud and gravel road.

“So we're
supposed to be looking for a mailbox?” Zeus asked, panting a little.

“He said it'd be on the right with a pond behind it and a fox den across from it.”

“And will there be a fox there to let us in?”

“I don't know! Just keep moving.”

“Yes…Your Majesty!”
Zeus laughed at the thought.

M
ALCOLM AND
J
ONAH SOON REACHED
the edge of Persly's Woods. Jonah was back in the pasture he'd come from.

“Oh, I'd almost forgotten how you can't see anything in this grass!” The dog was annoyed as he pushed it down with his chest.

“I don't walk much around here,” Malcolm replied. “Nobody does, after hearing stories about the wild goats.”

“What wild goats?”

“You don't know about Zebulon and his clan of wild goats? Oh, Jonah, they're fierce…and crazy! They say the ground shakes when they come at you. Their horns are mighty and sharp! Just keep your eyes open for them, and if you hear anything, hide!”

They ran across the pasture, dodging the evergreens that covered the land.

B
ENJAMIN WALKED UP TO THE HOUSE
in his stiff, wet
clothes. He didn't know what to do. School would be starting any minute and he'd missed the bus.
Will I be in huge trouble if I don't show up? Should I call Mom or Dad?

He turned and walked back down the driveway to the mailbox, staring at the ground. Then he heard barking up the road.

“Is that the boy from last night?” Zeus asked as they ran.

“I think…I think maybe it is!”

Zeus barked in excitement. “Now we'll see if he was telling the truth. Keep your guard up, though, in case it's a trap.”

“Oh, Zeus, do you really think a human who can talk to us would do us any harm?”

Benjamin saw the top of the Doberman coming fast. Soon the tan pug was in view, running alongside. “Hey!” Benjamin called out in surprise.

“I think he's happy to see us.” Mac, out of breath, smiled at the sandy-blonde haired boy waving his arms.

Benjamin forgot about school and his parents. He was finally going to introduce Pugsly's heir to the kingdom. “Hey you guys! I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon!”

“Well, I…I couldn't wait,” the pug panted.

“Yes, His Majesty was very anxious to get here.”

“Okay, let me take you in!” The boy almost danced to the den, dogs close behind. When the sticks stuck up, the dogs barked madly and ran in the other direction.
Ruff! Ruff!
“No! Come back! It's supposed to do that. It's a hole, see?” Benjamin pointed at the exposed entrance and they watched him crawl in. He poked his head back out. “It's okay. This is how we get in.” The dogs looked at each other, then drew near uncertainly.

“Hey! Wait for me! I need to get in,” called a high-pitched voice from above. Benjamin saw the grayish-purple pigeon descend. Mac and Zeus climbed onto the sticks and the pigeon
landed clumsily next to Mac. “Hi. You must be King Benjamin. I have a message for Roscoe.”

“He's inside, pigeon. You can follow us.” Benjamin ducked and disappeared. “It's okay. guys. Hop in here.”

The pigeon looked at the two nervous dogs. “First time?”

“Yeah,” Zeus replied as he leaned over the hole.

“Me, too,” the pigeon said.

The Doberman took a deep breath and crawled in.

“You alright?” Mac inquired.

“Help me, King Mac! It's a trap!” Zeus yelled.

Mac's black ears folded back as he started to run away. “Hey, get back here! I was just joking!” Mac heard Zeus and the boy laughing inside the hole.

“Very funny!” Mac grimaced, then hopped in. The pigeon landed awkwardly behind him.

“We usually have lightning bugs lining the walls of this tunnel,” Benjamin explained, “but there aren't as many as there used to be. Just follow my voice and we'll be inside the kingdom before ya know it.”

“This has got to be the craziest thing I've ever done,” Mac whispered as they walked along in the darkness.

“Oh, not me, sir,” the pigeon volunteered. “One time I had to deliver a message to a rat inside of a trash dumpster down the road.”

“And what was the message?” Zeus asked in the darkness.

“I believe his wife wanted to tell him she was leaving him for a guinea pig.”

Benjamin snickered through his nose. They were now able to see a blue tint on the walls of the tunnel.

“We're getting close, guys. Shouldn't be too much longer.” Benjamin heard the animals talking in the hall. At the final corner before the cavern he had a mischievous thought. “Hey, wanna
play a joke on them?” Their faces lit up.

“What do you have in mind?” Mac asked. They huddled and Benjamin whispered the plan, having to stop a few times as they tried to stifle their laughter.