The Rightful Heir (18 page)

“Okay, I'm ready!” The pigeon took off flying into the hall. “Help! A crazy dog has just attacked the king! Help!” Startled, the animals watched the delirious bird circle the cavern, yelling at the top of his lungs. Benjamin bit his lip, then hobbled into the room, wobbling this way and that until he fell over. The room gasped.

“My king!” Clementine shouted, just as a huge, black Doberman leaped through the air into the room, growling madly and baring his sharp white teeth. Zeus circled the injured boy growling at every frightened face. They were frozen in fear.

“You will not harm them!”

Every eye turned on the entrance, where a little tan pug stood boldly looking at the monster dog. Zeus growled and Mac ran toward him, looking as brave as possible, jumped in the air, and landed on him. They wrestled around on the floor, scrambling this way and that. Mac bit down on Zeus's neck a little too hard.

“Ouch! That hurt!” Zeus yelled.

Mac immediately stopped. “Oh, sorry ‘bout that!”

A roomful of stunned faces stared at them.

“Uh… I mean—”
Thunk!
Zeus's head dropped lifelessly to the floor. Mac climbed on top of him as Zeus let out a mighty heave, and stood in the blue light shining down by the throne.

A chicken spotted the black foot on the pug. “It's him! It's King Pugsly's heir!”

Benjamin couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing, and the other conspirators joined him. The confused kingdom didn't see the humor. Benjamin sat up and walked over to the pug.

“Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to present to you, Mac! King Pugsly's son!” The crowd cheered, then laughed when
they realized they'd also been introduced to their new king's sense of humor.

Roscoe spoke over the hubbub. “Oh, Sire, that was one for the ages. Very clever intro.” He bowed down to the pug. Zeus found that a little strange, but soon everyone was doing it.

“I knew you'd like it, Roscoe.” Benjamin patted his head.

The pigeon flew over to the boy and goat as the hundreds of others introduced themselves to Mac and Zeus. “You're Roscoe?”

“Uh…yeah,” he coolly replied.

“I have a message for you. I was sent by your dad, Stinky.”

Roscoe was suddenly alert. “What does he say?”

“He needs you back at the farm. He's very sick.”

“Okay, tell him I'm on my way!” Roscoe was worried.

The pigeon turned to Benjamin. “Can I go out that way?” He glanced at the hole in the ceiling.

“Certainly.”

“I'll tell Stinky.” He disappeared through the hole.

Clementine waddled over to the goat. “What is it Roscoe? What's wrong?”

“Dad's sick and wants to see me.”

“Do you need me to go with you?” Clementine asked, concerned.

“No…no you stay here and help Pugsly's son organize the caravan. I'll be back.”

“Okay. We won't leave without you.” Clementine and Benjamin watched Roscoe run into the tunnel.

“I hope Stinky is okay,” Benjamin said worriedly.

Clementine snorted a little laugh through his black snout. “.
…Stinky
.”

The boy walked over to the mob of animals surrounding Mac. Standing next to Zeus, he felt a little less special now that the true king was in the hall.

“Feeling a little down?” Zeus asked.

“Is it easy to see?”

“Yes.”
the Doberman smiled kindly.

Benjamin tried not to look emotional as he walked through the crowd to talk to the pug. “Well, should I go ahead and give you this?” He reached down to his wrist and grabbed the collar. The pug's eyes lit up eagerly.

“Not yet, Your Majesty!” The old badger hobbled forward. “We need to have a proper ceremony for something as important as exchanging the crown!”

Others in the crowd agreed. “Yeah, let's make it official!” Benjamin was a little relieved that he could keep it a while longer.

“Hey!” Clementine yelled from the back. Everyone turned to see the annoyed pig standing next to the fox. “What about the caravan? We need to get going as soon as Roscoe comes back.”

“What caravan?” Mac asked.

Clementine and Felix made their way through the animals. “You, Felix, and I,” Clementine turned his eyes toward the crowd, “and whoever else is
brave
enough to come along…” The other eyes looked elsewhere.
“Hmph!
We are going to Persly's Woods.”

“Persly's Woods? Where's that?”

“It's a forest way far to the east.”

“And why are we going to Pers…Persly's Woods?”

Felix stepped forward. “Your Majesty—”

“Not yet!” Clementine said. He looked at Benjamin and winked.

“—a thousand of my friends are coming to join your kingdom.”

“A thousand?!” Mac stuttered.

“Give or take,” Clementine smiled.

“Why do so many want to join all at once?” Mac asked.

“Because Persly's Woods is being terrorized by an unseen
creature we can no longer ignore.”

“You…you haven't seen it?” Mac had a hint of fear in his voice.

“No one has seen it… and lived. Everyday more of us are being eaten. Some of my own family have already been killed.”

“Oh, no!” Mac gulped.

“We've decided it's best to make a new home here in this kingdom. I was sent to find it and bring back help who can safely lead us back here. I managed to find your kingdom by accident.”

“So they're all waiting for us in the woods with that
thing
out there?”

“Yes.”

“Well then we need to go get them! Zeus, will you come?” Mac asked.

“Of course, My King!” The Doberman snickered a little, then bowed down.

“Now wait, Zeus. I'm not king yet…” Mac looked at Benjamin and smiled.

“And you thought I was crazy when I talked to you last night,” the boy laughed.

“Well…yeah, it did seem a little…unbelievable. When do we leave on this journey?”

Clementine spoke up. “Not until Roscoe gets back. He's more useful than he looks.” The pug and Doberman's heads tilted with curiosity. “He's a fainting goat,” the pig added, “and sometimes it helps!”

“Oh,” Mac said courteously, though he didn't understand.

“So, I guess we just have to wait.” The pig exhaled loudly and looked around the quiet room.

For the rest of that morning they told the pug with the black foot stories about his dad, the kingdom, and a little rat terrier named Paco the Brave.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

R
OSCOE WALKED ALONG THE ROAD
as the late-September sun rose higher in the sky. With no breeze to stir the humid air, it started to get warm. The last time he'd visited the old goat was shortly after his amazing journey to kill Farangis. Stinky had listened in awe to every detail, feeling he had played a part in saving the kingdom. After all, he'd directed them to the hideout of the gigantic python. Roscoe smiled at how proud his dad was of him. He thought of all his friends, especially Paco—the little rat terrier who'd made sure the kingdom would carry on in peace.

But what is this “it”? What could be a bigger threat than Farangis?

Roscoe trotted along in the warmth of the sun and soon heard the mooing and clucking of animals from the barnyard.

J
ONAH AND
M
ALCOLM
had grown tired of hopping through the pastures, and nearly walking blind because of the tall grass.

“Ugh, it doesn't seem like the trees are getting any scarcer,” Jonah panted.

“No, and I'm getting thirsty.”

“Me, too. I hope they have lots of water in this kingdom.”

“If not, then that can be your first demand as the king.” Malcolm smiled.

“Oh yeah! There's gonna be a gigantic pool once I'm the king!” Jonah licked his lips at the thought.

“Let's pick up the pace. The sooner we get there the better.”

Their little feet
raced under a cloudless sky and a rising sun.

R
OSCOE STOOD ON THE FARM'S GRAVEL DRIVEWAY,
squinting to find the old brown barn—and make sure the two old ladies weren't around. It looked safe. The fainting goat cautiously walked in clover to deaden his steps along the fence. Daisy, the milk cow, spotted him and gasped. He nodded and she nodded back, looking concerned. None of the animals talked to him. In silence they watched him walk along the barn.

Roscoe reached the back corner and peeked through some cracks where his dad's stall was. It was dark inside and he couldn't see anything. “Hey, Dad, I'm here.” Stinky didn't come to the crack to meet him. “Dad, it's Roscoe. Are you awake?” he whispered loudly.

Roscoe found the hole under the wall he'd used over and over to get into the stall. Squatting, he slipped under the
boards and came out the other side. There was the pile of hay his dad always sat on, but his dad was not there.

Roscoe walked around the large pile. “Dad, are you here?” Then something cast a dark shadow on the hay. The startled little goat almost fainted as the hay rustled. “Dad?”