City in the Clouds (5 page)

Clomp! Clomp! The Ninns tramped through the halls and out of the palace.

Sparr went with them.

“Eric!” Keeah ran back into the tower. “I was so scared when you didn’t follow me.”

Eric nodded slowly. “I couldn’t move,” he said. “Sparr saw me, but… he let me go.”

Keeah’s eyes widened. “Eric, we need to get back to the Guardians. Ro will disappear soon, and well disappear with it.”

They rushed back to the Guardians’ room. The Ninns had gone. Vasa and Bodo were free.

“Neal and Julie have gone to see where Sparr is taking the diamonds,” Vasa said quickly. “What did you find in the Tower?”

Trembling, Keeah handed her paper to them.

“Ah, the secrets of Droon’s past,”‘ Bodo said.

Vasa peered over his shoulder and began to translate what Keeah had written. “At the city of Plud, Lord Sparr nearly killed Queen Relna.”

“But; you see,” Bodo went on, “the witch Demither put a curse on Relna. Instead of suffering death, the queen assumed an animal form.”

Keeah gasped. “An animal? Is it…”

“Yes,” Bodo said, squinting at the words. “A white bird. A falcon.”

“I knew it!” Keeah cried, jumping for joy. “That’s why the falcon is always there! It’s my mother following me, watching over us!”

“But Demither told us the queen was in prison,” Eric said.

“True,” Vasa went on. “Such a curse is a kind of prison. But now the queen needs your help if she is ever to be human again. Hers is a dangerous journey, filled with many trials.”

Keeah wiped away a tear. “I will help her.”

“So will we,” said Eric, smiling at the princess.

Vasa turned to Eric, “And what did you discover?”

Eric gulped as he handed the paper to Vasa. “Sparr saw me, but he just… walked away.”

Bodo glanced at Vasa, then peered through his spectacles at Eric. “And you have a question?”

Eric nodded. “Does what Quill writes have to happen? I mean, can the future be changed?”

“We won’t know that until the future becomes the present,” said Bodo.

Eric frowned. “But...”

Suddenly Julie and Neal rushed into the chamber.

“The diamonds are being loaded into Sparr’s airship!” Julie said breathlessly “He looks like he’s leaving the city.”

“And look at me,” Neal said. “I’m getting way worse!” He held up his hands. They were both claws now.

“Quickly Neal, stand here,” said Vasa, holding Eric’s writing up to the light. Together with Keeah, the Guardians began to mumble strange words. “Timbo… limbo… koo-kimbo!”

Poomff!
A huge ball of smoke appeared in the chamber. A moment later, Neal walked out.

He looked normal. He held up two normal hands. His sneakers were still ripped, but human toes were sticking out. He broke into a smile.

“Yes!” he cried, “I am back!”

“Me, too!” cried another voice.

Everyone turned to see a second Neal emerge from the smoke.

“Uh-oh,” said Keeah.

Two Neals walked around the room.

Twins!

“Ah, yes,” Vasa said. “This is a normal side effect of the spell. Only temporary. Don’t worry.”

The first Neal smiled. “I always thought two Neals were better than one!”

“Slap me five, brother!” said the second.

Rrrrr!
The walls began to shake.

“Ro is turning invisible again,” Bodo said. “Go. This way is quickest!” He pointed to a secret door in the chamber.

“It leads to the square outside,” Vasa added. “Good luck to you all! May you find your mother, Princess. And farewell to you, Neal.”

“Thanks!” said Neal.

“Same here!” said the other.

Eric, Keeah, Julie, and the two Neals rushed through the door and outside the palace.

Clomp! Clomp!
The square was crawling with Ninns. They were loading the diamonds into the cargo area of Sparr’s silver ship.

“We’ve got to get those back!” Keeah said.

“And I’ve got to find out why Sparr let me go,” Eric whispered.

“Does anybody have a plan?” Julie asked.

“I’ve got a plan!” boomed a strange, loud voice from the shadows nearby “How about we form a human wall and blast our way in!”

“Wh-wh-who is that?” Keeah whispered.

The shadows stirred and out stepped a large man with bright green armor. He had a helmet with horns on it. He carried two wooden clubs.

“Whoa!” one Neal mumbled.

“A Viking!” said the other.

“No, that’s my daddy!” Keeah exclaimed, running to the man and giving him a hug. She twirled around. “Meet my father — King Zello!”

The king smiled a huge grin. “Khan found me. Galen and Max are here, too.”

The old wizard stepped from the shadows. He was dressed in long blue robes. “I am pleased that you children are safe.” He looked at the Neals. “All of you!”

Galen’s spidery helper. Max, clambered along the wall to them. “The magic stairs have appeared in the Kalahar Valley. We must hurry.”

Just then, the air around them became all wavy. The stones in the square seemed to wiggle and turn clear.

Max scrambled in a circle around the children. “It’s happening!” he chittered nervously. “The flying city of Ro — is disappearing!”

King Zello hoisted his wooden clubs, one in each hand. “You kids get to the ship. Galen and I will distract the Ninns. Yeehaw!”

The Ninns turned from the ship. They grunted. They charged across the square.

Eric looked at his friends. “Everyone to Sparr’s ship! Now!”

The four friends ran for the cargo door.

They leaped in.

Clang!
The giant door on Sparr’s airship slammed shut behind them.

Nine
Mountains of Diamonds

They jumped to their feet and looked around.

“Holy cow!” Julie muttered.

All around them were piles, mounds, mountains of shimmering, glittering diamonds.

“With these Sparr could make his whole Ninn army invisible,” Keeah said.

“He’d be unstoppable!” Neal exclaimed.

“That’s why we have to stop him now,” said Eric.

One Neal started shaking his head. “I don’t like being locked in Sparr’s personal ship. A few hours ago, we were trying to get out of here!”

“Yeah, shouldn’t we try to keep the ship from flying away?-” the other Neal asked.

Suddenly, the walls rumbled around them.

“We’re taking off,” Keeah said.

“I have an idea!” the first Neal said. He entered a corridor of the ship.

“Where are you going?” the second asked.

No answer.

“Man, he never listens!” Neal grumbled.

Then, just as in the Tower of Memory, Eric sensed that they were not alone. He turned.

“Looking for me?” said a voice.

Lord Sparr stepped into the cargo bay.

Slowly, Eric made his way toward him. The fins behind Sparr’s ears went from purple to black. His face was full of anger.

“Princess Keeah,’ he said. “Say goodbye to your beloved world. I have read the future. Droon shall soon be mine!” He raised his hand to her. Red light leaked from his fingertips.

Keeah tried to jump away, but she slipped on the floor. Without thinking, Eric leaped in front of her.

“Watch out!” Neal cried out, jumping in front of both of them.

At the same moment, the other Neal raced in. “What” Old fish fins hurting my friends? As if!”

And he jumped in front of the other Neal.

Sparr shot a blast at them all.

Zzzz! Poomf!
The air went red.

Eric pushed Keeah out of the way at the same time as both Neals crashed into each other.

Sparr bolted away into the depths of the ship.

“I’ll get you!” yelled Eric. In a flash, he was on his feet and down a corridor after the sorcerer. He chased Sparr into the main control cabin.

Eric screeched to a stop. Cold air was rushing into the cabin. Sparr stood near an open hatch.

“Stay where you are!” The sorcerer’s eyes burned with rage. But he did not try to hurt Eric.

“You’re keeping me alive, aren’t you?” Eric said. “Why? For what? Tell me!”

Sparr grinned. “Because of what will happen. Because of how you will… help me!”

“What?” Eric cried. “I’ll never help you!”

“Time… will tell!” the sorcerer said. Then he lifted his cloak behind him and leaped from the hatch.

Eric crawled to the opening in time to see Sparr spread his cloak and swoop to the ground.

“I’ll never help you!” Eric yelled to the wind.

When he ran back to the cargo bay, everyone was shaking their heads.

“Oh, man!” Neal groaned. “This is the worst!”

“Neal?” Eric said. “Where’s the other you?”

“When Sparr blasted us we came together,” he said. ‘Poof! There’s only me now. I’m normal.”

Eric jumped up. “Yahoo! Just you? You’re just you! This is terrific! Boy, are we happy!”

Neal frowned. “We would be except for…”

“Except for what?” Eric asked.

“Except for what he told me...”

“What who told you?’“

“The other Neal. Right before we became me.”

“What did he tell you?” Eric cried.

“That he did something to the ship —”

KA-BOOOOM!
The walls shook with a tremendous blast, throwing the kids to the floor. Flames leaped up the outside of the ship. Smoke began to fill the cargo bay.

“That!” Neal yelled, grasping for something to hold onto. “The other Neal did that! So Sparr wouldn’t get away!”

“But his plan sort of backfired,” Julie said.

The ship rocked again, then started to dip.

“Uh-oh,” Eric said. “I think we’re going down.”

“We are definitely going down,” said Keeah.

Neal frowned. “Splat, anyone?”

Ten
The Sorcerer’s Power

The nose of Span’s giant silver airship tipped forward sharply.

“We’re going to crash!” cried Neal.

“We’re not going to crash,” said Eric. “Sparr could have hurt us but he didn’t. He read the future in the Tower of Memory and he let us live. We’ll get out of this somehow. I promise.”

The ship dived even faster.

“Um… how?” Julie asked.

Vrrr! Vrrr!
Outside the cargo bay windows a small purple wingship pulled up.

“Daddy and Khan and
Max and Galen!” Keeah shouted. “They followed us!”