Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger (11 page)

ONE MIGHT IMAGINE Pugglemud to be quite alarmed by finding such a throng of gruesome creatures swarming, free and angry, through his dungeon. But to the contrary, he seemed quite amused by the whole affair, and now he smiled upon Kendra and the cavern full of monsters as if he knew something they did not. Then Kendra noticed that with one hand, Pugglemud was holding a large sack that seemed to wriggle and kick, and with his other, he was pulling back his cloak so that all could clearly see his magic belt.

That’s why everyone obeyed his command
, Kendra thought.
Pugglemud is using his belt to control us.

Even as this occurred to her, Kendra could feel her mind growing thick and heavy. It was as if she was being locked out of her own mind; it was the power of his magic belt, and she was helpless to resist.

“Good evenin’,” Pugglemud said presently. “Well, it looks like we got ourselves a—hiccup—troublemaker here!”

“Does my master still struggle with the hiccups?” Kendra asked, frowning even as the words left her mouth.

“Don’t ya—hiccup—know it,” the Dwarf King said. “They’re a real bother. I’ll have ‘em for—hiccup—days, I reckon.”

Just then a band of six Dwarves appeared at Pugglemud’s side. Most were holding spears and swords (they were soldiers, Kendra guessed), but two of them were clutching two squirming prisoners—Ratchet and Oki!

“We found these rascals hidin’ behind the rocks, King Reginaldo,” one of the Dwarves reported.

“Good work,” Pugglemud said, opening the sack he was holding. “We’ll put ‘em in with the old—hiccup—wizard and the others.”

Kendra let out a gasp as her friends were dropped into the sack. “But how could you catch them?” she asked. “What about Uncle Griffinskitch’s . . .”

“Ya mean this?” Pugglemud asked smugly, reaching into one of his pockets to produce Uncle Griffinskitch’s wizard’s staff. “Yer old uncle ain’t so—hiccup—powerful without this, I reckon!”

Kendra felt her heart sink, and despite the fog that was weaving its way through her mind, everything became clear to her. Kendra knew the Dwarf king must have slipped some of his own
Snore Galore
into their dinner to put them all asleep. Of course, Ratchet, Oki, and Kendra hadn’t eaten any of the disgusting turnips, but Uncle Griffinskitch and the others certainly had. They had fallen into such a deep slumber that it had been easy for Pugglemud to sneak into their room, steal the magic staff, and capture them. He had betrayed them.

Or is it betrayal?
Kendra asked herself.
He’s the king. He should be able to do whatever he wants. He is, after all, my master.

“No!” Kendra screamed out loud, clutching at her braids as if she could somehow conquer the spell. “It’s your cursed belt! It’s . . . it’s . . .”

“Makin’ ya do what I—hiccup—want, eh?” Pugglemud chortled. “Hee hee! Now that I’ve—hiccup—gotten yer pesky uncle and his—hiccup—magic out of the way, you can’t be stoppin’ the power of the—hiccup—belt, don’t ya know.”

He was right, Kendra knew. She felt she must obey him.

“Now what d’ya—hiccup—have to say fer yerself?” Pugglemud demanded.

“I-I-I am sorry, King Reginaldo, for my treachery,” Kendra declared, kneeling before him. “Please forgive me.”

“That’s—hiccup—a good slave,” Pugglemud said. “You’ll make a fine—hiccup—slave, jus’ like the—hiccup—rest of them. But how I—hiccup—wish someone could cure me of these durn hiccups!”

Kendra looked strangely at the Dwarf. In her foggy mind, so controlled by the magic belt, Kendra knew it was her duty to obey King Reginaldo’s wishes. Then she thought of Ratchet’s
Easy Sneeze
powder, stuffed away in her cloak.
Why, I can cure King Reginaldo’s hiccups
, Kendra thought.
In fact, I must cure them, for he has wished it so.

She reached into her cloak, found the pouch containing the powder, and approached the Dwarf king.

“Eh? Whatchya doin’?” Pugglemud asked.

“I will help you, my king,” Kendra said obediently—and she cast a handful of the powder upon the Dwarf.

“What the heck is—,” Pugglemud said, but before he could finish his sentence, he let out a loud “ACHOO!” It was a sneeze so strong and violent that it blew the Dwarf king right off his feet and caused him to drop Uncle Griffinskitch’s staff and the sack of Een prisoners.

“How does this help?!” Pugglemud demanded, picking himself up from the ground.

“Why, your hiccups have stopped, haven’t they?” Kendra asked innocently.

But before Pugglemud could muster a reply, he erupted into a fit of sneezes. Each sneeze was louder and stronger than the last, and finally, one came that was so mighty that it threw Pugglemud right against the wall of the dungeon, snapping his precious belt and causing it to fly from his fat waist and land with a dull thud upon the floor.

Instantly the fog cleared from Kendra’s mind. Gone was the grip that Pugglemud’s power had had upon her only seconds before. She was free!

“My pants!” Pugglemud cried, for without his belt, he had lost his trousers and now was standing in his under shorts.

In any other situation, Kendra might have laughed at Pugglemud’s predicament, but now several things seemed to happen at once. The other Dwarves in the cavern all scrambled towards the magic belt and were soon ensnared in a great fistfight as each tried to get his greedy hands upon the enchanted prize. Then, there was the horde of creatures behind Kendra. All this time, they had been frozen under the spell of Pugglemud’s belt, standing still as statues. But now that they were free of the Dwarf king’s power they burst forward in a racket of claws and roars, all clambering over one another as they stormed to freedom. It was if a great battle had suddenly erupted in the cavern—and Kendra was right in the middle of it.

There was not a moment to lose. The first thing she had to do was get to her friends, for they were still inside the sack that was now abandoned on the floor, right in the path of the escaping monsters. Frantically, Kendra rushed towards the sack, doing her best to dodge the feet of the Goojuns, Ungers, and other terrible monsters. But before she could reach it, one of the monsters—an Unger—grabbed the sack in his crooked claw and swung it over his shoulder.

“NO!” Kendra screamed, but her cry was lost in the din of the cavern.

Then she saw her uncle’s staff lying on the ground, where Pugglemud had dropped it. Quickly, she scampered towards it, but it, too, fell victim to the stampede of monsters and was crushed to splinters beneath their great bodies.

There’s no magic for us now,
Kendra thought, but there was no time to dwell on this sad fact. For now, she found herself in the thick of the stampede—a tiny speck amidst a sea of giants. The ground trembled underneath the pounding of so many feet and claws. It was like an earthquake and Kendra knew at any moment she would be crushed, ground to pieces, just like her uncle’s staff.

Then, suddenly, Trooogul appeared before her. He was holding a strip of cloth—a ragged cloak dropped by one of the Dwarves—and now he lifted it towards her, as if he meant to cover her with it.

“What are you doing?” Kendra shrieked.

“Shutzum!” Trooogul snapped. “Don’t makezum Trooogul touch Eeneez.”

Being ever so careful not to touch her with his bare claws, Trooogul used the cloak to pick up Kendra. Then, using the cloak as a makeshift sack, he slung the tiny Een girl over his shoulder and charged through the underground tunnel of the Dwarves, following after his fellows.

Was Trooogul saving her? Kendra wasn’t sure. She sunk down into the sack, terrified by the roar of the creatures all around her.
I have to find my friends
, she thought. But what could she do? If she leapt out of the sack, she would be crushed. And she had already seen an Unger take Uncle Griffinskitch and the others.
Maybe Trooogul will take me to them
, Kendra said to herself.
It’s probably my best hope
. So she squeezed her eyes shut and sank even deeper into the sack so that she didn’t have to look upon the terrible faces of the monsters that were all rushing alongside Trooogul.

The trip was a rough one. The sack bounced continuously upon Trooogul’s bony back, and Kendra’s body began to ache. She was desperately hungry and thirsty, but all she could do was wait. She tried screaming at Trooogul to stop so that she could rest or find something to drink, but he either didn’t hear her, or just ignored her. She had no idea of their direction or how they might escape the land of Umbor. Trooogul certainly wouldn’t be able to fit through the series of secret doors that Kendra had been guided through by Crumpit the day before. She assumed that Trooogul and the other creatures had discovered another way out of Umbor; after all, they had worked as slaves in the caverns and perhaps knew the place just as well as the Dwarves themselves. But if the slaves had a found a way to escape Umbor, it certainly wasn’t a short one, for the horde of beasts seemed to rumble on and on through the darkness, hour after long hour. At last, Kendra blacked out and fell into a hazy nightmarish sleep.

WHEN SHE AWOKE, Kendra knew at once that they had arrived at the surface of the earth. The air was fresh and strong, not at all like the stale air of Umbor. Kendra breathed in deeply. Her eyes were blurry and her head dizzy, but she could see a white slice of moon aglow in the sky. She was so happy to see it that she wished to wrap her arms around it in an embrace.

As she became better aware of her surroundings, Kendra realized that Trooogul had emptied her onto a large flat rock in a clearing of the forest. The night was quiet, especially after the pandemonium of their escape from Umbor. Kendra could see Trooogul sitting a few paces away from her. They seemed alone.

“What happened to the other creatures?” Kendra asked with sudden alarm, for they were her only link to her uncle and friends.

“No goodzum for other Ungers to seezum Trooogul withzum little Eeneez,” Trooogul snorted at Kendra. “Betterzum they no knowzum Trooogul helpzum.”

Kendra pulled on her braids with panic. Now what was she going to do?

“Well . . . thank you,” she said to the great beast after a moment. “Thank you for saving me.”

But Trooogul only grunted in reply.

“I hope that’s your way of saying ‘you’re welcome’,” Kendra said crossly. “Feel free to thank me for saving
you
.”

“Never askzum Eeneez to savezum Trooogul,” the Unger growled angrily.

“Why, you’re just an ignorant, ungrateful beast!” Kendra retorted. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d still be down there, slaving away for the Dwarves!”

Trooogul’s nostrils flared with rage, and Kendra wondered for a moment if she had pressed her luck too far. Trooogul was much bigger than she was, and she knew the Unger could easily crush her—if he so wished. But he did not crush her. Instead he said, “Unger Law sayzum all Eeneez gozum to Door to Unger.”

“Good,” Kendra announced. “That’s exactly where I need to go.”

Trooogul paced back in forth in front of her, snorting. Kendra could see that the creature was in deep thought, but only after a few moments did he say, “Youzum! Youzum no gozum door!”

“Why?” Kendra asked.

“No gozum door!” Trooogul barked again. “Youzum havezum forbidden mark. Prophecy sayzum Eenee with mark no gozum to Doorzum.”

“So what do you plan to do?” Kendra demanded impatiently.

“Unger law sayzum if Eeneez no go to door, then Eeneez die,” Trooogul said, as quietly as he could.

“What are you talking about?” Kendra asked furiously. “You’re going to kill me? I just saved your sorry rump! I’m going to have to stop helping you out if this is how you plan to repay me!”

“No needzum Eeneez help!” Trooogul yelled.

“Then stop getting into trouble!” Kendra shouted back.

Trooogul snorted again then sat down on his haunches and stared at her, fuming in silence. Kendra could see that he was trying to decide what to do.

Would he really kill me after everything we’ve been through?
Kendra asked herself. She wondered if she should make a run for it; but her legs were still numb from the long journey in the sack. She would never be able to escape the great beast. So she sat there staring back at him quietly.

But the silence was not to last. A ruckus came from the trees and they both turned in the direction of the sound.

“Beasties comezum,” Trooogul said.

“Who?” Kendra asked in a whisper.

Then, as if to answer her question, the foliage parted and a trio of Ungers appeared in the little clearing.

“Itzum Trooogul’s friendzums,” Trooogul murmured with a grimace.

Kendra could see by the look of the Ungers that they had been among the slaves who had escaped from Umbor, for they were quite thin and gray—just like Trooogul. They also seemed about the same age and size as Trooogul, so she supposed that is why they were friends. Then Kendra spotted a sack slung over one of the Unger’s shoulders.

“It’s Uncle Griffinskitch and the others!” Kendra gasped, but before she could dwell upon this happy turn of events, the Unger carrying the sack spoke.

“Lookzum, Trooogul!” the creature chortled.

He held up the sack and jiggled it, and it moved in response. Her friends were still alive, at least, but Kendra knew there would be no way for them to escape without her help. Jinx, as strong as she was, didn’t have her weapons. Uncle Griffinskitch’s staff was destroyed, and even Ratchet had used up all his powders. It was up to her to save them.

“Creeegun capturezum whole gang of Eeneez,” the Unger with the sack continued, speaking directly to Trooogul. “Youzum catchum only onezum? Hee hee. Beezum careful letting itzum runzee around loosezum. Little Eeneez quickzum; might runnzum awayzum.”

Trooogul eyed the Unger called Creeegun carefully and after a moment said, “No carezum. Trooogul letting Eeneez go freezum.”

“What?” Kendra cried, peering from behind Trooogul’s great body. “Just a minute ago you said—,”

“Eeneez shutzum mouth!” Trooogul bellowed, turning back to snap at her.

“Whatzum Trooogul talking aboutzum!?” Creeegun cried. “Youzum go crazyies?! Wezum must takezum Eeneez to doorzum!”

“Nozum!” Trooogul said, the hair on his back bristling as he paced back and forth in front of Creeegun and the other Ungers. “Eeneez savezum beasties. Shouldzum go freezum!”

“But I want to go to the D—,” Kendra tried to say.

“Shutzum!” Trooogul yelled, looking back at her with rage in his eyes.

“Whatzum wrong with Trooogul?” Creeegun asked, pointing a crooked claw at him. “Youzum! Youzum should no helpzum Eeneez. Ungers and Eeneez enemies.”

“Then whyzum Eeneez helpzum Ungers?” Trooogul demanded. “Eeneez no enemy.”

“Itzum Eeneez trickzum,” Creeegun replied.

“NOZUM!” Trooogul shouted.

The outrage in his voice startled Kendra. Her mind was swimming with confusion. One minute Trooogul was saying that it was his duty to kill her—and the next minute he was trying to protect her. She sensed a great battle waging inside of Trooogul. He was struggling with what to do. Kendra only hoped that his choice would end up in her favor.

Then Trooogul said to Creeegun, “If not for Eeneez, Ungers still be slavezum to Dwarfee. Izum that no worthzum Eenee lifezum?”

“No Eeneez shouldzum be sparedzum,” Creeegun decreed loudly. “Unger law sayzum
all
Eeneez be taken to Doorzum to Unger.”

“Not this onezum,” Trooogul snarled in reply, and he stared hard at Creeegun and the other Ungers.

“Trooogul alwayzum strange Unger,” Creeegun declared. “But thizum wrong, to takezum side of Eeneez against Ungers. Youzum! Youzum shouldzum come with Creeegun. Wezum takezum Eeneez to Door to Unger! Togetherzum becomezee heroes!”

But Trooogul did not falter. He stood firm before Creeegun and the other Ungers, like a statue. For a tense moment, no one said a thing, and all Kendra could hear was the deep, snorting breaths of the creatures. She could see Creeegun’s eyes burn with hatred in the moonlight. It seemed to her that he might leap upon Trooogul and attack at any moment.

Then, suddenly, Creeegun said, “If Trooogul no takezum Eeneez, then Creeegun willzum!” And with this, the great beast reached toward Kendra with one of his crooked claws.

With a shriek, Kendra threw her hands up in front of her, as if it would somehow protect her—and, strangely, it did. For at that moment, the moonlight caught the hidden star upon her palm and at once, Creeegun and his fellow Ungers gasped in horror. The Ungers all stepped back and immediately broke into frantic speech.

“The forbiddens Eeneez!”

“Killz it!”

“Nozum! Don’t even touchzum!”

Creeegun stared at Trooogul with terrified eyes. “Youzum!” he cried. “Youzum protectzum forbidden Eeneez! The onezum who wouldzum destroyzum Unger!”

Trooogul said nothing; he just sat there, frozen.

“Traitor!” Creeegun yelled. He leaned forward and struck Trooogul so hard that the young Unger toppled backward with a startled cry of pain. Then, shouldering the sack, Creeegun and the other Ungers tore off into the night without even so much as another look in Kendra’s direction.

Kendra could hardly believe it. Everything had happened so quickly. She peered over the edge of the rock and looked at Trooogul. He was in a crumpled heap on the ground.

“Trooogul,” she said quietly. “Are you okay?”

He looked up at her, his beady eyes fraught with pain and anger. But he said nothing.

“Why didn’t they kill me?” Kendra asked.

“Little Eeneez frightenzum Ungers,” Trooogul replied after a moment. “Creeegun afraidzum of Eeneez curse. Safer to runzum away. Eeneez with mark must no gozum to doorzum.”

“Well, then your friends are in for a surprise,” Kendra declared. “I’m going after my uncle and the others. I’m going to the door.”

“Foolzum!” Trooogul snarled, leaping up to the rock with such quickness that Kendra jumped in fear. “Trooogul just savedzum lifezum of Eeneez!”

“Good!” Kendra retorted. “We’re almost even then.”

“Little foolzum not so luckyzum next timezum,” Trooogul snarled. “Maybezum Ungers killzum Eeneez. And Trooogul no be therezum.”

“Why?” Kendra asked him anxiously. “What are you going to do?”

Trooogul shrugged and turned his back on her. “No knowzum. Now Trooogul shunned by Ungers. Creeegun will spread wordzum of Trooogul. Trooogul becomezum outcast.”

“Then come with me,” Kendra urged.

“Nozum!” Trooogul growled, whirling around to glare at her. “Youzum! Youzum worst thingzum ever happens to Trooogul! Allzum little Eeneez dozum is bringzum troubles to Trooogul.”

“Trouble!” Kendra cried indignantly. “Then why do I always seem to save your sorry backside?”

Her words infuriated Trooogul. He leaned forward and roared so loud that it knocked Kendra off her feet. Then, with an angry snort, he leapt down from the rock and scampered into the forest, in the opposite direction from where the other Ungers had gone. Kendra pulled herself up by the elbows and quietly watched his silhouette melt into the darkness.

“Now I’m truly alone,” she said to herself in the now-quiet night.