Lore of the Underlings: Episode 8 ~ The Trial (6 page)

Xoxo looked flustered. She tried to recant.
“On second thought, sir, it was only the wind.”

“Only the wind? You’re hiding something.”

“No!”

But her big, wide eyes betrayed her. Judge
dread followed them to her friends. “And still the plot thickens.
Four more co-conspirators…

“Never mind, pikesmen. The gang’s all
here.”

He turned from Xoxo looking woeful and neared
the third turtle, the cluster’s last stand.

The two pairs of teenagers saw him coming.
“Hey Lay-Hay,” nudged pal Val. “Whoa!” Slymie poked Goo. And they
knew they were in a world of trouble.

“So what do we do now?” asked flaxen-haired
Vallon.

Pimply Goolox gulped. “Got me.”

“D’oh!” added pudgy Billyum Slyme, though
Layly just trembled, keeping mum. The flowers festooning her long
mane withered then tumbled to the shell below.

Meanwhile, Fyryx caught some of their
sideshow and that was enough to set him off. He lashed out
unleashing a reptile hell.

“Terrapin Union of Syland — assemble!”

What followed then was a sight to behold. A
feat from some fable or tall tale of olde.

Sort of a turtle ballet, you might say.

The two lesser tortoises pulled off a plié
and let down their witnesses nice and easy. Three pirouettes and a
leap of faith later, they stacked up again but upside down.
Baby-back. Wee one on the bottom.

Pop hopped on top of mom and kid, completing
the great un-pyramid. The gang of four formed a chorus line and did
their best to just hang on.

His honor got hotter under the collar.
Steamed. Stoked watching their histrionics. His skin burned from
the blazing sun.

“Prepare for a cross examination!”

Fyryx clicked his tongue at Ho-man, who
snapped to attention with pad and pen.

“Court clerk! Bring that comfy moccasin. Time
for an encore. Your soft-shoe routine…” All the while he had his
eye on Slymie. “Kick it off with him.”

Goo knew what he had to do. Some fancy
footwork. A pas de deux.

He lined up Billyum’s makeshift slipper and
stomped. Six hands shut Slymie’s mouth.

“Mmmouch!”

“Just stick a sock in it, sasquatch. D’ya
want him to tie that shoe to you?”

“Mmmo.”

“So keep it down. Lay low.”

Vallon and Layly chimed in too.

“Cuz no way Judge Hurx buys the
explanation…”

“That you lost your shoe on a rescue
mission…”

“An expedition to save our friend.”

By now Slymie’s toes were good and swollen.
And as it turned out, not a moment too soon.

Ho-man reached up. “Nope. Won’t fit.” He took
a second shot. “I quit.” Then somehow the hapless shoe flew off and
fell to the floor where baby ate it.

The four breathed a brief sigh of relief.
Fyryx was red-eyed and fit to be tied. “And here’s where I stop
being Mr. Nice Guy. Truth or dare time. Do or die…”

Slymie half-listened and mugged at Treygyn.
Goo heeled the big lug’s dogs again.

“Ugh!”

Fyryx was bugged. The judge started
barking.

“Speak. Cough up your information. Or I’ll
fetch my stick for some friendly persuasion.

“I need motivation. A destination. Where was
this lone wolf headed and why? Who better than you curs to know his
M.O. A pack of his own. Slumdogs — throw me a bone!”

They muttered amongst themselves a moment
then sat down like sleeping dogs and lied.

Well, more or less. At least they tried.

“Not late last night sir…”

“When we weren’t searching…”

“Nowhere in town for our lost friend…”

“We didn’t find him by the roadside…”

“Unheaded down to the common field.”

They nodded and smiled. The judge looked
puzzled. The four shook their noggins. He squinted and frowned.

“And then did we mention that he was
stick-free?”

“Er, when we didn’t see him, we mean…”

“Uh, right — no pole, pike, or the like…”

“Or snack sack you’d tie to it…”

“For a journey.”

Fyryx couldn’t help but notice Exhibit A not
far away. The cane was still stuck in the ground by Treygyn. The
magistrate seemed to be catching on.

“When all wasn’t said and not done, your
honor, Treygyn Yin didn’t tell us a thing…”

“Truly…”

“Including the following:”

This morning my plan was to land by the Westie
Woods, the neck of it in the Keep. To live as a hermit and keep to
myself. Give up the treasures and loves of life.

But then the strangers came and I got thinking —
what if I just kept walking? West to the coast, to the sea, to
infinity and beyond. To kingdom come. Their home. The empire of the
sun.

Anyway, there’s nothing here for me anymore. No one,
no Xoxo, I’m living to die for. Soon you’ll all forget my name. She
won’t even know I’m missing…

“Cease!” fired Fyryx. “This trial is done. I
finally have my smoking shogun.”

He paused then unloaded a fusillade.

“I find guilt in every witness. Shame the
name you’ve earned your clans. Our race branded with disgrace. A
blight upon this hallowed land.

“And then again — it’s something stranger
that’s the clear and present danger. The alien germ of this fresh
leaver fever…”

Everyone turned to the foreign young man, the
handsome soldier of misfortune.

Ho-man couldn’t help but wince. The scarlet
leader read his sentence.

“It’s time that the punishment fit the crime.
Ready the room for a dual execution!”

The clerk inked his edict. And so it was
law.

Treygyn looked seasick.

His folks wailed, “Our son!”

Xo cried them an ocean.

Their friends hit the ground.

De-turtled.

Un-terrapinned.

Dis-tortoised.

Hard.

And speaking of hard, the council Guard took
up their weapons and looked for trouble. Syar-ull picked up a
butter knife left from breakfast and brandished it like a
sword.

A lackey in thick, furry armor stepped
forward and raised a ram’s horn to his lips. He blew it. Its low
music made the earth quake.

The billowing walls of the tent came
down.

The mockatoo squawked in John Cap’s
direction. “Awk! It looks like curtains for you!”

“Thanks a lot, Freebird. I got the gist. I
have a really bad feeling about this…”

Fyryx surveyed the change of scene. He
measured the sun. The horizon.

“Showtime.”

###

To be continued…
Look out for the next
exciting episode of
Lore of the Underlings
!

About the Author

John Klobucher is the author of many
technical manuals that you’d never want to read. But he is also to
blame for
Lore of the Underlings
, this ill-advised epic
adventure that’s available to you in tasty little episodes, with
new ones coming — farm-fresh, organic, and cruelty-free — every now
and again. (For more behind-the-scenes news and nonsense, hie thee
to this bloggery:
loreoftheunderlings.com
).

John has also been known to paint a little,
including the watercolors used in the cover art for
Lore of the
Underlings
.

John lives in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA
with his wife Diane, son Sam, and daughter Mia.

~ ~ ~

Other ebook titles by John Klobucher:

Lore of the
Underlings: Episodes 1 & 2 ~ A Door to the Lore

Lore of the
Underlings: Episode 3 ~ Fyryx

Lore of the
Underlings: Episode 4 ~ The Letting Pen

Lore of the
Underlings: Episode 5 ~ Into the Pit

Lore of the
Underlings: Episode 6 ~ Meeting Minyon

Lore of the
Underlings: Episode 7 ~ Ho-man Holds Court

Print titles by John Klobucher:

The Lore Anthology

~ ~ ~

Visit John Klobucher’s
author
page
at Smashwords.com