The Three Furies (Erec Rex) (32 page)

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that can tell you what to do to defeat them. I suppose the Hermit would be perfect for that."

"Oh, no. You are too kind." The Hermit was bouncing on the bed. "But I cannot come along with Erec. I have an appointment--for a haircut." He smoothed a hand over his bald scalp. "I do know someone, or should I say some
thing
, who would be perfect for that job."

The king caught on instantly. "You are right. I hadn't thought of that. But that's a good idea for a lot of reasons."

The Hermit nodded.

"Who? What?" Erec asked.

"There are creatures known as mynaraptors," King Piter said. "They are humongous birds. But they are also incredibly smart. A mynaraptor could advise you the best way to handle almost any creature that you come up against. Plus, they can help with transportation. One of these birds could fly a whole group of people around. They can talk your ear off, though."

Now Erec remembered. "I've seen one of those before--at least a baby mynaraptor. Bethany had to ride one in the Tribaffleon contest last summer in Alypium. Where would I find one now?"

"Same person, different place," the Hermit said.

"That's right," added the king. "Only one person I know runs a mynaraptor ranch. He's an expert in baby animals, and they're his favorite. Turns out they were going extinct before he started helping them out." The king laughed. "I'm glad he's found something that he's good at, finally."

"Who is it? Someone I've heard of?"

"Oh, I think so." King Piter nodded. "His name is Spartacus Kilroy."

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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Kilroy's Cuddles

PARTACUS KILROY? YOUR old AdviSeer? I haven't seen him for ages. Didn't he get in trouble for helping Hecate Jekyll hypnotize you all those years?"

"He didn't know that he was doing it," the king explained. "There was no reason to punish him when he just thought that he was helping me. Spartacus is happier with animals, I think. He is a nice person, but far too

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trusting. When he was surrounded by the wrong people, they walked all over him."

"So I need to bring a mynaraptor with me to Jakarta. That's in Upper Earth. I can't imagine what people there will think when they see it."

The Hermit said, "People see what they want to see, and hear what they want to hear. Unfortunately, smell is a different matter all together. And most of them have no taste at all."

Erec ignored this comment. "Where does Kilroy live now?"

The king said, "His farm is placed in the one spot where Alypium borders Otherness, in the flatlands. Jam knows where it is."

"Thanks. Is there anything else I need to know?"

The king nodded. "Take as many things with you as you think might help. I don't know what you might come up against. I would say to bring the scepter . . . but that would likely backfire. Neither of us is ready for that yet. The Fates would have told you if you needed it, I think."

For a second Erec craved the scepter as deeply as he ever had, but then he was glad he had sent it away. He counted himself lucky that the king hadn't said he was ready for it, or it would have appeared in his hands right now. "Okay. Thanks for the advice, Dad. I'll let you know how it went as soon as I get back."

"Best of luck to you, son."

June straightened his shirt and mussed his hair. "If you go, do it quick before I change my mind. Contact me with the Seeing Eyeglasses whenever you can, okay? I don't like this one bit . . . but I do understand. And I trust you. If anyone can do this, you can." She placed her fingers on his cheek. "Now, you better hurry, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Mom. I love you."

"Love you, too." She gave him a hug.

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Jam's Aunt Salsa packed a sack of snacks for them, even though Erec took the Serving Tray.

June was glad that Jam offered to go along with Erec and Griffin. Griffin bowed low to her. "Me lovely lady, I swear on me mother's grave that I will guard your son with me life. He has saved us from an eternal nightmare, and I can never repay him for that."

"Thank you, Griffin." With a grown man offering help, June perked up a little. "Don't let him do anything dangerous, all right?"

"Of course, me dear." He kissed her hand. "I'll be takin' care of all that part meself."

June looked less pale, if not satisfied, when she hugged Erec good-bye.

Against Jam's advice, Erec insisted on finding his good friend, Jack Hare, in Paisley Park before going to Spartacus Kilroy's ranch.

"Young sir, are you sure bringing friends is a good idea? You would risk his life on this trip?" He cleared his throat, uncomfortable disagreeing with Erec about anything.

"No, it's
not
a good idea, and I don't want to risk his life. Or yours or Griffin's, for that matter. But the Hermit told me to bring friends. His crazy advice is better than most people's. It's like he's clued in to what is going on more than anyone else." Erec's lips crept up into a half smile. "Maybe that's why he seems so odd. He just knows too much. Anyway, I'm leaving the decision up to Jack. He cares about Bethany too, and he would want the choice."

"Aye." Griffin nodded in agreement. "If Jack is any kind of man at all, he'll want to grab his sword and fight to the death. I know he'll be in with us."

Erec and Jam exchanged a look. They'd have to hold Griffin back from killing everyone in the fortress.

Erec pulled his sweatshirt hood over his head before they exited

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Aunt Salsa's Port-O-Door into Paisley Park. Jam programmed the door to stay in the tree and wait for their return.

Entering the huge park full of paisley-shaped bushes brought him back to the afternoons he had spent here with his old tutor, Pimster Peebles. He frowned as he thought how quickly he had learned finger magic with the Hermit compared to how slowly Peebles had taught him.

Stone benches lined the lawn, nearly connecting the paisley shrubs like a maze. Wolfboy had fun jumping over the hedges and barking at squirrels. Kids with remote controls filled the spaces between them, instructed by their tutors. Many of them wore the traditional blue apprentice cloaks. Everywhere benches were clumsily lifted by spells, then tumbled back onto the ground, kids and pets were turned upside down, fires sprouted from fingers and then turned into icicles. Erec stumbled over a thin boy with snowy white hair who was so deep in meditation he had nearly become invisible.

"Ow!" The boy dusted himself off and stood, black eyes blazing. "Can't a kid get a break around here? Bad enough nobody talks to me, now I have to get kicked in the side?"

"Sorry." Erec thought the kid looked familiar. Where had he seen him before? "I'm just looking for a friend, and I wasn't watching where I was going."

"At least you have a friend." The boy shook Erec's hand. "My name is Erec Rex. But everyone calls me Connor Flannigan. Glad to meet you."

Erec sent a sideways glance to Jam, who looked amused. This kid was obviously nuts. No wonder people avoided him. "Well, nice to meet you, Erec Rex. Best of luck with your . . . meditation. Or sleep practice. Whatever it was you were doing down there." He waved, then remembered something before walking on. "Hey, do you work at a pet shop in the agora? I think I've seen you there."

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"Yeah. I pick up a little cash there when I'm not practicing magic. Did you buy a pet?"

"I got a cat there once for my friend Oscar." A wave of regret washed over Erec when he thought about Oscar. What was he doing now? He hoped Oscar would come to his senses about Baskania soon.

As if he had summoned it with Nitrowisherine, a red snail shell with his name on it appeared on the ground like a smudge of paint in the dirt. Connor made a grab for it, but Erec snatched it first.

"Hey, that's for me!" Connor held his hand out, frustrated. "I've never had a snail come to me with my real name on it yet. It could be important."

Erec looked at him like he was crazy. "This is mine, Connor." He started to pull the letter out.

"But your name is Rick Ross!"

Erec laughed, remembering that Connor knew him by the name he used in the contests last summer. "Look." He flashed the letter to Connor. "It's from my friend Oscar."

"Who?" Connor looked confused, then disappointed. "Stupid mail service."

Erec walked away and read the letter.

Dear Erec,

I have huge news! Rosco just brought a proclamation to Baskania announcing that King Piter is officially resigning his throne! He's actually passing it on to Balor Stain. I wouldn't have believed it, but it has King Piter's real signature on it! The letters sparkle and they kind of split apart on the page when it's really signed by him. Nobody can forge it--and the Bureau of Bureaucrats has already stamped it as authentic.

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So the king really is passing his throne to Balor? Have you been in touch with him? I thought he would have given it to you! I was confused about why he did this, but Baskania said that the king finally came to his senses. He's not going to fight what we all know is bound to happen anyway.

Weird. But you were right about me not trusting Baskania. I still think he's not as bad as we used to think. But he didn't help me get back at Rosco like he said he would. After I told him everything I knew about Rosco, and all of the things we had done together when he was my tutor, he acted like it wasn't enough. And now that Rosco brought him this proclamation from King Piter, he's acting like Rosco is his favorite assistant ever.

Which makes me laugh, because he's calling me his "assistant" too. I guess that's his name for anyone who works for hm.

Oh, well.

I talked to him about Bethany again, and he said she is completely fine and happy. He even showed me a few letters that she wrote talking about how well things were going there.

Your friend,

Oscar

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Erec tried to swallow his anger. How could Oscar believe Baskania that Bethany was okay? And what was this about an official signature from King Piter giving his throne to Balor Stain? Of course his father would never do anything like that.

So, Rosco was able to forge the king's unforgeable signature? What else could this guy do? He was as powerful as he was nasty. Erec remembered when he had believed in Rosco, and when Oscar had too. What a con man.

He asked Jam for a pen and paper, which of course he had ready, along with a board to write on.

Dear Oscar
,

You have to believe me. Baskania is completely lying to you. Bethany is not happy, and she is not there by choice. I don't want to go into how I know this, because Rosco will read this letter when you get it. But you have to trust me.

And the king--my father--did not leave his throne to Balor Stain! I have no idea how Rosco got his signature, but he did not sign any proclamations.

I really think you should get away from there, fast. If Baskania wants you to help him so much, wouldn't it be better not to? It's like helping your worst enemy destroy the world. I really wish you could join me. This whole thing stinks.

Just met a crazy kid who said he was me. What a laugh.

Erec

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He put the note in the shell and tossed it. Before Oscar got it and Rosco took it and traced it back to here, Erec would be long gone.

Just about when he was ready to give up looking, a tall kid with yellow-blond hair bounded into view. He was taking turns keeping a rock alight, passing it back and forth with a slim girl. Her straight black hair bounced against her shoulders as she ran.

"Hey, Jack!" Erec shouted. "It's me." He threw his hood back.

Jack and the girl turned around. Jack's face lit up with a grin at the same time as the girl's lips curled into a snarl. She dropped the rock and it fell, hitting Jack in the head.

"Ouch." He rubbed where the stone had bounced off, a smile still covering his face. "Erec! Jam! Wolfboy! I've been wondering what's going on with you. Man, I can't believe you're here. I visited Bethany a few times when you were in Upper Earth. But the last time I tried to go to your father's house, I was stopped by a water wall around it." He bent down to rub Wolfboy's ears. "Are you okay? I heard that your father passed his crown on to Balor Stain. I couldn't believe it. So I wondered if something happened to you."

"Nothing happened to me. And don't believe that King Piter would ever hand his kingdom over to Balor. Not in a million years. But Bethany is in trouble. Baskania captured her."

Jack's eyes widened and he grew paler than usual. "Bethany? No . . . No way. Are you sure? Can't your father get her back?"

Erec noticed that the girl was listening to them intently. Just then he recognized her: She was Bette Noir, an old friend of the Stain triplets. "Bette?" His mouth fell open in disbelief. "What are you doing here? Did your rotten friends send you to spy on Jack now? Isn't Oscar Felix enough for you?"

Bette's snarl deepened into a full-fledged sneer. "Erec Rex. Pretty brave of you to show your face around here. One little shout to one of the Alypium police birds up there and you'll be arrested