Chapter 4
What To Do With Humans
As the boys and party of trolls began making their way around the back side of the giant pile of troll homes Kile and the boys themselves tended to cluster together. Robert tried to ask at one point what was going on. All Kile could give him was a short shrug and a mumbled, “We go to dinner…I guess.”
If the trio got to whispering too much, Ricky usually barely managing to keep it a whisper whenever he spoke up, Scrimp would quicken his pace just a little from his position at the rear and snort or huff at the back of their heads. The vibration of his footsteps as he neared them each time was enough to frighten them into quiet reflection while they walked and tried to take in the sites of the large but dark cavern. Whether or not that was the intent of the king or queen the giant troll was managing the little collection of troublemakers and outsider misfits in a totalitarian manner. Clearly, they were not to speak at all in his opinion, but the giant’s attempts did not prevent it entirely.
“How does she know how to speak English?” Robert finally asked of Kile.
Kile again shrugged and shook his head. For his part, Kile had never heard any other troll speak English, or really any other true human language because no other had access to a television as he did. At least, that is what he had thought until the queen had spoken.
Then a softer, more practiced voice cleared its throat up ahead and the queen spoke briefly. “Internet,” she said.
The boys looked at Kile as they continued the march towards the king’s dining hall, eyes wide. Shrugging must have been the one human gesture Kile fully understood, because that’s all he could offer yet again. Robert didn’t know if that meant Kile was confused about how the queen found access to the internet, or if he was just plain confused about what the internet was itself.
Eventually, as they had fully rounded the troll city they found a large log and stone castle of sorts before them which tied the backside of the troll homes to the exterior cavern. It seemed to be of a little more careful and intentional design and it had a couple towers and parapets that rose out of the large flat wall of the exterior and dull yellow lights glowed throughout it, in windows, on walkways, and held in the hands of trolls as large as the king standing on either side of a huge double-door entrance.
As the group neared the entrance though, it became clear the giant, king-sized trolls were not trolls at all but rather statues of beasts similar in stature to the king. They were shown with robes upon their shoulders similar to the king’s, but they did wear crowns upon their heads. Each held a single lantern in one upheld arm. The figures of each were remarkable similar to King Karapace’s, with an over-hanging belly and humongous arms. But the faces were very unique, both from Karapace’s and from one another.
Before entering the double doors, Ricky risked one more brash question of Kile. “Kile? What is the queen’s name?”
“Uh…” Kile fidgeted again. Clearly he was uncomfortable with the question and he eyed the others around him, but apparently couldn’t bring himself to look back and check how close Scrimp was. “Not supposed to ask! Must wait until told!”
And then that softer, more clear voice spoke up again. “Isabel,” the queen replied.
Robert got the feeling the queen’s hearing was probably pretty sharp, because even their attempt at clandestine conversations had been heard, every one, by the queen at the head of the column. Upon her reply he noticed Kile was nervously shaking his head and mouthing the word “no” repeatedly. Rob was unsure what to make of it. Then the queen spoke again.
“You might hear our people call me by other names. It is the queen’s privileged to ask each individual to address her by a special name.”
At that moment they had finally arrived at the entrance to the castle and the queen stepped to the side as she concluded, while King Karapace strode right up to the doorway.
“You and your brother may call me Isabel.” She gave both boys a warm, friendly smile. At least, it seemed it was meant to be warm, as much as the toothy, bulbous face of a female troll can represent. Robert nervously returned the smile. Ricky grinned ear to ear. He liked the name and felt he was being treated special…which in troll etiquette was part of the purpose behind the queen’s prerogative.
King Karapace had raised both arms up to the great troll statues, and then he uttered in a rumbling voice some sort of command or greeting. The large wooden doors with iron pining and hinges then creaked open, inward from where they were standing. Inside was just as dim or more so than outside and it was not an entirely inviting situation for the two boys. But Ricky remained excited by the treatment they were getting.
Troll Brother Page 8