The Rightful Heir

by Jefferson Knapp

  “When are these delicious creatures coming, Belshak?” an irritated voice asked.

  “Be patient! Once we’ve eaten you’ll be complaining you ate too much.” The pack laughed. “Remember, if we spot them going into the forest, we let them through.” Some of the starving coyotes howled. “When they come out of the forest, then we attack. Be patient!”

  Their ears turned east, toward a faint yelping and howling. They prepared for an attack. Out of the thorn bushes and evergreens emerged another pack of coyotes, looking even skinnier and hungrier. The small leader stepped forward, his gray eyes bloodshot from exhaustion. Belshak stood his ground, growling deeply at his opponent.

  “Oh, shut up, Belshak. We’re not here to fight with you. We’re here to eat!”

  “Eat what?! Have you looked around lately, Dampier?” The two coyotes stared each other down.

  “The word is that one of Farangis’s rattlesnakes tipped you off on some creatures leaving the forest.”

  “That is our food, not yours!” Belshak snarled. Dampier’s pack took a step back.

  “From the way it sounds, there will be plenty for us all. We’re only thirty more guests at your dinner…oh mighty Belshak.” Dampier bowed down, and his pack followed. “Accept us into your pack and we will no longer be enemies. We will serve you,” the leader humbly offered. The wild gray hair sticking up along Belshak’s back began to lower. “All we ask is that you let us eat with you. We haven’t eaten in days.”

  Belshak took a moment to consider. His pack of forty were mostly his family. On the other hand, having thirty more coyotes under him served his greedy desire for power. Some of his own coyotes growled uneasily at the new rivals. “I will kill all of you if you disobey me!” Belshak barked.

  “Oh, thank you, Belshak. You are our master.” The brown coyote groveled on the ground and pressed his dry, black nose into the grass. “Yes…you are our leader.”

  “On your feet,” Belshak commanded. “We need to watch for them.” The group of over seventy ravenous coyotes moved on, surveying the edge of Persly’s Woods for their smorgasbord of traveling creatures.

  ROSCOE WALKED ON, not in any hurry to get where he was going. He didn’t even know where that was and wasn’t really paying much attention. His mind wandered. He was disappointed in Clementine and depressed about his dad. He was saddest of all about the change in leadership he knew was coming to the kingdom. Benjamin would no longer be his king.

  What purpose do I have with my cousins? he wondered. Will Zebulon try to kill me again? He didn’t know the answers to any of his questions, only that it was his dad’s dying wish for him to reunite the families—just as his dad was asked to do many years before.

  THE MOOD IN THE CAVE was somber after the Snapper retreated. Everyone had to face the reality of an even bigger snake wandering the forest. Even Felix felt unsure about returning to Persly’s Woods. The thought of an enormous snake slithering around gave him chills.

  “I guess I should get home, guys,” Benjamin sighed. “My mom is expecting me.”

  “I…I really wish you could join us, Sire,” Clementine said, and Benjamin looked sympathetic. “It doesn’t seem right that neither Roscoe nor you will be with us.”

  “Nor Paco,” Benjamin said softly.

  “Yeah…nor Paco,” the pig agreed solemnly.

  “How’s Squeak doing?”

  “He’s awake, but he’s in big trouble!” a skunk said. “His mom found out what he did and took him outside to have a little… talk.” Benjamin felt guilty.

  Felix stepped forward. “Alright, Clementine, who’s coming with us?”

  “I am!” Malcolm patted Clementine’s bristly back.

  “Me, too! But…what exactly is it we’re doing?” Jonah asked, a little embarrassed.

  “We’re going into Persly’s Woods to bring back a thousand of my friends. They’ve decided it’s safer to live here in the kingdom,” Felix replied.

  “A thousand? Wow!” Jonah smiled at the thought of that many creatures bowing down to him. “Well, then, they’ll get to meet their king!”

  Mac pushed Jonah aside and walked past him. “Yeah, they’ll get to meet me!”

  “You?” Jonah said defensively.

  “Of course. Since I’m the rightful heir, they should meet me!”

  “Don’t you have to go home, little brother? You belong to a family, don’t you?”

  Mac was quiet for a moment, thinking of Jessica and her parents. “I-I can go if I want to. I guess you don’t have to worry about that, do you? Did you ever have a home?” Jonah looked at the ground, unable to answer. “Zeus, are you coming along?”

  “I suppose someone will need to protect you, Sire.” Zeus smiled.

  “Anyone else?” Clementine asked the creatures that filled the hall. They all turned away and acted like they were busy.

  “Fair ‘nuff,” Felix said, “This is more than enough to help.”

  “I suggest we eat a big meal before we leave, gentlemen,” Clementine said. “We won’t have the luxury of King Benjamin’s bag of goodies with us this time.”

  “Sounds good. What are we having?” Mac asked hungrily.

  “Grain.” Clementine didn’t notice the pug’s disgusted look, nor Zeus’s.

  Benjamin smiled a little wistfully. “Please be safe, you guys. I’m sorry I can’t go. I guess you won’t need me much longer, anyway.” Saddened, he turned to go.

  The old badger approached him. “We’ll make room for our new members, Sire. There’s plenty of space in the back caverns.” He pointed a claw at the dark holes in the back.

  “Oh…good.” The boy didn’t know what else to say as the badger ran off to join the soon-to-be-travelers.

  Malcolm left the group and caught up with Benjamin as he walked through the dark tunnel. “Sire, are you in here?”

  “Yeah, I’m still here.” His voice echoed.

  “It’s awfully dark, Your Majesty. I can’t see where I’m going.”

  “Hold on, I’ll be right there.” Benjamin joined him in the darkness. “What is it, Malcolm?”

  “Sire, I don’t know how to put this, but if I don’t make it back I want you to know that I was faithful to you all along.”

  The boy knelt to pet his bristly fur. “Thanks, Malcolm.”

  “And…I don’t think the others realize the kind of monster that’s in those woods.”

  “Only Clementine, Roscoe,” Benjamin paused in remembrance, “…Paco, and I have seen anything close to it. If this thing is bigger than Farangis, then the whole land has a huge problem on its hands.”

  Malcolm took a deep breath. “We need to kill it, Sire. We know where it drinks, and we can use that to our advantage!” The boy was silent. “King Benjamin…do you still have any of those fire weapons?”

  “No… but I think I know where I can get more.” The raccoon wasn’t able to see the boy’s eyebrows raise.

  “I will help you kill this monster anyway I can. Goodbye, King Benjamin.”

  “Goodbye, Malcolm.”

  Benjamin continued on and came out the hole in the fox den. The sun hid behind some long clouds. The air was a little cooler. He walked up the driveway feeling a little bitter about not going on the journey. He understood why Felix felt he shouldn’t go. Obviously the forest creatures would react strongly to a human as their king, but he could protect them. Another giant snake was out there! And from the sound of it, it was much bigger, and probably more fierce, than Farangis.

  His mom heard the front door open from the kitchen. “Benjamin!!!”

  “Oh, no…” He sighed and took off the bracelet, putting it in his back pocket. He would rather have faced that giant snake.

  “Get in here, now!”

  He felt lightheaded as he walked to meet certain punishment. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Where were you today?”

  “Well… I…”

  “Don’t try to lie to me, Benjamin! I just got a phone call from Mrs. Dyer saying she missed you i
n class today. She called to give you your homework assignment.” Her arms were folded stiffly as she stood there, staring down her son.

  Benjamin didn’t know what to do…luckily, his body did. Carol watched her son’s face change from scared…to sad…to awash in tears. He cried. He cried like he’d never cried before. Falling to his knees, he hunched over and rested his palms on the cold linoleum of the kitchen floor while Carol tried to stand firm. Finally she broke down.

  “Benjamin, what’s wrong?” She leaned over and put a soft hand on his shoulder.

  Benjamin said the first thing that came to him, “Mrs. Crane, Mom! She’s dead!” he bawled, and his mom sympathized.

  “Ben…I’m…I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t realize it had affected you so much.”

  He started reverse hiccupping, unable to believe the incredible luck he was having on that kitchen floor. “I tried to make it to the school bus but I just couldn’t do it, Mom!” He cried and cried for two whole minutes in Carol’s arms.

  “It’s okay, Benjamin. I’m sure she wasn’t in pain very long.” That hit him like a ton of bricks. She was in pain! She was bitten by a rattlesnake! Then he had the horrible thought of his parents being eaten by that monstrous snake out there. “Where were you when I got home?”

  “Across the road. I needed some time to think.” He couldn’t look her in the eye.

  “I don’t want you to go across the road anymore, okay? There are snakes out there and I’m sure you don’t want to run across any, either.” Benjamin heaved a short breath at the obvious statement. “I can understand your needing a day off to recover, but I’m punishing you. You’re not to go outside to play or watch TV for the rest of the day. You should’ve called me to let me know you were home.”

  “I didn’t know what to do, Mom.” He wiped the tears from his almost-dry eyes.

  “Well, since you’re here you can help me unload the trunk of the car. I have some groceries for the reunion Sunday that need to be brought in.”

  He followed her out to the car. She opened the trunk and he grabbed a couple of paper sacks with both arms. He almost dropped them both when he glanced down the driveway and saw a fat pig, two pugs, a raccoon, a fox, and a Doberman pincher walking out of the fox den.

  “Ben!” his mom shouted. He looked up. She was facing him…and the road.

  Oh no! he thought.

  “Don’t carry both of them! It’s not good for your back!” He let out a long breath of relief and put one sack on the ground. Walking inside, where thankfully his mother now was, he turned to see the tail end of Jonah disappear through the hedge trees. They had started their journey to Persly’s Woods to bring back an uncountable number of creatures who now lived in fear—a fear that Benjamin personally knew too well. They won’t be able to kill that monster. There’s no way if she’s as big as Malcolm says. He knew what he had to do. He grabbed the other sack beside the car and went inside to make an important phone call…to his cousin Jon in Arkansas.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Mrs. Dyer’s Homework Assignment

  UNLIKE THE LAST JOURNEY he’d undertaken, Clementine now led the group. “Felix, do you know exactly where we need to go?”

  “For the most part, I think.” Felix wasn’t fully confident but tried not to show it.

  They walked along in the tall grass. Mac and Jonah couldn’t see anything in front of them. Zeus laughed at the two stumpy pugs. “Am I the only one who can see ahead?”

  “Well,” Mac said, “I could get on top of you and ride the whole way.”

  Jonah shook his head in disbelief, then started to hop over the tall grass heads. Mac imitated his brother, but couldn’t jump as high. “Now what’s this?” Jonah panted. “My little brother’s trying to imitate me?”

  “Well I would think as your king, you would be honored that I am noticing you.”

  Malcolm rolled his eyes. “This is gonna be a long trip.”

  The sun started to set. Clementine was glad they didn’t have to worry about buzzards spying on them. Or did they? Farangis’s mother now roamed the woods—could she be using buzzards, too? We already had a snapping turtle spying on us, he thought. He looked over at Malcolm, who appeared to be in thought, too. They exchanged a quick glance but didn’t say anything.

  BENJAMIN PUT HIS PHONE BACK IN HIS POCKET, satisfied. He’d just talked to his cousin and got what he’d hoped for. Jon would bring fireworks to the family reunion on Sunday. But what made Benjamin happiest was Jon’s reply when he asked for three homemade cherry bombs. “Why, Benny boy, are you planning on blowing up a dinosaur or something?” Jon had no idea how right he might be.

  “Ben?” Carol shouted from the top of the stairs.

  Benjamin zoomed out of his room. He didn’t want to upset her any more than he already had. He stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Benjamin, you need to get started on your homework assignment. I wrote down what Mrs. Dyer wants done by Monday. You’re not to do anything else tonight. Understood?” Benjamin tried not to stomp up the stairs sighing, but he couldn’t help it. Taking the piece of scratch paper from his mother’s cold hand, he looked it over as he stood on the top step.

  “Get started…now.” Her look said she meant business.

  Benjamin descended the stairs to his room, deciphering her handwriting. “Class project – social studies. Make up your own item that was used in the Trojan War. Present it in class. Due Monday!!” He groaned as he sat at his desk. He’d forgotten how cold and hard the metal folding chair felt, since homework wasn’t one of his priorities after school. He preferred the seat he was used to sitting on, although it was much colder and harder. He preferred the throne in the cave.

  Benjamin brainstormed as he tapped his pencil repeatedly on the desk. His study lamp put out a small glow in the otherwise darkened room. Trojan War…Trojan Army…Trojans. He started thinking about Farangis’s mother. Malcolm is right. We need to kill it. And soon. But how am I gonna blow it up this time? Or can I? I couldn’t even blow up Farangis, Paco had to do it and he gave his life for that.… He sighed. He knew killing this new threat would be extremely more difficult. Homework, homework…need to focus now. I could make a Trojan sword… nah. But it would be pretty easy. All I need to do is get a piece of cardboard and cut it into a sword. Then I could wrap aluminum foil around it and voila! I mean, that’s what Mrs. Dyer did with that—He gasped. Benjamin slowly spoke the words quietly in the darkness, “Stupid…Trojan…Horse!” His eyes widened and his mouth hung open. “Yes! It could work!”

  Ah, the genius of it! “The Trojan Horse could be the Trojan Bomb!” Excitement rushed through him as he conjured up his remarkable plan. “Okay, okay…I-I build this Trojan Horse, only it’s not a horse. It’s a…pig! Yeah, a pig. A big one. Well, as big as Clementine.” He spoke quickly as his anxious thoughts came out of his almost-shaking mouth. “And…I could fill this Trojan Pig,” he laughed at that, “with Cousin Jon’s fireworks, especially cherry bombs, and take it to the spring where the Snapper said she drinks.”

  Benjamin leaned over and put his hands on his forehead in concentration. “So I’ll have a…bomb disguised as a pig and the snake comes along thinking it’s food and eats it. But…it’ll need a really long fuse so we can hide far away. It could…it could work!”

  He shot up in his chair when he heard the front door open overhead. His dad shouted, “Lucy, I’m home!” Tom had used that greeting at least twice a week for years.

  “That got old after the twentieth time, Dad!” Benjamin said, then refocused. “Okay. Back to…the part where she eats it. We have a really long fuse.” His eyes darted back and forth rapidly. “And while she slithers away, we light the fuse and…BOOM! She’s blown up!” It all seemed so simple, yet, not.… “Okay, what could go wrong?” He leaned back in the chair and balanced it on its back legs. “Well, sh-she could eat us!” The thought made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He already had a good idea of what that would be like. “No, we’ll be really far
away from her. She could…throw it back up like she did with the turtle.” Benjamin frowned. No, it’s going to work. This is going to work. I should wait until Malcolm and the others get back with the… oh boy…thousand other animals! Wow!

  Benjamin again rested his head in his hands. He thought about the cave with that many more residents. He thought about a pug sitting on the throne, wearing the collar he had in his back pocket, and being the new protector and leader of the secret kingdom his old dog used to rule, before he was assassinated by the giant python Farangis. Then he thought about the snake out there, nearly twice as big as the one he encountered a month ago…mother and son. In the darkness of his room it occurred to him there was one question he’d never bothered to ask. “Where did they come from?”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  A Fright in the Forest

  THE SETTING SUN lit the clouds red and orange. The team had traveled a long way. Zeus could see the treetops of Persly’s Woods on the horizon. They left the pasture and tread across flat rock. Clementine remembered the last time he’d approached limestone sticking out of the ground. This time he made sure they steered clear of massive thorn bushes. His unfortunate taste for blackberries had gotten him into trouble before. Then he heard a frighteningly familiar noise.

  “Whoops!”

  Clementine stopped and backed up against the band of travelers. “Shhhh! Did you hear that?” He looked around, then pressed his ear to the rocky ground.

  “Clementine, what are you doing?” Jonah asked.

  “Shhh! I’m listening for goats.”

  Malcolm became alert. “Goats! The wild goats?”

  “Yeah, I thought I heard their whooping noise.” His long, black ear was on the ground.

  “Clementine, that was me,” Mac said. “I accidentally stepped on Zeus’s foot.”

  Zeus looked puzzled. “You did?”