The Rightful Heir
Page 19
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Singing Spring
JONAH STOPPED SUDDENLY. “Shhhh! Hold up a second.” His ears perked up. “Do you hear that?”
The raccoons set the barrel down and tilted their heads. Malcolm’s eyes widened. “Yeah! It’s sort of a faint, ringing noise.”
“It’s coming from that way.” He pointed toward the sound of the spring.
“C’mon, guys! Almost there!” Malcolm picked up his end first. The others quickly hoisted the barrel up.
They had a burst of adrenaline. Jonah led the way with his ears. Soon they all heard the deafening ringing of cicadas and locusts.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Snapper was right!” Zeke said, almost laughing at the noise level.
“There it is!” Jonah said with excitement. A stone’s throw away was a clearing in the trees, moonlight shining down. They hurried to the clearing and walked in shallow water. A lone weeping willow occupied the center of a small pool. The tree dropped leaves left and right as hundreds and hundreds of cicadas and locusts scrambled among the branches. They set the barrel in a mound of clover and dead leaves around the tree.
All five raccoons freed their hands from the Trojan Pig and leaned back to have a relieving stretch. The insects made it impossible to hear each other talk. Malcolm waved them back into the trees from where they’d come. Once it was a bit quieter, he gave them all a big group hug. “Okay, fellas. Thanks a bunch! Jonah and I can take it from here.”
“You’re sure you can handle it without us?” Zeke asked, uncertain.
“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” Malcolm smiled and slapped one of them on the hind end. “Now go on, you ‘coons! Git!” They laughed, patted Jonah on the back, and took off through the trees.
“Alright, Malcolm. You wanna tell me what we’re doing?” Jonah gulped.
Malcolm smiled and took a deep breath. “Okay, when I was in Benjamin’s house yesterday, he showed me that thing that we carried all the way over here.”
“Uh-huh.…” Jonah was skeptical but listened intently.
“Now, that pig—because that’s what it’s supposed to be: a pig—” He snickered, “was originally gonna be stuffed with these fireworks that Benjamin had used to blow up this snake’s son a while back.”
“No kiddin’?”
“Yeah, his plan was for the snake to eat it and then he’d light it and make it blow up in the snake’s stomach.”
“Wow…that’s actually a great idea!”
“Right, but the plan changes here.” Malcolm waved his arms. “Benjamin told me an old story about some army building a large horse and hiding inside it.” He shrugged his shoulders and clasped his hands. “Well, their enemies took the gift horse, and without looking it in the mouth, brought it into their fortress. And at night the brave warriors that were hiding inside the wooden horse snuck out and killed them all in their sleep!” Malcolm leaned in to the pug’s face with excitement.
“Uhhhh.…” Jonah didn’t know what to think of all of it.
Malcolm whispered. “Remember what happened when the Snapper said he was swallowed by the snake??”
Jonah’s eyes wandered in thought. “He said…he was… thrown back up.” The pug gasped at Malcolm’s crazy smile. “Y-you’re not saying we—”
“That’s right! We get inside and let her swallow us. She takes us back to her lair then pukes us back up!” Jonah gasped. “When she’s asleep, we sneak out and kill her!” Malcolm smacked an open palm with his fist. Wham!
Jonah paused as the thought kind of made sense. “This…this will work?”
“Mmm hmmm!” Malcolm nodded maniacally.
“How are we going to kill it?”
Malcolm put his hand on the pug’s shoulder. “You leave that to me! You’re gonna be a hero…unlike that no-good brother of yours.”
That appealed to the side of Jonah that wanted revenge. “Yeaaah.” Malcolm knew he had Jonah sold. “Let’s do it!”
The two ran to the water and reached the Trojan Pig. Malcolm tinkered with it as he rolled it over. Malcolm shouted over the loud ringing. “Benjamin opened it somehow.” He found the latch and grabbed it. “Maybe something…like this!” The barrel opened and they jumped back in surprise.
Jonah looked inside and spotted the walkie-talkie. “What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s one of those weird, human things Benjamin was going to use to lure the snake. We don’t need it, though. We can make pig noises ourselves!” Malcolm patted Jonah on the bottom. “Okay, let’s get you in first.”
“Uh, how do I.…” Jonah shouted in uncertainty.
“Just jump in, silly!” Malcolm prompted. The pug hopped in and the barrel wobbled back and forth. The hatch swung stiffly but stayed up. “Alright, now my tur—”
Suddenly the locusts and cicadas stopped singing. It was dead quiet. Jonah gasped. “Malcolm,” he said quietly, “uh…what did the Snapper say about when the bugs stop singing?”
Malcolm gulped. “He said the snake was close by!”
Jonah screamed and jumped up in the barrel, causing it to wobble backward and roll quickly forward. The hatch slammed shut on the scared pug inside.
“Hey! Let me out of here, Malcolm! I don’t want to do this!” Jonah’s muffled voice screamed from inside the Trojan Pig. Malcolm grabbed the latch but couldn’t get it to unlock. “Heyyyyy!” The pug’s paws franticly clawed the inside wall.
“Hang on a second! I’m trying to get it open!” Malcolm froze in his spot when he heard the trees and bushes being crushed and shaken. “Oh no!” he whispered in terror.
Reality settled over Malcolm. His perfect plan wasn’t so perfect after all.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Hail to the King
BENJAMIN SNEAKED OUT of the basement the way the conniving raccoon had earlier—through the window that his dad had covered in flimsy plastic wrap. Unlike the many times before when he’d considered sneaking through the window, he no longer had to worry about breaking the glass. With the collar around his wrist, he walked down the driveway. It was a beautiful evening, perfect for crowning the new king, he thought. His mood was completely different, though.
The full harvest moon hung over the hole in the cave’s ceiling. The tree row across the road was lit up beautifully and the strong light shone on the fox den. Benjamin hopped into it for perhaps the last time. His emotions ran wild, but he tried to control his tears. The farther he trekked, the more the tunnel’s walls glowed vibrant blue. He remembered how beautiful the cave was the last time the full moon was directly above, with all of the lightning bugs scattered on the tunnel walls. That was when we had Paco’s funeral. Benjamin didn’t hear any loud talking, which he thought was strange. The closer he got to the last corner, the more he tried not to break down and cry. It had been a hard day for him. Malcolm had betrayed him and broken into his house, Jessica left him to go hang out with her boyfriend at the Harvest Home Festival and then never came home, and now, after saving the kingdom nearly a month ago, he was about to relinquish his crown to the rightful heir. He would go back to being just Ben.
“Where is he?” Roscoe asked Clementine as they stood next to the throne.
“Relax. He said he’d be here tonight. He’ll be here.”
There was much anxiety in the air as Mac stood at the foot of the throne. His bodyguard, Zeus, smiled the whole time, watching the many faces admire his little friend.
Benjamin was at the final turn and stopped. He shuddered as he clutched the collar on his wrist. Knowing what he had to do, he took a deep breath and walked forward into the opening of the hall.
“MALCOLM, GET ME OUT OF HERE!!” Jonah screamed.
“I-I can’t. It’s locked!” The bushes and trees across the spring quaked. The monster was very near. Malcolm panicked. “Juh… Jonah, listen to me!”
“Malcolm, I want out of here this instant!” The barrel rolled back and forth.
“Jonah!” Malcolm whispered loudly, tears in h
is eyes. “I’ll… I’ll be right here! I’ll be right here with you, Jonah!”
“MALCOLM, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
The raccoon ran through the shallow water, away from the barrel. “I’ll be right here, Jonah! I’ll be right here!” he whispered to himself, fleeing the horrible scene about to take place. His heart had never beaten so rapidly. He dove into the bushes and crouched down to hide.
“MALCOLM! WHERE ARE YOU?!”
The raccoon heard his friend’s muffled screams. The Trojan Pig was upside down, rocking gently. Out of the weeds and tall grass behind the tree, the head of a monstrous, black python emerged. Its foot-long tongue flickered out of its mouth and its massive body slithered into the still spring. The water rippled from side to side, distorting the reflected harvest moon.
“Oh…my…gosh!!!” Malcolm’s mouth hung open in horror.
The monster’s head jerked. It spotted the Trojan Pig through its ghastly, milky-white eyes.
“MALCOLM! GET ME OUTTA HERE!” The barrel wobbled back and forth.
“Oh, no! Please, no…please, no!” Malcolm whispered hopelessly.
The giant python mercilessly glided toward the Trojan Pig.
“MALCOLM, YOU TOLD ME EVERYTHING WOULD BE OKAY!!!”
The snake retracted her neck, zeroing in on her kill. Hisssssssssssssssss. WUH-CHOMP!!! Jonah felt a huge jolt as he was propelled to the other end of the barrel. He screamed for dear life. The barrel stuck halfway out of the monster’s mouth. Malcolm fainted from the horrifying sight.
Jonah was pitched around violently as the snake repeatedly jerked its head back to draw in and swallow the barrel. The pug’s head kept hitting the sides—and then he hit something else. “Ouch!” A little red light came on, but he was too frightened to notice. The giant snake finally gulped down the whole barrel and swam through the water, away from the unconscious raccoon, and disappeared into the bushes.
“THERE HE IS!” Squeak spotted Benjamin first. He stood at the front of the tunnel, bathed in blue light. The animals cheered and he felt overwhelmed. He saw his friends Clementine and Roscoe beside his throne, smiling at him, while the sound of applause filled his ears. It was the best feeling in the world and it was about to end.
He took a deep breath and walked forward. The crowd parted, creating a pathway to the pool and the throne behind it. Looking down at Mac, he thought about Pugsly. His little dog was the reason why not only Benjamin was there, but also Mac. He missed him so much at that moment. Then he thought about Jessica. He remembered the many times he’d watched her pick up the soon-to-be king and hold him in her arms while she laughed. He knew how much Jessica loved Mac—as much as he loved Pugsly. He stopped at the pool and turned to look over the enormous crowd.
“HAIL, KING BENJAMIN!” the animals shouted to honor him. He gulped and his red cheeks flooded with tears.
The old badger came to stand beside him. “We have been blessed with a king—a king unlike any we’ve ever had before!” Numerous faces nodded with tear-filled eyes. “Tonight, on the full moon, we will be changing crowns.” Benjamin looked at all the animals he had ruled. “Because of King Pugsly, we were given King Benjamin. And because of both of them, it is my honor to say we are given King Mac!”
Mac sat up straight and puffed out his chest. Zeus smiled at the little dog’s attempt to appear noble. The crowd cheered thunderously and Benjamin walked around the pool to the throne. A teary eyed pot-bellied pig and fainting goat still smiled at him. He knelt and hugged them for what felt like the last time. Then he turned to Mac.
The cheering grew louder as he again knelt, this time in front of Pugsly’s son. “I believe this belongs to you.” Tears fell from his eyes as his left hand grabbed the black leather band around his right wrist and started to pull it down. It slipped off and he held it up for everyone to see. “Ooohs” and “aaaahs” came from the crowd as they gazed at the silver-blue tag that sparkled majestically in the light.
Benjamin again faced Mac. He leaned down to whisper in the rightful heir’s ear. He wanted to say that Jessica was missing. Instead he said, “She’s proud of you!”
Mac looked at the boy in wonder. For one short moment he remembered the human girl he loved more than any other creature in his life. He was stunned as Benjamin lifted the collar over his little head and rested it on his neck.
“Hail, King Mac!” Benjamin shouted as calmly as he could, but his voice cracked when he tried to hold in his sobs.
The animals shouted “HAIL, KING MAC!” but all Benjamin could hear were the loud sounds of barking, clucking, baahing, and so on—the sounds of animals that didn’t talk. It was finally over. The kingdom had its rightful heir.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
A Hopeless Attempt
JONAH FELT STALE, warm air seeping into the barrel. Breathing, he could tell, would soon be more difficult. The barrel rolled over and over as it made its way along the behemoth’s great body.
The snake felt full, at least fuller than it had after most of its meals. It was content to leave the spring and return to its lair.
Malcolm jumped up, as if waking from a bad dream. When he heard the crashing of bushes and leaves far away, he knew it had been real. “Jonah!” The raccoon ran as fast as he could toward the sounds of the forest submitting to the monster.
He was panting when he reached the eastern edge of Persly’s Woods. Before him were millions of tiny, thin trees spaced just inches apart. He’d never seen trees like these. He heard the noise of them being trampled in the distance. “Which way did you go, you nasty worm?!” He angrily looked left and right, hoping to see a giant pathway. There wasn’t one. It was hopeless. The snake was too far away. He fell on the ground and started to cry. Guilt had never stricken him this way before. He wanted Jonah back safely more than anything, but knew it wouldn’t happen. “What have I done?!”
JONAH WAS NAUSEATED from his ride down the snake’s gullet, but finally its stomach muscles stopped twisting and the barrel stopped swirling around. He could still feel the bumps the giant snake’s belly traveled over, from rocks or whatever. He had no clue where he was going and he couldn’t see a thing. He was lying on the red light of the walkie-talkie.
The snake covered a great distance across the rolling hills to the east of the millions of tiny trees that prevented Malcolm from giving chase. In the moonlight its large shadow moved with great speed, a helpless pug with one black foot still alive inside its belly. Finally, it disappeared inside a hill, from which the faint sounds of a young girl screaming for help could be heard.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
The Walkie-Talkie on the Desk
KING MAC SAT ON HIS THRONE and watched, along with every teary eye in the cave, as Benjamin disappeared into the tunnel. The inhabitants of the kingdom were quiet, showing respect for the boy leaving them. The blue glow of the tunnel slowly faded.
Oh great! How am I gonna get out of here? Benjamin felt his bare, collarless wrist. He heard the pitter patter of tiny feet behind him. The bob-tailed field mouse ran past and climbed the wall, causing the sticks to pop up so he could exit.
“Oh…thanks, Squeak.”
The mouse squeaked back at him and he smiled sadly. He put his hand down and Squeak gave his finger a big hug. “Good-bye,” Benjamin said softly. The mouse squeaked and squeaked as Benjamin climbed out of the fox den and walked away.
Squeak scurried up the wall and onto the sticks of the fox den. “…Thank you, King Benjamin.” He cried as he watched the boy walk up his driveway for the last time.
JONAH FELT ALL MOVEMENT suddenly stop. He heard a thumping heartbeat very close by. Oh, my gosh, Jonah! You’re actually inside its belly! He started to hyperventilate. His one black foot was pressed on the speak button of the walkie-talkie.
THE MOON SHONE DOWN on Benjamin. He looked at the thousands of silver ripples reflected off the pond. He looked at the hill and remembered the first conversation he’d had with a rat-terrier named Paco. He walked closer to the hous
e and pictured Pugsly staring out the dark front window. Then he thought about how he was going to go into Persly’s Woods by himself, find the pool with the cicadas, and blow up the giant snake.
But why did Malcolm take the Trojan Pig? It didn’t matter. He’d build another one. The worst day of his life was now over. The kingdom was back to normal, just as when Pugsly ruled it. Everything would be okay. He remembered the fireworks and quietly took the sack from the back seat of the car, then tiptoed along the front of the house to sneak in.
From the top of his desk in his empty bedroom came a scratchy, high-pitched noise. Screech. “Malcolm?!” Screech. “Malcolm, help!” Screech. (the sound of heavy breathing) Screech. “Anybody?!” Screech. “Oh…please help…” Screech. “…What am I gonna do?” Screech. “…What am I gonna do?”
On Benjamin’s desk the walkie-talkie’s red light faded out. The batteries went dead just as he crawled through the window. He went right to bed. Benjamin Biggs had a lone task ahead of him and he needed to get some sleep.
THE END
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Acknowledgements
I WOULD SAY THAT ALL THE PEOPLE in this story are fictional, but that would be a lie. Some may have been your teacher, principal, bus driver, pastor and perhaps even your brother-in-law. As for the animals, well, you already know their story. The curtain is slowly being pulled back on Haverhill. Unlike The Brave Journey, this story definitely has a darker tone. I must tell you, I couldn’t wait to write the end of The Rightful Heir. It gave me chills finishing the last chapter, and it couldn’t have ended any other way. I want you to know how much I appreciate you reading this book. I’m so excited about you joining me on this journey. Again, the amazing talents of Tim Ladwig, illustrator; Karen S. Davis, editor; Jim Hellman, designer; and Joanne Bolton, printing broker, have brought to you the second installment in THE KINGDOM AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY series. A special thanks to Kristi, Steve, Lonnie, Toni, Bob, Brad, Norma, Karen, Adam, Andrea, Corey, Dea, my dear grandmother, and as always, my mom and dad. To the person holding this book, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at jeffknapp@hotmail.com and I will personally respond back. I’m so anxious for Book Three: The Ending Feud to come out. Believe me, it will be worth the wait! Thanks again for reading, and if you enjoy the books, please spread the word. The story is far from over!