Blast of the Dragons Fury (Andy Smithson Book One) Read online

  Chapter Two

  Curse Day Remembered

  Andy thudded on a cold, hard floor. “Oww,” he moaned, absorbing the impact of his crash landing. The pitch darkness amplified the clatter of breaking glass and things falling, and he threw an arm over his head. Something started fizzing and the stench of rancid dog farts assaulted his nose. Not again!

  “Confound it, Mermin! How’d that boggart manage to extinguish all the candles at once?” The man’s voice, more curious than accusing, sounded familiar.

  A small, furry body rushed into Andy’s thigh and a host of pinpricks stabbed a soapy knuckle. “Ouch! It bit me! Again!”

  “Who’s there? Mermin?”

  Ptooey. Ptooey. Andy felt a mist spray his hand as something spit soap suds then scolded like a small monkey at the zoo, just as it had this morning. He reached for his assailant but it evaded his grasp.

  “Candles, Mermin!”

  “Yes, Your Majesty. Wight away, sir. I’m twying to find them.”

  Majesty?

  The man must have tripped because something landed with a bang and more glass shattered not far away.

  “What can you do about that boggart?”

  “I’m not sure. Everything we’ve twied hasn’t worked.”

  Clearly.

  “I’m very sowwy. Between that and the Appeawo Beam acting as if it has a mind of its own today—”

  Boggart? Appearo Beam? Am I going to see Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner next?

  “I know I only gwabbed the US Pus box this time.”

  “You brought that boy earlier. That was unfortunate. I hope he doesn’t remember.”

  Andy wiped the remaining soap bubbles onto his pants and braced for what might happen. Candlelight brought the space into focus: a table lay overturned, and books, papers and broken beakers littered a large, stone-walled room.

  A gasp escaped Andy. I’m back! What is this place?

  The two men’s gazes landed on Andy.

  That’s him!

  A silver-bearded man wearing a bright blue satin robe hunched over and peered through the dimness, inspecting Andy. He held a lit candlestick in one hand and cinched up his overflowing robes with the other. The peak of his Santa-like hat drooped and huge stars twinkled gold.

  Another man, tall, lean, and dressed in a long-sleeved black T-shirt and faded blue jeans, sprawled across the floor several feet away. He pushed himself up to sitting. “Mermin, I thought you said you’d brought only the Us Pus box?”

  The wizard turned his attention to his companion, nearly causing the large pompom on his hat to catch fire. His mouth moved like a fish gasping for air. “Yes…” He scratched his head and pushed his round-framed glasses back up his knotty nose. “There’s no way the beam was that wide. I fixed that pwoblem this afternoon. I even tested it.”

  Andy glanced at his finger. A trickle of blood oozed from a half circle of pin pricks. He covered them with a thumb.

  “Then how do you explain him coming back?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I cannot. But it looks like that boggart bit him.”

  “Nasty little pest,” the black-shirted man groused.

  The blue-robed wizard called Mermin took a step forward. “Let me have a look at that.”

  Andy glanced about the room before consenting.

  Mermin reached for Andy’s hand, and Andy moved his thumb aside. “Can you bend it?” After flexing it several times, the man knelt and pulled it to within an inch of his nose. Andy felt the man exhale and jerked his hand back. Gross!

  “Just a nip. No permanent damage.”

  “What would happen if it was deeper?” Andy asked.

  “It would itch madly.” The makeshift physician shook his head. “Nothing to fool with.”

  “It’d drive you crazy, just like the little menace,” the companion sulked.

  Andy rubbed his thumb over the wound, feeling a phantom itch. His eyes found the mailbox from his front yard behind him, the stones from its limestone base scattered. “My mailbox! You guys stole our mailbox!”

  The black-shirted man waved his hands. “Mermin’s been having a few difficulties.”

  The wizard nodded his agreement.

  “Forgive me. Where are my manners? Let me introduce myself. I’m King Hercalon V, ruler of the land of Oomaldee. And this is my wizard, Mermin. And you are…?”

  “I’m Andy Smithson.”

  “Good to meet you, Andy son of Smith. To what guild does your father belong?”

  “Uh…I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “Is he a shipbuilder? Yarn weaver? Cobbler?”

  “Um, none of the above. My dad owns a company. He’s the CEO. My mom does too.” The thought of Dad using his hands to build a ship or weave yarn seemed crazy—whenever they needed something fixed, they called a repairman. He could hear Dad exclaiming, “Not a good use of my time to fix things. Do you know how much an hour of my time is worth?”

  “A company? I’m afraid I don’t know what that is. No matter. So, where are you from?”

  “Lakehills, Texas.”

  The men exchanged furrowed brows. They’ve never heard of it? Andy bit his lip.

  “Tell you what, let’s explore that later.”

  “Wait a minute! What do you mean? How’d I get here? How do I get back home?”

  The King cleared his throat and glanced at Mermin. “Andy, you may be staying with us for a while.”

  “What do you mean? You can’t abduct me. There are laws against that. I’ll…I’ll call the cops!”

  The King stiffened his posture and any hint of a smile faded. “I’ve no idea what that means, but let me assure you, we did not abduct you.”

  “Then send me back. Now!”

  “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. It seems Mermin did not bring you.” The King’s voice remained annoyingly calm. “Until we can determine who or what did, we won’t know how to send you back.”

  “Are you kidding? This can’t be happening. This cannot be happening.” Andy ran his hands through his hair then exploded, “This whole day has been a nightmare!”

  Breath caught in both men’s throats.

  “I’m sorry to hear that. Mermin and I will work on how to send you home, but I sense you are here for a reason.” The King’s voice trailed off as he inhaled deeply, scratched the top of his head, then chuckled with an afterthought. “Your situation reminds me of the time young da Vinci dropped in for an unexpected visit. Remember that, Mermin?” Smiles of recognition punctuated both men’s faces. “We had no idea where he’d come from. He just showed up.”

  “I’m glad you think this is funny.”

  The King held up a hand. “I don’t find your situation funny. Experience has taught me that all manner of good can come from the most unexpected events. We will let you know what we determine as soon as we know more.”

  An uneasy feeling like when he’d navigated the spook house last Halloween gripped Andy’s stomach. What other surprises lurk around the next corner?

  “Why don’t you come with me,” Mermin suggested.

  Andy glanced between the pair but elicited no further response from either. Feeling the sting of defeat, he huffed out a long breath. “Fine.”

  As the wizard pulled open the heavy wooden door a brown blur brushed the side of Andy’s leg as it streaked past, accompanied by raucous high-pitched squeaking.

  “Blast it!” the King bellowed.

  “I’m on it!” The shout echoed from the hallway, and a boy about Andy’s age dashed after the boggart. The boy had bright green hair and wore a royal blue tunic and green leggings.

  “Thank you, Alden!” Mermin called after him.

  Andy popped his head into the hall and looked both ways but the boy had vanished along with the shrill shrieks.

  The wizard shook his head. “Nothing but mischief with that thing.”

  Andy wrinkled his brow but refrained from comment.

  Several steps down the hall An
dy asked, “You’re Merlin the Magician? We studied you in school last year.” I had no idea the guy was so wacky.

  “You know about Merlin? He was my bwother.” Then chuckling he added, “Made quite a name for himself in your world.”

  “But you said you didn’t know anything about Lakehills, Texas!”

  Mermin stopped short. “No, His Majesty said we’d explore that later.”

  Andy furrowed his brow, wanting to demand that the wizard tell him everything he knew about Andy’s home, but the man cut him off. “Now, shall we continue?” Mermin directed with an open palm.

  Should I trust this guy? Andy studied the mage. If I have to stay here for a while, best not make him mad. Andy redirected back to his original line of questioning. “Then are you related to the mermen—like the ones who live underwater?”

  “Actually, they are my cousins twice wemoved, on my father’s side. I’m afwaid of water myself. You seem to know a lot about my family.”

  Andy gave a half smile.

  “I pwomised Henwy I’d loan him a book.”

  Andy sighed but traipsed after. The wizard pushed open another heavy wooden door. A sea of books in a multitude of colors and sizes lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Several wooden ladders on wheels scaled the shelves. The room exuded a dank, musty smell.

  Whoa, hadn’t expected this.

  Andy gasped as he spotted a large trunk sitting on the floor near an oversize stone fireplace. It looked identical to the one he had discovered in his attic. The top rested open at an angle and rolled up manuscripts—all standing on end—overflowed its mouth, like a monster needing braces.

  “Something wong?”

  Remembering the note in the trunk back home had instructed not to tell anyone about it, Andy replied, “Uh, no, just admiring your trunk.”

  “That is a special twunk. Cwaftsmen from many lands build twunks, but I’ve never seen twunks as fine as this anywhere except Oomaldee.” Mermin moved closer to Andy and whispered, “Don’t tell anyone, but the ones made for woyalty have secwet compartments, too. Come in handy for hiding things.”

  “Really?”

  Mermin nodded.

  Andy continued inspecting the room. To one side, an oversized oak desk dominated a threadbare red rug under its feet. Its top was completely buried with open books and manuscripts. To the right of the desk stood a tall wooden table submerged under old texts and papers.

  Mermin gathered the fabric of his generous robes in one hand and tottered up one of the wood ladders, exposing two scrawny legs. He’s got chicken legs like mine, Andy smiled, but not for long when the wizard bobbled part way up.

  Please don’t fall, I don’t know emergency first aid!

  The man grabbed a book from a shelf and descended, oblivious to the excitement he’d caused his audience.

  “Let’s intwoduce you to the goldweavers.”

  “Goldweavers?”

  Mermin smiled.

  They headed back out the door and soon approached a sign indicating Goldery that hung outside a door at the end of the hall.

  “A goldewy is where the gold of the kingdom is cwafted,” Mermin answered Andy’s unspoken question.

  They walked through a heavy, metal-reinforced door into a small room with a stone floor. Straw was strewn about. A fiery furnace leaned against the far wall, making the space oppressively hot. An army of water-filled wooden buckets stood at attention to the left. Andy noted that the walls had been charred to the halfway point. Three men wearing brown burlap tunics and bright yellow leggings looked up from their work.

  “This is Henwy.” Mermin walked over to a man with muscular arms who pumped the bellows, making the furnace angrier still. The wizard handed him the book. “Henwy, this is Andy. He’s…visiting.”

  “Thank you, Mermin,” the man acknowledged, patting the wizard on the shoulder and stowing the book away from the fire. “Pleased to meet you, Andy,” said Henry, wiping away the sweat freely flowing down his face. He returned to his former position and gave the bellows another pump, which caused sparks to fly. “Keeps me on my toes,” he joked, stomping out burning embers as they flew onto the floor.

  “And this is Max,” Mermin continued, approaching a balding man working at a contraption that reminded Andy of a sewing machine. He kept taking handfuls of straw from a large pile stacked next to him. Each time he pumped a pedal, he fed several pieces of straw into a narrow flame that shot out. With his concentration broken, Max yelped, “Youch! I hate when that happens!” He shook his singed finger, trying to kill the pain.

  “Sowwy about that Max. Just wanted Andy, here, to meet our finest gold spinner.”

  Max smiled. “Good to meet you.” He stood, walked over to a bucket of water, and plunged his finger in. “Ahh. That’s better.”

  Andy wiped the sweat cascading down his face on the sleeve of his T-shirt. It was hard to stand such intense heat. He understood why these men were so thin.

  “And that’s Oscar,” Mermin said, nodding to a short man working next to the machine.

  Oscar wound the gold thread coming out of the device around a spindle. When a spindle was full, he stacked it neatly with the others in the corner. The towering stack was impressive.

  “When there are enough full spindles, they melt down all the gold thwead and form gold coins, which are then stored in the tweasury,” Mermin explained.

  “This is awesome!”

  Max, Oscar, and Henry smiled proudly.

  “It takes years of wigowous study to do what they do and make it look so easy.”

  “Can they show me how to spin gold?”

  “We’ll see,” replied Mermin, stroking his beard. Andy speculated that was code for “no,” just like his parents always said when they didn’t want to do something.

  But Max put up a hand and waved him over. “Not many folks care to learn, but since you’re interested, come have a closer look.”

  Andy’s eyes sparkled as he approached the goldweaver’s bench.

  “Stand right here,” Max instructed. “There’s lots of really complicated theory behind it, but the short version is this: to convert straw into gold, or anything else for that matter, you must understand the flow of energy within the straw.”

  “Flow of energy?”

  “That’s right. The energy is harnessed to break down the straw into a shape that’s easier to use.”

  “I see…” Andy covered.

  “From this, then, I can reshape it into what I want.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “This machine harnesses the flow of energy that already exists in the straw. When I add fire and a spritz of water, I can then shape it into gold thread.”

  “Oscar can you refill the water reservoir for me?” Max requested. His fellow poured clear liquid into a circular opening on the top of the contraption.

  “Okay, ready to watch it happen?” the would-be professor asked.

  Andy bobbed his head, eyes wide.

  The machine whirred to life as the man pumped a pedal beneath. He fed a handful of straw into the flame. “As soon as that mist of water touches it, you’ll see it turn into a golden liquid.” The instructor pointed. “See that?”

  Andy’s eyebrows shot up. “Awesome!”

  “Now watch what happens. It’s not hot, so now I just twist it between my fingers like this and—”

  “I wind it onto this spool,” Oscar chimed in. A big grin bloomed across his face as he demonstrated.

  “That’s so cool!”

  The goldweavers ricocheted winks. “Glad you like it,” Max intoned.

  “We need to be on our way,” Mermin interrupted.

  “By all means. Hey, by the way, Mermin.” Max raised a hand. “That boggart got into the treasury this morning and made a horrible mess of things. We haven’t begun straightening it up. Not sure if it ate anything or not.”

  Andy’s mouth dropped open. A boggart in the treasury?

  “I figured the King should know.”

&nb
sp; Mermin frowned then cleared his throat. “Thank you. I’ll pass that on. Do you need help cleaning up?”

  “That would be great, thank you. It’ll take us at least a month to reorganize everything at this rate.”

  The wizard nodded. “I’ll get back to you with who can assist. Let me know when you want another book.”

  “Thanks for showing me that!” Andy waved.

  “Nice to meet you!” the trio called after him.

  Ah, cool air at last! Andy wiped his brow on the sleeve of his T-shirt. “Does that happen often?”

  “What? The boggart?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s a wecent pwoblem—the horseshoe fell and now we can’t get it back outside.”

  Andy cocked his head, but the wizard said no more.

  On their way back to Mermin’s library, the boy Andy had seen earlier dashed up. Contrasting with the royal-blue livery, the servant’s neon-green hair puffed about his head as if he’d stuck his finger in a light socket. The lad cleared his throat and announced, “I was told to tell you dinner is nearly ready and remind you that today is Curse Day.”

  “Thank you, Alden.” The wizard lowered his head and muttered, “As if anyone could forget.” Lifting his head he asked, “Did you manage to capture that boggart?”

  The boy frowned and kicked an invisible pebble. “No…”

  “That’s all right. We’ll eventually outsmart it. We’ll be along shortly. I need to change my wobes.”

  The servant bowed then turned.

  “Did he just say Curse Day?”

  Mermin nodded but didn’t elaborate. They turned and meandered to the end of the corridor. A set of winding stone stairs led upstairs and downstairs. The wizard headed up.

  “My chambers are on the sixth floor.”

  Scaling one flight of stairs and reaching the landing, they headed down the corridor and stopped next to a black door with a shiny silver crescent moon. Mermin waved his hands.

  Is he going to say “abracadabra”?

  “Secwet passcode. Can never be too careful.” The mage opened the door and they entered a modest-sized room with a large stone fireplace and bed to the left. A dressing area took up the space to the right.

  “Please wait here while I change.”

  Andy looked around the room. Something twinkled and caught his eye. He looked up and saw the black ceiling decorated with thousands of stars. They seemed almost alive. He could make out the Big Dipper and Orion. He couldn’t remember any of the other constellations he was supposed to have memorized in science class and regretted it briefly.

  He walked over to the large bed to examine the intricate carvings on the headboard: a unicorn stood proudly next to a pegasus. Above them the sun and moon walked hand in hand across the sky. Fairies danced with a troll, all smiling and laughing. There was also the carving of a creature Andy had never seen before. It looked almost like a wolf, but its paws were huge, clown-like, and its snout was pushed in like a pug’s.

  “That’s a herewolf,” informed the wizard, stepping out from behind the screen. He had changed into a black robe that looked older and more worn than he did. At one time it had been soft and velvety, but was now threadbare and had a small tear near the bottom of the right sleeve. A royal-blue coat of arms emblazoned the shoulder of the left sleeve. He had discarded his hat and his long silver locks flowed freely, a sharp contrast with the mysteries he seemed to be guarding.

  Mermin pushed his glasses back up his nose. “Herewolves are descended fwom werewolves, but they don’t change form with the cycles of the moon. They can still be vicious cweatures though. This was carved before the curse…” His voice trailed off.

  “Curse?”

  “We best get ourselves down to dinner,” Mermin instructed, ignoring Andy’s question.

  The pair headed back down the steps, passing the fifth floor and continuing on down two more winding flights. They emerged into an expansive room the wizard said was the dining hall. Several servants wearing royal-blue livery hurried about finishing last-minute preparations. Plain black banners trimmed with gold hung about the perimeter of the room, hiding ornate tapestries that lined the walls.

  A head table at the far end stood perpendicular to three tables that stretched almost the length of the room with benches on either side of them. Above the rightmost table hung a crimson banner with a gold chevron separating a lion at the top from a pair of wings at the bottom. Over the middle table hung an aqua banner with a beaver on the top and a snail on the bottom.

  Who’d want to be known as a snail? Andy shook his head.

  Above the third table hung a mustard-colored banner. The head of a long-horned bull adorned the top, and a bird nested on the bottom.

  Andy’s thoughts flashed back to the crest on the sheath in the trunk in his attic, and his eyes grew large. Before this, the only coats of arms he had ever seen were in books. Now, to see so many in use… What is this place?

  “Something wong?”

  “Uh, no…nothing.”

  Several minutes later, guests began arriving, pulling Mermin to his duties. The wizard hastened toward a doorway at the far left end of the hall and greeted a contingent of about thirty men and women dressed in black robes with an aqua coat of arms on their left sleeves. After exchanging somber nods and hushed tones, they processed toward the middle table. Next came several more men and women also wearing black robes but sporting a mustard-yellow crest on their left sleeves. One more group arrived shortly thereafter bearing a crimson coat of arms on their black robes. They blended into the whirling mass of uniformed humanity. I’m not dressed for this, Andy worried, still clad in a T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers.

  Andy narrowly avoided being trodden underfoot by a burly man wrestling a bulky cask into place. “Watch yourself, son,” the man warned with a heavy hand to Andy’s shoulder once he had unburdened himself. A woman with bright purple hair clucked orders to several servants while white-gloved attendants offered drinks to their guests from silver trays.

  Several minutes passed before King Hercalon entered the hall. He, too, wore a black robe, but distinguished himself with a royal-blue coat of arms on his left sleeve. Conversation ceased and everyone bowed as he strode to the head table. The King invited everyone to be seated, and Mermin joined him at the head table, sitting to his left. Several uniformed officers seated themselves to his right.

  Andy stood watching the scene unfold from a back corner of the hall where he had taken refuge from the bustle of preparations. He scanned the lengths of the three tables but found no gaps among the myriad of servants and guests. What am I supposed to do? Where should I sit? The familiar angst of being picked last in gym class stalked his thoughts, and he prayed no one would notice him.

  The King scanned the room, his gaze landing on Andy where he cowered. “Andy! Join me.” Dread pounced as everyone turned.

  I feel like a turtle without a shell. Determined to preserve a shred of his dignity, he hurried to the front, eyes fixed on the floor, wishing he had jet packs on his feet. He ignored the traitorous warmth rising in his cheeks. Hushed whispers dogged each step.

  Before he reached safety, the King intoned, “I’d like to introduce you all to Andy, son of Smith, Sea Eee Ohhh. He arrived this afternoon, quite unexpectedly.” The monarch paused for emphasis. “Mermin and I were working on our most recent experiment to break the curse when Andy suddenly appeared.”

  A murmur went up from servants and guests alike. As the king paused and waited for Andy, Mermin shuffled everyone down one seat on his right. Andy splashed down into his chair, never happier to be out of the limelight.

  But the King was not done. He raised a hand for silence and continued, “I know what you may be thinking. The same thought occurred to me. Time will tell… Please make Andy feel welcome.”

  The dining hall erupted in loud applause and Andy wished he could disappear. What’s he talking about? What ‘occurred’ to him?

  The King called for silence
and everyone rose. Andy conformed, not wanting to stand out.

  “Today we commemorate Curse Day,” the sovereign began. “Over five hundred years ago, the darkest period of our history began. I take full responsibility.” The King drew a hand to his chest. “I was young, jealous, and impulsive. My pride was unchecked by the wisdom and humility only age brings. We cannot change the past but must look to the future. I continue to diligently seek for a solution to break the curse, but I am also aware the solution may come from beyond ourselves.”

  Andy felt the weight of innumerable eyes bounce on him then ricochet back to their sovereign as the King continued, “Know that I will not rest until the curse is broken. As you know, I wish more than anything to see our land restored to its former glory and technological superiority. Please join me in a toast.” The ruler raised his goblet and bellowed, “To breaking the curse!”

  “To breaking the curse!” The echo rose along with everyone’s glasses.

  “Please partake of the meal before you, and we will complete our remembrance after,” the King invited, then took his seat.

  The hum of conversation and clinking dishes overwhelmed the silence. Andy’s brain whirred. Both the King and Mermin have talked about a curse. I don’t get it, but everybody else seems to.

  Mermin interrupted Andy’s thoughts as he passed him what looked like mashed potatoes, except they were dark purple. Next came what the wizard said was roast duck and wild boar. They smelled okay but were blackened and did not look appetizing. As he scanned the rest of the table, all of the dishes seemed to be black or some dark color. Seeming to read his thoughts, Mermin leaned over and whispered, “Our twaditional Curse Day fare.”

  “Oh,” was all Andy could muster, picking at his food.

  A shriek pierced the din, then two more. Protests rose from the middle of the room and everyone gawked as maniacal laughter overwhelmed the hall. The scene looked like an out-of-control popcorn popper. Mashed potatoes leapt from bowls. A platter of wild boar launched, distributing its abundance on guests. Dinner plates flew skyward, then smashed against the stone floor. A bowl of gravy catapulted toward the aqua banner, soiling it before raining on the unfortunate souls beneath.

  A bevy of servants converged in a scrum, arms grasping and flailing at the epicenter of the storm, eliciting more high-pitched laughter from the villain whose small, brown-haired body bounced just out of reach.

  The path of carnage spread toward the back of the hall, then circled and headed forward. No food was sacred and no one immune. Servants and guests cowered under tables.

  The officers at the head table bolted up and surrounded the King, swords drawn, as chaos reigned. At length, the high-pitched shrieks retreated out the doorway through which many of the guests had arrived. Servants and guests peeked out from under tables, wiping rubbish from their clothing and hair. Several slipped on the slick floor.

  The King called for order. When quiet resumed, he wiped purple potato from an eyebrow, pulled a hand to his chest, and declared, “My people, I apologize. A boggart has beset the castle for the past moon, since the horseshoe fell from the drawbridge.”

  Murmurs rose and he raised his arms. “It seems this furry menace has accurately depicted how I view our situation.”

  A host of nods acknowledged.

  “Seeing as our dinner has been concluded prematurely, please join me on the porch to complete our remembrance of Curse Day.”

  Andy continued wiping food from his hair, T-shirt, and jeans as he meandered along with the crowd out to a porch. It was the first time Andy had been outside since he’d arrived, and the dark night air felt crisp. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, shaking his head. What a day.

  A dense fog blanketed the area, restraining the light of the moon to a dim glow and obscuring everything beyond the railing.

  “Governors, please join me,” requested the King.

  Three men squeezed through the maze of the guests.

  “Is all in readiness?” the monarch inquired once they had joined him.

  “Yes, Majesty,” each replied in turn.

  Three servants handed a long trumpet to each governor.

  “Very well. Then on my count.” The King counted down, “Three…two…one. Begin.” Each governor raised his trumpet and, one by one, sounded a distinct call.

  What Andy heard next more than puzzled him. It sounded like a huge herd of cows mooing. A second later he heard loud popping noises and then—he hated to think it. His mom would tell him to grow up. It smelled like…farts! Whewww! What a stench! This is crazy!

  Andy couldn’t help himself. His imagination started running wild. He pictured the scene. He tried to cover his mouth but a snicker snuck out. Mermin furrowed his brow beside Andy.

  “Sorry,” he whispered, desperately trying to contain his amusement. Andy finally resorted to pretending to cough in order to squelch his bursts of laughter, but a snort escaped. People around him glanced over and frowned.

  It was all so strange. Everyone around him acted like they had expected the smell, casually pulling their sleeves over their noses. Andy covered his nose with his sleeve as best he could. Oh, this smell is awful!

  Slowly, the dense clouds thinned and then disappeared, leaving a long trail of flickering lights clearly visible. Okay, this is REALLY weird!

  Mermin moved closer to Andy and explained in a voice muffled from beneath his sleeve, “That’s the city of Oops.” He pointed downward at flickering crimson lights.

  The wizard moved his arm to the right and pointed. “And that’s the town of Ooggy.” Andy could make out aqua-blue lights off in the distance.

  “Over there,” he said, pointing further to the right, “is the village of Oohhh.” Andy could clearly see bright yellow lights.

  A couple minutes later everyone heard a return trumpet blast from each of the communities.

  “Please join me in a moment of silence,” the King requested.

  When the minute had elapsed, the sovereign concluded, “Thank you all for your continued support. We will break this curse.” Determination laced his words.

  At this, the attendees began conversing in hushed tones. Most greeted Andy pleasantly yet solemnly. Once everyone had left, Mermin rejoined Andy.

  “We best find you your woom. It’s late.”

  Andy turned to follow the wizard back inside but glanced over his shoulder and saw dense clouds again blotting out the scene. Thankfully, that horrible stench had nearly gone. How strange…what just happened?

  They retraced steps back up a flight of stairs and turned down the hall to the left. Stopping outside a door, Mermin extended an arm and quipped, “For our unexpected guest.” Hinges groaned. “This will be your chambers. You should have everything you need. Sleep well.”

  A fireplace popped and crackled at one end, casting dim shadows about the space. But with no other light, there was nothing for Andy to do. He removed his shoes and slipped between the abundant covers.

  Andy yawned, but his mind refused to quiet. His brain choked and sputtered as it attempted to process the events of this very, very strange day. How will I ever get back home?