CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

BRUTUS

Our senses become keener when you feel fear. Alexander could almost smell the embers. A shadow suddenly appeared and danced upon the corridor’s walls. A whooshing sound echoed through the empty corridor and rushed at him, like his brother and sister fighting over the last scraps of meat. O’Toole fumbled with his shillelagh while Malley couldn’t find his weapon in his overstuffed pocket. He pulled out assorted sandwiches, baked turkeys, hamburgers, and fries, but nothing to help him defend them from the unseen.

“Do you plan on feeding the demon to death?” whispered O’Toole with his weapon held above his head, anticipating a fight.

The shadow on the wall grew larger and then changed into two different shadows.

“Back demons,” O’Toole commented.

Suddenly and without warning, the smallest shadow leaped from the darkness. O’Toole’s eyes widened. It was the first time he ever saw a fire-breathing puppy on a leash. The puppy jumped up and down, belching up ashes. He licked Alexander’s shoes with its large, thick purple tongue. Alexander panicked, not being fond of dogs, especially one that could barbecue him at any moment.

“Where are you, Brutus?” A distant, but familiar voice asked from the corridor. Abby popped out of the darkness. “Oh, hi, guys. Sorry I wasn’t here to greet you. I’m having a devil of a time castle-training… Oh, look you’ve found Brutus. Isn’t she cute?”

Alexander snorted at Abby, “You left us. Again! Get your fire-puff off me.”

Abby, who was now wearing a royal black robe and purple prom gown, frowned. Of course Alex knew it was a gown from his mother’s obsession with such things. “There was no other choice. Brutus is not a fire-breathing puff. She’s adorable.”

Alexander no longer trusted the annoying girl although he admitted the new floor-length purple dress was cool. He couldn’t help but notice the way the intricate golden lace embroidery set off the blue in her eyes.

 Abby smiled. “I guess you’ve figured out who I am.” 

“You’re the obnoxious girl that keeps ditching me.” He gave her a halfhearted crooked smile.

“Yup, that’s me. I’m a gross girl. I keep running off on you.” Abby slugged Alexander in the arm.

“And the King’s daughter.” Alexander handed her the end of the leash.

“That too.” She winked. “Speaking of my father, he is in a particularly foul mood. Be on your best behavior. And whatever you do, don’t…” she hesitated and stroked behind Brutus’ ear, causing a plume of smoke from the puppy’s nose, “do anything stupid.”

“Maybe we should come back when the King’s in a better mood,” Malley whispered in O’Toole’s ears.

“We have immunity.” O’Toole patted the letter in his pocket.

“Father is never in a better mood.” Abby grabbed Alexander’s hand. “He’s already sentenced more than a dozen peasants for trivial misdemeanors, and there are dozens more waiting ahead of you.” Abby tugged on Alexander’s hand and Brutus’ leash at the same time. “He might be tired by the time he gets to you guys. If you’re lucky.”

“That’s a comforting thought.” O’Toole folded his weapon, and he set it in his satchel.

“See,” Malley swallowed a mouthful of an unknown food, “we have very little to worry about.”

Alexander just shook his head. I will never understand adults, especially adult leprechauns.

                                                                 

Abby cupped her hands around her huge puppy’s head. “We need a little light, Brutie. Come on, girl, you can do it. Aw, come on, sweetie pie.”

That kind of talk nauseated Alexander. I will never understand girls, especially untrustworthy princess ones.

However, the baby talk worked wonders with Brutus. She wagged her tail and bounced around with excitement, sending out wafts of smoke. Brutus’ leash tightened as she lurched toward one of the cobweb-filled corridors. Fire exploded from her mouth, lighting the dark passageway.

“Good girl.” Abby handed the puppy a doggie biscuit. “This way,” she urged her companions. Alexander was left with little other choices. Abby’s iron-tight grip pulled him down the corridor with her and her fire-breathing puppy.

The light from the puppy’s flame lit the corridor like bursting fireworks, but did very little to illuminate the corridors to the left or the right. Alexander kept looking behind him to see if his friends were following, but could see nothing. He continuously batted cobwebs from his face, cringing with each one. The occasional slime, oozing from the darkened hallways, terrified him the most.

“What’s the slime?” he asked Abby as she pulled him ever deeper into the corridor.

“It’s nothing,”

“Yeah, probably some face dissolving acid type of nothin’.”

Gurgling noises from the corridors freaked him out. “What keeps making that sound?”

“It’s nothing.” She followed the faint glow of her puppy’s fire.

“Yeah, probably some faceless slave, punished to clean the dark, spooky corridor type of nothing.” Alexander tripped on a large rock and fell into the goo. His hand instantly began to tingle and itch.

Abby gave Alex a handkerchief she produced from the sleeve of her dress. “Be careful. Wipe that gunk off. You can never tell which goo is lethal.”

“Gee, thanks. I feel so much better knowing that I might die from goo.” Alex handed the gooey handkerchief back to Abby.

“Just keep it, or drop it on the floor.” Abby jerked on Alex’s hand before she continued to follow Brutus further into the gloom. “We’re almost there.”

                                                                 

They came to a fork in the corridor after walking what seemed to be miles and miles. Putrid air came from one of the new hallways while a cool breeze of fresh air and bright light emitted from the other. “This way,” Abby pointed to the putrid, smelly corridor.

 “What’s wrong with that way?” Alexander pointed to the other.

“It’s nothing.” Abby tugged him in toward the stinky hall.

“Yeah, smelly dark hallways are always better than fresh air well-lit corridors type of nothing.”

“Trust me. You don’t want to know. Not all horrible creatures thrive on darkness. Some thrive on fresh air and light.”

Alexander’s heart sank as Abby pulled him into the cold, dank, putrid hallway.