7 The Forbidden City

CHAPTER Seven The Forbidden City "Take Leep at once," Galen told Eric and his friends as they stood outside the tower. "And take this invisible cloak. It may come in handy." "And take me!" Max twittered. "I may come in handy, too. Besides, I know the way to Plud." Galen smiled. "Good luck, my young friends, and remember what I am about to tell you. Droon is a secret to your world. When you return home, tell no one about us. Also, you must not take anything from Droon with you, nor leave anything from the Upper World behind." "Why?" Eric asked.

"For every object left here, a thing from Droon will appear in your world," the wizard replied. "And it may not be a good thing!" Max added. Neal blinked. "You mean like… a Ninn?" "Or worse," Galen said. "Now I must go to Jaffa City and you to Plud. Be careful!" Then, without another word—zamm!—Galen Longbeard, first wizard of Droon, vanished. And his tower vanished with him. Hrrr! The shaggy pilka whinnied. "Well, what are we waiting for?" said Eric. With the three children on her back and Max sitting on her head, Leep galloped out of the forest. She rode across open meadows while the pink sky darkened into late afternoon. It grew colder as the light faded. A shape moved across the sky above them. "Groggles?" said Julie. Neal looked up. "No," he said. "A falcon. A white one. I think I saw it before, too. I remember falcons from our zoo trip last year." Eric watched the bird soar away. "This one was in the forest when we first saw Sparr." Hrrr! Leep whinnied sharply and slowed her gallop. "Hush now," Max whispered. "We are close."

He pulled the reins, and the pilka plodded up a low hill to a jagged ridge.

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The high black walls of a large city loomed before them. The sky was thick with clouds. The air smelled of smoke. "Let me guess," Neal said. "This is Plud." The three riders slid to the ground in a grove of trees. Max jumped down with Leep's cloak. "Don't forget this. Invisibility might be useful." "So would a magic key," Julie said. "Those walls are super high. How do we get in?" Rrrr! The ground began to rumble. "A car?" Eric whispered. "Yes, Sparr's car! The gates will open for him. He's our way in!" Ooga! Sparr's car roared loudly up the road. Hrrr! The pilka reared, spooking at the sound. "Leep, wait!" Max shouted. But the animal broke away from him. He scurried down the hill after her. "Leep! Leep!" "Come back, Max," Julie said. "We need you!" The car roared by. The gates of Plud opened. "We're losing our chance," Eric hissed. "Come on!" He grabbed Neal and Julie. The three of them dashed in after the yellow car. They jumped behind a low wall just as—chong!—the huge black gates closed. Sparr's car screeched to a stop in a courtyard. A group of Ninns raced out to greet their master. "The princess is in the main tower," one said.

Without a word, Sparr stomped into the fortress. The Ninn guards marched in after him. "Okay," Eric whispered. "Let's go. Quietly." They slipped into the fortress. The hallways were as narrow and dark as the streets outside. Ninn footsteps echoed loudly on the stone floors. Julie stopped. "Wait. Do we have a plan?" Eric peered into the dark. "There are some steps ahead. If we sneak up to the main tower, maybe we can get to Keeah before Sparr does." Neal nodded. "And get back out, too. Right?" "Of course," Eric said. "Sounds good," said Julie. "Lead on." They tiptoed up the long stairway. After what seemed like hundreds of steps they reached the top of the main tower. At the end of a short hallway was a door. Two big Ninns in black armor guarded it. "Do we have to… fight them?" Neal whispered, out of breath. Eric shook his head. "No. Now we use some magic." He pulled Galen's cloak over himself. "I like it," Julie said. "Poof, you're gone!" "Hide in the shadows," Eric said. Then, completely invisible, he slipped down the hall. He jabbed one of the guards in the shoulder.