7 The Glove of Power

CHAPTER Seven The Gkove Of Power "Nooooo!" Eric screamed. The earth seemed to swoop up at him as he plummeted toward the jungle. In seconds he would crash into the treetops. Suddenly something hard and bony wrapped around him. It tightened on his waist. It was a groggle's thick claw grasping him tight. "Let me go!" Eric cried as the lizard lifted him high into the air. "Well… I mean, don't actually let me go, but—" Kaww! Kaww! the huge beast shrieked.

"—let me go!"

The groggle flapped quickly past Eric's friends. They yelled something out to him, but he couldn't hear what it was. "Probably good-bye!" Eric groaned, twisting in the groggle's grip. The beast soared up the mountain, then slowed and hovered over a broad, flat ridge. Looking down, Eric could see a large mound of sticks and other junk in the middle of the ridge. The pile had a dip in the center. "A nest!" he whispered to himself. "Please don't eat me!" Kaww! The groggle swooped over the nest. It loosened its claws and dropped Eric. "Oomph!" he groaned when he hit bottom. The groggle circled once, then flew off. "Probably going to tell his friends that lunch is ready. Yeah? Well, no way!" Eric scrambled to his feet. The thick nest surrounded him like a huge bowl. The walls of it, he figured, were about ten feet high. He could get out fairly easily. "And I sure can't stay here!" Eric dug his right foot in and hoisted himself up with his tired arms. The nest was made of tangled branches and vines. In with them Eric noticed strips of polished wood and red-and

yellow cloth. He knew what they were. The remains of Keeah's ship. "Robbers!" he snarled. Then he noticed something else. Something shiny and black. He stopped climbing. He peered down. "The armored glove…" he whispered. He leaned into the branches, untangled the glove, and dragged it out. Carefully, he turned it over. The setting for the jewel was broken. The Red Eye of Dawn was not there. Crack! Eric froze. Sounds were coming from outside the nest. He crept up the rest of the way and peered over the top. He laughed. He waved. "Eric!" Neal squeaked, scrambling over the top of the ledge. The others followed close behind. Eric jumped from the nest and ran to meet them. "We're safe," Keeah said, "but not for long. The groggles made such an incredible fuss that now the Ninns are coming." "Oh, man!" Eric said. "Can't we ever get a break?" Clomp! Clomp! A pack of fat Ninn soldiers hustled around the other side of the broad ledge. "Guess not!" Neal yelped. "Yikes!"

Max squeaked. "May I suggest we go the opposite way?" "You get my vote!" said Julie. The heavy red warriors wasted no time, either. They quickly loaded their bows. "Aim!" one of them shouted. "Yikes again!" Neal squeaked. "Duck everyone!" "Fire!" the Ninns yelled. Thwang! Thwang! Flaming arrows whizzed by the kids. They skidded along the ground and crashed against the rocks. The Ninns growled and reloaded. "Hey, Ninns, let me give you a hand!" Eric shouted. He threw the armored glove right into the center of the pack of Ninns. The fat warriors paused to look at it. "And we're out of here!" Julie yelled. The kids dashed around the nest to the far side of the ledge. Max shot in front, scampering as quickly as his eight legs could carry him. Neal raced right behind him. They circled around the side of the mountain. "A cave!" Neal said. "I see a cave!" "I saw it first!" Max chirped. They all leaped through the mouth of the cave and ran inside. They dashed into the shadows and held their breath. Max held up one of his legs. "Listen. The Ninns aren't following. We've lost them."

"I think there's a reason," Julie whispered. Eric turned to look. "Oh, man!" he groaned. "Isn't there at least one place on this island that isn't dangerous?" Coming out of the cave depths were several large fuzzy legs and long twitching feelers. "Here we go again," Neal said with a sigh. Sssss!