4. Welcome to Panjibarrh!

CHAPTER Four Welcome to Panjibarrh! The submarine rumbled out onto the beach and stopped on the sand. Pop! Everyone piled out of the top hatch. Before them stretched a row of small hills. Behind that was a range of larger hills. Beyond that were even taller hills. As far as the eye could see, everything was dusty, brown, and smooth. "Panjibarrh seems kind of boring," Neal said. "Let us hope it stays boring," Max chirped. "But this is Droon. Anything can happen." Galen turned to the ship, uttered a short command, and the ship rumbled back into the water.

Keeah scanned the hills. Then she took a deep breath and clutched her feather necklace. "Lord Sparr is somewhere in these hills," she said. "I can feel him nearby. Let's find him." For the next hour, the small band climbed through narrow passes that ran between the hillsides. From one range to another, the six travelers slowly wormed their way upward. Entering one steep pass, Galen stopped. He turned his head slowly. He narrowed his eyes. "There…" he murmured. "That shadowy hole in the rocks. There is something in there." Max began to quake. "What is it, master?" Galen gazed deeply into the shadows. "A cave. And—he is there." He turned to Keeah. "Princess," he said, "I sense something evil in there. If what I feel in my heart is true, Sparr's plan is even more terrible than we thought. I must go in. You and the others wait here." "Be careful, master," Max chittered. The wizard smiled at the spider troll. "My time has not yet come, my friend. Don't worry." With that, Galen wrapped his robe around him and entered the cave alone. Strange sounds echoed suddenly from the hills above. Low, rumbling sounds. Then the air went still. Silence fell

over the pass. "That's weird," Julie whispered. "It's like all the sound in the world just stopped." Neal squinted up at the hills. "Do you think it's Lord Sparr—" Whoosh! A burst of wind swept up from the dusty ground. It spun faster and faster. It coiled around in the air, forming a dark, whirling funnel. "Yikes!" said Eric, shielding his eyes. "Let's get out of here!" But the wind struck quickly. As if it were alive, the coil of spinning dust leaped upon the five friends, scattering them. "Take cover, everyone!" Keeah cried out, grabbing Max and pulling him to the shelter of an overhanging rock. Julie tried to join them but stumbled on the rocky ground. She struggled to her feet, but the funnel tore after her, whirling and spitting dust. "Help!" she cried, trying to outrun the wind. Neal bolted from his hiding place. "Julie!" Keeah, too, leaped from shelter to face the furious funnel. She clutched her feather and cried out, but her words were lost in the fury of the storm.

The wind swept around Julie, surrounding her. "It's got me!" she shrieked. The wind pulled her inside itself. Eric stumbled toward the funnel, his arms outstretched. "Julie! Here!" he shouted. The spinning dust stung his face. "I'm coming!" he cried. But the wind wouldn't let him come. The twister spun Julie around and around. It roared up the side of the pass. Up and up it went, spinning Julie away with it, until her cries were lost.

"JULIE!" Eric shouted for the last time.

A moment later, the dark funnel was gone. The wind in the pass died down to nothing. The storm was over. And Julie was gone.