Chapter 9

Chapter 9 "Why me?" Lucas asked a few minutes later. He was facing a corner of the room, several steps away from Lester's cage, shaking with fright. "Because you're the only one who can do it," Princess Pulverizer insisted. "But I don't want to be the one who breaks the Wizard of Wurst's magic spell," Lucas insisted. "If I do, I'll be the one he's maddest at." "You have to open the lock, Lucas," Princess Pulverizer insisted. "I can't do it, because I'm not selfless or pure of heart."

"What about Dribble?" Lucas asked her. "I don't have thumbs," Dribble explained. "You can't turn a key without thumbs." Lucas frowned. "I never thought of that." "It's not always easy being a dragon," Dribble admitted. "Hey, big guy," Lester called to Dribble. "You know what time it is when a dragon sits

on your fence?" "What time?" Dribble asked him. "Time to get a new fence." Lester started laughing. "That's not funny," Dribble replied. "Everybody's a critic," the jester muttered under his breath. "This is no time for joking around, Lester," Princess Pulverizer told him. "We've got to get you out of here. Please, Lucas. You just have to—" But before Princess Pulverizer could finish her sentence, she heard the wizard's angry voice coming from the hallway. "MOVE IT!" he shouted. Uh-oh! The wizard had obviously spit out the apple the princess had shoved in his mouth. Now he was free to bark orders.

But how had he managed to get up the stairs with his arms and legs tied up? The princess ran to the doorway—just in time to see a whole army of worms slithering right toward her. The worms were carrying the Wizard of Wurst down the hall on their backs! "Faster, you army of spineless, slimy slitherers!" the Wizard of Wurst commanded. "Or I will turn you into something a lot worse than worms!" The worms slithered faster. They were obviously taking the wizard's threats very seriously. Princess Pulverizer gulped. "Come on, Lucas," she said, trying to remain calm. "You

have to free Lester right now. The Wizard of Wurst is on his way!" "Bet you can't say that five times fast," Lester joked. Princess Pulverizer ignored him. "Please, Lucas," she urged. But by now the wizard had arrived. The very sight of him made Lucas shake. "Don't worry about the wizard," Princess Pulverizer said. "He can't do anything without his magic wand." "Look behind me," the Wizard of Wurst told her. Uh-oh. Out in the hallway, the princess spotted a long, skinny worm. He was slithering along with the wizard's magic wand on his back. Lucas began to cry. "There's nothing to worry about," Princess Pulverizer soothed. "The wizard's arms are tied to his sides. He can't aim his wand. He can't even reach it."

The wizard shot Princess Pulverizer an evil grin. "That's what you think," he replied. Then he barked out a new order. "Mouse! Start chewing! Or else!" Immediately, a tiny frightened mouse scurried to the wizard's side and began chomping away at the vine that was wrapped around his body. Within seconds, the Wizard of Wurst was free. He leaped to his feet and grabbed his wand. "FROZEN WITH FEAR, ARE YOU?" the wizard asked Lucas. "I can make sure you stay that way." "Wh-wh-what does that mean?" Lucas stammered. The wizard pointed his wand straight at Lucas. "You've come to release Lester. But your mission is lost. With a wave of my wand, you'll be frozen in fro—" "No, you don't!" Princess Pulverizer shouted out. Before the wizard could finish