Chapter 7

Chapter Seven IN WHICH Simon Outdoes Himself and Finds an Extraordinary New Pet You have to be kidding," Mallory said when Simon explained what he wanted to do. "They're going to die if we don't," Simon insisted. "The griffin is bleeding." "The griffin, too?" Jared asked. He understood about the cats, but a griffin? "How are we going to help that thing?" Mallory demanded. "We're not faerie veterinarians!"

"We have to try," said Simon just as firmly. Jared owed it to Simon to agree. After all, he had put Simon through a lot. "We could get the old tarp from the carriage house." "Yeah," Simon chimed in. "Then we could drag the griffin back to the house. There's plenty of room." Mallory rolled her eyes. "If it lets us," Jared said. "Did you see what it did to that goblin?" "Come on, guys," Simon pleaded. "I'm not strong enough to pull it alone." "All right," she said. "But I'm not standing close to the head." Jared, Simon, and Mallory trooped back to the carriage house. The full moon overhead gave them enough light to navigate the woods, but they were still careful, crossing the stream where it was barely a trickle. At the edge of the lawn, Jared could see that the windows of the main house were lit and that his mother's car was parked in the gravel driveway. Was she making dinner? Had she

called the police? Jared wanted to go inside and tell his mom that they were all okay, but he didn't dare. "Jared, come on." Simon had opened the door to the carriage house, and Mallory was pulling the tarp from the old car. "Hey, look at this." Simon picked up a flashlight from one of the shelves and flicked it on. Luckily, no beam of light spread across the lawn. "Batteries are probably dead," Jared said. "Stop playing around," Mallory told them. "We're trying not to get caught." They dragged the tarp back through the woods. The walk went more slowly and with a good deal of arguing about the shortest way. Jared couldn't keep from jumping at distant night noises. Even the croaking of frogs sounded ominous. He couldn't help wondering what else there was, hidden in the dark. Maybe something worse than goblins or trolls. He shook his head and reminded himself that no one could possibly be that unlucky in one day.

When they finally found the goblin camp again, Jared was surprised to see Hogsqueal sitting by the fire. He was licking bones and burped contentedly when they approached. "I guess you're okay," Jared said. "Is that any way to talk to someone who saved your prawnheaded hide?"

Jared started to protest—they'd almost gotten killed over the stupid goblin—but Mallory grabbed his arm. "Help Simon with the animals," she said. "I'll watch the goblin." "I'm not a goblin," Hogsqueal said. "I'm a hob goblin." "Whatever," said Mallory, sitting on a rock. Simon and Jared climbed the trees, letting out all the animals in the cages. Most ran down the nearest branch or sprang for the ground, as afraid of the boys as they were of the goblins. One little kitten crouched in the back of a cage, mewling pitifully. Jared didn't know what to do with it, so he put it in his backpack and kept moving. There was no sign of Tibbs.

When Simon saw the kitten, he insisted that they keep it. Jared wished that he meant instead of the griffin. Jared thought that Hogsqueal's eyes softened when he saw the cat, but that might have been from hunger. When the cages were empty, the three siblings and the hobgoblin approached the griffin. It watched them warily, extending its claws.