Chapter 4

chapter four June and I take three nervous steps back. Not-So-Tiny Splotcher approaches. Then, suddenly, a voice—booming from the trees— "I COME BACK TO YOU NOW AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE." Huh? I glance around, looking for the source of the voice, but finding nothing. Then— Tiny Splotcher is gone! Obliterated! Little scraps of paper flutter onto the parking lot, floating down

like feathers on the wind. Each piece of paper has a small image of a Splotcher on it, like baseball cards. "Uh..." I say, looking suspiciously at my Cosmic Hand. June lifts Blasty and shakes her head. "Wasn't me." Noise above us. June and I both jerk our heads up to see... He's been dying to say that turn of the tide thing. "QUINT! DIRK!" I exclaim. "You're alive!" "Sure are. And we saved your butts," Dirk says, grinning. And seeing that grin just about makes my heart explode with happiness. Drooler slides from the hilt of Dirk's sword and hits the ground with a happy wheeze. Whoa. Drooler's not totally a squashy little baby anymore. "Quint did the saving," a voice growls—and again, I'm hit by a wave of shock and surprise. It's Skaelka, coming up behind them, riding a Carapace. She's in

full armor—Quint-built armor, I realize—and bearing a giant ax. "Skaelka, too!" June shouts. "Hey, girl!" In a flash, we're all racing toward each other. "We're all alive and back together!" I cry. Quint, is that a proton pack? Conjurers, cannon have almost got conjuring under control. Now almost. It's a long story. Read the book. Whoop, "But how are you... like... here?" I'm still so stunned that I can barely put my thoughts into a coherent question. "Yursl promised you'd survive the teleporting—but oh man, we were so scared, you have no idea, I can't even... We sent out about a zillion monsters looking for you!" "We know," Quint says. "We ran into Smud and Johnny Steve; they told us where to find you." Smud, you foul servant of God. Prepare to taste steel. I do love the taste of steel though. Nice of you to offer Duck. It's okay. I read Smud two bedtime stories about managing anger, and he's a decent fellow now.

I wish I had a minute alone with Quint. I want to hear everything, about where he's been, what they did, who they— Wait. Skaelka's back, too. Which means—Rover should be here. I glance around, scanning the surrounding cars and stores— expecting him to leap out, doing a big puppy-dog surprise thing. But as I catch Skaelka's eye, my stomach goes sickly hollow and my body twitches, just slightly. "Skaelka..." I start. "Where's Rover?" Skaelka takes a step forward, then kneels in front of me. "I swore an oath to you, Jack. And I regret that I could not keep it." Dread—shaky-leg, mind-racing dread—floods through me. "What do you mean you—but...? Is Rover..?" "He's OK, bud," Dirk says, jumping in. "He's alive. Just... not here. Out there." Skaelka bows her head—then explains... "Enemies caught Rover and me unaware. They swept down from the sky. Skaelka leapt into battle and—as I vowed—I kept Rover alive. They turned their fury on Skaelka. And as they carried me away, the last thing I saw was Rover, unharmed, but alone..."

I try to swallow, but my mouth is desert dry. Alone! Rover's out there—all by himself? Who's going to give him scritches? Who's going to tell him he's the best boy? "He's a monster. He can handle himself," June says, trying to reassure me. "Maybe! But he's not supposed to have to!" I say, trying not to shout and mostly failing. "We're supposed to be together! We're supposed to all be..."

I trail off, suddenly feeling very tired. I shut my eyes, and all I see is Rover out there, on his own in the wilds, hunted by Thrull's awful soldiers. I never should have let him go with Skaelka. I failed him. Skaelka looks up at me. "Jack, I swear to you—I will right my wrong. I will—" "It's fine, Skaelka," I say, cutting her off. That's a big fat lie, it's not fine, but whatever. "I'm the one who let him go. I'm the one who failed him." And that part isn't a lie. "Now, please stand up, Skaelka. You're making me super uncomfortable." I feel everybody staring at me. I know they want me to act like everything's OK. But it's not. Although, right now, it sorta has to be... I turn to Dirk and Quint. "I wanted to go out and look for you guys more than I've ever wanted anything. But I couldn't. And now... it's the same thing again. I can't go looking for Rover. Because... Thrull. Ghazt. That fortress. But as soon as we're done with all this..." "We're gonna find him," Dirk swears. "That's a promise. Like you promised me we'd get Drooler back." I nod and quickly turn away—my eyes are watering, and I don't want my friends seeing that.