Chapter 8

chapter eight I lock eyes with the monster who killed Ghazt. Who tried to kill me and my friends—but failed. Who tried to deliver the Tower Schematics to Thrull—and succeeded. His demanding, bossy whine splits the air. "SEIZE THE BOY WITH THE COSMIC HAND!" I glance around the deck, hoping to find some other kid with a Cosmic Hand. No luck. Wracksaw roars, "He's standing right there, looking confused! Seize him, Debra-Bulb! The one with the hand!" "Hey!" I shout. "We've all got hands!" "Not me," Peaches says, tapping her goo-splattered sword. "Fine," I mutter. Then I shout again, "We've all got hands except for Peaches!" Then... wait... what did he say? Wracksaw has two Dire Nurse minions: Debra and Eye-Bulb. But he just said Debra-Bulb, like they're a single entity. Maybe 'cause Wracksaw's so self- obsessed that he can't be bothered to differentiate between them? Or maybe because—

I shriek in revulsion as Debra and Eye-Bulb swing into view. At the same time. Atop the same strayfur. Because Debra and Eye-Bulb are now... -DEBRA-BULB! interfused when two become one. Still got that one eye bulb, It's like they've been smushed together—jammed and collided and rearranged. I wonder if their shocking

synthesis is a side effect of passing through Ghazt's portal? Or is it more of Wracksaw's horrible handiwork? I could definitely see him Frankensteining his subordinates to unleash a little rage. But right now, it doesn't matter how they turned into this. What matters is that they're seconds from steering their strayfur into me and plucking me off the deck. "Seizing the boy, sir!" Eye-Bulb shouts. "That's what I was gonna say!" Debra shoots back. "WRACKSAW, SIR, WE ARE SEIZING THE BOY!" "Don't copy me!" Eye-Bulb snaps. He turns to scowl at Debra, causing the strayfur to suddenly swing to the right. Debra shrieks, the strayfur caws, and a massive needle attack is unleashed. BOOM! A dozen sparking shards pound the Mamooph's hide. It lets out a pained, angry grunt and stampedes faster, putting some distance between us and the bad guys—if only for a moment. With a second to breathe, I grab the Goon Platoon for a quick huddle-up. "Here's the deal," I say, forcing myself to sound at least a tiny bit confident and competent. "These rip-tears opened, and I saw—well, I dunno, exactly. Like, awful beings looming over

something even more awful. But whatever I saw—I think it holds the key to how to defeat .e...c.. And my buddy Globlet told me—" They all gasp. "Globlet the Infamous?" Peaches asks. "Globlet the Charming Rogue?" Cannonhead Johnson asks. "Globlet the Late-Night Queen?" Dave asks. "What? No. Different Globlet. Globlet the, uh, sassy, maybe. Doesn't matter, she's still in my dimension. But she told me there's a monster here who knows, like, everything—and can hopefully decipher what I saw. A monster named Shuggoth—" At the word Shuggoth, the Goon Platoon gets weird. Even though it's quick, I catch it: Peaches shooting Dave a glare, like a warning. But Dave ignores it. "Shuggoth knows just about everything, that's true," Dave says. "But to speak with her, you'll need to—" Peaches slams the dull side of her blade against his mouth, silencing him. "No. It is risky." "The kid stepped through a dimensional wormhole and straight into a battle with Wracksaw," Dave protests, pushing the blade away. "That is risky." "Risky for him alone," Peaches says. "A consultation with Shuggoth would endanger many."

Peaches and Dave stare at each other a long moment. A stalemate. It's Cannonhead Johnson—the last of the trio I'd expect to help me—who breaks the silence. "The little dude will die just trying to reach Shuggoth. And the little dude kinda bugs me, so I don't really care. I'll tell him. Shuggoth's at the Hidden City." "Wait, I bug you? Why do I bug you? Is there one specific thing or—" I start, then pause, realizing Cannonhead just gave me Shuggoth's location! "The Hidden City! Got it, good, finally making some progress. Geez—it's like pulling teeth with you guys." "Ooh, pulling teeth!" Peaches exclaims. "That is my preferred rainy-day activity! Forget Shuggoth. Stay here with us, and we will play pulling-teeth games. First game begins now!"

No thank you I'm about to ask the Goon Platoon a few more questions: Can they hook me up with a ride to the Hidden City? What makes talking with Shuggoth so risky? Should I bring Shuggoth a gift or something, like a loaf of banana bread? But I don't get the chance. The sky is draped over by a huge shadow. I look up. It's not storm clouds, not a solar eclipse, not a misplaced patio umbrella.