Chapter 28

chapter twenty-eight The two longest branches, outlining a giant V against a dark and ferocious sky, are shaking violently. Bright, colorful energy crackles and

sparks and rains down on the overgrown grass below. Beneath the tree, Thrull holds the bestiary high, spewing all sorts of crazy megavillain stuff.... Tree of entry here, my words. The key is here now become the door so that rezac the ancient destructure of world may enter into to this world With those words, the two huge branches begin to bend. They lower toward the ground, then jab into the earth like two blades. I gasp. The branches are like the door frame, I realize—and the energy is the door.

The booming voice of .e...c. the Ancient erupts. High in our tree house, his voice seems to shake the walls and floors. This voice, its power—it puts Blarg to shame. Whatever is beyond that door —it would eat Blarg with a side of zombie onion rings. "YESSSS... FINISH THE CEREMONY... INSERT THE KEY.... OPEN THE DOOR...." Dirk grips the railing. "This is messed up." "Majorly messed up," June agrees. "I'm going down there," I say. "And doing what?" June asks. "I'll get Quint back," I say. "I don't know how. But I'll get him back." June's eyes light up. "Good. Go. Distract Thrull. Break the spell or whatever this craziness is," June says, spinning the Super Soaker. "And I'll shoot Quint down." "No!" Bardle suddenly says. His voice is sharp. "Let me go. Let me talk to Thrull first." I eye Bardle. My understanding of whom to trust and whom not to trust these days has gone way off

course. I've learned that I am, apparently, a terrible judge of character in monsters. I look to June and Dirk. They nod. "OK, Bardle," I say. "We'll go together." Bardle scrambles up onto my back. I grip the fire pole. "Wish us luck." With that, we slide down to the ground. Bardle scrambles off me and together we dash fifty yards, through the trees, toward the super-scary-death-tree-and-double-megavillains. The light from the energy door is nearly blinding. Colors swirl and flow. I'm peering into a different dimension—and it causes my stomach to tighten up and fear to flood through me... As Thrull continues chanting, the bestiary begins to transform. "OEtū... ....m.."

Thrull's words cause the book to radiate with an intense, blinding light. It's like I can sense the power of the master inside. The essence of each monster, charged by Thrull's magic, has turned the book into a sort of key. I keep an eye on Quint. He hangs from a Vine- Thingie. He's clearly being saved as an appetizer for .e...c.. Thrull's treating my buddy like he's a jalape.o popper! Nobody treats my buddies like jalape.o poppers! Bardle bursts into the clearing and shouts, "Stop this madness!" Thrull spins around. He smiles at Bardle. A slight grin. "I'm sorry, but I cannot. I am a servant." I watch Quint, dangling like a worm on a hook. He lifts his head, looking out at Bardle. I stay hidden behind the tree, just barely peeking out. "Do not be a fool!" Bardle barks. His ancient voice cracks. "Why destroy this place? It is our new home!" "I care nothing for the pitiful home of humans! I will sit beside .e...c. on a throne! Together, we

will rule all! Devour all! Now, no more talk," Thrull says. "I must finish." Thrull lifts the hockey stick up, cracks a broken grin, and slams it into the ground. It erupts. A circular wave of earth rolls outward. Bardle is lifted off his feet and knocked into the air. I jump, leaping over the rolling earth. I land on solid ground, draw my blade, and stomp forward. Thrull has returned to his incantations. ".e.ó b..em. mū...." OK. Now it's my turn. This Thrull character might be just fine at giving the business to his fellow monsters. But he's never tangled with Jack Sullivan, seventh-grade post- apocalyptic action hero and cool guy extraordinaire.