Chapter 29

chapter twenty-nine BOOMERANG -BURST! I reel back, throwing my arm over my eyes. Another of Quint's patented BOOMerangs—the weapon that goes BOOM!

The bright light fades and I see everything unfold as if in slow motion. Quint is dashing toward me. Thrull is behind him, knees in the mud, holding his eyes. He jerks from side to side. And in Quint's arms: the bestiary! He stole it back from Thrull! Quint shoves the book under his arm like he's a star running back (first and last time you'll ever hear someone describe Quint that way). The door begins to dim. .e...c. lets out a long, bloodcurdling shriek. The tree shakes and the branches lash out. The door is closing. The energy fading. The light dissipating. Quint slides to a stop as he nears the tree house.

Quint noodles that for about 0.7 seconds, then proclaims it "fantastic news!" A crackling, hissing sound fills the air and a final piercing cry erupts from the portal. And then, with a sizzling SNAP, the portal closes. I breathe a titanic-sized sigh of relief. This world- devouring dude's entry has been halted. A smell hangs in the air—that flowery, earthy smell you get after a summer rain shower. "We did it!" Quint says. "The portal's closed! And we have the bestiary!"

"So what do we do with him?" I say, watching Thrull continue to stumble around, covering his eyes. Bardle shakes his head. "I do not believe it is entirely over." Quint eyes Bardle. "Jack, he's on our side now?" "Yes, Quint. Catch up. You miss a lot in two hours when those two hours are the climax of a battle for the future of the world." "Look," Bardle says. We all turn to the tree. There's a soft crackling and a few small bursts of light. The door appears again—just for one quick instant—and the fading, crying voice of .e...c. delivers one final order. "Thrulllll... Finish themmmmm... And retrieve the keyyyy..." And with that, the door blinks away. Thrull no longer looks defeated—no, he looks like he's on his last legs, forced to demonic desperation. He begins laughing. Softly, at first, and then louder. Louder and louder until a cackling, high-pitched, hideous howl fills the forest. He stares at us.

No. Not us. Me. Directly at me. "You have not won, Jack Sullivan," he growls. "You have only delayed the coming of .e...c.." Thrull's eyes snap shut. His head raises to the sky. A quick flow of strange, foreign enchantments tumble from his mouth. "......h. un s..n. cosi ńoe r.tornì mài t..." His voice grows louder and louder. "Oh no," Bardle says. His voice is barely a whisper. "What oh no?" I ask. "It is a unification spell. It binds two beings together." "Well, let's stop him!" I spin around, calling to June. "June, more tunes! Something real annoying!" "It is too late," Bardle says. "It is done."

It is never too late. Haven't you ever seen an action movie? Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, anything? There's always one last thing to be done. Jack, what are you talking about? I don'tkno I may have lost my mind a bit. Thrull's insane incantations finish with a few final words in English. A few final terrifying words: "I, servant of .e...c., wish to join you. TOGETHER, WE WILL RETRIEVE THE KEY AND BRING .E...C. INTO THIS WORLD!" And then, the most horrific thing, well, ever happens. Thrull raises his arms. He cackles like a mad, giggling demon and gives me a final look before his eyes shut and he roars, "TAKE ME!"