Chapter 32

chapter thirty-two "June, up here!" Dirk shouts. "Throw me the bestiary!" I watch as June attempts to keep the book away from Thrull. A Vine-Thingie quickly snaps out and snatches her into the air. As she's spun around, she manages to hurl the book to another monster: a short, six-legged thing. And at last, the book is heaved up to Dirk. He hands it to me. "You sure about this, bro?" "I'm sure. Just get me chained to those Weed-B- Gone barrels, or else—well, or else it's been nice knowing you..."

HERE IT IS, TUPALL! HERE'S YOUR BEASTIE. YOUR KEY. COME AND GET IT. The giant tree monster stares down at me. Wood splinters as his eyes narrow. Dirk hurriedly uses Rover's chain and a bunch of old bike locks to loop the barrels together and hook them to my suit. I check the plastic pockets: yep, I've got everything I need. Thrull's immense hand opens. "Are the barrels hooked on?" I shout. "Almost!" Dirk says. I hear the bike locks banging and clanging. My knees are practically knocking together as Thrull's hand lowers. "Hurry, Dirk! He's almost got me!"

"Hurrying, bro!" I gulp. And then, an instant before the massive wooden hand seizes me, I hear a CLICK and Dirk slaps the suit and says, "GOOD TO GO!" I want to shut my eyes. But I don't. I stare down Thrull as his monstrous hand scoops me up.... The giant barrels of weed killer dangle from my space marine suit, swinging and clanging in the air. Thrull's body bends backward and the tree cracks. The mouth opens wide.

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RAZAK, THE ANCIENT. THIS WORLD WILL SOON BE YOURS As Thrull places me into his mouth, I manage to fling the book backward, away from him. Thrull's wooden eyes go wide, but it's too late. I tumble into the monster's mouth. His giant wooden teeth slam into the barrels. Crushing them. Weed killer bursts from the busted metal. I'm falling. I see nothing but darkness as I tumble through the inside of this strange, hollow tree. The metal barrels knock against me. I hear weed killer sloshing out, splashing everywhere. Reaching into the suit, I manage to pull a single TNT-brand-triple-explosive bottle rocket from my pocket. As I plummet, I scrape the wick against the barrel. It sparks and the bottle rocket lights up the inner darkness of the hollow, monstrous tree. With one powerful swing, I jab the bottle rocket into the side of one barrel. And I brace myself... I finally hit the ground inside of the tree. My knees slam into my chest, and it takes a second to catch my breath before I can stand. The barrels

crash into the ground all around me and the weed killer continues to rush out. Thrull the Tree Beast shrieks! Wood snaps and cracks around me. At my feet, jutting out of the barrel, the bottle rocket burns. Weed killer pools around my feet. Looking up, I see it pouring down the inside of the tree. Sorry, Thl, but in this dimension, we've got something called fireworks. And they're a blast. The bottle rocket wick is down to nothing. Smoke clouds my vision. I look away, shut my eyes tight, and... The bottle rocket EXPLODES, setting off a chain reaction. Every barrel blows with it. I hope that this suit is strong enough to save me...