Chapter 20

chapter twenty We march back to the wounded Mallusk, passing the Howler's broken body on the way. Yursl sags against the Mallusk's hide, looking like she just ran thirty-eight half-marathons. Or nineteen full ones, even. Her skin is nearly see-through as she raises her head to look at Quint. "The Howler is dead. The Mallusk is free. But, it will be a long time before I can summon power like that again. I've passed you the ball... You must sink the shot." "Thank you, Yursl," Quint says. Yursl summons just enough strength to throw an arm around Quint. "You now have all you need to do what must be done," she says. "And we will get it done," I say, sounding way more confident than I feel. We leave Yursl to rest and enter the mall— a mall that feels very different than the one I tumbled off nine hours earlier. What I see is a world under Ghazt's rule. And it's mean and scary. It reminds me of the Pride Lands at the

end of The Lion King, when Simba returns and Scar has been an unstoppable overlord for years. Also, it's just annoying. All our rad campaign signs have been torn down or covered up. In the hours since I was gone, Ghazt must have gone wild at Sir Prints-A-Lot, because the mall is plastered with really tacky photos of the big guy baring his teeth in what I guess is supposed to be a smile but actually looks like the "before" photo for some supercharged cavity-cleaning service. June shakes her head. "What a cheeseball..." VOTE FOR YOUR prefactor paid for by the Gus 4 mayor pack.

I shoot a glance at Evie, who shrugs. "Wasn't part of my campaign strategy. Still—they're cool photos." The first floor is empty of monsters—except for Smud. He's at the Victory Geyser, which looms ahead, with one hand on the lever. "Things are going to start happening fast now," Quint says. He grips his conjurer's cane tight. Smud pulls the lever and the floor rumbles as the geyser powers up. I walk quicker, taking the escalator stairs three at a time. Ghazt stalks back and forth at the edge of his Food Court headquarters. "No orderly lines!" he barks. "No one cares about orderly lines! Just vote!" Thousands of monsters are pushed up against the clear plastic railings that overlook the main rotunda and the stage. They are just moments away from throwing their ballot balls into the Victory Geyser. Each monster grips two ballot balls. On one, a hand-drawn rat. On the other, a hand-drawn me. "Throw your ballots in now!" Ghazt orders. "Anyone who delays will be thrown in next." Smud calls up, "But sir, the Victory Geyser is not quite—"

The monsters freeze. I push my way to the third level railing, directly across from Ghazt. Nearby monsters step back, giving me and my friends space. From above and below, monsters peer over the railing, trying to see what's happening. Down on the ground level, Smud shrieks. His skates go out from under him and he flops on his butt. "Ahh! That kid is back from the dead! He's a zombie! Quick, Ghazt—control him with your controlling powers!" June groans. "He can't do that anymore, remember? Pay attention, Smud." "No, YOU pay attention!" Smud shouts.

"I am." "Well, good," Smud says. "Carry on, then." "I'm trying," June sighs. "ENOUGH!" Ghazt slaps the railing and glares at me. "I thought I was done with you, Jack..." I feel the monsters watching me. They look overwhelmed. Understandable: in the past few hours, a lot has happened—culminating in their home doing a faceplant into the ground and a human kid with a baseball-bat sword marching in like some wannabe-king returning from the dead to claim his rightful throne. Man, I am so Simba right now. "Before you vote," I say, "you're getting a closing statement. From me, Jack Sullivan, candidate for mayor and totally not-dead kid." I grip the railing and take a deep breath. "You need to know who and what you're voting for, exactly. Ghazt told you it was safety. But there is no safety. The Howler was delivering the Mallusk to the Tower... to Thrull. The Howler is dead now, but Thrull knows everything. And he's coming." The monsters gasp. Then erupt—

June steps to the railing beside me. "We've told you the truth all along!" I gulp. I don't want to do this. Not one bit. But these monsters deserve honesty. The lies have to end. "No..." I say, trying to keep my voice steady. "We haven't told you the truth. Not all of it." "Huh," Evie mutters. "Didn't see that coming." "Jack," June starts. "What are you—" "I didn't know it..." I continue. "But I left out something big: I'm the reason you're all in danger. It's