Chapter 23

chapter twenty-three But things aren't all bad. Inside, the mall is empty of Mallusk City citizens. Evacuating thousands of monsters is no small feat, but the new mayor seems to be managing it. "Johnny Steve!" June barks into her walkie-talkie. "Are you out of the mall yet?" "Progress is being made!" Johnny Steve chirps. "We are atop the carapaces now and winding our way through the parking garage." "Hey, friends," Quint says. "By my estimation, we have roughly nineteen seconds until the big bad arrives... Let's make 'em count!" Quint's estimation is good. I count twenty-two seconds—twenty-two seconds later that Thrull, atop the Bone Howler, charges into the mall. I watch, hidden, as the Howler lands with two tons of terrifying force, hitting the ground like some sort of malevolent monster truck. The mall quakes. Bits of ceiling fall. An escalator crumbles.

Thrull, atop the beast, scans the area. He oozes nothing but calm—but man, how I want to make him ooze something else. (His insides!) "Cowards—" Thrull starts to say, before he hears the glass shattering above him— crash. LOOT DAY has come EAPLY The Loot Globe splits open, showering Thrull and his steed in Ultra-Slime. The Bone Howler recoils, shaking off burning vines. Thrull rips a smoldering vine clump from his shoulder.

"Alfred, Lefty, Glurm—now!" I shout, swinging my slicer. My Zombie Squad bursts out from behind Auntie Anne's! Alfred jams his long umbrella into the Bone Howler, staggering the beast. Glurm and Lefty are about to plant their weapons in Thrull when his bone-whip snaps, and— You'll pay for that, I think as Quint and I make it back down to the bottom level, meeting Dirk and June. Just then, June's walkie-talkie hisses and Johnny Steve announces, "The first carapaces are now exiting the parking garage!"

Thrull glances at the walkie in June's hand. "Uh-oh," I say. "Yeah, probably not good that Thrull heard that," June agrees. Thrull climbs down from the Bone Howler and says two words in the language of Rezzoch oesa Uzqul..." The Bone Howler barks in response to his master's command, then stomps outside and takes off at a gallop, headed for the rear of the mall. "It's going for Johnny Steve," I say. "And the monsters. I glance at my friends. "We'll head off the Bone Howler," Dirk says. Quint flicks a switch on his conjurer's cane. "We will keep them safe. This will keep them safe." I shoot Quint a look. He shoots it back. Both of us...

Best friend. eye beam stare with extra gravitas JACK'S EYE BEAM: Watch yourself, buddy! *QUINT'S EYE BEAM: Be careful, friend! And then Quint and Dirk are off, racing for the parking garage's exit. June looks my way. "Hey, Jack, I'm sorry, but... I didn't hang around that weird kiosk as much as everyone else. So... is Quint a wizard now? Is that what's happened here?" "No, no, don't be ridiculous," I say. "He's just an intern. Thoroughly unpaid." June hmms then nods. "All right, then." WAKKT!

Thrull's bone-whip cracks, slicing through the floor of the mall. The Mallusk shudders. So it's me and June—versus Thrull. And, in the distance, more of Thrull's soldiers approaching. I raise the Slicer. June readies Blasty. "We got this, right?" I ask. "Totally," she says while shaking her head, 'no.' But then, the monorail... I hear it before I see it. And when I do it see it, it's too late... The boy has taken my power, but I can still take yours. Who grabbed Thrull's bone-whip coils around me, yanking me off my feet! The sudden jerk of the monorail causes the Slicer to slip from my hand. Thrull's bone-whip jerks