Jake & The Giant (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 2) (15 page)

“Then we’d better make sure he doesn’t inherit the throne.” Jake paused as his plan became clear. “You must have it, Snorri. You must marry Princess Kaia
and be the next king of the giants, just as you had hoped. After all that’s happened, I trust you’ve learned your lesson that Loki can’t be trusted. If you were to become the next king of Jugenheim, I feel certain that you would know better than anyone to stay on the lookout for Loki’s tricks from now on. If you were king, you could actually block the prophecy from coming true by refusing to cooperate with him, ever.”

“Oh, yes! I would do any
thing to keep Jugenheim and Kaia safe—but there’s just one problem!”

“What’s that?”

“Whoever marries the princess becomes the next king, and Kaia would never want to marry dumb old me, not the way I am. I’m nowhere near good enough for her.”

“Don’t
say that! Come now, don’t worry,” Jake encouraged him. “We’ll help you win this princess for your bride!”

“Hold on,” Archie broke in, staring at Jake lik
e he feared he’d lost his mind.

Jake glanced over at him in surprise. “What’s the matter?”

“I am not going to Giant Land! This is daft.”

“What
? Archie! How could you stand to miss a chance like this? Giant Land!” Jake exclaimed.

But Archie
shook his head, looking more stubborn by the minute. “My panel’s been rescheduled for four o’clock this afternoon, and my big speech is in three days.” He cast an indignant glance at Snorri. “I was set to unveil the Pigeon to the world before this brute came and wrecked her. Now you want me to help him? Let him help himself! I’m busy! I’m going to need every free minute until my speech to fix the mess he made of my poor girl.
If
she can be fixed,” he added in reproach. “Besides, how can you even think of gadding off to Giant Land when Henry and Helena are still out there somewhere, stuck as animals?”

“Why do you think Loki did that to them?” Jake countered. “To keep them from interfering in his plans! Archie, if we don’t go and warn the giants what Loki’s up to, it could mean the end of the world!”

“That’s a lot of hokum,” Archie said, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. “There’s no such thing. The world has been around for millions of years and will continue on for many millions more. Nothing you or I or even Loki does is ever going to change that.”

Jake was taken aback by his narrow-minded remark. “You
’re starting to sound like those arrogant scientists.”

“And you sound like a harebrain!” Archie declared, losing all patience. “You can’t just jump on your Gryphon’s back and go flying off to Jugenheim.”

“You have a Gryphon?” Snorri asked, but both boys ignored him.

Red had been sitting out of sight from where the giant was tied down.

Jake was upset that Archie was even considering not coming along. “How boring can you be? Mr. Responsible! Is it really so important?”

“You would say that,
” Archie retorted.

“
Come on! You go to these conventions every year! So what if you miss this one? The Pigeon’s already broken, anyway. Just postpone your speech till next year!”

“I’ve been preparing for this for months!” Archie said angrily.

“You know what I think?” Jake retorted. “You just like the attention.”

“T
his is very important to me!”

“More important than seeing Giant Land?” Jake asked
eagerly, already excited at the prospect of what he knew would be an unparalleled adventure. “Oh, come on! You know you want to.”

“What if this brute is lying to us, eh?” Archie countered. “Did you consider that? Use your head
for once! Why would you possibly trust him? He was going to eat my brain, Jake. My brain.”

“Well, he said he was sorry.”

Snorri nodded sincerely and repeated his apology. “Very sorry, Master Archie. I was tricked. Er, will somebody please untie me?”

“Don’t push your luck,” Archie growled at the giant, then gave Jake a dirty look. “Unlike
some
people, I don’t back out on my responsibilities. I gave my word that I’d make my presentation, and that’s that.”

“Pfft,” Jake retorted. “
Don’t come, then. If you’re too scared, I’ll bring the girls instead!”

“Oh, no, you won’t!
” Archie stepped closer. “It’s too dangerous for young ladies!”

Jake snorted, more rattled by his cousin’s refusal to join him on the adventure than he let on.

But Snorri, meanwhile, was full of questions. “Master Jake, do you really think I have a chance with Princess Kaia? I mean, I know she likes me better than Gorm. We’re friends, like. But she’s a princess! So pretty. And smart! She can even
read
, and that’s something not many giants can do, I can tell you. The truth is, she could have anyone. Without the potion, I don’t see why she’d ever pick me.”

“Great, a giant who’s insecure,” Archie muttered.

Jake looked at Snorri, unsure what to say. He was probably right. No female in her right mind would fall in love with him. “Well, maybe we could just…clean you up a little,” he suggested, though he didn’t have the foggiest idea where to start.

“I see. So you’re going to tr
ansform this giant toad into a prince?” Archie folded his arms across his chest and looked at him wryly. “What, maybe you can have him spout a little poetry for the princess? Bring her giant flowers?”

“I don’t know!” Then inspiration struck. “I’ve got it!
We’ll bring Isabelle! She’ll know what to do. Isabelle’s fourteen—practically a grown-up lady,” he told Snorri. “Main thing is, she’s a girl, so she’ll know all about that mushy, romantical junk that girls like. I’m sure she’ll be able to give us some tips on how you can charm the princess—assuming giant girls are more or less like, er, regular ones?”

“I should think so,” Snorri said eagerly.

“You are not dragging my sister into a kingdom full of these oversized barbarians! It’s too dangerous! She’s delicate!”

“Oh, I have a feeling Izzy’s
tougher than she looks,” Jake remarked.

“Can this Isabelle
of yours really help me?” Snorri asked, sounding breathless at the possibility that he might have a chance.

“Of course,” Jake declared.

Still hogtied, the dusty, homely giant was suddenly beaming with newfound hope for winning his ladylove.

“This is insane,
Jake. You’re as mad as Loki. How’s this poor soul going to win a princess? He’s a mess. He smells like a volcano that shoots off cow manure instead of lava.”

“He just needs a bit of spit and polish, and a
little advice from the girls.”

“Have you ever seen my sister
when she gets around boys her own age? She turns beet-red and practically dives under the furniture to hide! She doesn’t know anything about courtship. She’s still two years away from her debut in Society. But even if you had an expert governess like Miss Helena to guide you, I mean, look at him. He’s hopeless!”

“Aw
, he’s not so bad.” Jake leaned closer and added confidentially, “Between you and me, I doubt this giant princess is much of a prize herself.”

“Hey!” Snorri yelled, overhearing.

“Well, you’re not bringing Isabelle and Dani into danger. I forbid it.” Archie folded his arms across his chest. “It is my duty as a gentleman to protect our girls—especially Dani, since she’s only ten!”

“You’ve never been properly punched in the nose by Dani O’Dell, have you?
Not yet. But you will one day, I’m sure.”

“You just want to see Giant World!” Archie thundered at him.

“And you just want to stay back on the campus where all those people treat you like a brainy little god! You’re just the darling of the scientific world, aren’t you? Well, fine! Enjoy your fame! Stay back and bask in all the adulation.”

“My, that’s a big word for you!”

Jake scowled at him, insulted past patience. “Do as you like.
I’m
going on an adventure. Red! Give us a ride back to civilization.” He whistled to his pet.

“What’
s that thing?” Snorri exclaimed as Red pounced into view and flexed his feathered wings.

“That’s my Gryphon,” Jake replied. “His name is Red, and if you cause any trouble once we’re on the road to Jugenheim, I’ll sic him on you and let him eat your liver.”

“Why would I want to cause trouble?” Snorri cried.

“
’Cause you’re a giant,” Archie growled. “And giants are bad. That’s probably why the gods sealed off your world, you know.”

Snorri thought this
over for a moment. “We’re not all bad, and besides, maybe Odin sealed off
your
world, not ours. Did you ever think of that?”

“Enough!”
Jake interrupted. “Never mind my cousin, Snorri. Some of us believe in giving people a chance, even if they’re a little different from us. Some of us have been there and know what it’s like when others treat you like a joke.” He gave his brainy cousin a dirty look. “Let’s get out of here. I may not be a genius, but I’m smart enough to know we need to be gone before Loki comes back to check on Snorri’s progress in rounding up the geniuses. When Loki sees them back on campus, he’s going to know something’s up. We don’t have much time till then, so let’s get going.”

“Gladly,” Archie shot back, throwing his tool-bag
angrily over his shoulder.

As the two boys scowl
ed at each other and headed for the Gryphon, Jake was quite upset. It was the first time he and Archie had ever argued.

It didn’t feel very good. Worse, the prospect of his adventure to Giant Land did not sound near as fun with only the girls along. They were the
best girls he knew, but still.

It wasn’t the same.

“Wait! You can’t leave me here like this!” Snorri yelled after them as the boys walked toward the Gryphon, who waited for them to climb onto his back. “Aren’t you going to untie me? Please?”

Jake paused and glanced back uncertainly over his shoulder.

“Don’t leave me here defenseless!” Snorri pleaded. “What if Loki comes back and tries to punish me for letting the brains escape? At least untie my hands so I can defend myself!”

With a frown, Jake walked back cautiously toward the giant. “If I set you free, do I h
ave your word I can trust you? You promise not to go causing trouble? Better yet, don’t even leave this cave.”

“Snorri gives his word,” the giant answered with a solemn nod.

“Very well. But remember, if you break your promise, no one’s going to help you win Princess Kaia’s love. And that’ll hurt even worse than Archie’s aether gun.”

Snorri shuddered. “I want to marry her more than anything! You’ll understand when you see her.”

Ugh, thought Jake. Falling in love made people look so silly. He was very sure he would never fall prey to such nonsense.

“Let me borrow your knife,”
he muttered to Archie, who handed it to him in spite of their quarrel.

“You’re lucky I remembered to ask for it ba
ck from Dr. Wu before they left,” his cousin remarked with a huff.

Thrusting off his doubts
about the wisdom of freeing the giant, Jake sawed away the knotted ropes holding him captive. “I’m trusting you,” he warned. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Snorri thanked him profusely as
he sat up rubbing his wrists. He stretched his neck this way and that, then rubbed his bald pate where the stalactites had whacked him. “Ow,” he mumbled.

“
Sorry about that, but you did bring it on yourself.”

“It’s all right,” Snorri said with a sigh.

“Now then.” Jake tilted his head back to look the giant sternly in the eyes, pointing at him. “Wait here and stay out of sight,” he ordered. “Use the time to gather up your things and get ready for our journey. So help me, Snorri,” he added trying to look as threatening as possible despite the fact that even sitting down, the giant still towered over him. “You’d better be here waiting in this cave when I come back, or I’ll let Red hunt you down and have at you.”

Red growled on cue and slashed the air with his front claws to intimidate the gi
ant into complying.

Snorri eyed the Gryphon meekly. “I’
ll be right here the whole time, I swear.”

“Good. I should be back in less than an hour with the girls.”

“No, you’re not,” Archie said.

“With Isabelle?”
Snorri asked.

“That’s right, and
another one called Dani. And I say we leave the decision up to them, whatever the girls choose to do,” he added in a crisp tone, handing his cousin back his folded knife.

“
Fine!” Archie retorted, tossing the knife back into his tool-bag.

But he
did not take his eyes off the giant for a second now that Jake had untied him. Instead, Archie backed steadily toward the Gryphon.