Jake & The Giant (The Gryphon Chronicles, Book 2) (16 page)

Jake could understand why his cousin
didn’t trust the giant after being kidnapped by him. But to Jake, now that their interrogation was complete, the only frightening thing about Snorri was his breath.

The smell was awful as the giant let out another lovelorn sigh.

Coughing slightly, both boys climbed onto the Gryphon’s back. Red, too, retched a bit at the odor, gagging through his beak.

“Do you really think this Isabelle of yours might be willing to help me?” the giant asked hopefully.

“No doubt about it. Isabelle’s just a big softie,” Jake assured him. “She could never say no to a charity case like you.”

CHAPTER TWENTY
-ONE

A Great Quest

“A
bsolutely not,” said Isabelle. She shook her head stubbornly. “I’m sorry, Jake. As much as I’d like to help, I need to stay here to wait for Henry and Helena. They’re more important.”

“More important than st
opping the end of the world?” Jake exclaimed.

“
I’m the only one here who can talk to animals,” she countered, “and since that’s the form they’re stuck in, what if they need me? They’re like family, Jake. After all they’ve done for us, I can’t run off with you and abandon them.”

Jake scowled, but he could understand her feelings. “All right,” he grumbled. Snorri was going to be disappointed, but there was still Dani,
who was technically a girl. He turned to her. “What about you, carrot?”

Dani shook her hea
d in regret. “I hate to miss it, I really do, but if you’re not going to be here, and Loki’s on the loose, then I’d better stay here to protect Isabelle and Archie.”

“I beg your pardon!” the boy genius
said indignantly.

Dani shrugged. “No offense.”

Archie scowled, pushing his spectacles up higher onto his nose. But Dani was right. The little rookery redhead was much tougher than the two sheltered aristocrat children. Somebody had better stay behind who wouldn’t freeze up in a fight.

“Looks like it’s just
me and Red, then,” Jake mumbled. As the realization sank in, the prospect of going to Giant Land suddenly sounded considerably more scary. It was somehow much easier to act brave when the others were there, if only for his pride’s sake.

Withou
t them, he’d have to face his fears alone.

“Right,”
he said, slightly dry-mouthed, but he gathered his resolve. “We’ll go it alone, then—me and Red. You keep the Lie Detector Goggles so you can watch for Loki. Don’t trust anyone unless you check them out through the goggles first. You never know what form Loki might take to try to trick you. Also, the Galton whistle,” Jake added, reaching into his pocket. “You can keep using it to try to summon Henry and Helena. If they’re still in animal form, they should be able to hear it.” Then he frowned. “Where the devil did I…?”

Feeling
in one pocket, then the next, he checked his coat; his vest; again, his trouser pockets. He glanced at Archie. “Did I give the dog whistle to you?”

“No.”

They checked all the rooms, but it was nowhere.

“Bl
imey, I can’t believe I lost it. Would you just check your tool-bag?” Jake persisted, turning to Archie again.

“You didn’t give it to me! But all right, if it makes you happ
y,” the young inventor muttered, obviously still annoyed with him over their quarrel.

But the Galton w
histle wasn’t in Archie’s pocket or his tool-bag or anywhere. Jake shook his head in frustration. He could have kicked himself. “Blast it, I must’ve dropped it somewhere along the way. Maybe flying over the forest or somewhere in the cave. It’s so dark in there, I’ll never find it.”

“
Don’t worry, we can manage without it,” Isabelle said. “I’m sure the Prince of the Polymaths can make more. Besides, Henry and Helena know where to find us if they want us.”

“She’s right,” Dani said. “We’ll be fine here. You just
concentrate on what you have to do and get back here in one piece, all right?”

He nodded.

“Here, Jake.” Isabelle gave him a satchel of supplies and two canteens of water.

“Thanks. I don’t expect this to take more than a few days,” he added as he pulled the leather knapsack up onto one shoulder. “You lot keep your wits about you.” He glanced at Dani.
“Somebody should go and check on Miss Langesund later. She’s going to be very happy to see her father again. He and the other scientists should be wandering back onto campus any minute now, if they haven’t already arrived.”

They nodded.

“Good luck, Jake.” Dani startled him with a quick hug. “Be careful in Giant Land. Don’t get stepped on.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “I won’t. Good luck to you all,
too. I’ll see you soon.” He turned to go.

“Oh—fine th
en, you win!” Archie burst out.

“What?” Jake glanced at him in surprise.

“Hang on, let me get my things. I’m coming with you!”

Jake turned around
, brightening. “You are?”

“I can’t let you go and do this by
yourself. You’re going to need at least one intelligent person on hand. But I’ll only come on two conditions!”

“Yes?”

“First, you have to promise me we’ll be back here in three days so I can give my big speech, as scheduled. Second, I’ll need time along the way to fix the Pigeon. We’re bringing her with us.”

“We are?”

“Your giant can carry her for me—as he jolly well should, since he’s the one who broke her. She’s not heavy. I’m sure Snorri can carry her easily. We’ll strap her across his back. That way, I can work on her and get her ready for my speech while you’re doing…whatever it is you plan to do.”

“Anything else?” Jake asked i
n amusement while Archie, still annoyed, threw some extra supplies into his tool-bag.

“Yes, in fact.
You promise not to interfere while I go about collecting some data on the giants and their world.”

“Ah, I knew there’d be a catch.”

“It’s called field work. It’s not just for fun, it’s for science!” Archie retorted defensively as he put his Super Subminiature Box Camera into his tool-bag, along with some pencils, and of course, an extra notebook. “It seems a fair exchange. You save the world while I do some research on the giant race.”

“Done,” Jake
said with a chuckle.

Isabelle and Dani smi
led gratefully at Archie, looking relieved that Jake wouldn’t have to go it alone after all.

It seemed they all had their jobs to do.

“Don’t forget a hat and coat,” Dani warned, and of course, the boys obeyed. Jugenheim was part of Scandinavian legend, after all. It was likely cold where they were going.

Archie wrote a hurried note canceling the four o’clock panel discussion that had already been rescheduled. Considering that Dr. Wu would probably not b
e back in time for it either, this seemed the only sensible thing to do. Dani promised to take the note to the office for him.

Saying their final goodbyes, Jake
suddenly remembered to consult the girls for any helpful tips they might have about how Snorri might win the heart of his princess. When he asked their advice, they rattled off a whole list of bewildering pointers, which Jake memorized to tell to Snorri later.

With that,
Archie and he set out, their first stop the edge of the fjord to collect the Pigeon. There, they hauled the poor, half-mangled flying machine out of the water and set her on her wheels.

As the water poured off her wings, the boys gathered up the broken bits of flying machine strewn around the beach and stowed them in the cockpit.

At last, with the Pigeon limping along on her bent wheels—much as her young inventor was still limping from being accidentally dropped by the giant during his abduction—the boys began pulling the flying machine back up the mountain, where Snorri awaited their return.

Snorri sat inside the darkened
cave, anxious to get out of Midgarth and home before certain gods found out about his trespass.

Of course, Odin was technically retired now, and had been ever since the monks had first come over from Ireland
to convert the Vikings to the Cross. But still, the old, one-eyed former god of war remained someone only a fool would trifle with.

Loki must be truly mad to think of goi
ng up against Odin and Thor. Snorri shuddered at the thought of incurring their wrath himself. He hadn’t meant any harm. Breaking the seal had been an accident—and just his luck.

N
othing ever goes right for me.
He heaved a lonely sigh in the darkness, hoping he wasn’t being stupid again for trusting those two boys just like he had trusted that lying little crow. He hoped they could help him.

With his boots freshly laced, his cloak fastened around his neck, and everything in him longing to go home, he got up and paced toward the mouth of the cave to see if the boys were coming. He coul
dn’t wait to be on the road.

Back to Kaia…

Snorri was eager to meet the Isabelle-and-Dani girls that the boys were bringing to help give him advice.

Suddenly, halfway up
the pitch-black tunnel, a glint of gold shining on the cavern floor caught his eye.

He bent down and picked
up the small, unusual object.

“Hullo, what are you, then?”
His bushy eyebrows shot upward as he lifted it up to his face for a closer look. A tiny, shiny cylinder of gold sparkled between his fingers.

“Ohh, look what I found,” he murmu
red to himself in wonder. “Byoootiful…jewelry!”

With a tiny
sculpted dog’s head on the top!

Kaia loved dogs, and therefore, h
e instantly knew what to do with it. He’d give it to her for a present.

Princesses loved presents. Everybody knew that.

The shiny thing had a small ring at the top of it; he would string it through some ribbon and she could wear it round her neck.

With a grin, he tucked the golden jewelry into his pocket to give to her when the time was right. Best to keep it secret until then, he thought. He didn’t want anyone trying to steal it
or ruining his surprise.

Why, he quite believed he’d turn out to have a knack for this romance business, once he got
the hang of it.

Then he heard the boys calling from outside.

Jake and Archie were a little winded from hauling the Pigeon back up the mountain. Thankfully, Red had helped once they met up with the Gryphon inside the forest.

The noble beast
had lowered his dignity to allow the boys to harness him with the ropes, then he had pulled Archie’s flying machine behind him like a horse hitched to a wagon.

Snorri was disappointed
when he saw that the girls had not come with them, but Jake assured him that Isabelle had sent him with good advice, which he would soon share once they were underway.

But first
he told the giant he would have to carry the Pigeon. Snorri felt guilty for breaking it, so he gladly agreed. Jake slipped the harness off of Red, then tied the ropes into a huge loop so Snorri could sling it over his shoulder. This the giant did, lifting the flying machine easily onto his back.

“All right, then. Everyone ready?” Jake asked, glancing around at his companions. “We have to be back in three days for Archie’s spee
ch, so we’d better get going.” He turned to Snorri. “Which way?”

“Uhh…”

The giant went and stood on a boulder to get a better view of the surrounding landscape. Lifting his hand to visor his eyes, he turned this way and that, hesitating.