“
What has Desiree done? Is
she out of her mind?” His heart skipped a beat.
Dr. Stine dug his heels
into Shadow’s ribcage. The horse lunged forward and knocked four
androids to the ground. They fired their nuke guns as they fell,
but the green, radioactive bullets missed their targets and
impacted the walls of a nearby warehouse. A huge robot swung its
left fist at Shadow. Alexander and Dr. Stine ducked and dodged the
massive hand. Dr. Stine held the reins in his fists and guided the
horse toward a tall, brick building at the top of the hill. As the
horse galloped across the cobblestones of the S-shaped road, the
androids fired rounds from their Nuke Guns. Radioactive bullets
ricocheted off of buildings and caused trees to disintegrate. Dr.
Stine glanced over his shoulder and watched three Eye-Bots fly
through the air. The hot beams of red lasers emerged from their
eyeballs and incinerated shrubs and the walls of buildings
nearby.
Dr. Stine guided Shadow
toward the rear of the brick building. He yelled “Whoa!” and yanked
on the horse’s reins when Angelique emerged from a doorway. Stanley
sat on her shoulder, blinked his eyes, and hooted. Alexander
cheered and Razor barked. Dr. Stine smiled and felt tears of joy
spill from his eyes. Angelique pointed behind him and gasped. They
turned around and watched Professor Beauregard ascend the hill with
an army of androids and a fleet of Eye-Bots. He pointed at them and
said, “Kill them all! Leave no survivors!” Seconds later, the
feminine voice warned: “This complex will self-destruct in three
minutes! Please evacuate the premises immediately!”
Angelique jumped onto
Shadow’s back and wrapped her arms around Alexander. She was
alarmed by the warmth of his skin and understood that his fever was
getting worse. She watched Stanley fly toward a section of fence on
the western side of the complex. Dr. Stine dug his heels into
Shadow’s sides and guided the horse in that direction.
When Shadow slowed to a
stop next to the fence, Alexander placed Razor gently on the
ground. The dog wagged his tail and trotted toward the tall
barrier. He exhaled a burst of fire at the fence and watched a huge
section of it begin to twist and melt. Dr. Stine glanced over his
shoulder and watched Professor Beauregard’s troops clear the hill
and flock toward them. He patted Razor on the head and said:
“Hurry, Razor. Go faster!”
Razor focused his breath of
fire on a wide, tall section of the fence. The intense heat caused
the metal to melt and ooze onto the ground. Electric sparks
radiated from the severed sections of the fence. Shadow charged
through the gap and emerged on the other side unscathed. Angelique
and Alexander followed immediately. After Stanley flew through the
hole, Dr. Stine and Razor joined them. Bullets and laser beams
filled the air.
Dr. Stine and Angelique
climbed onto Shadow’s back. After he handed Razor, his Bible, and
his plastic case to Dr. Stine and Angelique, Alexander straddled
the horse also. The black stallion galloped away from the damaged
fence while androids fired their weapons and Eye-Bots discharged
laser beams.
Angelique glanced over her
shoulder when she heard Professor Beauregard yell, “You’ll burn in
hell for this, Dr. Stine!” Then a huge ball of fire and bright
light spread throughout the compound. Shock waves from the blast
almost caused them to fall off of Shadow, but they remained
mounted. Behind them, a huge mushroom cloud blossomed in the sky.
Moments later, all they heard was silence.
Dr. Stine held Shadow’s
reins, listened to Angelique sob, and worried about Alexander’s
fever. He glanced over his shoulder and watched the mushroom cloud
above Professor Beauregard’s factory dissipate in the sky. Beads of
sweat covered Alexander’s forehead and face. Dr. Stine focused his
attention on a small cabin, which rose from an unruly garden of red
and yellow roses. He guided Shadow toward the cabin, yanked on the
reins, and yelled “Whoa! Let’s stop here!” when they reached the
cabin’s overgrown front yard.
“
We need to be more
careful, Dr. Stine. We almost died in the factory,” Angelique said.
She swung her left leg over Shadow’s back and dropped to the
ground.
“
I didn’t know what to do
when the robot abducted you. It’s very hard to thwart an enemy who
uses powerful magnets. But at least all of us are safe now,” he
replied.
Dr. Stine dismounted from
the saddle on Shadow’s back. Angelique took Razor from Alexander’s
trembling hands and placed the dog on the ground. Then Angelique
and Dr. Stine eased the ill boy off of the horse. Alexander walked
toward the front porch of the cabin and collapsed onto a wood
bench. He leaned lethargically against the termite-ravaged wall of
the structure. His teeth chattered and his left hand clutched his
stomach.
“
How do you feel,
Alexander? You don’t look good at all,” Angelique said.
“
I’m okay. It’s not as bad
as you think.” A thin smile spread across his pale face.
“
Queen Persephone, ruler of
the elf city, can cure you. We need to get there as soon as
possible. It won’t take us long,” Dr. Stine said.
“
Do we have enough time?
We’re still a long way from Mount Zahn and my battery pack won’t
last much longer. You still have the spare pack, right?” Angelique
said. She paced back and forth on the cabin’s front porch. Her body
was rigid and tense.
Dr. Stine reached into the
pocket of his robe and removed several items. Angelique exhaled a
sigh of relief. The flasks of holy water and the spare battery pack
rested in the palm of his large hand. Fortunately, he hadn’t
misplaced the items during their journey through the swamp and
their escape from Professor Beauregard’s factory.
Stanley descended from the
sky, landed on the branch of a nearby oak tree, and hooted.
Angelique smiled while she watched Alexander open his plastic case
and retrieve Zachary’s note and the bottle of oil supplement
tablets. He handed them to Angelique, who approached the oak tree
and glanced up at the loyal owl.
“
Thank you, Stanley. I owe
you so much,” Angelique said. She blew a kiss to him. He blinked
his eyes and ruffled his feathers.
To the south of the cabin,
a stream of clear water flowed through a forest. Angelique stepped
off of the porch and walked around the rose garden. She opened the
bottle of oil supplement tablets and shook two of the blue pills
into the palm of her left hand. When she exhaled a loud whistle,
Razor darted across the grass and trotted next to her.
“
Sip some water after you
swallow the tablets.” She offered the pills to Razor and his long,
pink tongue lapped them out of her hand. After he gulped them down,
he approached the edge of the stream and drank some water to ease
the pills’ transit through his system. When he walked on the
moss-covered rocks next to the stream, Angelique didn’t hear his
joints creak and rattle anymore. The oil spread through his body
quickly.
Angelique leaned against a
boulder and unfolded Zachary’s note. Razor barked and chased
butterflies while she scanned the message:
To Angelique, My
Love:
I’m praying for you, Dr.
Stine, and the people of Thyme. I’m very frustrated that I’m
trapped in this jail cell when I could be helping people. I’m aware
of the harsh landscapes and vicious creatures that separate you
from me. Please be careful when you reach The Valley of Fire, Mount
Zahn, and the labyrinth of Polinus. I believe Dr. Stine can guide
you safely through those areas, but I’m very worried and
concerned.
Several witnesses have
testified for the prosecution during my trial. I’m very concerned
about their testimony, because the witnesses appeared to be under
duress and didn’t tell the truth. I’m convinced that Xavier is
coercing them to exaggerate what happened and alter the facts. I’ve
been watching the jurors closely, and I don’t like the way they
look at me. I’m nervous about their facial expressions and body
language. I don’t think I’m going to like the verdict when it’s
handed down. I hope I’m just being paranoid!
I know I’m being
repetitive, but
please
be careful and vigilant. If Dr. Stine
lets anything happen to you, he’ll have to answer to me! He won’t
like the outcome of
that
confrontation! Ha! I love you,
darling. Send another message when you can. And until then, please
know that although I’m not there physically, I’m with you
spiritually.
Faithfully
yours,
Sir Zachary
Plate
Angelique listened to a
horse’s hooves gallop across the ground while she folded the note
and tucked it into her pocket. Razor chased his tail and barked
when Shadow paused next to the stream. Dr. Stine sat erect in the
saddle. Alexander chugged liquid from a red can, with white spirals
and cursive words, which read: COCA-COLA.
“
What’s Alexander drinking?
Is it safe for consumption?” she asked.
“
I found it in a plastic
cooler inside the cabin. In The Old Times, people enjoyed
carbonated sodas. I would definitely advise against it. Hopefully
it will not make him too ill,” Dr. Stine said. He frowned in
disapproval.
Angelique picked up Razor
and handed the dog to Alexander. Then she hoisted herself onto the
horse’s back and allowed Alexander to collapse against her upper
torso. He trembled and his skin felt extremely hot. After Shadow
waded through the cool water of the flowing stream, the black
stallion galloped toward a rocky alcove east of the
forest.
***
Pink, flowering vines
climbed the stone walls of a U-shaped mountain. As Dr. Stine guided
Shadow into a narrow passage between two rock formations, the sweet
scent of blossoms filled the air. In the distance, they watched
water spill over the edge of a high cliff and splash into a lagoon.
A gentle gust of wind caused a cool mist to blow across their
faces. As Shadow trotted farther into the alcove, Dr. Stine and
Angelique ducked beneath dangling vines and the fronds of palm
trees. The orange flowers of hibiscus plants and the white blossoms
of gardenias blended with sago palms, mango trees, and banana
plants. Shadow whinnied and lifted his front legs when a boa
constrictor slithered across the path and vanished behind a
moss-covered boulder. Dr. Stine reached forward, stroked Shadow’s
mane, and rubbed his ears. The horse relaxed and carried them
farther down the path. When they reached the edge of the lagoon,
they couldn’t hear birds chirp anymore due to the roar of the
waterfall.
Angelique pointed toward a
C-shaped garden to the east. Vine-covered, wood-frame buildings
rose from a sea of purple water lilies and violet orchids. Dr.
Stine guided Shadow toward the garden and wiped beads of water off
of his face. Four elves, dressed in white, flowing gowns, emerged
from the foliage when Shadow approached a wooden bridge, which
crossed the strong rapids of a narrow river. The leader of the
elves held a golden bow and plucked an arrow from a leather quiver,
which was strapped to his back. He placed the arrow in the bow and
aimed the weapon at Dr. Stine.
“
Identify yourselves!
Explain why you’re here!” the elf said. A gust of wind caused his
long, blonde hair to whirl around his lanky frame. His green eyes
glowed like emeralds.
“
Our friend, Alexander, is
ill. He was bitten by a wolf and the wound is infected. I’m a
friend of Queen Persephone. I want to ask if she can cure him,” Dr.
Stine said.
“
Queen Persephone can’t
cure the bite of a werewolf! You’re wasting time! You never
should’ve come here!” the elf said. His white gown billowed in the
wind. When he fixed his gaze on Angelique and heard her mechanical
heart, his pointed ears twitched.
“
Could you please send a
messenger to Queen Persephone? Ask her if she’s willing to speak to
me? I’m Dr. Laurent Stine. I need her help.” He dismounted from
Shadow and dropped to his knees. He extended his hands with the
palms facing up.
The elf pointed to his
female companion, who levitated above the river and held the
gem-encrusted handle of a sparkling sword. He snapped his fingers
and said “Deliver the message to the queen!” before he fixed his
gaze on Angelique again. His eyes widened and his throat went dry
when his sensitive ears focused on the mechanical beats of her
artificial heart. He walked across the bridge and approached
Shadow. The female elf floated behind a coconut tree and vanished
from view.
“
How is it possible to be
alive…without your original heart? It must be some sort of…black
magic. I sense that all of you have been marked by
something…
sinister
. Something is following you, isn’t it?
Tell the truth!” the elf said.
“
I don’t know what you’re
talking about. My heart once belonged to an android. I received a
transplant after I almost died in a hovercraft accident,” Angelique
said.
“
That may be true, but
something is following you. Yes, he abandoned a chariot in favor of
a ghost ship. He’s trying to get to…a castle before you do. He’ll
follow you wherever you go. That’s why you must leave right now!”
the elf said. His face turned red, his eyebrows arched, and a
ladder of wrinkles creased his forehead.