handkerchief, revealing a wrinkled old face topped off with a pair of gold rimmed pince-nez spectacles, set slightly awry on the grizzled muzzle.
“Upon my word!” gasped the Highmost Chancellor, struggling to sit up and free his arms from the windings of his robes. “What effrontery is this?” He straightened his pince-nez and peered down at the three friends with a gimlet eye and a wrathful brow.
“Hello there,” Jack said, beaming at the elderly chancellor. “Sorry we woke you up, and all.”
The badger stared at them. “How dare you disturb me!” he blustered. “What effrontery! What unparalleled temerity! What unprecedented audacity—to accost your chancellor in this manner!”
“Calm down,” said Esmeralda. “We only want to talk to you.”
“It’s worth it, honestly it is,” added Trundle in a placatory voice. “We’ve got some things to show you.”
“Recognize these?” Esmeralda asked, brandishing the crown and the key under the Highmost Chancellor’s nose.
“Remove those gewgaws from my sight!” demanded the Highmost Chancellor. “Leave this room at once or I shall summon the guards!”
“Keep your wig on,” said Esmeralda. “Don’t you know what this is?” She flaunted the crown in front of his eyes. “It’s the Crystal Crown of the Badger Lords of Old, that’s what it is!”
The badger goggled at the glittering crown for a moment or two. “Preposterous!” he said. “Ridiculous!” he added. “Outrageous and ludicrous!” he concluded.
“But it is,” said Jack. “Honestly, it is.”
“You insensate and absurd creatures,” boomed the old badger. “It’s a scientifically proven fact that the Six Crowns of the Badger Lords do not exist!” He reached for a bell pull and gave it a series of fierce tugs. “I have summoned the guards,” he told them. “Leave my office this instant, or I will have you forcibly removed!”
“But it’s the Crystal Crown!” raged Esmeralda, almost dancing with frustration. “We found it in the mines of Drune! And this key was with it.”
“It’s true,” said Trundle. “The magical Badger Blocks led us to it.”
“Magic!” hooted the Highmost Chancellor, rising from his chair, his eyes flashing angrily. “You are Roamany scoundrels and magicians!” He groped by his chair and brought out a black lacquered walking cane. “I’ll harbor no conjurers and sorcerers here!” he roared, swiping at them with the cane. “Be gone, I say!”
Trundle and Esmeralda and Jack hopped backward around the desk to avoid the lashing cane. The badger followed them, and they retreated down the long carpet with him lumbering in hot and furious pursuit, his cane rising and falling, his face red with wrath and his black robes billowing.
“You silly old fool!” yelled Esmeralda. “Stop that for a second and let us explain!”
“I don’t think he’s going to listen,” said Jack, ducking as a particularly close swipe whistled above his ears.
“Outrageous!” bellowed the Highmost Chancellor, chasing them with surprising speed as they raced for the door. “Roamanys in my office! Monstrous, I say! Disgraceful! Scandalous!”
They came tumbling out into the corridor with the enraged old badger hot on their heels. But his wind was all but used up by now; he leaned heavily on the door frame, swiping feebly at them, gasping and panting and mopping his face with the handkerchief.
“Are you quite done trying to bash us?” said Esmeralda, glaring up at him. “Because if you are, I’d like to get a few words in edgewise!”
The rumble of many running feet sounded from around a bend in the corridor.
“The guards!” gasped Jack.
“We have to go!” said Trundle, grabbing Esmeralda’s arm.
“I’ll be back!” she shouted at the Highmost Chancellor as Jack and Trundle dragged her away. “Don’t you worry—I’m not done with you yet!”
At a junction in the corridor, they risked a quick look back. A posse of six or seven
“Upon my word!” gasped the Highmost Chancellor, struggling to sit up and free his arms from the windings of his robes. “What effrontery is this?” He straightened his pince-nez and peered down at the three friends with a gimlet eye and a wrathful brow.
“Hello there,” Jack said, beaming at the elderly chancellor. “Sorry we woke you up, and all.”
The badger stared at them. “How dare you disturb me!” he blustered. “What effrontery! What unparalleled temerity! What unprecedented audacity—to accost your chancellor in this manner!”
“Calm down,” said Esmeralda. “We only want to talk to you.”
“It’s worth it, honestly it is,” added Trundle in a placatory voice. “We’ve got some things to show you.”
“Recognize these?” Esmeralda asked, brandishing the crown and the key under the Highmost Chancellor’s nose.
“Remove those gewgaws from my sight!” demanded the Highmost Chancellor. “Leave this room at once or I shall summon the guards!”
“Keep your wig on,” said Esmeralda. “Don’t you know what this is?” She flaunted the crown in front of his eyes. “It’s the Crystal Crown of the Badger Lords of Old, that’s what it is!”
The badger goggled at the glittering crown for a moment or two. “Preposterous!” he said. “Ridiculous!” he added. “Outrageous and ludicrous!” he concluded.
“But it is,” said Jack. “Honestly, it is.”
“You insensate and absurd creatures,” boomed the old badger. “It’s a scientifically proven fact that the Six Crowns of the Badger Lords do not exist!” He reached for a bell pull and gave it a series of fierce tugs. “I have summoned the guards,” he told them. “Leave my office this instant, or I will have you forcibly removed!”
“But it’s the Crystal Crown!” raged Esmeralda, almost dancing with frustration. “We found it in the mines of Drune! And this key was with it.”
“It’s true,” said Trundle. “The magical Badger Blocks led us to it.”
“Magic!” hooted the Highmost Chancellor, rising from his chair, his eyes flashing angrily. “You are Roamany scoundrels and magicians!” He groped by his chair and brought out a black lacquered walking cane. “I’ll harbor no conjurers and sorcerers here!” he roared, swiping at them with the cane. “Be gone, I say!”
Trundle and Esmeralda and Jack hopped backward around the desk to avoid the lashing cane. The badger followed them, and they retreated down the long carpet with him lumbering in hot and furious pursuit, his cane rising and falling, his face red with wrath and his black robes billowing.
“You silly old fool!” yelled Esmeralda. “Stop that for a second and let us explain!”
“I don’t think he’s going to listen,” said Jack, ducking as a particularly close swipe whistled above his ears.
“Outrageous!” bellowed the Highmost Chancellor, chasing them with surprising speed as they raced for the door. “Roamanys in my office! Monstrous, I say! Disgraceful! Scandalous!”
They came tumbling out into the corridor with the enraged old badger hot on their heels. But his wind was all but used up by now; he leaned heavily on the door frame, swiping feebly at them, gasping and panting and mopping his face with the handkerchief.
“Are you quite done trying to bash us?” said Esmeralda, glaring up at him. “Because if you are, I’d like to get a few words in edgewise!”
The rumble of many running feet sounded from around a bend in the corridor.
“The guards!” gasped Jack.
“We have to go!” said Trundle, grabbing Esmeralda’s arm.
“I’ll be back!” she shouted at the Highmost Chancellor as Jack and Trundle dragged her away. “Don’t you worry—I’m not done with you yet!”
At a junction in the corridor, they risked a quick look back. A posse of six or seven
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