fingernails,
flicked one of the bells that hung from his court jester’s hat. “You’re
such a well-behaved little dwarf,” she said calmly. Then as if she had a change
in personality, she said angrily, “Now get out of here!”
Rupert was sitting
across from the queen; he bent over and almost fell out of his chair while
trying to pick up his suitcase. Queen Sentiz pretended not to notice and didn’t
even think to lend a hand to help. It took all of Rupert’s strength, but he
somehow managed to lift the case and place it on the table. As he opened it,
the queen looked like she might start drooling with anticipation. As for Ramon,
he sat slumped on his seat, seeming quite bored with the whole situation.
Rupert reached into his
suitcase and removed a purple, silk cloth. Underneath it, cushioned in a bed of
purple velvet, was a shimmering crystal, about the size of a small foam
football. With his long, bony fingers, he took it out of its bed and lifted it
high above his head. He closed his eyes and mumbled something. Sitting beside
him, Ramon bit his fingernails and narrowed his eyes impatiently. The queen was
so entranced with the crystal that she didn’t notice her son’s behavior.
“Please remove the
suitcase from the table,” Rupert said.
Queen Sentiz looked to
Ramon, who was not paying attention, and she slapped the table hard in front of
him. The prince, startled, jumped and knocked against the underside of the
table with his large knobby knees. Rupert jumped as well and almost dropped the
crystal on his own head. He gave Ramon a look of disgust that encouraged him to
quickly take the suitcase off the table.
Once again, Rupert
proceeded to lift the crystal above his head and chanted something again. When
he was finished, he slowly brought the crystal down in front of him and
carefully balanced it on the table. Then he waved his bony fingers around it
and as he did so, it started to glow with a bright, multicolored light, which
reflected off the walls. The crystal began to spin around in circles, flashing
its colors on the walls. Suddenly, it stopped spinning and all the bright colors
were sucked back inside it. Ramon eagerly leaned forward to look inside the
crystal. He could see the rushing Indra River with all its splashes, curves,
and drop-offs. “There they are!” he blurted out, hitting the crystal with his
large nose, almost knocking it over.
“If you’d move your
enormous head, we could see also,” the queen snapped.
“Oh, sorry, Mama,”
Ramon said sheepishly. He moved his head out of the way, and Queen Sentiz and
Rupert leaned forward to look into the crystal.
“Where are they? I can’t
see them,” the queen said tersely.
“Look closely to the
right side of the river, my lady,” Rupert said.
“Ah ha! Yes! There’s
the little human scum,” the queen said excitedly.
While they were glaring
into the crystal, the Indra River suddenly disappeared, and the crystal lit up
once more. Its kaleidoscope of colors started to spin around the room again.
“What is the meaning of this?” the queen asked Rupert.
“The crystal has found
something else important to show us,” Rupert answered.
The colors funneled
back into the crystal, and it stopped spinning. The three huddled around it.
This time it was not the Indra River that was brought into view but the inside
of Rumalock’s house.
“More humans?” Ramon
said, surprised as well as disgusted.
They could see Davina,
Hester, and Graham in Rumalock’s cottage, standing around the chocolate cake,
gobbling it down like it was their last meal.
“They’re popping up
like a bad skin rash, the wretched, little gluttons,” Ramon went on.
Just as he finished
speaking, the crystal went dark and tipped over. The queen turned to Ramon.
“Saddle your horse at once, and this time take at least one hundred zelbocks
with you. We can’t afford to let them slip away again.” She marched over to the
door and swung it open. On the other side sat
flicked one of the bells that hung from his court jester’s hat. “You’re
such a well-behaved little dwarf,” she said calmly. Then as if she had a change
in personality, she said angrily, “Now get out of here!”
Rupert was sitting
across from the queen; he bent over and almost fell out of his chair while
trying to pick up his suitcase. Queen Sentiz pretended not to notice and didn’t
even think to lend a hand to help. It took all of Rupert’s strength, but he
somehow managed to lift the case and place it on the table. As he opened it,
the queen looked like she might start drooling with anticipation. As for Ramon,
he sat slumped on his seat, seeming quite bored with the whole situation.
Rupert reached into his
suitcase and removed a purple, silk cloth. Underneath it, cushioned in a bed of
purple velvet, was a shimmering crystal, about the size of a small foam
football. With his long, bony fingers, he took it out of its bed and lifted it
high above his head. He closed his eyes and mumbled something. Sitting beside
him, Ramon bit his fingernails and narrowed his eyes impatiently. The queen was
so entranced with the crystal that she didn’t notice her son’s behavior.
“Please remove the
suitcase from the table,” Rupert said.
Queen Sentiz looked to
Ramon, who was not paying attention, and she slapped the table hard in front of
him. The prince, startled, jumped and knocked against the underside of the
table with his large knobby knees. Rupert jumped as well and almost dropped the
crystal on his own head. He gave Ramon a look of disgust that encouraged him to
quickly take the suitcase off the table.
Once again, Rupert
proceeded to lift the crystal above his head and chanted something again. When
he was finished, he slowly brought the crystal down in front of him and
carefully balanced it on the table. Then he waved his bony fingers around it
and as he did so, it started to glow with a bright, multicolored light, which
reflected off the walls. The crystal began to spin around in circles, flashing
its colors on the walls. Suddenly, it stopped spinning and all the bright colors
were sucked back inside it. Ramon eagerly leaned forward to look inside the
crystal. He could see the rushing Indra River with all its splashes, curves,
and drop-offs. “There they are!” he blurted out, hitting the crystal with his
large nose, almost knocking it over.
“If you’d move your
enormous head, we could see also,” the queen snapped.
“Oh, sorry, Mama,”
Ramon said sheepishly. He moved his head out of the way, and Queen Sentiz and
Rupert leaned forward to look into the crystal.
“Where are they? I can’t
see them,” the queen said tersely.
“Look closely to the
right side of the river, my lady,” Rupert said.
“Ah ha! Yes! There’s
the little human scum,” the queen said excitedly.
While they were glaring
into the crystal, the Indra River suddenly disappeared, and the crystal lit up
once more. Its kaleidoscope of colors started to spin around the room again.
“What is the meaning of this?” the queen asked Rupert.
“The crystal has found
something else important to show us,” Rupert answered.
The colors funneled
back into the crystal, and it stopped spinning. The three huddled around it.
This time it was not the Indra River that was brought into view but the inside
of Rumalock’s house.
“More humans?” Ramon
said, surprised as well as disgusted.
They could see Davina,
Hester, and Graham in Rumalock’s cottage, standing around the chocolate cake,
gobbling it down like it was their last meal.
“They’re popping up
like a bad skin rash, the wretched, little gluttons,” Ramon went on.
Just as he finished
speaking, the crystal went dark and tipped over. The queen turned to Ramon.
“Saddle your horse at once, and this time take at least one hundred zelbocks
with you. We can’t afford to let them slip away again.” She marched over to the
door and swung it open. On the other side sat
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