Part 4 (1/2)

Choosing the least steep streets, they gradually worked their way up into the foothills of Old Mother Mountain. At least that's what most of the townspeople called it. To Jesse and Daisy it was now the Hobhorn, in honor of their friend, Her Royal Lowness Queen Hap, ruler of the hobgoblins of the Hobhorn, whose kingdom lay inside the mountain.

Old Mine Lane dead-ended a quarter of a mile from what had once been the entrance to the gold mine. They knew that the old castle sat smack at the end, not that either of them had ever seen it. It had been blocked off from outsiders by a high wall overgrown with bushes and vines since before they were born. The number of houses along the road 51.began to dwindle until there were just weed-choked vacant lots. The cousins finally arrived at the end of the road, where a brand-new plywood wall loomed at least fifteen feet high. It was the kind of wall you'd see at a city construction site, except this one didn't seem to have any peepholes for curious pedestrians to look through.

The cousins parked their bikes and waded through the weeds over to the wall. A big new sign warned, NO TRESPa.s.sING. GUARD DOGS ON PATROL.

”Guarding the poor professor would be my bet,” Daisy said.

Emmy growled, baring her teeth, the fur along her spine standing up.

”I know just how you feel, Em,” said Jesse. ”Let's check it out.”

They walked along the wall, Emmy leading the way with her snout, nosing around for an entrance or a gate or a driveway. But they just kept following the plywood around until about fifteen minutes later, when they found themselves right back where they had started.

”Weird,” the cousins said together, exchanging looks of deep perplexity. How did anyone get in or out? On the other side of the wall, they heard a loud, persistent buzzing sound.

Jesse looked around. There wasn't even a tree 52.nearby to climb to get a look over the wall.

”We need a ladder,” said Daisy.

”Or a good leg up,” Jesse said.

”Will I do?” Emmy asked, startling them both by suddenly unmasking into a dragon.

”Emmy!” Jesse and Daisy cried out together and looked around, afraid she would be seen.

”Don't worry. No one will see,” Emmy said. ”Come. Climb up onto my shoulders and spy.”

Jesse hesitated. ”It won't hurt you?” he asked.

”Do I look like a delicate dragon to you? Don't be a dork,” Emmy said. ”Climb.” She turned around.

Jesse climbed up the ramp of her tail, his sneakers getting surprisingly good traction, and made it up as far as the back of her neck. But even if he were to stand on top of Emmy's head (which did not not seem like a good idea), his own head would still be a good three feet from the top of the wall. He signaled to Daisy, who nodded and quickly scrambled up after him. seem like a good idea), his own head would still be a good three feet from the top of the wall. He signaled to Daisy, who nodded and quickly scrambled up after him.

Jesse said to her, ”I'll give you a boost up and you spy.”

Jesse bent down and offered Daisy a stirrup made from his linked hands. Daisy placed her hands on his shoulders and her foot in his hands. Jesse grunted as he lifted Daisy up. She wasn't very 53.heavy, but Jesse felt himself wobbling beneath her weight.

”I have you, Jesse,” said Emmy. He felt her talons enclosing his calves, steadying him.

”I'm up!” Daisy whispered, holding on to the top of the wall and peering over. She was amazed at how new the castle looked, as if the last stone had been set into place only that morning. ”Wow!”

”Ask her what she sees,” Emmy whispered up to Jesse.

Jesse whispered up to Daisy, ”What do you see?”

Daisy whispered back, ”It looks exactly exactly like the castle we saw online, Jess. It's got three stone towers, two small and one big. And the ramparts are made of wood.” like the castle we saw online, Jess. It's got three stone towers, two small and one big. And the ramparts are made of wood.”

”Are they riveted with sa.r.s.en stones?” Jesse asked.

”What's a sa.r.s.en stone?” Emmy whispered.

Daisy ignored them both. ”I see squint holes,” she said, ”and killer holes, too.”

”Murder holes,” Jesse corrected. holes,” Jesse corrected.

”Whatever . And it's double-walled.” . And it's double-walled.”

”Ask her what the buzzing noise is,” Emmy told Jesse.

Daisy heard Emmy's question. ”Lots of things. Lawn mowers. Trimmers. Other landscaping tools,”

54.Daisy said. ”There's a whole crew of workmen cutting gra.s.s and whacking weeds on the grounds outside the wall. Jesse, it really is a life-size replica of Uffington Castle. And to think it's just been sitting here...”

Jesse said, ”St. George built it when he was head of the mining company a hundred years ago.”

”And Sadie Huffington used magic to fix it up,” Daisy said. Either that, or the army of sweating, s.h.i.+rtless workmen who were now toiling away on the lawn had worked very hard and very fast to whip the castle back into shape. Now they were digging holes for saplings, setting the root-b.a.l.l.s into the holes, filling in the holes, and making neat circles of stone around the newly planted trees. A harnessed team of dogs dragged a sled loaded down with piles of cut stone.

Emmy whispered up to Daisy, ”Tell us more.”

Just then, Sadie Huffington strode through an arch in an outer wall. Even in the heat, she wore a long black coat that reached her ankles.

”I'm looking at the Top Dog herself,” Daisy said.

”Yikes,” Jesse said. Daisy felt Jesse's arms begin to tremble beneath her feet.

”She's wearing a black coat that looks exactly like St. George's,” Daisy reported.

55.”Boy! She must be boiling,” said Jesse.

”I don't know...she looks like a pretty cool customer to me,” Daisy said as she watched Sadie Huffington stop before the dog team and reach into a cloth sack slung across her shoulders. ”Ugh,” she said.

”What's going on?” Jesse whispered, giving Daisy's legs an impatient squeeze.

”She's got a bunch of dogs pulling a sled,” said Daisy. ”And she's got this b.l.o.o.d.y sack full of raw meat...and she's feeding the meat to the dogs.”

”Hey, do you think those are the dogs that are missing from the pound?” Jesse said.

”That's exactly what they are,” Daisy said. Sadie Huffington was walking among the men now. ”Oh, wow! She's feeding the men men raw meat, too!” she whispered. raw meat, too!” she whispered. ”Ick ”Ick .” As each workman got his bit of b.l.o.o.d.y raw meat, he chewed it up, not neatly like a man, but sloppily and greedily like a dog. Sadie scratched one of the men behind the ear. Another man scratched his armpit, then shook himself from head to foot. .” As each workman got his bit of b.l.o.o.d.y raw meat, he chewed it up, not neatly like a man, but sloppily and greedily like a dog. Sadie scratched one of the men behind the ear. Another man scratched his armpit, then shook himself from head to foot.

”Holy moly,” said Daisy. ”I think she's done worse than just stolen them from the pound.”

”What?” Jesse and Emmy both whispered fiercely. Jesse and Emmy both whispered fiercely.

”The men,” said Daisy. ”I think Sadie might 56.have turned some of the dogs dogs ...into ...into men.” men.”

”Whoa!” Jesse said. ”Really?”