In all the sudden excitement, it appeared there was going to be a fight! The only one to stay calm was Gules LeRouge. The purple clad coachmen held up his arms to stop the guards and addressed the King. “Your Majesty, I believe this young knight may not be everything he appears to be, but let us not misunderstand his passion. I do not think he means to be a threat. I cannot believe that he and his friend would be foolish enough to attack us alone like this when they are so outnumbered. Would you, gentlemen?”
“How can you say this, Gules?” the King asked. “We cannot see his face and he travels with a barbarian from the North and a dangerous beast! And he nearly attacked me just now!”
Nathan came to his senses, realizing that he had overreacted and put up his hands in surrender, backing away. His heart was beating wildly at the prospect of catching up to Nataleigh, but he knew he had to force himself to calm down. “I…I’m sorry. I did not mean to…”
“Listen! His voice is not the voice of a dwarf, your majesty.” Gules cut in. Too late, Nathan realized he had blown his secret. He was discovered again by opening his big mouth! And just when he was about to find out where his sister had gone!
Just then, the familiar voice of Flindee piped up! “Of course he’s not a dwarf! I could have told you that!”
Everyone turned to look at the jester who was peeking over the side of the hay wagon. In place of his droopy hat, he wore a wig of hay that looked like a yellow lion’s mane around his face. This was the result of having just had his head buried under the hay pile a moment before.
“Snaggle-fuss figured that out back at the cave when he was giving him his mission.” he continued.
“His mission?!” The king blurted out twice as scared as before. “Do you hear that, Gules? He works for the Dragon!”
“That’s what I said!” Flindee assured them, pulling himself up and out of the cart. He grinned broadly, revealing a large piece of hay stuck between his two front teeth as he continued helpfully. “Ol’ Snaggleypoo sent him to find some kind of big glass ball in an underwater cave or somethin’ like that. I’ve even got the directions on how to find it right here.”
Everyone, including Nathan, stared in astonishment as the clueless, well-meaning jester reached back into the hay cart and pulled out his floppy hat. Before anyone could think to say a word, he began to yank out fistfuls of hay, followed by a yo-yo, a whistle, an oversized tooth brush, and a half eaten onion and finally a small piece of paper that had been folded into the shape of a paper airplane. “And Q worked so hard on it too.”
He began to unfold the parchment very slowly, his tongue pinched between his lips in concentration, trying not to forget how it had been folded in the first place. Growing impatient, Billy Crimson snatched it from his hand and finished opening it.
To everyone’s surprise, it was a map just as Flindee had said, and on it was the riddle that Snagglefang had recited back in his cave. The prince groaned, wondering how things had gotten so out of control so quickly. Even Vonkar was looking at him with confusion and doubt at this new revelation. How would he explain to them all that he had refused the dragon’s evil mission and was a captive, not the dragon’s servant, especially with Flindee convinced that he was and showing everybody and their brother stuff like that to prove it?
The guards lifted the points of their weapons back toward Nathan’s neck as Friar Tub spoke up. “A large glass ball in an underwater cave? That could only mean….” he paused for effect. “…the Serpent’s Eye! The Princess told us that it was hidden in an underwater cave and now we find this black knight trying to beat her to it! The Villian!” he spat.
“But why would he come here then?” asked Gules.
“Perhaps he was sent to stop the Princess.” replied Brumble Wood. “Wherefore this knave might be plotting with villainous intentions to remove yon royal maiden from our company and claim the prize for himself. Fortunately, he hath missed her and she is safely departed.”
“Yeah. And, unfortunately for him, she’s already gone. He’s gotta deal with us now.” Tiny Bud added, slapping his quarterstaff into the palm of his hand threateningly. “Him and his friend.”
“Wait! You don’t understand!” Nathan pleaded. But they weren’t listening now.
“Guards, take them both to the dungeon!” the King ordered. They were hopelessly outnumbered, even for Vonkar and the mighty Grizzle, though Nathan feared the Viking would die fighting before he would allow himself to be taken as a prisoner. So he did the only thing left that he could think of to do.
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