[ 77 ]

THE MONSTER

We stare in horror at the chamber’s empty doorframe.

Dr. Terrible’s demented reptilian figure looms there in shadow.

Behind him, you can just see the snow still falling in the moonlight.

Then Dr. Terrible steps all the way inside the chamber and looks around and bellows, “Why is the Dean still alive, Gork?” And then he points his powerstaff at Fribby. “And what is my new Queen doing here?”

The wolf turns on its hind legs and sees Dr. Terrible and then faints to the chamber floor.

Runcita rushes over to the wolf’s side. “Father!” she cries.

“New Queen? New Queen?!” I stammer, snorting firebolts out my nostrils.

“Yeah,” hisses Fribby, spraying sparks out her silver beak. “This sick bastard forced me to agree to be his new Queen. He said if I didn’t do it then he’d kill you. He said I’d be saving your life.”

Now she stands up and snarls, “But you know what? I changed my mind. Cuz it turns out I’m not into old crusty dragon fellas!”

Then she takes this mega diamond ring off her middle claw and flings the ring right at Dr. Terrible’s face.

The ring bounces off Dr. Terrible’s black beak.

The ring clatters to a halt down by his massive green webbed feet.

All three of us stare in silence at the ring there on the chamber floor.