Read Online Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing by Barry Hutchison - Free Book Online
Authors: Barry Hutchison
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we almost there?” Wesley whispered.
“Yes, not far,” said the goblin. “Not far. A few more minutes, that is all.”
“How will it work?” Ben asked.
“Simple. You three will stand in the circle. I will take the gauntlet and let the circle’s power guide its aim.”
Ben stopped, making Wesley walk right into the back of him.
“Wait, what do you mean, you’ll take thegauntlet?”
Mr Nuttendudge didn’t slow, so Ben hurried to catch up. “I must. It is necessary,” said the goblin. “I will take the gauntlet and use its power to send you away. Home. Safe.”
Ben looked down at the glove. Even in the darkness it seemed to shine. “But … it’s my gauntlet.”
This time it was Mr Nuttendudge whostopped. He turned to Ben and shrugged. “Then keep it. Do as you wish.” He leaned in closer and his wide eyes narrowed. “But it is your only hope. Without the circle, without my help, this … here…” He gestured at the forest around him. “This is home. Goonderslarg is where you will spend the remainder of your days.”
“I don’t fancy that,” said Wesley.
Paradise looked at the glove, then up at Ben. “We don’t have any choice, Ben,” she said. “We can’t stay here.”
They all trudged on, leaving Ben behind. He flexed his fingers inside the glove. It was the most magical thing Uncle Tavish had ever seen. It was one of the very few connections he had to his parents.
And he was going to lose it. Forever.
Ben pushed through the trees and caught up with Mr Nuttendudge and the others at a point where the trees came to an abrupt stop. The tangle of grass and weeds became dry, barren sand. A wide desert stretched off into the distance, until it eventually met a load of angry-looking mountains coming the other way.
About the length of a good stone’s throw away stood nine tall rocks, positioned in a circle. Mr Nuttendudge set off towards them and the children followed quickly behind.
Overhead, an oblong-shaped sun beamed down at them, and by the time they reached the stones they were all slick with sweat.
“Here we are, here we are,” breathed Mr Nuttendudge. He gestured for Wesley and Paradise to step into the stone circle, then held out a hand to Ben. “The gauntlet. Hurry. There isn’t much time. Your wizard friend may explode at any moment.”
“What?” spluttered Wesley. “No one told me this!”
Paradise pulled him into the space between the stones, explaining as they went. The airaround the circle gave a shimmer as they stepped through.
Ben peered down at his gauntlet and was surprised to find tears misting his eyes. He had got his friends into this, and if giving up his most prized possession was the only way to get them back out of it … well then, he had no choice.
“Give me the glove, boy,” said Mr Nuttendudge. Ben blinked. The goblin was shifting nervously from foot to foot. His gaze darted hungrily from Ben’s face to the gauntlet and back again. “Give it to me. Now.”
Slowly, Ben took a step back. “I don’t think I want to,” he said. There was something about Mr Nuttendudge’s expression that made him uneasy.
“Ben, look out!”
Paradise’s warning came just in time. Ben spun, ducked and rolled, and barely avoided the swiping leg of the Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing.
“Not yet, not yet!” wailed Mr Nuttendudge. “The glove, he hasn’t given me the glove!”
Ben backed away from the ghoul-thing. “You set us up,” he said, stabbing a finger towards Mr Nuttendudge. “You lured us here. Why?”
Wesley and Paradise raced over to join Ben, but as they reached the edge of the stone circle the air in front of them turned solid, forcing them back. Paradise hammered on the invisible barrier but they were trapped.
“Perhaps I can answer that,” boomed a voicefrom within the Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing’s cloak. An armour-clad leg emerged, then Lord Scarrabus was unfolding himself from the swirling portal within the cape.
The demon-lord drew himself up
“Yes, not far,” said the goblin. “Not far. A few more minutes, that is all.”
“How will it work?” Ben asked.
“Simple. You three will stand in the circle. I will take the gauntlet and let the circle’s power guide its aim.”
Ben stopped, making Wesley walk right into the back of him.
“Wait, what do you mean, you’ll take thegauntlet?”
Mr Nuttendudge didn’t slow, so Ben hurried to catch up. “I must. It is necessary,” said the goblin. “I will take the gauntlet and use its power to send you away. Home. Safe.”
Ben looked down at the glove. Even in the darkness it seemed to shine. “But … it’s my gauntlet.”
This time it was Mr Nuttendudge whostopped. He turned to Ben and shrugged. “Then keep it. Do as you wish.” He leaned in closer and his wide eyes narrowed. “But it is your only hope. Without the circle, without my help, this … here…” He gestured at the forest around him. “This is home. Goonderslarg is where you will spend the remainder of your days.”
“I don’t fancy that,” said Wesley.
Paradise looked at the glove, then up at Ben. “We don’t have any choice, Ben,” she said. “We can’t stay here.”
They all trudged on, leaving Ben behind. He flexed his fingers inside the glove. It was the most magical thing Uncle Tavish had ever seen. It was one of the very few connections he had to his parents.
And he was going to lose it. Forever.
Ben pushed through the trees and caught up with Mr Nuttendudge and the others at a point where the trees came to an abrupt stop. The tangle of grass and weeds became dry, barren sand. A wide desert stretched off into the distance, until it eventually met a load of angry-looking mountains coming the other way.
About the length of a good stone’s throw away stood nine tall rocks, positioned in a circle. Mr Nuttendudge set off towards them and the children followed quickly behind.
Overhead, an oblong-shaped sun beamed down at them, and by the time they reached the stones they were all slick with sweat.
“Here we are, here we are,” breathed Mr Nuttendudge. He gestured for Wesley and Paradise to step into the stone circle, then held out a hand to Ben. “The gauntlet. Hurry. There isn’t much time. Your wizard friend may explode at any moment.”
“What?” spluttered Wesley. “No one told me this!”
Paradise pulled him into the space between the stones, explaining as they went. The airaround the circle gave a shimmer as they stepped through.
Ben peered down at his gauntlet and was surprised to find tears misting his eyes. He had got his friends into this, and if giving up his most prized possession was the only way to get them back out of it … well then, he had no choice.
“Give me the glove, boy,” said Mr Nuttendudge. Ben blinked. The goblin was shifting nervously from foot to foot. His gaze darted hungrily from Ben’s face to the gauntlet and back again. “Give it to me. Now.”
Slowly, Ben took a step back. “I don’t think I want to,” he said. There was something about Mr Nuttendudge’s expression that made him uneasy.
“Ben, look out!”
Paradise’s warning came just in time. Ben spun, ducked and rolled, and barely avoided the swiping leg of the Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing.
“Not yet, not yet!” wailed Mr Nuttendudge. “The glove, he hasn’t given me the glove!”
Ben backed away from the ghoul-thing. “You set us up,” he said, stabbing a finger towards Mr Nuttendudge. “You lured us here. Why?”
Wesley and Paradise raced over to join Ben, but as they reached the edge of the stone circle the air in front of them turned solid, forcing them back. Paradise hammered on the invisible barrier but they were trapped.
“Perhaps I can answer that,” boomed a voicefrom within the Moon-Faced Ghoul-Thing’s cloak. An armour-clad leg emerged, then Lord Scarrabus was unfolding himself from the swirling portal within the cape.
The demon-lord drew himself up
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