Quest for the Queen

  Title Page

  Dedication

  1: A New Kind of Homework

  2: Strange Strangers

  3: The Wonder in the Trees

  4: Into the Arena

  5: A Princess in Trouble!

  6: Droon’s Funniest Man?

  7: Tarok’s Mystery Wagon

  8: The Quest Begins!

  9: Island of Magic

  10: A Spell from the Past

  The Adventure Continues …

  Also Available

  Copyright

  Rub! Scrub! Splash!

  Eric Hinkle bent over the sink in the bathroom at school. He swished his hands in the soapy water, trying to clean up after gym.

  “You’re lousy at climbing ropes,” he said to his friend Neal. “Did you have to fall on me?”

  “I’m better at watching things than doing them,” Neal said as he scrubbed dirt from his shirt, his nose, and his shoes. “I think it’s a sign of smartness.”

  “That’s not what the coach said,” said Eric. Then he sighed. “Man, we need to go back.”

  “To class?” said Neal. “Mrs. Michaels promised us a math quiz. Can’t we be a little late?”

  Eric turned to face him. “No, I mean to Droon! I can’t think about anything else.”

  It was true. Droon was always on Eric’s mind.

  It had all begun one day when he and Neal and their friend Julie were cleaning up his basement. Well, they were supposed to be cleaning up. Mostly they were playing around.

  Then, behind some boxes, they had discovered a small closet. Inside the closet was a rainbow-colored staircase. It led to another world.

  A magical world called Droon.

  Neal splashed water on his nose. “I know what you mean. It’s kind of boring here. Julie wants to go back, too. I just hope Keeah is okay.”

  Keeah was one of the first people the kids had met in Droon. She was a young princess learning to be a junior wizard. An old and very powerful wizard named Galen Longbeard was teaching her all the magic she needed to know.

  But what Keeah wanted to know most was when her mother would be free of an evil spell.

  For years, Keeah’s mother, Queen Relna, had been changing into one animal after another. She had to go through many shapes until she could be human again.

  At the end of their last adventure, Keeah had learned that the queen was now in the form of a red tiger.

  To find her, Keeah had flown away on the back of a giant bird. The kids didn’t know what had happened next.

  “I wish we could go back whenever we want,” said Eric. “I don’t like waiting.”

  Usually, the kids dreamed about Droon. Sometimes Keeah sent them a message through an enchanted soccer ball. But until one of those things happened, Eric and his friends just had to wait.

  Tap! Tap! There was a knock at the lavatory door. “Guys?”

  It was Julie’s voice. “Mrs. Michaels wants you back right now,” she said. “It’s quiz time.”

  Neal looked at his shirt in the mirror. It was soaking wet. “Well, my work here is done. See you in class.” He left Eric alone at the sink.

  Eric was about to drain the water when he glanced down. The soapsuds swirling in the sink suddenly stopped … in the shape of a face.

  A sad old face. With a long white beard.

  “Galen?” Eric mumbled to himself. “Galen!”

  A moment later, the face in the sink was gone.

  The water was just water.

  Eric dashed back to class and slid into his seat between Julie and Neal. “I just saw Galen floating in the bathroom sink!” he whispered.

  “How did he fit in there?” Julie asked.

  “No! I mean, his face was in the soap!”

  “Eric,” said Mrs. Michaels, giving him a stern look. “We’ll start our math quiz now.” She passed out the papers and stood in front of the room. “You will have ten minutes to finish. Starting … now.”

  Eric looked at the paper but all he could think about was the wizard’s face.

  Why had Galen appeared to him? Why had he looked so sad? Was something wrong?

  Eric felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Julie. She was staring at the chalkboard.

  He looked up. He nearly fell out of his seat.

  A piece of yellow chalk was floating up behind the teacher’s back. Silently, it pressed against the green board and began to write.

  Eric glanced around. Everyone else was busy working on the quiz. Their heads were down.

  The chalk began to spell out letters.

  S … h … e …

  Eric slid his foot out and tapped Neal’s sneaker. Neal looked up. His mouth dropped open.

  … i … s …

  The chalk hesitated as Mrs. Michaels glanced at the clock. “Five more minutes,” she said.

  The chalk continued writing.

  … l … o … s … t …

  She is lost. Eric’s eyes widened. She? Keeah!

  Mrs. Michaels started to turn around.

  Then the eraser flashed up from the bottom of the board and — swish! —wiped away what the chalk had written. Eric and his friends were the only ones to see the message.

  They were the only ones meant to see it.

  They were so excited they could hardly finish the quiz. When the final bell rang, they burst from the classroom and rushed out to their bus.

  “Galen must have sent the message!” Eric whispered. “I think it’s about Keeah.”

  Julie nodded. “She must have gotten lost trying to find her mother. And now we need to find her!”

  “It’s like homework,” said Neal. “Only from Droon!”

  Ten minutes later, the bus stopped at their corner. They raced into Eric’s house and were down in his basement in no time.

  Neal and Julie pulled aside some heavy boxes. Behind the boxes was the door to a small closet nestled under the basement steps.

  The kids piled into the closet and shut the door behind them. Eric looked at Julie and Neal.

  “Everybody ready?” he asked.

  They nodded.

  Julie turned off the light. Click.

  For an instant, the small room was dark. Then — whoosh! — the floor vanished beneath them, and they stood at the top of a long, shimmering staircase.

  They never knew where the stairs would lead, only that one of their Droon friends would meet them at the bottom.

  A warm wind blew as the three friends began to descend the stairs.

  The sky around them was glowing pink.

  “There’s a coastline below,” said Julie. “Some sand. Lots of sharp rocks. There’s a big sea on one side and a forest on the other. It looks okay.”

  “I don’t see anybody down there,” said Neal. “Where’s our welcome committee?”

  “Let’s just be careful,” said Eric cautiously. “We can’t be sure of anything.”

  That was true. There were lots of friendly creatures and people in Droon, but there were other types, too.

  An evil sorcerer named Lord Sparr had long been trying to take over Droon. He was in hiding now, but the kids knew he could pop up at any moment.

  As Eric looked out across the crashing waves, he also remembered the mysterious witch named Demither, who ruled under the sea.

  The last time they saw her, Demither had transformed herself into a giant sea serpent.

  Ka-splursh! Waves splashed over the rocks below.

  “I see a boat!” said Julie, pointing to a small shape bobbing on the waters. “I bet it’s Galen coming to welcome us.”

  “Yes, a friendly face,” said Neal. “Let’s hurry down and meet him.”

  They dropped onto the beach just as the staircase faded. They knew it would appear again when it was time to go hom
e.

  The boat headed toward them.

  “He’s trying to land,” said Neal.

  Ka-whoom! The sea thundered loudly, and a large wave rose up like a hand.

  It seemed to grab the tiny boat and hurl it right at the shore.

  Right at the jagged rocks.

  “Oh, no! Galen’s going to hit the rocks! He’s going to crash!”

  Splurshhhh …

  But the little boat didn’t hit the rocks.

  It slid neatly between them and up onto the sand. Then it stopped.

  “Whoa,” said Julie. “That was lucky.”

  “Or magical,” said Eric with a smile. “Good thing for Galen that he knows so many spells.”

  The three friends ran over to the boat.

  It was a small wooden craft with a short mast.

  “Hello!” Neal called out. “Anybody at home? I mean … at boat!”

  The boat jerked once, then — flonk! whiz! blap! — its wooden sides flapped down, a set of four wheels popped out from beneath it, the mast collapsed, and a seat flipped over on the front. In seconds, the boat was no longer a boat.

  “It looks like a circus wagon,” said Neal. “I love circuses!”

  “Do you really think it’s Galen’s?” Julie asked.

  Plonk! One last panel slid down into place.

  “Not unless he changed his name,” said Eric.

  The wagon now bore a brightly painted sign:

  TAROK THE CLOWN!

  FEATURING SLAG, MIGHTIEST

  MAN IN DROON!

  “I love clowns!” said Neal.

  Moments later, a door opened on the front of the wagon. Out popped a little man in a big coat. He had a funny horn stuck in his belt, his hair was blue, and his nose was big, red, and false.

  He was mumbling quietly to himself but stopped when he saw the children.

  Julie stepped forward. “Um … hello,” she said. “We’re glad you didn’t crash —”

  Honka-honka! The man squeezed his horn suddenly.

  “I am Tarok the clown!” he blurted out. “I make millions laugh with my jokes. Here’s one! What’s the difference between children and fish? Give up? I like fish! Ha-ha!”

  Eric and his friends looked at one another.

  “Does he mean he doesn’t like us?” Neal whispered.

  Tarok jumped up on his seat and waved his arms. “Behold Slag, the Mightiest Man in Droon! Slag? Where are you? SLAG!”

  Blam! The back of the wagon flew open and out stepped a large man. A very large man.

  Slag was at least seven feet tall.

  He had a head as large as a pumpkin and he seemed to be made entirely of muscles.

  Julie nudged Eric. “He’s bigger than the wagon!” she whispered. “How in the world did he fit in there?”

  Slag grinned as he flexed his muscles. His smile showed many teeth missing.

  “We’re going to the Droon Quest!” said Slag. “In Bangledorn Forest!” He pointed at the wall of trees nearby. “That’s the forest.”

  “Thanks,” said Eric. “That’s good to know. But what’s a Droon Quest?”

  Tarok narrowed his beady eyes at them. “The Quest is a great race for a wonderful prize. Everyone’s coming from miles around to compete. And I’ll be there, making them laugh. My partner, Slag, will perform feats of amazing strength. But right now, we’re late. Slag, let’s go!”

  The giant then reached into the back of the wagon and pulled out a large colorful net made of thick rope. He tossed it over his shoulder.

  Then he tugged on something else.

  Hrrr! A large shaggy six-legged beast called a pilka clopped out of the wagon.

  “Whoa!” said Julie, edging around to the back of the wagon. “What else is in there?”

  Blam! Slag slammed the door before she could see inside. Then he hitched the pilka to the wagon, clambered into the seat next to Tarok, and set the net beside him.

  “Can I ask what the net is for?” asked Neal.

  “We’re going fishing, of course!” said Tarok.

  Julie blinked. “But you’re heading to the forest. How can you fish in a forest?”

  “That’s the joke!” Tarok said without smiling. “See how funny I am?”

  He squeezed his horn once more — honka-honka! — then snapped the reins. The yellow wagon sped quickly across the beach.

  Eric waited for it to disappear into the forest before he spoke. “Were those guys weird or were they weird?”

  “Both,” muttered Julie. “And a little scary, too. But besides that, if Galen did call us here, why didn’t he meet us at the stairs?”

  “Do you think maybe he’s at this Droon Quest thing?” asked Neal.

  Eric scanned the forest. “Maybe. At least now we know that this is Bangledorn Forest. It’s ruled by a queen named Ortha, I think.”

  “Right,” said Julie. “And Ortha is friends with Keeah. Maybe she can help us find her.”

  “Finally,” Neal added. “After the unfunniest clown and the hugest muscle man in Droon, it’ll be good to find some real friends. Let’s get moving.”

  Bangledorn Forest was like a jungle — enormous, dark, and hot. Brightly colored birds began crowing the moment the kids entered.

  “Caww! Keee! Rooo-woo!”

  Leaves fluttered and hanging vines twitched above them as they searched for a path.

  “It’s kind of spooky in here,” said Eric.

  “Don’t worry,” said Julie. “This seems pretty much like a rain forest. We studied one in science, remember? We’ll be okay. Just stay cool.”

  “Stay cool?” said Neal, flapping his shirt. “It’s a rain forest. It must be a hundred degrees —”

  Crack! There was a loud noise in the bushes.

  “Run!” said Eric. But they couldn’t run.

  Something large and swift came crashing through the trees and leaped onto the path in front of them.

  Neal jumped. “Holy cow, I mean — tiger!”

  It was a tiger.

  A tiger covered with red fur.

  Rowww! It growled loudly, but there was something strange in the sound. At once, the kids knew. This wasn’t just any tiger.

  “My gosh!” cried Julie. “Could it be? I think it’s … it’s … Queen Relna!”

  As if it understood Julie’s words, the animal slowed. Its red fur rippled from head to tail.

  Its black eyes started in fear.

  Then the tiger spoke. “My young friends, find Keeah. Tell her the hour has come for me to change, but there is danger. I am being followed. Tell her … beware … the … magic!”

  Then, as swiftly as it had appeared, the tiger jumped away through the trees.

  “Queen Relna!” Julie yelled. “Wait! Don’t go!”

  But the red tiger was gone.

  Eric stared around into the thick woods. “I don’t see anything following her. She sure looked frightened, though.”

  “You can add me to that list,” said Neal. “Man, I wish Keeah were here … Whooooa!”

  Suddenly, Neal leaped ten feet in the air, twirled once, then shot straight up into a tree.

  Julie gaped at him. “How did you do that?”

  “I didn’t!” Neal cried. “Something threw me up here!”

  The next thing Eric knew, his feet were yanked out from under him and —“Yikes!” — he, too, was hurled into the tree.

  Julie looked at them. “Well, of all the —hey!”

  Now she was jerked up from the ground, swung around like a propeller, and — fwing! — thrown into the tree with Neal and Eric.

  “Who did that?” she howled.

  The only answer was a sound — thumpa! thumpa! — as heavy footsteps crashed after the tiger and away into the woods.

  “Can somebody help me down?” said Neal, doubled over a thick branch. “I can’t move.”

  “My foot is stuck,” Eric moaned. “Someone has to unstick me….”

  “Stop complaining,” snapped Julie, trying to get her arms free. �
�Help me instead!”

  “Shhh!” Neal hissed. “Somebody’s coming!”

  The kids looked down.

  Trotting up the path was a spry old man. He wore a ragged cloak with a hood, thick glasses, and a long, droopy mustache.

  “Hey, sir!” Julie called out to the man. “Can you help us down from this tree?”

  The old man stopped under the tree and blinked up through his glasses at the kids. “Oh, my gosh! It’s you!”

  Krrripp! The stranger tugged off the mustache, tore off the glasses, and shook off the old clothes.

  Julie squealed when she saw who it was. “Keeah! It’s Keeah! It’s her! It’s you!”

  It was Princess Keeah.

  “I’m so glad you’re here!” she said brightly.

  Keeah’s crown shone in her long blond hair. On her back she carried her mother’s magic harp.

  “How did you know to come to Droon?” she asked as she quickly climbed the tree and helped her friends down one by one.

  “Galen was in the sink at school!” said Eric, rubbing his ankle. “Well, his face was.”

  “Then the chalk wrote She is lost on the board,” Neal added. “We figured Galen meant that you were lost.”

  “Me? Lost?” Keeah said, her eyes widening.

  “The last time we saw you, you flew away on a big bird,” said Julie. “We were worried. I guess Galen was, too.”

  “Oh, no,” said Keeah. “I’ve been in disguise searching for my mother. Now everyone thinks I’m lost —”

  “Plus, we saw your mom,” said Neal. “She said she needs to change shapes, but somebody’s following her. She also said, ‘Beware the magic.’”

  Keeah held up her hand. “Wait.” She closed her eyes for a moment. Then she sighed. “No. She is no longer nearby. Come on. We’d better get to Bangledorn City right away. We need to tell everyone we’re safe. This way!”

  The princess pushed some leaves aside and jumped onto a narrow path through the trees.

  As the kids followed, they told Keeah about Tarok and Slag and the attack in the woods.

  Keeah listened carefully. “After I left you, I tracked my mother here to the forest. I went in disguise when I realized someone was hunting for her.”

  “Can your harp help you find her?” asked Eric. Keeah’s magic harp used to belong to her mother. No one knew all the harp’s powers, but it had helped the kids many times before.