Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor by Mark Crilley Read Free Book Online Page B

platform jutted out to meet the bottom of the door to the cage. Throck stepped across the platform, opened the cage door with a loud, rattling screech, and walked back to where we stood at the edge of the hole.
    “You!” he barked, grabbing Spuckler roughly by one arm. “Into the cage!”

    Spuckler stood fast where he was.
    “Make me,” he said through gritted teeth.
    “With pleasure,” Throck answered, snapping his gigantic hand around Spuckler’s neck. Spuckler gave a muffled cry as Throck lifted him and carried him toward the pit like a fisherman lugging his latest catch. All at once he tossed Spuckler violently into the cage, which creaked and swayed with the added weight.
    “Now,” Throck said, turning to face us. “I trust I can expect a bit more cooperation from the rest of you.”
    “Absolutely, er, Mr. Throck, sir,” Mr. Beeba squeaked as he obediently trotted into the cage. “Come now, Akiko,” he called back to me as he sat down by Spuckler’s side. “We mustn’t keep Mr. Throck waiting. You can see he’s a very
busy
man.”
    I shot Throck an angry glance as I followed Mr. Beeba into the cage. Staring down into the pit as I stepped across the platform, I shuddered at its depth. The bottom—if there
was
a bottom—was completely engulfed in blackness.
    Gax followed me, rolling carefully over the gap between the cage and the edge of the platform. Only Poog remained, confronting Throck directly for the first time since they had “negotiated” outside the castle.
    A tense, silent moment passed. I thought for sure Poog would say or do something to save us. But he simply stared at Throck. Finally, without a word, Poog floated over the platform and joined us inside the cage. Throck leaped forward and locked the door of the cage as quickly as he could. He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
    “I told you you’d never leave this castle with the Prince,” said Throck. He turned and walked to a long iron lever on the wall. “Now it looks like you’ll never leave this castle
at all
.”
    He reached up and swiftly pulled the lever all the way down. Immediately the cage dropped a few inches, stopped abruptly, then slowly continued to descend into the pit.

    KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK . . . 
    As the chain lowered the cage, there was a horrible rusty cranking sound, like the noise of a monstrous roller coaster carrying thrill seekers to the top of its highest hill. I caught one last glimpse of Throck as we dropped below the edge of the hole. He had his arms folded across his chest and was breathing very heavily. He looked strangely exhausted.
    KUK-KUK-KUK-KUK . . . 
    Down we went into the darkness. Before long there was so little light we could hardly see our hands in front of our faces. Still the cage kept going down . . . 
     . . . down . . . 
     
 . . . down . . . 
     
 
 . . . until finally we reached the bottom.
    It was completely black. There was a loud scraping noise from the top of the cage, followed by a sound identical to the one that had accompanied our descent.
    “He unhooked the chain,” I heard Spuckler say in the darkness. “He’s leavin’ us down here with no way t’ get back up.”
    Mr. Beeba moaned.
    “Hang on, everybody,” Spuckler said. “I’ll switch on Gax’s torch.”
    K’CHAK-FRIIING!
    There was a long pause. It was still very, very dark.
    “Gax,” whispered Spuckler. “What’s the problem?”
    “ THAT’S NOT MY TORCH, SIR ,” Gax answered apologetically. “ IT’S MY TOASTER OVEN .”
    “Hang on.”
    K’CHAK-SPROING!
    “
How about that?” Spuckler asked.
    “ MY ELECTRIC SHOE POLISHER, SIR ,” Gax answered in the darkness.
    “Hmpf!” Spuckler responded. “Remind me t’ have that removed.”
    K’CHAK-FRAWWWWWWW!
    There was a sudden flash of light as Spuckler switched on Gax’s torch.
    “That’s more like it!” he said, grinning for what seemed like the first time in many hours. “Now at least we can