Castle Kidnapped by John Dechancie Read Free Book Online Page A

“You're the only magician around here who can handle that, Sheila."
    Sheila looked deflated. “We're going to have to ask for Prince Trent's help. Earth magic is the hardest of all. I'm nowhere near being good at it."
    â€œThen by all means we should ask Prince Trent to help. I'll go over to Halfway and phone him. Or maybe you should."
    â€œI will,” Sheila said. “But you're coming back to Earth with me, Linda."
    â€œI should stay here and keep and eye out."
    â€œYou're right, you should."
    â€œSheila, I'm coming with you,” Snowclaw stated.
    â€œDon't be silly. You can't go running around Earth looking the way you do."
    â€œSo change me."
    â€œHuh?"
    â€œDo your witchy stuff on me and make me look different."
    â€œGee, I never thought of that. I don't know if I can."
    â€œGive it a shot."
    Osmirik said, “Appearance spells are not very difficult, even within the scope of Earth magic."
    Sheila shrugged. “I'll give it a try. It'd be nice to have someone along with me. Especially you, Snowy."
    â€œI want to find Gene just as much as anyone. After all, we're buddies."
    â€œHowever, there may still be a problem concerning the locator spell,” Osmirik said. “Might I inquire, what is the approximate human population of your world?"
    Linda said, “Last time I heard it was five billion."
    Osmirik was stunned. “Five ... billion souls, you say? Five thousand millions?"
    â€œIs that a lot?"
    â€œWell, I should say so. I had no idea. The task of locating Gene out of that mass of humanity..."
    â€œLooks like we're getting nowhere fast,” Sheila said glumly. “Maybe we should concentrate on looking elsewhere."
    â€œBut Gene never passed through the portal,” Linda objected. “You keep bringing up the possibility that he might be off in another aspect somewhere. Why?"
    â€œBecause of that darn portal wandering,” Sheila said. “It's just possible there's been some foul play here, somebody fiddling with the portal's placement. Maybe Gene did it himself."
    â€œBut Gene's no magician."
    â€œSomeone he was with? Maybe Trent ... though I can't bring myself to believe that. Or maybe what's-her-name is back. Princess Ferne."
    A troubled silence fell.
    Dalton broke it by directing an aside to Jeremy. “Castle politics, son. Palace intrigue."
    â€œThere's a lot going on here that I don't understand,” Jeremy said.
    â€œWell, look,” Sheila said. “I'll go to Earth and work on the problem at that end. Linda, you stay here and help Osmirik at this end. Search the castle first, then start looking for some way of finding out if he went through another portal."
    â€œEasier said than done,” Osmirik said. “The task of processing endless data through the spell is the real problem."
    â€œProcessing data?” Linda said. “Too bad you can't mix computers and magic."
    â€œWho says you can't?” Sheila wanted to know.
    â€œWell, we don't have a computer, anyway."
    â€œHere's one,” Jeremy said, and everyone looked at him. He brought the Toshiba up from the floor and set it on the table. He flipped up the screen.
    Osmirik jumped up and went over to him. “May I see that, please?"
    â€œSure.” Jeremy turned on the power supply. “Works on batteries.” He jiggled the switch. “Funny thing. You know, the first time I tried to turn it on in the castle, it didn't work. I didn't know what was going on, ‘cause I know I recharged the batteries the other day, and I haven't used it since. But I fiddled with it, and now it works fine."
    â€œBoy, that's a first,” Linda said.
    â€œHuh? What do you mean?"
    â€œElectricity isn't supposed to work in the castle."
    â€œYeah? How come?"
    â€œOnly magic works here."
    Sheila said, “That may be his talent."
    â€œEveryone gets a magical talent in this place,” Linda told him. “Yours might be being able to work a