Good Ogre by Platte F. Clark Read Free Book Online Page A

small stone set in silver. “It’s kind of grayish.”
    â€œMost people aren’t black or white,” Wayne said with a shrug. “I try to do the right thing. Anyway, this was a gift to help remind me of that.”
    â€œCool,” Max said, watching as Wayne slipped the amulet back under his shirt. He looked at the rope, remembering his humiliation from earlier—it represented everything that was wrong in his world. Here hewas a loser. In the Magrus he was something special.
    Overhead, the patter of rain began to hit the old school’s roof.
    â€œIf I go, can I come back?” Max asked after a moment.
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œI can just step back and forth anytime I want?”
    â€œI don’t see why not.”
    Max scratched his head. “And they really want me to come back? To rebuild the Tower?”
    â€œThey do,” Wayne answered. “You’re an important and powerful person.”
    Max hesitated—it was one thing to think he’d made up his mind, but another to actually say it out loud. He took a breath. “Yes—I want to go back.”
    â€œAha!” came Dirk’s voice from behind the bleachers. He stepped out to face them, pointing at Max with an accusatory finger. “Send me away while you go and find Wayne by yourself, huh? And you really thought I was going to fall for that? I knew you were up to something.”
    â€œYou followed me?” Max did his best to sound outraged even though he knew Dirk was right.
    â€œWe both did,” Sarah announced, stepping out to join Dirk.
    Max suddenly had a lump in his throat that felt as big as a grapefruit. “Look, I didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I just didn’t want to say anything.”
    â€œYeah, well, obviously,” Dirk replied, his hands on his hips.
    â€œIt’s just that everything’s different now,” Max continued. “You don’t know how it feels to have the kind of power I had in the Magrus. I stood before kings and their armies, and they listened to me. And then I come home and have to put up with people like Ricky Reynolds. They just won’t leave me alone, even though I know I could reach out to the Codex and stop them. Even here in the Techrus where magic doesn’t work right, I could do enough to make sure they never laid a hand on me or anyone like me again. But I . . . can’t. And so I’m just tired of being the victim.”
    Sarah’s expression softened. “Max, I’m so sorry.”
    â€œIt used to be that I was a kid pretending to be a wizard,” Max continued. “But now I’m a wizard pretending to be a kid. I was born in the Magrus; my father was the greatest arch-sorcerer who ever lived. Whatever I’m supposed to do with my life, it’s going to be there—not here.”
    â€œWhat about us?” Dirk asked, his voice growing quiet. “You know, your friends?”
    â€œGuys, it’s not like I’m going and will never come back. I’ll have the Shadric Portal, remember?” Max turned to Wayne, realizing he wasn’t 100 percent sure on that point.
    â€œIt belongs to you,” Wayne said. “Who else could even use it?”
    â€œSee?” Max continued. “I can step between the realms whenever I want. You guys can come and visit me whenever you want.”
    â€œWhat about school?” Sarah asked. “You can’t just drop out.”
    â€œHe can continue his studies at the Wizard’s Tower,” Wayne interjected. “I’m sure there’s still a lot for him to learn.”
    Max nodded. “So when you think about it, it’s not like I’m quitting school—I’m just switching schools. Don’t you guys see? This is what I’m supposed to do.”
    â€œEven if it is,” Sarah said, choosing her words carefully, “there are ways back to the Magrus that don’t involve black magic.