Journey to the Volcano Palace by Tony Abbott Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tony Abbott
friends entered the tent. “How did you know we were coming?”
“I can see the future!” Keeah said.
Julie gasped. “You can?”
“Keeah,” said Galen sternly, “you must respect your real magic powers. You should not invent others you don’t have…yet.”
The princess made a face. “I’m sorry.” She turned to the three friends. “Actually, I can’t see the future. I just dreamed about all of you, and I guessed you we on your way.”
Eric shot looks at Julie and Neal. “We had dreams, too. But we didn’t understand them.”
“In Droon, wizards – and sorcerers – can use dreams as messengers,” Galen said. “Sometimes they foretell what will happen. We may understand more at dawn, when we begin –”
Neal tugged a purple pillow over to the rug.
“Hey!” the pillow snarled. “You pinched me! I was having the nicest nap, too!”
Neal jumped up. “Whoa…sorry!” He looked around. “Wait, did that pillow just talk to me?”
Max chirped in laughter. “That’s a Lumpy!”
Neal made a face. “Lumpy or not, in the Upper World, pillows don’t talk!”
Keeah smiled. “Max means it’s not a pillow you sat on. It’s a Lumpy. A purple Lumpy!”
It was then that the kids noticed small round faces on the chubby pillows. Their cheeks bulged, and their noses were like purple tennis balls.
One of the creatures stood up, stretched, and yawned. It had short, fat arms, and squat legs.
“I am Khan,” he said. “King of the purple Lumpies of Lumpland. Just over the last dune on your left. We Lumpies are the best desert trackers in Droon. We sniff out trouble.” He paused to sniff the air. “Danger is everywhere!”
“Uh…pleased to meet you!” Eric said.
Galen rose, wrapping his long blue robe around him. Now, come outside. We must talk about tomorrow.”
The air outside the tent was cool and sweet.
“It sure is peaceful here,” Julie said.
“It wasn’t yesterday,” Keeah told them. “That’s the reason we’re here.”
“What happened?” Eric asked.
“Lord Sparr,” Khan said, shaking his purple fist in the air. “He nearly destroyed one of our villages with his red jewel. Luckily, the terrible flame burned his hand, and he fled.”
Eric remembered the red jewel. It was called the Red Eye of Dawn. The sorcerer Sparr had stolen it from Keeah and was planning to use it to take over Droon.
“The Eye of Dawn commands the forces of nature,” Galen said. “Fire, wind, wave, and sky. It is very powerful. Yesterday, Droon was lucky. Tomorrow, we may not be.”
Keeah pointed across the desert. “We think Sparr fled to his secret palace. It’s in a hidden land called Kano.”
Galen turned grim. “A terrible place, dangerous and deadly. Sparr will not expect us to go.”
Neal nodded. “We’d be dumb to do that.”
“And because he doesn’t expect it,” Keeah added, “that’s exactly what we’ll do!”
The three kids were silent.
Eric blinked. “Dangerous and deadly?”
Khan nodded. “And the Lumpies shall lead you right to it!”
“We must find the Eye before Sparr uses it again,” Galen said. “Droon itself is at stake.”
“Are you in?” Keeah asked.
Eric looked at Julie, then at Neal. He knew they were just as afraid as he was.
“I guess we’re in,” Julie said.
“Get the maps,” Neal asked. “I’d like to see exactly where we’re going.”
Max chuckled. “Maps will be of no help! Lord Sparr lives in a volcano!”
Three
The Oasis at Noon
Moments later, the sun began to rise over the distant dunes.
“It’s time!” Keeah said.
They all climbed to the rim of a tall, curving sand dune. Galen pointed to the sandy plains where the sun was rising.
“The door to Kano lives in the East,” the wizard said. “According to legend, it can be seen where it is not.”
Eric nodded slowly. “Okay. Got it. Great. Um…could you say that again?”
“It’s a riddle,” Max said, scurrying back and forth in the sand. “No one
“I can see the future!” Keeah said.
Julie gasped. “You can?”
“Keeah,” said Galen sternly, “you must respect your real magic powers. You should not invent others you don’t have…yet.”
The princess made a face. “I’m sorry.” She turned to the three friends. “Actually, I can’t see the future. I just dreamed about all of you, and I guessed you we on your way.”
Eric shot looks at Julie and Neal. “We had dreams, too. But we didn’t understand them.”
“In Droon, wizards – and sorcerers – can use dreams as messengers,” Galen said. “Sometimes they foretell what will happen. We may understand more at dawn, when we begin –”
Neal tugged a purple pillow over to the rug.
“Hey!” the pillow snarled. “You pinched me! I was having the nicest nap, too!”
Neal jumped up. “Whoa…sorry!” He looked around. “Wait, did that pillow just talk to me?”
Max chirped in laughter. “That’s a Lumpy!”
Neal made a face. “Lumpy or not, in the Upper World, pillows don’t talk!”
Keeah smiled. “Max means it’s not a pillow you sat on. It’s a Lumpy. A purple Lumpy!”
It was then that the kids noticed small round faces on the chubby pillows. Their cheeks bulged, and their noses were like purple tennis balls.
One of the creatures stood up, stretched, and yawned. It had short, fat arms, and squat legs.
“I am Khan,” he said. “King of the purple Lumpies of Lumpland. Just over the last dune on your left. We Lumpies are the best desert trackers in Droon. We sniff out trouble.” He paused to sniff the air. “Danger is everywhere!”
“Uh…pleased to meet you!” Eric said.
Galen rose, wrapping his long blue robe around him. Now, come outside. We must talk about tomorrow.”
The air outside the tent was cool and sweet.
“It sure is peaceful here,” Julie said.
“It wasn’t yesterday,” Keeah told them. “That’s the reason we’re here.”
“What happened?” Eric asked.
“Lord Sparr,” Khan said, shaking his purple fist in the air. “He nearly destroyed one of our villages with his red jewel. Luckily, the terrible flame burned his hand, and he fled.”
Eric remembered the red jewel. It was called the Red Eye of Dawn. The sorcerer Sparr had stolen it from Keeah and was planning to use it to take over Droon.
“The Eye of Dawn commands the forces of nature,” Galen said. “Fire, wind, wave, and sky. It is very powerful. Yesterday, Droon was lucky. Tomorrow, we may not be.”
Keeah pointed across the desert. “We think Sparr fled to his secret palace. It’s in a hidden land called Kano.”
Galen turned grim. “A terrible place, dangerous and deadly. Sparr will not expect us to go.”
Neal nodded. “We’d be dumb to do that.”
“And because he doesn’t expect it,” Keeah added, “that’s exactly what we’ll do!”
The three kids were silent.
Eric blinked. “Dangerous and deadly?”
Khan nodded. “And the Lumpies shall lead you right to it!”
“We must find the Eye before Sparr uses it again,” Galen said. “Droon itself is at stake.”
“Are you in?” Keeah asked.
Eric looked at Julie, then at Neal. He knew they were just as afraid as he was.
“I guess we’re in,” Julie said.
“Get the maps,” Neal asked. “I’d like to see exactly where we’re going.”
Max chuckled. “Maps will be of no help! Lord Sparr lives in a volcano!”
Three
The Oasis at Noon
Moments later, the sun began to rise over the distant dunes.
“It’s time!” Keeah said.
They all climbed to the rim of a tall, curving sand dune. Galen pointed to the sandy plains where the sun was rising.
“The door to Kano lives in the East,” the wizard said. “According to legend, it can be seen where it is not.”
Eric nodded slowly. “Okay. Got it. Great. Um…could you say that again?”
“It’s a riddle,” Max said, scurrying back and forth in the sand. “No one