The Adventures of Caterwaul the Cat by Damon Plumides Read Free Book Online Page A

it had pulled back enough to reveal an obvious path. It was still impossible for them to use the horses, but it was now easily passable for a small party on foot.
    â€œAll right, everyone. It looks like we’re going to have to walk from here,” barked Warwick Vane Bezel III. He was a man used to command. “Gather all of our supplies and weapons. We’re going into unknown territory. We have no idea what to expect other than that we will have sorcery and a lot of strange animals to deal with.”
    â€œIs this place haunted?” one of the guards asked.
    â€œIf it’s not haunted, it is certainly dangerous,” the commander answered. “I expect some of us may not survive. But that doesn’t matter, as long as your queen is safe.”
    â€œYour sacrifices are, of course, appreciated,” added the queen, with a sardonic grin.
    The Red Moon Forest had been the setting for many tales of the supernatural. For generations, these tales had entertained and frightened people of all stripes throughout the kingdom, from beggars to nobles. Now here was Queen Druciah, standing at the entrance, gazing down the pathway that would soon bring her face to face with the legendary Parliament of Possums.
    The guards whispered to one another, as if giving each other last rites. Leaving one of the guards behind with the queen’s carriage and its driver, the party stepped into the unknown. Two of the guards carried between them a large, intricately carved chest made of cedar wood.
    â€œLet’s go!” Druciah barked condescendingly. “I can’t believe what pathetic guards I have. All of you keep your eyes and ears open at all times. And whatever you do, do not drop that cedar chest,” she said. “If anything happens to that box we are all finished, do you understand me?” The group nodded in unison and moved slowly along the pathway into the forest.
    â€œYour Highness, I’ll go first,” Warwick volunteered. “There is no danger that I am afraid to face and no animal that I’m unwilling to eat. There is no spook or specter alive or dead that I will not willingly confront to defend your majesty.”
    â€œThank you, Warwick. Sometimes it’s nice to see a little backbone. You may proceed,” the queen said. “But be careful. I do not want us to make any enemies out of creatures we may need to use for our gain.”
    Warwick Vane Bezel III took up the lead position, followed by the rest of the party. The forest was a whole lot spookier than any of them had expected. They followed the path and soon entered a part of the wood that could almost be called a swamp. It was dark and wet and reeked of many unpleasant things, which they’d often smell as the wind shifted directions. However, as terrible and foul as the odors were, the group was far more unsettled by the continuous barrage of strange and eerie sounds echoing through the trees.
    They traveled the path through the marsh for most of a day, not really knowing in which direction they were headed, when they finally came to a clearing. As this was the first clear, dry area they’d come across in a while not crawling with worms, bugs, and other nasty lurking things, Druciah gave the order to stop. “We will camp here for the night.”
    â€œCamp here?” came a voice from above. “You most certainly will not camp here. Can’t you see that Parliament is in session?”
    The queen looked up to see, hanging upside down from the tree limbs, quite a large gathering of possums. Each of them had on a stark-white, powdered wig secured to its gray and black ears with tiny straps, and they all wore long, black robes which, considering most of the possums hung upside down, appeared to cover nothing.
    The queen shielded her eyes. “Parliament indeed. What sort of Parliament goes about exposing themselves to unsuspecting people who accidently wander into their midst? You wear such