“Oh! I’m so sorry about that, Clementine, uh, sir!”

“It’s okay, Sire,” Roscoe said. “His parents thought he was a girl when he was born. When they found out he wasn’t, they went ahead and kept the name anyway.”

“Well, it’s a great name.” Benjamin tried to sound sincere but the pig still looked hurt. “I’ll bring a lot of food tomorrow!” Clementine flashed him a toothy smile.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Paco said bashfully, “King Pugsly used to tell us about these delicious beef sticks you gave him. Would you mind…?”

“I still have them, Paco. I’ll bring them.”

Paco barked and wagged his tail in excitement. “You should leave now, Your Majesty. Roscoe, Clementine, and I are going to visit Roscoe’s father at his farm. It would look suspicious if you came with us.”

“Yeah, I know. Those old ladies don’t like kids sneaking around scaring their goats. I had a friend who got caught by them once.”

“Did he have red hair and was kinda fat?” Roscoe asked.

“Yeah, that was my friend, Trevor!”

“Oh yeah, I know Trevor,” the goat replied in disgust.

Benjamin laughed, “Well, good luck. I’ll be back here in the morning, ready to leave.”

“And your mother won’t care, Sire?” Clementine asked.

The boy had forgotten. “Oh…well, I’ll still be here. I just may be in a lot of trouble.” He smiled and left. They watched until he disappeared around the corner.

“Let’s head to the farm,” Paco said. “If the stories I’ve heard about Farangis’s hiding place are true, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.”

CHAPTER NINE

The Cherry Bomb

BENJAMIN FELT REVIVED as he walked up the driveway. He had just become a hero to the hundreds of animals that his dog Pugsly ruled over. How long was Pugsly their king? Could I have heard him talk and never noticed it? He looked at the shiny silver-blue tag on Pugsly’s collar and smiled. He had accepted the fact that the last few days weren’t just a figment of his imagination. It was real. The next morning he would join a small band of animals to destroy the giant snake that had killed his dog. His mind focused on what weapons he could bring. What could kill a giant snake?

When Benjamin passed the oak tree, he noticed the birds weren’t arguing.

“I see you guys made up!” he called as he went inside the house. They poked their beaks out of the nest. Carol was in the kitchen talking on the phone, looking worried.

“Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?…Well, okay. Just keep us posted…I love you too. Bye.”

“Who was that?” Benjamin asked.