Each had a grasp on the dirty chunk of lettuce, their crazed eyes locked. Chomp! Clementine took a bite. Chomp! Roscoe chomped back. Then each chomped as fast as he could until finally their lips collided–smack!

“Aaaagh!” they screamed in horror.

“Ugh, pig slime!” Roscoe spit as fast as he could in all directions.

Clementine looked hopelessly up at the boy. “Goat germs! I don’t know how much longer I’ve got to live!” Paco shook his head at the silliness.

Benjamin remembered the little rat-terrier. “Alright, Paco, let me see if I can find those delicious, yummy–”

“Beef sticks, Sire?” Paco tried to control his frantic bob-tail. With every sound from Benjamin’s bag his mouth got wetter.

“Aha!” A stick with a colorful paper wrapper fell from the bag onto the ground and Paco sprang. His teeth clamped down on it. He drew back.

“Oh, Paco. That’s not to eat.” Benjamin found a beef stick. “Here it is!”

In a euphoric trance he engulfed his new delicious treat then, with a satisfied look, rolled over on his back. “Oooohhh, Sire! All those years of hearing my king talk about beef sticks! They’re incredible! They’re…they’re amazing! They’re…”

“Made from goats and pigs,” Roscoe smiled. Benjamin tried not to laugh but lost it.

Paco rolled back onto his paws and pondered. “Well, if anything happens to either of you, I know,” he grinned wickedly, “that I’ll be eating well!”

Clementine gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

“Don’t worry. You won’t be around to know…pig.” Paco winked at his king.

Benjamin could see why Pugsly had loved them.

Roscoe quickly changed the subject. “Your Majesty, what was the colored stick that fell from your bag?”

“Oh! I forgot to show you.” Benjamin pulled out some long sticks. “These are the weapons. They’re called roman candles.”

“That’s a weapon?” Clementine wasn’t impressed.

“Well, not just this, but all of these!” He held the backpack upside down and shook it, causing assorted fireworks to fall to the ground. “They’re called fireworks. This roman candle shoots fireballs out the end here. And these are lightning flashes. They practically make you blind for a moment.” He grabbed them one by one. “Sparkler sticks and smoke bombs–a whole lotta smoke comes out and goes everywhere!”

The goat and pig cried “Oooo” and “Awww!” but Paco scanned the fireworks. “Don’t you have one of those…oh, what’s it called? You know…you humans shoot birds and hunt animals with it.”

“A gun?” Benjamin asked.

“Yes, yes, a gun! Didn’t you bring one of those?”

“Um, no,” he apologized. “My dad doesn’t have one.”

“So…you plan to use smoke on Farangis?” Roscoe inquired as innocently as he could.