“I agree. That felt like it took forever!” Benjamin yawned and noticed the different kinds of trees that grew right next to each other.

Clementine was tired, too. “It felt like it took forever because it did, My King.”

“We had a few delays along the way, gentlemen,” Paco said. “Assuming we don’t encounter the same problems, the journey home shouldn’t take as long. Shall we?”

As they entered the woods, they were startled by a soft “hoo, hoo” high above. “Hoo, hoo! Enter and don’t look back, hoo, hoo!” From his perch atop a tall, white sycamore, the great horned owl looked straight ahead as if he didn’t see them. “What times we live in! What things are still to come, hoo, hoo! Go now, brave ones, for your king who is no more, hoo, hoo!”

They stopped in their tracks.

“You’re speaking of King Pugsly?” Paco called to him.

“The king with one black foot. I watched from afar under the moon, hoo, hoo!”

“Tell us, owl, did you see our king the night he was murdered?”

“Go and do not make haste, hoo, hoo! The time comes when all that is answered will be questioned, hoo, hoo! If not now, when? If not you, who? Hoo, hoo!”

Benjamin made a face. What on earth is he talking about?

“Look, owl,” Clementine said in frustration. “Did you see our king three nights ago when he was killed or not?”

“Your king looked for him, hoo, hoo! Now go, fellow travelers. The time is far!” The owl flew off the branch.

“Wait! Who was the king looking for?” Paco shouted. “His son, hoo, hoo!” The owl disappeared over the treetops. The flapping of its wings faded out.

“His son!” Roscoe whispered.

Benjamin’s jaw had dropped. “That’s why Pugsly wanted to get out every night. He scratched at the door until we let him go.”

“He was looking for his heir,” Paco said, deep in thought.

“But why out here?” Clementine asked.

“I didn’t even know Pugsly had kids,” Benjamin said.

“Paco,” Roscoe said quietly. “Do you think it’s possible that King Pugsly knew something was going to happen to him?”

“He never mentioned anything, and I’d like to think I was his second closest friend.” He looked at the boy and smiled weakly. “Well, that’s an issue we’ll have to deal with. But we still need to find the creek and follow it upstream. I have no idea how far the abandoned road is and we must reach it to find the great snake’s lair.”

“Are you expecting us to make it there tonight, Paco?” Clementine asked.

“Probably not. But we should be able to get pretty deep into the forest.”

“Let’s go!” Benjamin led them into the shadowy new world.

• • • • •

PURPLE AND ORANGE CLOUDS extinguished the sun.