“Or ran off to find Malcolm and his brother. Let’s go through that door, Sire.”

Benjamin steeled himself. “Yeah, we can’t wait any longer.” He grabbed the latch. The door was stiff but opened with another creak. All they could see was darkness until their pupils adjusted. “Hey, I think I see some light at the front.”

“Probably from the entrance. Maybe Roscoe and Clementine are inside.”

Clank! They jumped.

“I’d sure like to see some more of those fireworks, Sire,” Paco said unsteadily.

CHAPTER THIRTY

The Matador Strikes Again

ROSCOE LAY STILL, thankful the buzzard couldn’t see him, while Clementine breathed stale air, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. He could feel no other holes in the soft dirt. He nudged the splintery, wooden walls around him and looked through the cracks of light. “Hey, Roscoe. Are you there?” he whispered. I sure hope he’s okay.

The boy and dog heard Farangis shouting from the front of the barn. “Hisssssss…thisss has gone on long enough!” His tongue flicked in and out of his mouth at a sour stench in the air. “Sssomebody’sss in my barn. I can sssmell them! Find the intrudersss!” The snakes fanned out through the hay and into the dark corridors.

Paco stuck his head through the small opening and sniffed. “There could be many snakes in here, Sire. Do you have any more smoke bombs?”

“Good thinking!” Benjamin pulled two colored balls from his pocket.

Clementine heard movement nearby. “H-h-hello?”

“Hiiiiissssssssssssss! What do we have here?”

“Roscoe! Roscoe! Help!”

The goat jumped up quickly in the tall grass.

“They’re in trouble!” Benjamin said.

“Light them, Sire!”

The boy lit the bombs and tossed them through the opening, hitting objects as they rolled far down the corridor. A loud, deep hiss came from inside as blue and red smoke filled the darkness and seeped through the cracks in the walls.

“Very impressive, Your Majesty!” Paco said.

“The snakes won’t know where they are. Hope it helps Roscoe and Clementine.”

Scared to death, the pig wondered how many snakes slithered around him. Then his nose began to burn from horrible, choking fumes. “Roscoe! Are you out there?”

“Okay. You can do this.” The goat stood tall at the edge of the meadow, then launched himself toward the entry hole Clementine had used.

Amid the hissing and choking, the pig groped his way along the walls. “Roscoe, hurry!”

Don’t faint! You don’t have to faint anymore! Roscoe charged the side of the smoking barn, lowering his head to aim his horns. “I’m coming, Clementine!”

Boom!

Paco and Benjamin heard the crash. Benjamin took a lightning flash from his pocket and lit it. “Let’s go in.”