Goblins on the Prowl Read Free

ball was almost too big for her to hold.
    It’s a bad idea to turn down a gift from Granny, no matter what it is, so I reached forward and touched the goo-ball. It was surprisingly hot.
    â€œJust grab a chunk,” she said impatiently.
    I plunged in my hand and pulled out a glob. A strand remained attached to the bigger ball of goo.
    â€œGive it a quick, hard tug.”
    I did as Granny said, and the glob snapped free.
    â€œNow roll it into a ball.”
    Soon I had a goo-ball of my own, this one the size of an apple. It was surprisingly smooth, as easy to squeeze and shape as bread dough. It wasn’t sticky, but it was smelly . . . though not as bad as when it had been cooking.
    â€œWhat do I do with it?”
    â€œNo telling right now.” She set the large ball of goo in her rocking chair. “I’ll tell you, Fauna, I ­haven’t been that startled in more years than most people have been alive!”
    â€œBut how did I startle you?” I asked, amazed that anything could surprise Granny.
    â€œIt was that name, Helagon. He’s a bad one, really bad. What he has to do with goblins is anyone’s guess, but it can’t be anything good.” She made a V with her middle finger and pointer finger and spit through it. “You said you had two things you wanted to ask about. What was the other? I hope it’s less disturbing!”
    â€œIgor invited me to a party the Baron is having.”I hesitated, then said, “What do you do at a party?”
    â€œWell, what’s the party for?”
    â€œTo celebrate the day William freed the goblins.”
    Granny gave me a nearly toothless smile. “Good reason. The Baron was lucky he took that boy in. Now, I’ll tell you what. You can have a rose from the bush out front. We’ll clear off the thorns, and you can wear it over your ear. That will take care of dressing up.”
    â€œThank you.”
    â€œAlso, I want to send a gift for William. You can take it for me.”
    â€œAll right.”
    I didn’t mention that no one had ever given me a gift, but as if she had read my mind, Granny said, “You deserve a gift too. I’m grateful to both of you for what you did. Come on, follow me.”
    â€œWhere are we going?”
    â€œDownstairs.”
    â€œI didn’t know you had a downstairs!”
    â€œDid you really think you knew everything about my home?”
    I shook my head, because that was the right answer when Granny asked a question like that.
    She slid her rocking chair to the side, then pulled open a door in the floor. The space below was dark.She muttered a few words and snapped her fingers. At once a warm yellow glow rose from the opening.
    Midnight coiling around her feet, Granny started down the stairs.
    The cellar under the cottage was lit by torches. Torches are usually smoky but these weren’t. Also, they had not been burning when Granny had opened that trapdoor. . . . She must have lit them when she snapped her fingers.
    That is a trick I would like to learn!
    In the flickering light I saw that the walls were lined with shelves. On the shelves was an odd mix of bottles, books, bones, clay jugs, glass balls, empty cages, dried lizard skins, and many things I had no name for.
    A pair of worktables stretched almost the length of the room. They were covered with tools. I recognized a few . . . hammers and knives, mostly. Others I had never seen before. Some were curved and sharp, some twisty and pointed. They all looked pretty nasty.
    Strings of garlic, bags of onions, and bunches of dried herbs dangled from the ceiling, making the room smell pleasantly spicy.
    Also dangling from the ceiling were dozens of bats.
    â€œDon’t they poop on the floor?” I asked.
    â€œNot if they know what’s good for them! Now, let’ssee what we can come up with.” Granny limped to one of the shelves and began to paw through the items.