The Lich Read Free Page A

room and slammed his fist into the Ice King’s pointed nose.
    ‘Wait, Finn,’ Dr. Ice Cream called to him. ‘Her sugar levels are stabilising.’
    Finn rushed over to the stretcher. The purple goo began to melt and transform into the long pink hair Finn remembered. Princess Bubblegum was starting to look like herself again! Finn, Jake and all the candy citizens in the room cheered wildly.
    ‘Yes, I’m fine,’ Bubblegum whispered in a frail voice. ‘I just need to rest.’
    While everyone else smiled and high-fived each other, the Ice King sat on the floor, weeping frosty tears.
    ‘My wife,’ he sobbed. ‘Is there anything weird about her? I can’t see through these tears.’
    ‘She’s fine,’ said Dr. Ice Cream. ‘Why?’
    ‘It’s just that, after Princess fell into the well, I saw something strange happen, something I still don’t understand,’ explained the Ice King.
    Before the Ice King could finish his tale, Finn’s sword came flying through the room and landed next to the sobbing king.
    ‘Wait!’ the Ice King cried. ‘Listen to me!’
    ‘No!’ Finn shouted back at him. ‘Just shut your face, old man!’
    ‘Old man?’ the Ice King repeated disbelievingly. ‘What? I’m not old!’
    ‘Uh, yeah, you are, dude,’ Jake replied.
    The candy citizens all called out their agreement with Jake’s statement.
    ‘Old?’ said the Ice King again, hanging his head. ‘I’m…I see. It’s all making sense now. I’m going, Princess.’
    ‘ JUST GET OUT OF HERE! ’ Finn yelled.
    The king gave everyone in the room the peace sign and then flew out through the window. Finn turned back to the stretcher.
    ‘Sorry about that, Peebles,’ he apologised to the princess.
    ‘The Ice Wizard is a weak fool,’ Bubblegum replied in a strange monotonous drone.
    ‘Huh?’ said Jake.
    Just then, Raggedy Princess came running over with a green sack hanging from her head.
    ‘Finn! The other princess and I made you a new backpack!’ she said.
    ‘Whoa! Raggedy Princess, it’s so awesome!’ Finn replied gratefully. ‘Thank you.’
    Jake reached across the stretcher and tucked in Princess Bubblegum’s blanket.
    ‘You look like sick, grey meat,’ Jake said. ‘But we’re going to jack you up so awesome.’
    Princess Bubblegum just stared blankly into space.
    ‘We should wheel her to her bedroom, right?’ Finn suggested.
    ‘Yeah, man,’ Jake agreed. ‘And then we’ll do magic tricks.’

When Finn and Jake got through decorating Princess Bubblegum’s room, it looked like it had been touched with more than just a magic wand. The whole room had been transformed into a floral festival.
    ‘Princess…Princess…,’ Finn and Jake called to their sleeping friend.
    Princess Bubblegum blinked her eyes.
    ‘Surprise!’ the two adventurers cheered. ‘We picked every flower in the candy kingdom just for you! Woo hoo!’
    The princess didn’t reply.
    ‘Princess Bubblegum?’ Finn called softly.
    The princess opened her mouth and croaked in a voice as deep as a bullfrog’s. Then her torso slammed forward on the bed and she swayed like a cobra eyeing its prey.
    ‘Oh, gee!’ cried Jake, hiding behind Finn. ‘What’s wrong with Princess Bubblegum?’
    ‘Quiet, dude,’ Finn whispered to his pal. ‘We’re supposed to take care of her, not make her feel bad.’
    ‘I know, man,’ answered Jake. ‘But she just seems…weird.’
    ‘She’s just messed up from the accident,’ Finn explained. ‘We just have to take care of her until she feels better.’
    When the best buddies turned around, though, Princess Bubblegum was no longer in her bed. They heard a crash come from the bathroom and ran in to find the princess on the floor, pulling things off the shelves of a cabinet.
    ‘Princess!’ Finn called. ‘Princess, no! You shouldn’t be out of bed!’
    Finn picked up Princess Bubblegum in his arms and carried her back to bed. He looked into her eyes, but they didn’t look like the eyes of his friend. They