Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE
YOUTHFUL CONSPIRING
copyright 2007 Brian Clopper

Thursday started with happy thoughts and inched towards despair as the day wore on. Graham’s wondrous night visit with The Flying Mummy and his grandfather had helped him to push all the stress of his young life to the back of his mind. Graham’s love for his grandfather had grown by leaps and bounds after hearing how he had come to the aid of The Flying Mummy, saving the pharaoh from a very distasteful honeymoon that would most assuredly have lead to the undead’s death. Medusa was apparently destined to always be a bridesmaid and never a bride.

School was survivable. Graham hung out with Ot as usual. They spent the majority of the day avoiding Blord, who was making it painfully known to all within earshot that he was The Flying Mummy’s #1 buddy. For Graham, the bully’s dinner with the mummified hero paled in comparison to the story the mummy had weaved for him. He had never felt closer to his grandfather. This made him happy, but it also filled his heart with sorrow. He related the night’s events to Ot over lunch.

“He’s crossing over tonight. I wish he could tell me, but I understand why he doesn’t.” Graham took a slurp of his gryphon’s milk and nibbled on the blumbleberry jam and nut sandwich his mother had prepared for him.

“Why doesn’t he want to tell you? I don’t get it.” Ot chowed down on his mukka root yogurt, allowing a satisfying dribble to seep out the corner of his mouth before licking his face clean with his huge tongue.

“He wants my last memory of him to be last night. I understand why. It was the best night, but I have to say good-bye to him. I owe him that much.”

“How are you gonna do that?”

Graham leaned in closer to his friend and spoke in hushed tones, “I know he’ll leave after he thinks I’m in bed. I can see the front door from my window. When he sneaks out, I will too and follow him. I already know where the portal to Earth is.”

Ot listened intently, spellbound by his friend’s soulful determination.

“He’ll summon the gate energies and step through, and I’ll dash in behind him.”

“Oh my.” Ot’s eyes grew to the size of ping-pong balls.

“When he climbs the church, I’ll help him make sure he gets in the right place. He’s really stony now, and I’m not sure he can manage it by himself.”

“How will you get back? Won’t you be trapped on Earth?”

Graham reached into his lunch bag and pulled out a rolled piece of parchment. He removed the wa-wa vine and unfurled the paper. In elegant calligraphy, four verses of a rhyming spell rested in a flowery border depicting different gargoyles making the journey back to Earth. “I stole this from my dad’s study. It’s a portal spell. I can use it to create a portal back to Cascade. Pretty cool, huh?”

At that moment, Blord stepped up to their table and snatched the parchment out of Graham’s hands. “You are so in trouble, Graham. I was just strolling by, minding my own business, when I heard you mention you stole this from your dad!!” Blord examined the paper. “Oh, dear, it says here this is council property. I imagine my dad should return this to your dad right away.”

Graham reached for the parchment. “Stay out of my business.”

“A thief in the village, even if he’s the council chairman’s son, is everybody’s business. I’m taking this home to my dad tonight.” Blord cackled hideously.

Graham went numb.

Blord walked off, his final taunting comment laced with venom. “I told you I’d get you back, Graham. This is only the beginning!”

Graham swallowed hard. How could his life get any worse?

“You have to get that back, Graham!” Ot said.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m still going. Who cares if I don’t have a way to get back. It’s not like there’s anything but trouble for me here.” Graham shot his friend a cold, defeated look and walked out of the lunch room.

Ot whimpered, “You have me. Buddies stick together.”

Graham didn’t hear this. He had already left.