Zits from Python Pit #6 (13 page)

Tikoloshe's snakes herded us into the main room of the dungeon and then surrounded us. François and I stood in the center, away from everyone else.

“I take it that you didn't destroy the statue?” I asked François.

“Do you even need to bring it up?” he asked.

“Where's Director Z?” I asked.

A giant serpent, the biggest of Tikoloshe's snakes I had seen so far, slithered into the room with Director Z in its jaws. It put him down gently next to me and then slithered away.

“Serpent fangs are one of the few things in this world that can ruin my suits,” said Director Z. “I knew I should have packed a spare.”

I looked around to see that all of my friends and all of the monsters from Gallow Manor were still here. There were fewer residents of The House of Eternal Rest, and many of the ones that remained were barely able to stand.

I looked up at the monkey on my shoulder. “How have you been? I almost forgot you were there.” He gave me a small thumbs-up with his little black monkey hand.

“What happened?” I asked François.

“There was much confusion,” said François. “The few residents who were with us in the room to hear my confession knew what was happening. Many others did not, and we were slowed down on the way to the tower. The adzes were especially upset, and it didn't help that while I tried to explain to them what was going on, as we neared the entrance to the tower, Tikoloshe and his snakes began their relentless attack.”

François's eyes began to well with tears.

“The residents who didn't know what was happening with Tikoloshe—that he was the enemy—didn't put up any fight at all. They were eaten alive.”

“Why haven't we been eaten alive?” I asked.

“I think we're about to find out,” said Director Z, and he pointed ahead.

Tikoloshe walked into the room with the three adzes buzzing excitedly around his head. He walked toward Director Z, François, and me. The snakes that were in front of us parted as he made his way.

“Well, well, well,” said Tikoloshe in his high voice. “I thought The House of Eternal Rest was all mine. Until you two came along.” He wiggled a gnarled, dirty finger at Director Z and me.

“François,” Tikoloshe said, turning to face him. “Ooooooh, I'm quite disappointed in you.”

François was at least twice the size of Tikoloshe, but the large bat shook with fear. The small imp reached up and slapped François's cheek a few times.

SLAP SLAP SLAP.

“Bad bat,” Tikoloshe scolded. “Very bad bat.” SLAP “I hope that the pain . . .” SLAP “. . . I unleashed upon your residents . . .” SLAP “. . . with my slithery friends . . .” SLAP SLAP “. . . will keep you from making such a stupid mistake in the future.”

“You are too kind, Master,” whimpered François. “I am here to serve you.”

“Oh, you'll serve me, for sure,” said Tikoloshe. “But you're not second-in-command anymore! Kossi, the lead adze, will now keep an eye on you while I'm away. Grace and Hervé, the other adzes, will assist him. I have many places to be. I'm quite busy all over Africa, but I'll soon gather my forces here. Yes, once things are in order elsewhere.”

Tikoloshe rubbed one of the two pendants—my pendant—between his fingers and giggled.

“Oooh, I'm glad you showed up, young American,” Tikoloshe said to me. He walked right up to me, lifted the pendant, stuck out a slimy black tongue, and licked it. “The more power, the merrier,” he said around his tongue.

“Why do you need this power?” I said. “Leave these old monsters alone.”

“Oh, I don't
need
this power,” Tikoloshe said. “I didn't even
want
this power. But now that I'm here, there's no stopping me.”

“Monsterdom is recovering from its worst setback in history,” Director Z said, stepping up. “Only by working together shall—”

Tikoloshe held up a hand. “Oh, blah, blah, blah, boohoo, human,” he said. “I
know
monsterdom is recovering from its worst setback in history. The timing is perfect. Everyone is so weak!”

“But if you don't need this power,” I said, “why bother?”

“Because it's just so much fun,” said Tikoloshe, doing a little dance as he slipped my pendant over his head. “My life has been getting pretty stressful. Work is hard. Why, just before I got here, I was in South Africa pestering a family, pretending to be the spirit of their dead grandfather, setting them against one another while his will was figured out. That's some hard work! When I was called through my statue to this place, I saw a great opportunity—a chance to build my powers, up, up, up! Not just here in Africa, but everywhere in the world. And the best part was—it would be easy!

“The minds of monsters all over the world are so weak. I willed monsters here from thousands of miles away. I whispered sweet nothings in their ears, made them crazy with false hope. I made them think they were younger than they were, all the while sapping their energies and building up my powers.”

“Fine,” I said. “I give up. I pledged my allegiance to you. I'll cooperate in any way you like. But leave the monsters alone.”

“Chris!” gasped Director Z.

“Oh, those silly words that François made you say?” said Tikoloshe. “Those were meaningless. I was just playing with you. I don't need your allegiance or your life. But when the time is right and your energies are ripe, I will kill you and steal the energies of your afterlife. Oh, it was a HOOT watching you all bow down. And that trick François pulled on Roy? So worth having my statue almost break. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

“You were there for that?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah, he was there for that,” said François. “He was the one who gave me the idea.”

“You. Never. Know. When. I'll. Be. There,” said Tikoloshe.

I got so angry that my face itched and crawled. “You're nothing but a bully,” I screamed, and as I screamed . . .

POP!

. . . my head shot back.

A small snake flew at Tikoloshe as I fell into Director Z's arms.

Tikoloshe dodged the snake quickly, and it hit the floor with a plop.

“Go find your friends, little one,” said Tikoloshe.

The snake slithered away, leaving a trail of pus behind it.

My face throbbed.

“Oh, I see you've been enjoying the gift I gave you,” giggled Tikoloshe. “That's going to get worse before it gets better. Yes, much worse, if you disobey me! If the snake zits aren't enough to convince you to behave, this lovely creature will ensure that you do.”

POP!

With a flash, Kossi, the lead adze, took human form and walked directly toward me.

He looked deep into my eyes.

I want you to be very, very frightened,
said Kossi's voice in my head.

“I am frightened,” I said back.

“What are you doing?” Director Z asked. “Kossi, look away this instant!”

“How does it look inside the young American's mind?” Tikoloshe asked. “Is it empty? Tell me it's empty.”

“Empty, my lord,” Kossi hissed as he looked through my eyes and into my brain. “Very empty, indeed.”

Tikoloshe giggled.

Now, keep looking frightened. This will not take long. I am sorry. But look terrified for me.

I began to cry.

“Leave me alone,” I whimpered.

“Chris!” Director Z yelled. He grabbed me by the shoulders, but a huge boa constrictor wrapped itself around his leg and yanked him back.

Listen very closely to me. I am tricking the trickster. I promised Tikoloshe my services. But I side with you. I side with us. Tikoloshe has one weakness. I cannot speak of it, for fear of being heard, even after Tikoloshe leaves us. But I can tell you with my mind. Inkanyamba, the Master Serpent of Africa, is not under Tikoloshe's control. Until Tikoloshe controls Inkanyamba, he won't truly have control of the snakes and slitheries of Africa, as Inkanyamba could take them back at any time. Do you understand?

“Please leave me alone,” I said. Tears fell down my cheeks. I had to make sure Tikoloshe had no clue what Kossi was telling me.

Yes,
I thought back at Kossi.
Where is Inkanyamba?

Grace knows,
said Kossi.
When the time is right, she will tell you. For now, you must head to the first facility, the place we used to live.

Kossi let go of my mind, and I fell to the ground. Director Z was still there, trapped by the boa constrictor.

“Chris?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

I winked at Director Z.

“Are we good?” asked Tikoloshe.

“Yes, my lord,” growled Kossi.

“Now, everybody behave,” said Tikoloshe, “or the plague that I'm putting the children through will get even worse! Kossi and the snakes will guard you. I'm off to plan my glorious plans!”

Soon after Tikoloshe left, the snakes slithered out of the large main room.

“Something tells me they haven't gone far,” said Shane, walking over to me. “Are you okay?”

Grigore stormed over to Kossi, his fangs bared.

“How dare you violate my friend like that?” yelled Grigore.

“Wait!” I yelled. “Grigore, stop!”

“Bring it on!” yelled Kossi.

“No, Kossi, we can't keep up this act,” I said. “There's no time for it.”

“What are you talking about?” Director Z asked.

“I can't say,” I said. “It's too dangerous, and we don't have enough time to go into detail. You just have to trust me.”

The monsters grumbled and shuffled, unsure about what was happening.

Grace flew up to my ear. The monkey covered my earhole protectively.

EEEEEEEEEEEEK!

“No, it's fine,” buzzed Grace quietly. “I will not hurt him. You can trust me.”

The monkey released its grip on my ear. Grace landed in my earhole so only I could hear what she said.

“Inkanyamba hides under rocks in the bend of the river directly between the ruin and the retirement home,” she buzzed. “But only the robot can retrieve her.”

I thought for a moment and remembered the robot next to the busted tank in the abandoned retirement center.

“Of course!” I said. “It all makes sense now.” I remembered the fang we had seen in the hole in the wall of the retirement facility, and the tank. It must have been Inkanyamba! She must have broken off a few teeth while escaping to the river. “But why do we even need her now? Let's just finish the job we started.”

I ran to the back of the ruin, and everyone else followed.

The entrance to the tower was surrounded by snakes. The door was open, and the staircase was chockablock full of them!

“So that's where they all went,” Shane said.

My face started to bubble.

“Back away!” I yelled. “We can't let the snakes see us! We're supposed to be behaving, remember?”

I ran out to the next room and looked out of a window. A large, winged serpent flew around the tower.

“What does this all mean?” asked Director Z, desperate to know.

The others looked around, confused.

“What's going on?” asked Rangda.

“The monsters of Gallow Manor and I are going to the abandoned retirement home,” I replied. “Anyone strong enough can come with, but we're leaving now.”

I ran back to the entryway and tromped down the stairs without thinking.

“All right,” I said. “Let's do this.”

Bright lights flashed in front of my eyes, and my head was in a vise once again.

“ARG,” I moaned. “I forgot.” I tried to turn around, but passed out on the bottom stair.

Shane rushed down and grabbed me.

“Stupid rule,” I mumbled.

“Are you okay?” asked Shane.

“Just give me a minute,” I said as he helped me up the stairs. “I just need my brain to cool off.”

“What if you bring everyone along?” asked Shane. “If all the monsters come, then you won't be abandoning them and your headaches are cured!”

A few minutes later, everyone—my friends and the monsters of The House of Eternal Rest—stood at the edge of the completely silent field. The abandoned retirement home stood on the other side.

“This is too good to be true,” said Shane. “Which means it's probably not true.”

FLASH! BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Lightning struck the field in front of us, and the skies darkened. The clouds opened up, and a heavy rain began to fall.

“Told ya,” Shane said.

“I think the rain will be the least of our problems,” I said.

The sound of pouring rain was shattered by the screeches of meerkats. The small, furry creatures started climbing out of holes in the ground.

“They're coming from everywhere!” yelled Shane.

The creatures jumped out of every hole and rushed for the river. They ran through the grassy field and swam across as fast as they could. They scurried up onto the shore on the other side and kept running.

“Something must have really scared them,” said Ben.

“I'll give you one guess,” I said.

Before Ben could guess, red-eyed snakes slithered out of every meerkat hole in the field. Small snakes came out twenty at a time, bunched together in tight clumps. Huge boas burst through the holes and practically shot up into the air.

François looked up into the trees behind us and yelled, “Get ready.”

The huge fruit bats woke up and shook the water off their wings.

“Thank goodness everyone ended up coming,” Shane said. “We need everyone's help to cross Snake Plain.”

Director Z turned to me. “You've got this,” he said.

“Run!” I yelled.

We rushed forward in the pouring rain.

“It's so hard to see!” yelled Nabila.

“Just look out for the glowing red eyes,” said Shane.

“Stronger monsters, move ahead,” I yelled. “Weaker monsters, stay behind, but not too far behind. I don't want to get a headache.”

Grigore, Rangda, Roy, and Pietro took the lead.

CRACK BOOM!

Lightning struck the trees around the plain.

“And try not to get electrocuted!” I yelled.

Hundreds of snakes closed in, but they were quickly pushed back.

Pietro was biting snakes just behind their head and flinging them away. His wet muzzle was red with blood.

Bats flew down and plucked up the smaller snakes, or flapped their wings in front of the larger ones when they got too close to monsters.

“Nooooo!” yelled a zombie behind us as a large snake wrapped around its body and squeezed.

Shane turned back to help, stunning the snake with a karate chop.

Other zombies weren't so lucky.

A cobra reared up in front of Hervé and struck. With a POP, the adze turned back into a firefly before the cobra could sink its teeth into him.

I dodged the holes in the ground I could see. The monkey, soaking wet, its fur slicked against its body, screeched when I almost stepped into the ones I missed. But it was hard to see through the rain. Before I knew what was happening, a huge cobra popped out of a hole directly in front of me.

SCREEEEEEEE!

The monkey squealed, but there was nothing I could do.

The cobra reared up its head to strike . . .

. . . and was pulled back into the ground.

“What?” I said, amazed.

A few holes over, Twenty-Three scurried out, dragging the cobra by its tail.

Pietro came over and finished it off.

“We're halfway there!” I yelled. “Everyone keep moving!”

I looked back and saw more snakes and chaos. Some monsters fell. Others kept going.

Gordon ran up to my side, and even in the pouring rain, I could see that his zits had gotten terrible. Little red eyes glowed through a dozen raised spots on his skin.

“Gordon,” I yelled as he ran past, “you've got to do something about those zits!”

“As soon as we get there,” said Gordon. He ran even faster—it was practically clear in front of us.

“Hurry!” I yelled.

All of a sudden Gordon disappeared.

“What?!” I screeched. “Gordon, where are you?!”

I ran up to the edge of a huge hole filled with mud and massive snakes.

“Chris, help!” Gordon screeched, desperately trying to claw his way out. “It's a python pit!”

One snake snagged him and pulled him into the pile.

Another wrapped itself around him and bit him on the face. He stopped moving.

“NOOOOO!” I yelled.