Hunk and Thud (4 page)

‘He's gone to sulk,' said Robin with a sigh. ‘He used to do this before, when it was just him and Milo and Milo said something he didn't agree with. He'd go off somewhere on his own and sulk.'

Jack sighed and turned back to keeping observation on the mine and the goblins, looking for the best way to sneak in and get Milo out. Big Rock was right, they didn't want their friend suffering and being forced to work down a deep mine, not even for a day. But just the four of them launching an attack against at least forty goblins, possibly more, would be stupid.

It was then that Jack saw Big Rock. He hadn't gone off to sulk. He was actually heading for the mine, and the goblins!

‘Oh no!' gasped Jack in horror.

‘What?' asked Robin.

‘Look!' said Jack, pointing.

Robin and Oddbit followed Jack's pointing finger.

‘That idiot!' snapped Robin.

‘We have to go and help him!' said Jack. ‘He'll never beat that lot of goblins on his own, and he could get badly hurt.'

‘And maybe that might trigger you turning into Thud?' suggested Oddbit hopefully.

‘Let's hope so,' said Jack. He turned to Robin. ‘You'd better wait here for Princess Ava to arrive, in case we get caught.'

Robin nodded.

Jack turned to Oddbit.

‘At least you've got your crossbow,' he said. ‘That might give us an advantage.'

Oddbit looked awkward.

‘Actually, I haven't got any crossbow bolts for it,' he said. ‘I ran out. I was only bluffing when I pointed it at you.'

‘Huh!' snorted Robin.

‘Bring it anyway,' said Jack. ‘Maybe you can bluff the goblins too.' He looked towards the mine and saw that Big Rock was almost on the goblins, who had seen him. One of them grabbed a big bell hanging by the mine entrance and pulled it.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG!!

‘That's an alarm bell,' said Jack. ‘They're calling more goblins! Come on, we have to hurry!'

With that, Jack set off at a run, with Oddbit close behind him.

‘Goblin criminals!' yelled Oddbit, brandishing his crossbow as they ran. ‘I am a ranger with the Elf and Safety Police, and I am armed! Surrender, or I will be forced to shoot!'

The answer came in a volley of stones thrown by the goblins towards the running Jack and Oddbit.

‘I think they've called your bluff,' said Jack.

As he ran, he tried to
will
himself to turn into Thud. He thought troll-like thoughts: about eating rocks, about having big granite-like muscles, about having a thin, transparent layer of shale over his eyes, but nothing changed … he just kept running in the shape of the skinny little former-kitchen-boy Jack, dodging the rocks and stones the goblins were throwing at him and Oddbit.

Through the hail of flying stones, Jack saw that Big Rock had reached the goblins and was laying about him with his enormous fists, but as fast as one goblin fell to the ground, more leapt at Big Rock, climbing up him like the gymnasts they were. Soon all that could be seen was a moving mass of goblins completely covering the giant troll. More goblins joined in, clambering up Big Rock, and then suddenly the whole pile collapsed under the weight of the goblins as Big Rock crashed to the ground.

Please let me turn into Thud, Jack prayed fervently as he reached the goblins – but nothing changed, he was still the same small Jack.

I shall wrestle our way out and escape! Jack vowed, and as the nearest goblin rushed towards him, Jack grabbed the goblin's wrist and rolled backwards, sending the goblin soaring over his head to crash into the ground.

Jack leapt to his feet, nimbly avoiding other goblins as they charged at him, and then jumped as high as he could into the air and kicked out with both feet, catching two of the attacking goblins under the chin.

Jack dropped to the ground and let his momentum take him into a forward roll, grabbing the ankles of two more goblins as he did and flipping them so that they went up into the air and crashed down heavily. He was just springing up, ready to turn and launch another attack, when four goblins leapt at him, smothering him and bringing him to the ground. Jack tried to throw them off him, but two of them had already spread themselves over his arms and upper body, while the other two did the same to his legs, lying on them, pinioning him down.

Immediately, other goblins joined in, jumping on top of the four goblins and the trapped Jack, until Jack could feel himself suffocating beneath a mound of goblins.

‘Bring the chains and shackles!' someone yelled.

Jack heard the rattle of metal, and felt cuffs being clamped into place over his wrists and ankles. Then, as the goblins rolled off him, chains were dropped on his body and wrapped around him.

It was done quickly and securely – the goblins obviously had lots of experience at chaining up their captives.

Jack felt himself being hauled to his feet, and then he was standing, looking the same as Milo had done, chains wrapped around his upper body, pinioning his arms, along with metal shackles on his wrists, and more shackles on his ankles. These ankle shackles had a length of chain between them, which let Jack walk with small steps, but not run.

Oddbit had been chained and shackled the same way, and was standing looking miserable.

Big Rock was still lying on the ground; chained and shackled, but with a gang of goblins sitting on him to keep him down.

Jack was aware of the leader of the goblins, Govo, standing looking at the scene, a broad smile on his face and a poster in his hand. It was the same poster that Govo had shown to Lord Veto, and now Jack could see it up close. There were three pictures on it: Milo, Big Rock and Jack.

‘Now we've got all of you!' Govo cackled happily. He turned to one of the goblins and ordered: ‘Send a messenger eagle to Lord Veto and tell him we've got the lot, and we're putting them all in the mine.'

The goblins led the chained and shackled threesome into the mine, and down a series of dark tunnels. The tunnels were lit with candles, but the light from them was dim. The whole mine was gloomy.

‘I'm sorry,' mumbled Big Rock. ‘I got you caught.'

‘It wasn't your fault, Big Rock,' said Jack sympathetically.

‘Yes it was,' grumbled Oddbit. ‘You told that big lump of rock that we'd get captured if we tried to mount an attack, because we were outnumbered – and that's exactly what happened!'

‘Big Rock was doing what he thought was best. He wanted to save Milo. I don't blame him for being a good and brave friend.'

‘No, but I blame him for letting us all get caught.'

‘You didn't have to come with me,' Jack pointed out. ‘You could have waited for reinforcements.'

Oddbit shook his head.

‘An Elf and Safety Police Ranger is brave at all times and does his or her best to save people in danger, regardless of the danger to himself or herself,' he recited. ‘That's the first rule of the Ranger Code.'

‘Okay,' shrugged Jack. ‘It's a good code. But now we're all caught.'

As they shuffled along the tunnel, they heard the sound of digging up ahead: the clang of metal pickaxes on rock, and earth being shovelled. They reached the end of the tunnel and found they were in a large cave, although the rock ceiling was low. As with the tunnels, this cave was lit by candles fixed to the walls. Four people were hitting the cave walls with pickaxes, while two more were shovelling up the fallen rocks and putting them in trucks. All of the figures had shackles on their ankles, and the shackles were attached by chains, so that all six were chained together. They could move to work, but not to run.

There were ten or so goblins guarding the prisoners, armed with clubs, so that even if the prisoners made an attempt to escape they'd be easily stopped.

‘Stop work!' called one of the goblins who'd escorted Jack and the others.

The prisoners stopped digging and shovelling. Jack saw that Milo was one of those who'd been swinging a pickaxe. Four of the other prisoners were elves, and the remaining prisoner was a tall, thin man with a very long beard.

‘Ten-minute break!' called the goblin.

The goblins attached chains to the shackles on the ankles of Jack, Big Rock and Oddbit, linking them together. Then they removed the chains that held their arms to their sides. Immediately, Big Rock began to swing his huge arms and tried to kick at the goblins, but as he did so he pulled Jack and Oddbit over.

‘Stop, Big Rock!' called Milo.

Big Rock stopped, scowling, but Jack could see that the troll was so upset he was close to tears.

‘Don't worry, Big Rock,' he whispered. ‘We'll find a way out of this.'

Jack, Oddbit and Big Rock shuffled together to where Milo and the other prisoners were sitting down on heaps of rock.

‘So, they caught you, too,' said Milo with a sigh.

‘It was his fault!' said Oddbit, pointing at Big Rock.

‘No it wasn't,' countered Jack quickly. ‘It was one of those things.'

One of the elves glared at Oddbit.

‘I might have known you'd be caught, Ranger Oddbit!' he snapped in a sour tone. ‘First you were late joining the posse, and now you've let yourself be caught by these criminals.'

‘That's not fair!' protested Jack. ‘Oddbit was only caught because he was obeying the first rule of the Ranger Code. And anyway, he was on his own. There were five of you, and you were all caught.'

The elf looked uncomfortable.

‘You are right, young man,' said the elf awkwardly. He looked at Oddbit. ‘I apologise for my comments, Ranger Oddbit. It's just that I had hoped you would be able to come to our rescue. I see now that is impossible.'

‘I am sorry too, Captain Odo,' said Oddbit. ‘For being late in joining the posse, and for letting myself get captured.'

‘When everyone's finished apologising, is there any
good
news?' asked Milo.

Jack hesitated, making sure that the goblins couldn't hear, then he whispered to Milo: ‘Robin's still out there. And we've sent a messenger pigeon to Princess Ava asking for help.'

‘Great!' exclaimed Milo happily.

At the sound, the goblin guards jerked round and gave them suspicious looks. Quickly, Milo added loudly: ‘… to see you all again! Now we can work down here together, in company!' Then he lowered his voice to a whisper and asked Jack: ‘I guess you haven't turned into Thud yet?'

‘No,' said Jack unhappily.

Turning to Big Rock, Milo asked: ‘I don't suppose you can break these chains?'

Big Rock shook his head.

‘No,' he said. He pointed at the chain fixed to his shackles. ‘They put extra strong chain on me.'

Milo sighed.

‘Well, I guess that's it then. Until Princess Ava turns up with reinforcements, or they let us go.'

‘They don't let you go,' groaned the tall man with the long beard miserably. ‘I've been here for five years.'