Thud in Trouble, page 7
‘Are you sure he’ll come to you, my Lord?’ asked Warg.
‘Yes! The boy loves wrestling, and now he’s left Milo and his stupid Waldo’s Wrestling Trolls, my wrestling stable is the only game left open to him!’
The orc’s beak fell open and his eyes widened in surprise as he spotted something over Lord Veto’s shoulder.
‘My Lord!’ said Warg, stunned. ‘I think you may be right!’
Lord Veto turned and saw the small figure of Jack heading towards them.
‘See, Warg! What did I tell you? I know how people work!’
He smiled as Jack neared.
‘Jack!’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you again. Even though you were obviously unhappy at our last encounter –’
‘I have a question, Lord Veto,’ said Jack curtly, cutting him off.
‘Yes?’ asked Lord Veto.
‘Before, you were talking about Milo taking money from us and hiding it in a money-house account.’
‘Yes?’ said Lord Veto again, warily this time.
‘Well, we found a bag in our caravan, containing two gold coins and a piece of paper stating there was a money-house account with a hundred gold coins in it.’
‘And was there a name on this piece of paper?’ asked Lord Veto.
‘Yes,’ said Jack. ‘Milo, Manager of WWT.’
‘Oh dear!’ said Lord Veto, looking sorrowful. ‘This must have come as a great shock to you!’
‘It did.’ Jack nodded.
‘This suggests that the stories I heard about Milo were true.’ He shook his head. ‘Terrible! Who’d have thought someone claiming to be your friend could have done such a thing!’
‘So what it states on this piece of paper is right?’ asked Jack. ‘It’s got Milo’s name on it and says he’s got a hundred gold coins in the Dragon Money-house. So that really is his money?’
‘I’m afraid so,’ sighed Lord Veto unhappily. ‘Oh Jack, what can I do to help you get over finding out this terrible thing?’
‘Nothing!’ said Jack with a cheerful smile.
‘What?’ Lord Veto demanded, bewildered.
‘Well, if it’s his money, he can take it out of the money-house. It’s exactly the amount that Princess Ava needs to repair the damage that terrible storm did. The people of Weevil will be so grateful!’
‘What?’ squawked Lord Veto. ‘But … he can’t!’
‘Why not?’ asked Jack.
‘Because … Because … ’ Lord Veto spluttered. ‘Because he can’t!’
‘But you just said he can.’
‘Yes, but … ’
‘Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Milo has gone with the others to the money-house to take his money out. All one hundred gold coins of it.’
‘But that’s my money!’ screeched Lord Veto.
‘Your money?’ said Jack in a surprised voice. ‘But I thought you said –’
‘Forget what I said!’ howled Lord Veto. ‘Warg! Tie this boy up and throw him in my carriage. Then round up my Wrestling Orcs and get us to the Dragon Money-house. We have to stop Milo getting that money out!’
CHAPTER 10
Jack bounced around inside the carriage as it rattled along at frantic speed through the cobbled streets of the small town. He wriggled and struggled, trying to get out of the ropes that bound him, but it was no use – the knots had been tied too tightly. His one consolation was that Veto and his orcs would arrive too late; by now Milo should have already emptied the money-house account.
One hundred gold coins! Plus the five gold coins that Lord Veto gave Meenu; plus the two gold coins Lord Veto had slipped inside the leather bag he’d left in their caravan to try and frame Milo; plus the winnings of Big Rock and the Masked Avenger from their bouts – that would give a total of 110 gold coins, exactly the sum needed to repair the storm damage at Weevil. Providing Milo had already got hold of the money, of course.
But Jack didn’t see why that shouldn’t be the case. He’d waited until Milo and the others were just about to set off for the money-house before going to see Lord Veto, to give them a head-start. He’d been wary about telling Lord Veto, but Milo and Princess Ava had insisted, saying it was ‘the honest thing to do’.
‘We don’t want him accusing Milo of theft,’ said Princess Ava. ‘We need him to say that the money is Milo’s to take out.’
Lord Veto sat inside the carriage, squashed between Warg and another large orc, a vengeful look on his face, his feet resting on Jack’s trussed-up body. More orcs were balanced on the roof of the carriage, holding on grimly as it raced through the streets. Jack could hear the one at the reins shouting at the horses, urging them to go faster.
‘Have you got that potion, Warg?’ asked Veto.
‘Yes, my Lord.’ He took a bottle out of his pocket.
Potion? thought Jack. For what?
Lord Veto saw Jack’s puzzled expression and gave an evil smile. ‘I know all about your pet phoenix, kitchen boy! That it can change shape and turn into other animals. Well, this stuff will put a stop to that! One squirt, and your pet will be useless. Not only will it not be able to change shape, but if it does that trick of setting fire to itself and turning into ashes, this time it won’t be coming back! It’ll be burnt and gone for ever!’
He gave a cackling laugh.
‘No,’ begged Jack. ‘Please, leave Blaze alone!’
There was a screeching of brakes and a clattering of hooves as the carriage shuddered to a halt.
‘We’re here, my Lord!’ shouted Warg.
Lord Veto threw open the door and trod painfully on Jack as he jumped out of the carriage.
‘What shall we do with the boy?’ asked one of the orcs, pointing at Jack.
‘Throw him out!’ snapped Lord Veto. ‘I never want to see him again!’
The orcs picked Jack up and threw him out, and he landed on the pavement with a thud. Again, he wriggled and struggled to get the ropes off, but it was no use.
‘There they are!’ shouted Warg. ‘We’ve got here before them, my Lord!’
Jack looked along the street and was shocked to see Milo, Big Rock, Meenu, Princess Ava (in her Masked Avenger costume) and Robin walking towards the money-house, with Blaze flying overhead! They should have taken the money out already! What had happened to delay them?
‘Milo,’ he shouted desperately. ‘Look out! Blaze, keep away!’
By now Warg and the orcs – Jack counted ten of them, all fierce Wrestling Orcs – had blocked the entrance to the building that had the words Dragon Money-house over its doorway.
‘Warg, stop them going in! And get that piece of paper off Milo!’ shouted Lord Veto. He looked down at Jack and sneered. ‘Without that piece of paper, that money stays where it is … until I take it out!’
Jack writhed around, desperately trying to turn into Thud.
‘You’re a crook, Lord Veto,’ Jack shouted. ‘You’re a cheat and a liar!’
‘Yes!’ Lord Veto proudly smiled. ‘And I’m good at it!’
Jack looked and saw that a pitched battle was taking place as Big Rock, holding Milo under one arm, was trying to force his way through the crowd of orcs into the money-house. Robin and the Masked Avenger were joining in, punching and – in the case of Robin – kicking, while Meenu leapt on the orcs who were clambering all over Big Rock.
Please, let me change into Thud! begged Jack, and he shut his eyes and willed himself to turn into the giant troll, thinking troll thoughts, bringing troll images into his mind.
Thud! Thud! Thud! he urged himself … and then he felt a rocky film of transparent quartz begin to form over his eyes and a shudder passed through him. He felt his bones and muscles get bigger, stronger, straining against the ropes … It was happening! He was turning into Thud!
And then … it stopped. The quartz film over his eyes faded and he opened his eyes to see that he was still Jack: small, frail, thin Jack, still tied up tightly.
‘No!’ he groaned.
The orcs were winning, he could see that. Big Rock was now holding Milo high above his head, keeping the manager away from the clutching claws of the orcs, who were climbing up the big troll, closing in on him.
Then Jack saw Blaze swoop down from above.
‘No, Blaze!’
The phoenix ignored Jack and landed on a pair of orcs, changing, in a burst of flames, from the phoenix into a dragon, the dragon’s claws plucking the orcs off Big Rock.
‘Do it, Warg!’ shouted Lord Veto. ‘Use the potion!’
Jack struggled frantically as he saw Warg about to take the top off the bottle of liquid. Tears of anger and desperation filled his eyes. Not normal tears, but a sort of crystal-like tears.
‘GRAAARRRRR!’
The ropes split apart and fell away from Thud the Giant Wrestling Troll as he leapt up from the pavement.
Warg looked dumbfounded as the huge creature reached out and snatched the bottle from his hand, then grabbed Warg and threw him into the road.
The other orcs had turned in surprise at the roaring sound, and now backed away nervously.
Thud turned around to face Lord Veto, a terrifying scowl on the huge troll’s face.
‘GRAAAARRRR!’ he roared.
Lord Veto blanched and backed away. He ran to the carriage, leapt into the driving seat and grabbed the reins.
‘Go!’ he shouted at the horses. Immediately they raced off, their hooves clattering on the cobbles.
‘Wait, my Lord!’ yelled Warg. He and the other orcs began to chase after the departing carriage.
Meenu looked at Thud as the huge troll shivered, and then began to grow smaller … and smaller …
‘Wow, Jack!’ she said. ‘That was incredible!’
‘What’s in the bottle?’ asked Robin, curiously.
‘It’s dangerous,’ said Jack. ‘It could have finished off Blaze for ever.’
‘Give it to me,’ said the Masked Avenger, taking the bottle from Jack and putting it in her pocket. ‘I’ll take it back to Weevil and let the Royal Scientist have a look at it, to try and find out what it is. If it’s as dangerous as you say, we need to come up with an antidote.’
Jack looked at Milo, exasperated, and demanded, ‘What took you so long to get here?’
‘I couldn’t find the piece of paper!’ admitted Milo, embarrassed. ‘Then I remembered, I’d got so angry that I’d screwed it up and thrown it away.’
‘And it took us ages to find it,’ grumbled Robin.
‘But got it now,’ beamed Big Rock. ‘Let’s get money!’
The two caravans trundled along the road, one behind the other, until they came to a fork. Princess Ava pulled her horse to a halt.
‘This is where we part company!’ she called. ‘Thanks for the money. I still feel bad about taking it.’
‘Don’t!’ Milo smiled. ‘It will help a lot of people.’
‘Yes, but Big Rock needs a new costume.’
‘I like this costume,’ said Big Rock obstinately.
‘I’ll tell you what; I’ll make you a new one,’ offered Meenu.
‘Great!’ said Milo. ‘What do you say, Big Rock?’
Big Rock looked doubtful. ‘I like this one.’
‘I know, but don’t say no until you’ve seen it,’ said Meenu. She waved goodbye as Ava flicked the reins and their caravan headed off down the right-hand fork towards Weevil.
‘I assume we’re taking the other road?’ said Robin gloomily.
‘Yes,’ said Milo.
‘It’s uphill,’ pointed out Robin.
‘Yes, but there’s a great wrestling tournament at a town a few miles along it.’
‘How long is a few miles?’ asked Robin suspiciously.
‘Er … about twenty.’
‘Twenty miles?’
‘Yes.’
‘And uphill?’
‘Not the whole way,’ said Milo. ‘The last bit goes downhill.’
‘How long is the last bit?’ asked Robin.
‘Er … about half a mile,’ admitted Milo.
Robin sighed. ‘Oh well,’ he said. ‘But no singing!’ he warned sternly.
And he headed off down the left-hand fork.
As the caravan creaked its way uphill, Jack whispered to Milo, ‘I think a song might help Robin get into a rhythm, especially as going uphill is such hard work.’
‘Do you think so?’ Milo whispered back.
‘Well, if he doesn’t like it, I’m sure he’ll say so,’ replied Jack. And he began:
‘Wrestling Trolls.
Tum-di-dum!’
Then he stopped and waited.
Robin stopped.
‘He doesn’t like it,’ whispered Milo.
‘Look!’ snorted the old horse. ‘If you start something, at least finish it. It’s very distracting having something unfinished in your head!’
‘Okay,’ nodded Jack. And he resumed singing:
‘Wrestling Trolls.
Tum-di-dum!
Wrestling Trolls.
Tum-di-dum!’
Milo, Big Rock and Blaze added their voices, and soon even Robin was joining in as they all sang:
‘Wrestling Trolls.
Tum-di-dum!
Wrestling Trolls.
Tum-di-dum!’
Lovereading4kids reader reviews of
Wrestling Trolls Match 1: Big Rock and the Masked Avenger
by Jim Eldridge
‘I really like Wrestling Trolls. I really like Robin the horse because he talks, Big Rock because he’s nice, Jack because he saves Princess Ava, and Princess Ava because she wrestles!’
Richie, age 7
‘Wrestling Trolls is an action-packed book with awesome wrestling moves. The characters are clever and funny. I loved the story and can’t wait to read the next instalment.’
Jacob, age 9
‘The story had funny parts, action and good characters. Some of my favourite parts were Jack turning into a wrestling troll and I liked Robin the horse because he was grumpy and helpful.’
Jack, age 8
‘It was brilliant! I liked how Jack changed into Thud - I won’t tell you what Thud is so I don’t give away the story … I really liked the song and keep singing it.’
George, age 7
‘Wrestling Trolls is exciting because it is full of action. This book is fantastic if you like lots of wrestling and people being rescued from bad guys.’
Thomas, age 7
‘I give it 10/10 even though I don’t like wrestling, because I liked the story!’
Alexander, age 8
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First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Hot Key Books
Northburgh House, 10 Northburgh Street, London EC1V 0AT
Text copyright © Jim Eldridge 2015
Illustration copyright © Jan Bielecki 2015
The moral rights of the author and illustrator have been asserted.
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978-1-4714-0266-1
This eBook was produced using Atomik ePublisher
www.hotkeybooks.com
Hot Key Books is part of the Bonnier Publishing Group
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Jim Eldridge, Thud in Trouble
