“I’d appreciate it if you’d tell him that,” Pinocchio said. “I’m fairly certain he thinks I’m a spoiled brat.”
He drifted away as she studied their new camp. It was then she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Mr. Canis was hovering nearby. She turned to him, uncertain of what to say. She knew she was supposed to yell at him. That’s what you did when you were in charge and someone didn’t follow your rules. But she never wanted the responsibility, and it seemed even worse if she had to yell at people she cared about. How was she supposed to scold an old man who was just trying to feel valuable especially when, deep down, she knew she had only sent him to look after the children so that she wouldn’t have to worry about him in the battle?
“I had my reasons,” he said as if he could read her mind.
“And I had my reasons,” she replied. “I know you don’t want to babysit. I know you want to be in the middle of the fight, but—”
“I couldn’t let you get trapped inside the castle with the Hand,” he said.
“Mr. Canis, the spell was for Everafters. I wouldn’t have gotten stuck in there with those lunatics. I’m human. I know that no one wants a couple of kids running the war, but—”
Canis interrupted. “It won’t happen again.”
She wasn’t sure she believed him, but she was relieved she didn’t have to argue with him. She thanked him and watched as the old man hobbled off to join the others.
? ? ?
Once everyone had rested briefly, Sabrina gathered her army around her. As she looked at them she realized that the worry and fear in their faces was gone. In fact, they were looking at her with a newfound respect. She was no longer at the kids’ table—for better or worse.
“We got lucky at the castle,” she said. “We managed to trap a majority of the Hand in our little cage, but we can’t rely on luck anymore. There are still a couple hundred goons left in these woods, and they are looking for us. When they find us, we have to be prepared.”
“What do you have in mind?” Snow asked.
“My sister and I faced a lot of weirdos before you met us, and we always managed to put them in their place. To do that we’ve had to plan ahead with some things they would never expect. That’s why I’m putting all my faith in the king of the unexpected, Puck.”
The crowd let out a collective groan.
“This forest needs the Trickster King treatment.”
“Oh yeah?” Puck said as he pushed through the crowd.
“I want to make the Hand crazy. Think of these woods as your own little playground. Do you have some ideas for shenanigans?” Sabrina asked.
Puck smiled. “Major shenanigans.”
“Are you sure about this?” the Widow asked. “He’s not known for caring exactly who gets pranked. Who’s to say we all won’t wind up in some pit full of syrup and fire ants or something else just as bad?”
“Listen, I know he’s immature, mischievous, and frustrating, but that’s exactly why he’s the man for the job. He’s going to booby-trap every inch of these woods and we’re going to help bring his twisted visions to life. Mr. Boarman and Mr. Swineheart will work on designing his traps. Gepetto and Pinocchio will help build the intricate parts. Unfortunately, the rest of us have the worst jobs. We have to collect the ingredients he wants, and from my experience, some of that stuff is going to turn stomachs.”
Puck laughed. “It’s going to turn more than stomachs. Some of the stuff I want will scar you for life!”
The community went to work on Puck’s plans. It took the rest of the day and well into the evening for them to build some of the wild ideas that came from his fertile imagination, including spring-loaded catapults, cannons that shot all sorts of muck and filth, cages that dropped from above, and trip wires that set off explosions. He wanted ditches dug and filled with angry badgers. He wanted logs hoisted high into trees, tied to ropes that swung them down to pulverize approaching villains. He worked magic spells that turned ordinary shrubs into poisonous plants that would cover a person with itchy sores. The Pied Piper and his son, Wendell, used their musical instruments to lure a furry army of deer, rabbits, possums, squirrels, and chipmunks to do whatever Puck wanted. But what got him most excited was his hope that Bunny could open a new door to his enchanted bedroom.
“When the old lady’s house imploded, the door to my room was destroyed,” he explained. “But the room still exists somewhere and it’s got all the special supplies I need. Plus, I sort of miss my chimpanzee army.”