“OK, we need a new plan,” Daphne said.
Granny Relda rose to her full height. “Veronica, seems to me you were pretty good with mechanical things.”
“I fixed some leaky sinks and the TV antenna once,” Veronica said.
“You’re the best we’ve got. Get over to the water tower and see if you can’t get the valves working.”
She raced off to do as she was told.
“Henry, get up on the east tower and turn that water cannon on,” she said. “As soon as Veronica has the water working, try to knock one of those dragons out of the air.”
Puck took his sword out of his belt. “I’ll go kill one,” he said.
“I have another job for you. How would you like to throw some rocks at it?” the old woman asked.
Puck scrunched up his face. “I hardly think rocks will do much.”
Granny pointed behind her. There sat one of Swineheart and Boarman’s catapults. It was a monstrous machine with a giant boulder loaded into its arm. Several more boulders as big as cars sat nearby.
Puck rubbed his hands together eagerly. “Looks right up my alley, old lady.”
“Take Sabrina and Daphne with you,” she said.
Canis stepped forward. “Relda, perhaps it’s time to bring the Wolf back. I have the jar in my jacket and—”
“Absolutely not. I believe we can manage without that monster. Besides, I’m going to need you and Red to get me through this camp once it’s safe.”
Canis didn’t look convinced, but said nothing.
Everyone raced to do their jobs, though Sabrina suspected she and Daphne were just being kept busy. Once they reached the catapult, though, she changed her mind. The device was incredibly intricate. Despite its crude appearance it had dozens of knobs and buttons and a complex series of weights and counterweights. Daphne wasn’t strong enough to move all the levers, so Sabrina did the heavy lifting while Puck aimed the catapult and Daphne pushed buttons and pulled ropes.
A black dragon with white tusks swooped over the fortress. Sabrina’s brain was screaming for someone to push the button that would release the boulder but Puck insisted they wait. A moment later the dragon was gone.
“Why didn’t you fire?” Daphne cried.
“We have to wait until we’re lined up perfectly. Don’t worry. We’ll get another chance.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Sabrina said. “It’s coming right for us!”
The creature made a beeline for the catapult. Once it was close enough it reared its head back and prepared to blast them with its fiery breath. Then Puck gave the order and Daphne slammed her hand down on a red button. The giant spring inside the machine screeched as it extended and with incredible force the arm of the catapult whipped upward, hurling the monstrous rock with it. The boulder rocketed into the sky.
“Eat that, ugly!” Puck cried just as the boulder slammed into the dragon’s face. It bellowed in agony and magma poured out of the sides of its mouth and down its face. The dragon fell out of the sky and slammed into the courtyard. Its eyes glazed white and its heaving chest grew still.
“Gravy!” Daphne cried.
“That’s one!” Puck crowed, celebrating with a ridiculous whooping victory dance.
“Nine to go, bubblehead,” Sabrina said. She started turning the levers to lower the catapult’s arm. “We need to reload the catapult. You think you can pull that off?”
Puck placed his hands on his hips and spun around on his heels. When he stopped a bizarre transformation began. His body swelled up to an enormous size. His nose grew so large that it hung well past his feet, and his ears turned gray and inflated to the size of kites. Two huge white tusks sprang out from under his nose and his skin turned wrinkled and tough. In no time at all he was an elephant. He lumbered over to the nearest boulder, put his head against it and pushed. The huge stone rolled slowly forward but it rolled nonetheless. It was clearly an effort for Puck, but he pushed onward until the rock was firmly in the catapult’s arm.
The girls went to work twisting the knobs and weights once more in preparation for another dragon’s assault. While they worked, Sabrina watched her father in the east tower. The cannon he maneuvered was attached to a huge pipe that fed into the water tower, but with the valve busted it was completely dry. As a brown dragon flew by it sent flames at the exterior wall of the camp. Helpless, Henry could not put them out. When the dragon doubled back and buzzed the top of the watchtower, he had to crouch low to avoid one of its black talons.
“How’s it going, Mom?” Sabrina shouted.
Veronica had climbed up on a ladder near the tower and was trying to pull something out of a knob that opened the valves. “Pinocchio shoved something in here. If I could only get it out …”
“Could you hurry?” Henry shouted from across the camp.
“Keep your pants on, pal,” she cried.