Will said, so dumbfounded that he forgot about his fear. “You’re alive? How?”
Stomping footsteps grew louder. Little Gustaavus jumped up and down, pointing. The Shadovecht was coming.
“Vershneelen!” he cried.
Will ran to the library and found the sledgehammer leaning in a corner. Giselle was hunkered down behind the desk, cowering in fear.
“Waakzaam!” Gus shouted. Alert!
The Shadovecht charged through the doorway. With the grinding of gears and a hiss of foul-smelling steam, it lifted its arms high to crush Will. Little Gus threw a cushion at its face, hoping to distract it.
The monster slashed with its razor claws, and the pillow exploded into a cloud of feathers. It slashed at them furiously and then paused in apparent confusion, assessing the room.
“Vershpletter doot, vershpletter doot!” Gus screamed. Smash it, smash it!
Swinging the heavy hammer high over his head, Will brought it down with a resounding clang in the center of the creature’s chest. But his blow bounced off its metal armor.
“It’s too hard!” he yelled, dodging its next attack.
“More try,” Gus said, switching from Dutch to heavily accented English. “Here!”
He pointed down, indicating that Will should hit the thing in its knee, but a whining fury of rapidly whirling gears came from within the creature’s innards. The Shadovecht now moved at very high speed.
It slashed with its claws. Only Will’s lighting fast reflexes saved him as he dodged. Blows came quicker and quicker, and he just leaped out of the way. He had the impression that large, coiled springs were unwinding in its gut, giving it extraordinary speed.
The Shadovecht closed blindingly fast, trapping him in a corner. Gus shoved a floor lamp on its back, saving the boy as the monster spun to strike it, instead. Will ran, and it smashed through a heavy oak desk, missing him. It slammed into a book shelf and sent papers flying.
Gus was screaming something, but Will could only concentrate on evading the monster. He knew it was too fast. In moments it would catch him.
“Hoy!” shouted a voice from within the library.
It was Giselle. She’d overcome her fear and begun twisting knobs and jerking a lever in a control box on the wall. Beverkenhaas’s toy clock system came to life.
The dragon by the stairs popped out and puffed steam, the tiny gnome village came alive, and an elaborate old mill on the library’s mantle began to turn its waterwheel, while miniature metal workmen came out carrying sacks. The Shadovecht stopped and adopted a defensive stance, processing this new commotion.
Giselle stared at the little red-capped garden gnome, who hurled books at the monster. “Great, now I’m hallucinating!”
“Run!” Will cried.
She dashed out of the library and past the big staircase, followed by Will. The little gnome threw rubble, but the creature pursued Will into the main hallway, where it noticed Giselle dodging into the den.
“Hey!” Will cried from the dining room entrance. “Hey, ugly! It’s me you want!”
He waved his arms, taunting. A horrid-smelling black fluid bubbled and oozed out of a seam on its chest – the place he’d hit it with the hammer. The Shadovecht charged, moving faster than he’d anticipated and lashing out with razor claws.
The blow struck a wooden support beam first, which took out much of its energy and broke off its claws. Still, the heavy metal hand glanced into Will’s side and sent him sprawling into the dining room. With a grunt of pain, he slammed into a wall.
“Hoy!” shouted Gus, who kicked its shin, but the monster focused on Will. Mercifully its spring system ran down, slowing it enough for Will to reach the opening to the hidden room.
He leaped the pit and turned. Please , he thought, let it work this time !
The Shadovecht charged and stepped right on the trap door. It fell into the pit, but as it went down, it reached out with its hands. The right one grabbed the trap door and tore it off,
Stomping footsteps grew louder. Little Gustaavus jumped up and down, pointing. The Shadovecht was coming.
“Vershneelen!” he cried.
Will ran to the library and found the sledgehammer leaning in a corner. Giselle was hunkered down behind the desk, cowering in fear.
“Waakzaam!” Gus shouted. Alert!
The Shadovecht charged through the doorway. With the grinding of gears and a hiss of foul-smelling steam, it lifted its arms high to crush Will. Little Gus threw a cushion at its face, hoping to distract it.
The monster slashed with its razor claws, and the pillow exploded into a cloud of feathers. It slashed at them furiously and then paused in apparent confusion, assessing the room.
“Vershpletter doot, vershpletter doot!” Gus screamed. Smash it, smash it!
Swinging the heavy hammer high over his head, Will brought it down with a resounding clang in the center of the creature’s chest. But his blow bounced off its metal armor.
“It’s too hard!” he yelled, dodging its next attack.
“More try,” Gus said, switching from Dutch to heavily accented English. “Here!”
He pointed down, indicating that Will should hit the thing in its knee, but a whining fury of rapidly whirling gears came from within the creature’s innards. The Shadovecht now moved at very high speed.
It slashed with its claws. Only Will’s lighting fast reflexes saved him as he dodged. Blows came quicker and quicker, and he just leaped out of the way. He had the impression that large, coiled springs were unwinding in its gut, giving it extraordinary speed.
The Shadovecht closed blindingly fast, trapping him in a corner. Gus shoved a floor lamp on its back, saving the boy as the monster spun to strike it, instead. Will ran, and it smashed through a heavy oak desk, missing him. It slammed into a book shelf and sent papers flying.
Gus was screaming something, but Will could only concentrate on evading the monster. He knew it was too fast. In moments it would catch him.
“Hoy!” shouted a voice from within the library.
It was Giselle. She’d overcome her fear and begun twisting knobs and jerking a lever in a control box on the wall. Beverkenhaas’s toy clock system came to life.
The dragon by the stairs popped out and puffed steam, the tiny gnome village came alive, and an elaborate old mill on the library’s mantle began to turn its waterwheel, while miniature metal workmen came out carrying sacks. The Shadovecht stopped and adopted a defensive stance, processing this new commotion.
Giselle stared at the little red-capped garden gnome, who hurled books at the monster. “Great, now I’m hallucinating!”
“Run!” Will cried.
She dashed out of the library and past the big staircase, followed by Will. The little gnome threw rubble, but the creature pursued Will into the main hallway, where it noticed Giselle dodging into the den.
“Hey!” Will cried from the dining room entrance. “Hey, ugly! It’s me you want!”
He waved his arms, taunting. A horrid-smelling black fluid bubbled and oozed out of a seam on its chest – the place he’d hit it with the hammer. The Shadovecht charged, moving faster than he’d anticipated and lashing out with razor claws.
The blow struck a wooden support beam first, which took out much of its energy and broke off its claws. Still, the heavy metal hand glanced into Will’s side and sent him sprawling into the dining room. With a grunt of pain, he slammed into a wall.
“Hoy!” shouted Gus, who kicked its shin, but the monster focused on Will. Mercifully its spring system ran down, slowing it enough for Will to reach the opening to the hidden room.
He leaped the pit and turned. Please , he thought, let it work this time !
The Shadovecht charged and stepped right on the trap door. It fell into the pit, but as it went down, it reached out with its hands. The right one grabbed the trap door and tore it off,
Similar Books
