Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor by Mark Crilley

Author:Mark Crilley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780385729987
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2001-11-13T05:00:00+00:00

Her voice echoed loudly around the room. Mr. Beeba leaped back, quivering pathetically in Spuckler’s shadow. Gax’s spindly little neck was extended as far as it would go, his mechanical eyes opened wide. Prince Froptoppit tensed but dared not move. Even Throck looked a little startled, but also pleased, as if he thoroughly approved of Alia’s performance. Only Poog remained unimpressed, his face as blank as it had been when we first entered the room.

“The King and his ilk will not survive, I tell you,” Alia continued, her voice trembling with anger, her pretty face twisted into an ugly scowl. “It is the natural order of things that weak rulers be cast aside by strong ones.”

There was a pause as Alia allowed the full implication of her words to sink in.

“So make your choice now, Akiko,” she added, staring into my eyes, “for when I seize power, I will show no mercy to Froptoppit and his deluded followers. I will uproot them like weeds, I will exterminate them like the pests they are!”

The gentle, kind Alia Rellapor of a moment before had utterly disappeared, replaced by a woman every bit as frightening as Throck himself.

“But—” I began.

“Enough!” Alia snapped. “I am weary of this fruitless conversation. You have trespassed upon my property. You have attempted to steal my son away from me. You must be punished.”

She turned to face Throck, who watched her every move with great concentration.

“Tell me, my friend,” Alia said, “what would you say to the idea of putting these intruders into the hole?”

“An excellent choice, Empress Rellapor,” Throck answered, sounding slightly winded.

“Very well, then,” Alia said. “Escort them there at once. We’ll see if they won’t reconsider their loyalty to old Froptoppit.”

A half dozen Torgs emerged from the shadows, encircling us like a snare. Spuckler looked as though he wanted to fight them but for once could see that this was a battle he could not win. Throck raised an arm, barked a few orders, and led us, Torgs and all, back out of the room.

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