The Island of Dr. Libris by Chris Grabenstein

Author:Chris Grabenstein [Grabenstein, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-385-38847-4
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2015-03-23T16:00:00+00:00

“Herc!” Billy whispered when he reached the big man.

“Billy?” said Hercules. “What are you doing here?”

“You guys are in trouble. Where’s Robin?”

Hercules nodded toward an archer at the far end of the shooting line. The guy was dressed in tattered clothes and a feathered cap, and he wore a black patch over one eye. Despite the disguise, Billy knew the half-blind beggar was really Robin Hood.

“Is Maid Marian here?”

“No,” said Hercules. “Robin said too many royals would come to this picnic and they’d all recognize her, since her father is Sir Richard of Leaford.”

Great, thought Billy. If things get ugly, it will just be Hercules and his bow against the four musketeers’ swords.

“This is a trap,” said Billy. “The sheriff is going to arrest Robin the second he shoots his winning arrow.”

“Fear not, for I shall protect him.” Hercules nocked an arrow and tugged back with all his might.

The bow snapped.

“By Zeus,” he muttered, “that is the fourth bow I have broken this day.”

The trumpet sounded again and all the archers in the line stepped forward to take their shots.

Arrows sliced through the air. One archer hit the dead center of his hay-bale target’s bull’s-eye.

“We have a winner!” cried the Sheriff of Nottingham.

“Nay,” said the half-blind beggar. “For I have not yet loosed my shaft.”

He aimed his arrow at the very same target.

“Are you blind in both eyes, you tangle-headed old fool?” cried the champion archer. “How could you top my shot?”

“Top it, I cannot. But split it, sir, I might.”

Billy ducked his head again and hurried down the line of archers, using their bodies as a shield so the sheriff couldn’t see him.

“Robin? It’s me. Sir William. The Sheriff of Nottingham has the musketeers on his team. They’re going to arrest us both.”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha!” Robin laughed merrily. “Fear not, Sir William, for the day belongs to the brave.”

Robin raised his elbow, drew back his bowstring, and shot an arrow that shredded the other archer’s shaft into two splintered halves. Double bull’s-eye.

The crowd cheered.

“You there!” called the sheriff. “Come, noble archer, claim thy prize. For well and fairly hast thou won it.”

Tucking his chin to his chest, hiding under the brim of Tom Sawyer’s hat, Billy followed Robin as he proudly marched to the sheriff’s reviewing stand.

But when Robin held out his hand to accept his trophy, the sheriff plucked the golden arrow out of his reach.

“Before thou claimeth thy prize, good sir, tell me—art thou not that cowardly knave known high and low as Robin Hood?”

“Robin’s not a coward!” shouted Hercules, tearing off his robe to reveal his tight green tunic and leggings.

Now Robin threw off his disguise, too. “And I shall dash to pieces any who dare say that I am!”

“Ah-ha!” shouted the sheriff. “Seize him! Seize Robin Hood!”

The musketeers drew their swords.

“All for one, and one for—”

Hercules grabbed the nearest tent pole, which made the canvas collapse.

“By Zeus,” cried Hercules, “I will smite all of you!”

He swung the pointy-tipped post like a mighty baseball bat and knocked the four swords out of the musketeers’ hands with one swoop.

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