Free Journey to the Volcano Palace by Tony Abbott Page A

forgot most of it, except…”
    “Except for what?” Julie asked.
    Neal shrugged. “I remember it was about my feet. I was in Droon, and my feet hurt.”
    Snorky leaped suddenly for Neal’s left shoe.
    “Heel!” Neal snapped, shaking his foot.
    “Well, he’s eating your heel,” Julie said.
    “Maybe he’s learning!” Neal tossed another biscuit, and Snorky ran for it. “Let’s get inside.”
    The three kids jumped up the back steps into Eric’s kitchen and headed for the basement.
    “Droon is full of secrets,” said Julie. “Secrets we need answers to. We need to go back.”
    Neal frowned. “But what if all of our dreams come true?” I mean, my dream was pretty weird.”
    “There’s only one way to find out,” said Eric.
    They tramped down the stairs into the basement. It was messy. It was beyond messy. Eric knew he’d have to clean it one of these days.
    Cleaning all the old toys and junk out of the basement was his special project. Neal and Julie had said they would help.
    When we get back , Eric thought.
    He pulled open the little door under the stairs. They entered a small, empty room.
    They closed the door. They all held their breath as Eric switched off the light.
    Whoosh! The floor vanished beneath them.
    In its place was a long flight of stairs. The steps shimmered in the light from below.
    The light from the land of Droon.
    “Yes! We are going back,” Eric whispered. “I wonder where the stairs will lead us this time.”
    “Or if it’s day or night in Droon,” said Neal.
    “Let’s stop talking and find out,” said Julie.
    The three friends stepped slowly down the stairs. The air was hushed and cool. And the sky below them turned deep blue and sparkled like a million jewels.
    A giant moon cast golden light on the stairs.
    “Nighttime,” Eric whispered.
    Before they knew it, the three friends were in Droon once again.
     

 
Two

Sands of Time
     
    A wide sea of sand stretched away as far as the eye could see. Sand hills – dunes – rolled and dipped all the way to the horizon.
    “Wow!” Neal said. “This is my first desert.”
    The moonbeams made the dunes glitter with golden light.
    “This is awesome,” Julie said. “Droon is beautiful at night.”
    Eric breathed in the cool air. “Let’s climb over that dune,” he said, pointing to one of the high, curving hills of sand. “For a look.”
    They stepped down from the bottom step.
    The sand was warm.
    They climbed to the top of the dune and peered over.
    Not far away was a striped tent. Shaggy, six-legged beasts stood outside. The kids remembered them from their first time in Droon. The beasts were called pilkas.
    “Somebody’s camping,” Neal whispered.
    Eric noticed a strange purple flag flying over the tent. “Careful,” he said. “You never know what you might find.”
    “We don’t have much choice,” said Julie, pointing behind them. “The stairs are fading.”
    The three friends watched as the rainbow-colored steps vanished in the sky.
    “I hope we find them again later,” Neal said. “Wherever they are.”
    Slowly, they approached the tent. A large flap hung down over an opening.
    “Let’s peek in,” Julie whispered.
    Suddenly, a voice spoke from inside the tent. “Come in!”
    Julie held her breath and pulled up the flap.
    The three friends looked inside.
    Their friend Princess Keeah was sitting on a rug spread out over the sand. She was dressed in a light blue tunic. In her long blonde hair she wore a golden crown.
    Next to her sat the old wizard, Galen Longbeard, and his assistant, Max.
    Lining the inside of the tent were piles of extra-plump purple-colored pillows.
    “Welcome back!” Keeah said, laughing when she saw the kids.

    “We’ve all been waiting for you!” Max chirped happily. Max was a spider troll. He had eight legs and could spin sticky webs and climb up walls. But his face was pudgy like a troll’s, and his bright orange hair sprouted straight up.
    Eric smiled as he and his