Free Kendra Kandlestar and the Door to Unger by Lee Edward Födi Page A

oiled?”
    “I’ve got some new sl—well, that is, I’ve got some folk for King Reginaldo to meet,” Crumpit replied.
    “Well, that’s different now, ain’t it?” the gatekeeper said with a new cheer in his voice. In the next moment the massive doors creaked open and they were met by an old hunched Dwarf. He had a long gray beard and he wore a large pair of square spectacles.
    “Strange sl—I mean, folk, ya have here,” the gatekeeper said to Crumpit.
    “They’re Eens, don’t ya know,” the Key Master declared. “Now go and announce us to King Reginaldo.”
    “I will indeed,” the gatekeeper replied, and Kendra could not help but to notice a twinkle in his eyes as he scurried away to do his duty.
    “How long will we have to wait?” Uncle Griffinskitch asked Crumpit.
    “Not long,” the key master replied. “King Reginaldo likes to meet folk.”
    Sure enough, it was only a few minutes later when the gatekeeper returned, rubbing his hands together with glee. “C’mon then,” he said. “His majesty awaits.”
    They now walked through the golden doors and found themselves in a grand hall. A long golden carpet ran down the center of the room, ending at the throne of the Dwarf king. Dwarves lined either side of the carpet, and presently, they raised trumpets to their lips and filled the hall with the blare of music.
    After the trumpets quieted, one of the Dwarf courtiers proclaimed, “Welcome to the court of his Royal Majesty, King Reginaldo IV, Ruler of the Kingdom of Umbor and Grand Lord over all Underground Dominions.”
    “What a lot of pomp for a bunch of scoundrels,” Jinx remarked.
    “Humph,” Uncle Griffinskitch muttered, and Kendra thought it was the type of humph that meant he quite agreed.
    When the reached the end of the carpet, they stopped and bowed before the throne, which, of course, was made of gold and beset with jewels. And yet, Kendra hardly noticed these riches, for it was the figure sitting in the throne that commanded her attention. The Dwarf king was fat and squat, with a red beard and a sharp nose. He was dressed head to foot in gold, with golden boots, golden robes, and a tall golden crown upon his head. The most noticeable aspect of the king’s wardrobe, however, was the belt that encircled his waist. The belt had been fashioned from a wide strip of gold and sparkled with rubies and sapphires.
    Kendra looked upon the Dwarf king with curiosity. She had never met a king, and yet somehow this character seemed familiar. She just couldn’t quite put her finger on it . . .
    Then the king spoke.
    “Well, if it ain’t a bunch o’ Een folk, don’t ya know,” he declared. “Come to gaze upon me gold, are ya? Tee hee!”
    “Why, Pugglemud!” Kendra exclaimed. “It’s you!”
    There was no mistaking the voice of the Dwarf they had met during their search for the Box of Whispers. When Kendra had first met Pugglemud, he had been dressed all in rags, so it was difficult to recognize him draped in gold. But it was him all right; now, upon closer inspection, Kendra could see the real Pugglemud through all the finery. His bushy red beard was in desperate need of a trim and his fingernails were split and broken and covered in grime. All his luxurious clothes could not disguise the fact that, at heart, he was just a slob.
    “Eh?” the king muttered in response to Kendra’s exclamation. “What’s that? I ain’t go by Pugglemud no more. I be his majesty, King Reginaldo the—,”
    “Yes, we know,” Jinx interrupted. “Ruler of the everything and dominions of dirt and all that rot. But you’re still Pugglemud to us. Or have you completely forgotten our adventures in the Castle of Krodos? Remember, you left us to tangle with that dragon all on our own.”
    “Ahem,” the Dwarf king grunted. “Well, of course I ‘member all those grand times we had together, don’t ya know. Though I don’t quite know what yer talkin’ about with that dragon an’ such. As I ‘member it,