Free The Monsters of Morley Manor by Bruce Coville Page B

you’re holding hands.
    â€œWait!” ordered Chug-rug-frogbutt.
    Right. Like I was about to wait so he could feed us to his master, or whatever this thing was. But—instinct again?—I did turn my head back. As I did, I saw the Wentar crawl from between the huge creature’s lips. He climbed over the tip of its nose until he had found a broad, flat spot where he could stand. Then he motioned for us to swim down and join him.
    â€œShould we do it?” whispered Sarah.
    Gaspar, who was floating nearby, said, “Once again we find the universe is stranger than we could have guessed. What new things shall we discover in this watery world? Forward, my family. Forward.”
    Which pretty much decided things for the Morleys. As for me, I figured if we tried to swim away the monster would probably just nail us with its tongue anyway. So I nodded to Sarah. “Come on,” I said. “Lets go.”
    We swam deeper into the mysterious lake.
    â€œThis is Queen Gunk-alla-gunk-gunk-ipsim-alla-ribit,” explained the Wentar when all seven of us had joined him on the creature’s snout.
    â€œShe is the mother of us all,” added Chuck.
    â€œSpeak for yourself,” said Albert.
    â€œShe is also my official contact here,” continued the Wentar, casting a dark glance at the little hunchback. “And our best chance for solving our problem. We need to go inside to talk to her.”
    â€œInside where?” I asked, looking around for a building, and wondering how big it would have to be to hold this monster.
    â€œHer mouth,” said the Wentar.
    â€œYou haf got to be kidding!” cried Ludmilla.
    Melisande’s snakes twisted in alarm.
    â€œHumor is not one of my specialties,” said the Wentar. “Now follow me. We are being treated with extreme kindness by an incredibly powerful being. It would not be wise to make a fuss about it.”
    Stretching his arms, he swam off the frogmonster’s snout. Chuck went with him, not even looking back. The rest of us stood for a moment, baffled, astonished, and terrified. Then Gaspar threw back his shoulders. “Family Morleskievich!” he barked. “Assemble!”
    Quickly the monsters got in a line.
    â€œWe are the Family Morleskievich,” said Gaspar solemnly. “We do not flinch from danger. We do not shy from the unknown. I say we go forward!”
    â€œForward!” cried the others.
    â€œForward!” I cried, unable to help myself.
    Which is how Sarah and I ended up following the Morleys over the edge of the queen’s giant snout.
    We hadn’t been off the frogmonster’s nose for more than three seconds when her great mouth opened and a rush of water pulled us into a dark space—a space that got even darker when the mouth closed again.
    This time I was sure we were done for. But a second later the Wentar did some of his magic, and a dim light blossomed around us.
    The inside of the queen’s mouth was slightly smaller than my bedroom. Her tongue looked like a spongy shag rug. Sarah and I drifted down to stand on it, as the others were doing. I was relieved to find it was not as sticky and slimy as I had feared.
    Toward the rear of her mouth I saw a pair of bulges, which I finally realized must have been the back of her eyeballs. Beyond those bulges was the vast darkness of her throat—something I didn’t intend to get anywhere near, if I could help it.
    Suddenly a deep thrum filled the air around us. It took me a moment to realize that the sounds were words—huge, booming words. Later the Wentar explained that the queen formed them by making a very tiny (for her) rumble in her throat.
    â€œGreetings to the Wentar of Ardis and his companions.”
    â€œGreetings to Queen Gunk-alla-gunk-gunk-ipsim-alla-ribit,” replied the Wentar. “And our thanks to you for the sheltering warmth of your mouth. May your progeny ever increase, and your children number in