Free Double Dragon Trouble by Kate McMullan Page B

office.
    Mordred spoke again, “Have you shown this note to anyone else, Yorick?”
    â€œOh, no, my lord,” Yorick answered.
    â€œGood!” said Mordred. “Say nothing of it. This will be our little secret, Yorick. Yours and mine. I shall reward you handsomely for your silence.”
    â€œOh, thank you, my lord!” cried Yorick happily.
    â€œCome with me to the kitchen,” said Mordred.
    The office door opened. Wiglaf heard a key turning in a lock.
    â€œI shall reward you,” said the headmaster, “with a great steaming mug of Frypot’s hot chocolate.”
    â€œOh,” said Yorick, sounding far less happy now.
    Their footsteps trailed off down the hall.
    Wiglaf quickly struggled out of the armor.
    Angus did, too. He rushed over to Wiglaf.
    â€œDid you hear that?” Angus whispered.
    Wiglaf nodded. “Do you think Mordred will pay the ransom?”
    â€œNot a chance,” said Angus.
    â€œWe must find out who’s been kidnapped,” said Wiglaf. “We must try to help!”
    â€œWe must?” Angus didn’t sound so sure.
    â€œMaybe Mordred left the ransom note inside his office.”
    â€œLet’s see.” Angus jiggled the doorknob this way and that. The door opened.
    Wiglaf’s heart thumped with fear as he slipped into the headmaster’s office. He shuddered to think what Mordred would do if he caught them snooping.
    The lads searched Mordred’s desk. No note. They looked between his couch cushions. And under all his many pillows. They found nothing. Wiglaf glanced into Mordred’s trash bin. He saw torn pieces of parchment.
    He gasped. “There it is! He ripped up the ransom note.”
    Wiglaf and Angus began picking parchment scraps out of the trash bin. The lads stuffed the pieces into their pockets. Then Angus grabbed more parchment from Mordred’s desk. He tore it to bits and tossed them into the bin.
    The lads quickly left the headmaster’s office.
    â€œLet us go up to the library to piece the note together,” said Wiglaf. “Mordred will never come up there.”
    The lads hurried to the South Tower.
    â€œBrother...Dave?” Wiglaf called, out of breath from running up the 427 steps to the DSA library.
    There was no answer.
    â€œWorm?” Angus called, panting loudly.
    They heard not a peep from the young dragon who lived part-time in the library.
    â€œLook,” said Angus. “Brother Dave left a note on his desk.”
    Â 
    Dear Readers:
    I haveth gone to picketh up a new book order. I shall returneth soon with:
    WHO SLEW SIR MORTIMER WIPPLEWART ? by Howard I. Know
    ALL MY FINGERS AND THUMBS by Count N. Tooten
    GET OUT OF DEBT NOW by Owen U. Money WHEN WILL TOMORROW COME? by Juan Day Soon
    Brother Dave
    Angus and Wiglaf emptied their pockets onto the library table. They sat down and began piecing torn edges of parchment scraps together. Soon thin black lines began to form into words: “ tonight ” and “ gold .”
    â€œâ€™Tis not only words,” said Angus. “There is also a map. Look.”
    Wiglaf put the last few pieces in place. Angus pasted them down on a second sheet of parchment with Brother Dave’s library paste. They were missing a few scraps, which left holes in the note. But they had enough to read:
    Â 
    To Morded, Hed Master, DSA
    Leeve a weell barrow pilled hi w old out side Keep Away Mownten Cave. If the gold is not th y tonight, you weel never see yur deer Magg gain!
    Signed,
    The Kid Nappter
    Wiglaf stared at the spidery writing. The kidnapper had a serious spelling problem.
    â€œDear Mordred,” he read aloud, filling in the missing letters. “Leave a wheelbarrow piled high with gold outside Keep Away Mountain Cave.”
    â€œIf the gold is not there by tonight,” Angus continued, “you will never see your dear Magg—again!”
    â€œWho is Magg—?” asked Wiglaf.
    â€œMaggie?” said