Free Hercules and the Geek of Greece by Hunter Kennedy Page B

inside and took the crown out. It was so heavy with gold and jewels, he almost dropped it.
    â€œBe careful,” Geekus warned him.
    Hercules unlashed a piece of leather from his belt, tied it securely around the crown, and then back around his waist. The crown was going nowhere he didn’t want it to go.
    Or so he thought. . . .
    â€œOkay, Brooma, we got it,” Hercules whispered urgently. “Now get us out of here.”
    A slight breeze went through the windowless room.
    What?
Hercules heard Brooma’s ancient voice cackle.
    â€œI said, get us out of here!” Hercules repeated.
    Oh, my.
Brooma’s voice was now very uncertain.
I’m not sure I know how.
    â€œBrooma,” Hercules nearly yelled. “Use the enchantment!”
    Well, yes, but .
. .
you see .
. .
the enchantment was only good for getting you inside the vault. I don’t have one to get you out.
    Hercules felt his heart sink to his feet.
    A moment later, he heard a very frightening sound. The door to the vault was opening!
    Before they knew it, a gang of Amazons poured in, swords and bows raised high.
    Hercules just looked at Geekus, and Geekus looked back at him. Neither could believe it.
    They’d been caught.
    Exactly why the Amazons didn’t just do away with them right there and then, Hercules didn’t know.
    They were rough with them though, pulling the crown from his belt and then knocking Geekus off his feet. The enormous women didn’t speak—indeed, Hercules got the feeling that they
couldn’t
speak. But the movements of their swords made it quite clear that Hercules and Geekus were now their prisoners.
    They were marched out of the vault, down a long series of hallways and stairs, obviously heading for the dungeon of the fortress.
    â€œThis is not good,” Geekus moaned as they were led down into the bottom of the castle.
    No, not good at all,
Hercules heard Brooma say.
    The dungeon was ten floors down, and each floor they passed, the colder and darker things became.
    The Amazons were so big, that Hercules found them slightly unreal. They were beautiful in a way—all blond with muscular curvy bodies and short but strong armor uniforms. But they were also quite frightening, especially their long swords and huge bows.
    Finally they reached the dungeon. It was a long hallway with many doors and water dripping from every part of the stone ceiling.
    The door to one of the cells was opened by an Amazon bearing a set of keys. Hercules and Geekus were literally thrown into the cell and the door slammed tight behind them.
    â€œWow!” Geekus yelled as soon as the door was locked.
    â€œIs that all you can say?” Hercules snapped at him. “Don’t you know any other word?”
    â€œWow. . . .” Geekus said again.
    Hercules just shook his head.
    â€œWhat’s the matter with you?” he asked him sternly. “We are in a lot of trouble here.”
    But Geekus wasn’t really listening. He was pointing to the corner of the dark, dank cell. There were two forms huddled there. Hercules approached them cautiously.
    It was two girls. Two young girls. Both blondes. Both crying.
    â€œWow,” Hercules heard himself say involuntarily.
    It was Dedra and Posey.

Chapter 16
Blondes in Jail
    The two girls were as surprised to see Hercules and Geekus as our adventurers were to see them.
    â€œHercules!” the girls both squealed at once. “You’ve come to save us!”
    Hercules just shook his head.
    â€œWell, not exactly,” he murmured.
    Then both girls looked at Geekus. They recognized him right away, of course. They’d known of him even
before
he’d caused the disaster at the Festival of the Blue Moon.
    Now Dedra looked at him like she’d just eaten a sour peach.
    â€œWhat is
he
doing here, Hercules?” she asked. “He’s the village geek. . . .”
    Hercules looked at the two girls, then at Geekus, and then back at the two