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Tick was about to say so up a hand as she perked her ears, looking around for signs of , but then the faintest sound of giggling and high-pitched chatter ca the lawn in front of them and from the trees behind them

"What is that?" Paul whispered

The creepy cacophony of hoots and howls and wicked laughter grew louder

"That can’t be good," Sofia htened face "Mothball, what’s going on?"

"Methinks we’ve been found out, I do," she answered, standing to get a better look at the Leen to ht a bit after all Don’t worry, the lugs are still blind and clumsy so all ya’ll need to do is ereen cylinders from a side pocket on her backpack and passed one to each of the kids They were thin and several inches long, one end tapering to a point Tick took his and exa a small button toward the thicker end

"What’s this?" he asked

"That there’s the Sound Slicer," Mothball answered "Point the narrowed bit at the beasties when they get close and push the button Keep ’ean

Before she could finish her question, the sound of wood scraping against stone echoed through the air Everyone turned in unison to see the wide double doors of the castle opening outward like the gaping jaws of a rown a foot wide before a woreen dress, running with strained and frantic effort In her right hand, she held a long golden rod

The Barrier Wand

"It’s Annika!" Mothball roared as she jumped back onto her Windbike "Quick! Fly to her--fly to her!"

She shot into the air and down the path of the river, toward the running wo behind her, terrified She shouted so as she ran, but they were too far away to hear As Tick scraures pouring through the castle doors, more and more as the exit opened wider He couldn’t tell what the creatures were, but they see somehow They were basically human in shape, but all coh the air and pulled up beside Mothball as they drew closer to Annika "What are those things?" he yelled

The creatures’ skin was a putrid hue of yellow, like they’d been infected with a horrible disease Clu from their bodies in rando that looked like tattered sheets that barely covered their thick torsos Their eyes were lie, full of pointy spikes of enoren," Mothball shouted "Nasty beasties, they are But we can fight ’em off with a bit of effort"

Even as she spoke, the hackles and cries frorew louder Tick looked around in horror as he sawfrom everywhere, out of ditches, over the crests of the surrounding hills, out of the forest They ca on all four of their skinny ars sprouting off their backs,in the wind With horror, Tick realized they ings

"By the way," Mothball yelled, readying herself to dive for Annika "Fangen can fly"