The Badlings

Chapter 23. The Queen's Betrayal

It's unfair that it's easier to destroy a book than it is to write it. Imagine how long it would take you to meticulously craft every sentence, every paragraph, every chapter, then print it all out and bind it into a book. Now imagine how fast you can shred that book and toss the scraps out the window. If only it were that easy with Mad Tome.

"Hinbad!" called Bells over the wind. "If we rip Mad Tome, will that change my friends back?"

"Huh?" he screeched. "I can't hear you!"

"It's okay!" cried Bells. "It's nothing. Just talking to myself." She banged her head on his back. "I hate this. Scientifically speaking, nothing makes any sense. Non-scientifically speaking, nothing makes any sense either. My brain will explode." She took a deep breath and lapsed into intensive thinking.

Okay, let's examine our options. If we destroy Mad Tome, will it make Rusty less of a monkey and Peacock less of a vampire? In other words, will it turn them back into themselves? I believe there are two possible outcomes.

Outcome one: our theory about Mad Tome being a typical villain whose powers disappear once it's dead is right. That means when it's gone, every single badling, including Rusty and Peacock, will return home the way they were before.

Outcome two: our theory about Mad Tome being a typical villain is wrong, in which case if we destroy it Rusty and Peacock will turn into ghosts, as will all the other badlings. This means that we can't damage it in any way. Not that we can—it's too big—unless we walk out of here to the duck pond, or the ducks for some reason decide to rip it, like Grand said. Oh, I wish he were here! I hope that headless idiot hasn't done anything horrible to him.

She shuddered at the thought.

At least I know where he is, and I know where Peacock is, and I'm about to see Rusty.

Bells sighed.

Okay, back to the facts. Or, one fact, really. Assuming that most of the badlings—not counting the real characters or the Snow Queen—want us to destroy Mad Tome, what is the validity of outcome two? It's null. Why? Because according to outcome two, that would destroy them as well. However, because they want us to destroy it, it points to the validity of outcome one. Which means that we must destroy Mad Tome, because once we do, everything will return back to how it was before.

Satisfied, she closed her eyes and leaned into the wind.

Hinbad started slowing down.

The jungle had come to an end. In front of them lay the ruins of an ancient Indian city. Fragments of crumbling walls jutted out like broken teeth. Every surface, every outcrop and shelf teemed with monkeys. They saw the descending bird and hooted. The Roc chick touched the ground. The shock of landing jolted Bells, and she slid off his back a bit faster than intended. A jostle of furry bodies crept to her with an obvious intent.

"Hello, monkeys!" she tried. "Have you seen my friend Rusty?"

They grunted, tightening their rows.

"You took him here. I saw it. Rusty, can you hear me?"

More grunting, angrier this time.

"Okay, that didn't work." Bells groped in her mind for the right thing to say, realizing that that's what she should've thought about, not the obliteration of Mad Tome. It looked like she might be obliterated herself. Then an idea struck her.

"Listen, you're not monkeys, you're children," she said hoarsely. "I know you want to get home, at least I think most of you do." She passed her eyes over them.