Doorways to Everywhere (Tourist Trap Book 2)

Chapter 23

Dr. Octavius and Max caught up to Sarah standing at the edge of the curb with a helpless look on her face. "Someone kicked the door out into the street," she said. "I can see it from here. It's right in the path of the parade. It's almost been stepped on several times but somehow it's still intact."

"We're going to have to go out there and retrieve it," Dr. Octavius said. "Going over the curb will be a bit of a drop at our present size, but it shouldn't be anything we can't handle. Max here just survived a tumble from a much bigger height."

"I've survived all kinds of tumbles in my day," Max said. "You'd be surprised at how many second story windows I've been tossed out of."

"Only second story?" Sarah said. "In all my fantasies of throwing you out of buildings I'm at least on the tenth floor."

"So you fantasize about me, eh?" Max said. "Can't say that I'm surprised."

"Oh, shut up and get down there," Sarah said as she gave him a shove.

He toppled over the edge of the curb and landed with a belly flop in the street. "Nobody worry about me, I'm okay. But have I mentioned that I'm really going to be needing a drink after this?"

Sarah and Dr. Octavius descended the curb carefully and joined Max in the street. They watched as a group of dancing ostriches playing trombones went by.

"There appears to be a break in the parade," Dr. Octavius said. "Now's our chance. Run!"

They charged out into the street and Sarah grabbed the door. "What do we do now? Should we go back the way we came?"

"We need to keep moving forward," Dr. Octavius said. "Let's attempt to make our way across the street."

"No time for that," Max said. "It looks like the elephant jazz band is headed right for us. We're going to get flattened."

"There's only one option then," Dr. Octavius said as he took the door from Sarah and laid it flat on the ground. "We have to go through the door."

"What are we waiting for then?" Max said as he flung it opened and jumped in. "Last one in is a rotten salamander sandwich."

*

Maurice shuffled his way back into Lothar's secret hideout with his hard-won box of doughnuts and a large cup of coffee. "Here you go, sir."

"Goodness gracious, you were gone so long I'm starting to feel more like a sandwich, I think, than doughnuts. Be a good man and go fetch me a hoagie."

"With all due respect, sir, I went through a really lot to get these for you. Would it kill you to at least try them?"

Lothar frowned and rubbed his chin. "I suppose one doughnut wouldn't hurt." He took a bite out of a jelly-filled doughnut. He instantly spat it out. "What manner of tomfoolery is this? This is that disgusting red jelly. I only like the yellow kind. These are completely worthless to me."

"Now hang on a minute here, sir, I distinctly remember you telling me to get the red jelly," Maurice said. "I have a very good memory for these sorts of things."

"Did I?" Lothar scratched his head. "I'm going to need to make some sort of note to keep this straight in the future."

"I can do that for you, sir," Maurice said. "That's what a good assistant does. Now would you care to try this coffee I got for you at a cost of great personal pain and degradation?"