Inexperienced Heart

Chapter 19: "Traitor!"

The door opened and Roco Palson stepped in. His eyes widened in horror and shock as he saw the intruders. He backed up until he hit the door.

"You must get out of here now! My father is coming!" Roco warned them.

"I do not fear your father," said Galadriel harshly.

"You must go!" Roco repeated.

"Tell us how to defeat the Agogsims. Then, we'll go."

"I don't know," Roco stammered.

Then, they heard voices outside very near.

"Here, get under here," Roco urged as the four got under a table and he placed the tablecloth over the table. Then, Roco pretended as if he was searching for something just as his father entered. His father looked all around the room to check that everything was in place. He looked suspicious as if he sensed that there were traitors in his midst.

"Have you found my catalog yet, Roco?" his father spoke.

"Yes, Father. Here it is," Roco responded and walked over to give it to his father. The hidden intruders could see and hear everything going on.

"Sit down," his father ordered coldly. Roco sat down in a chair, facing the table while his father sat on the sofa, facing away from the table.

"Roco, I have been planning very carefully. So far, Landa Polymer has not ventured out on her own towards Lost Surfer's Hollow, except when I controlled her. I believe I will have to control her again. I don't like doing it when she's around others. Recently, she has always had a couple of bodyguards with her. If nothing changes, I will have to take this to extreme rash behavior," explained his father in the same cold voice.

"Yes, Father. What do you want me to do?" Roco asked.

"As of now, nothing."

"Father, I have a question."

"Ask it."

"How do you defeat the Agogsims?"

"Why?" his father demanded, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"I was just wondering. I mean, if I ever got hurt, and I needed the Bottle of Bliss to cure me, I would know how to get it," lied Roco.

"You will not get hurt, as I hope you are not as stupid as that boy, but to defeat the Agogsims, all you have to do is bounce a ball and throw it in the air. The Agogsims will forget about their job and play. That boy with Landa will die sooner than he realizes." He laughed. Roco laughed unconvincingly. Landa shuddered and put a reassuring arm around Logan to comfort him.

"Father, I have to tell you something," Roco said.

"What is it?"

"Galadriel Zatanna is back!"

"Back?"

"Yes! I saw him in this hut, but he left."

"He must know the password, but how?" Roco's father questioned himself aloud. "Thank you for telling me."

Roco nodded. The door opened and a beautiful lady with flowing brown hair and a motherly face walked in.

"Hello, Mother," Roco greeted her as his mother hugged him and kissed the top of his head.

"Capriana, Galadriel is back!" exploded Mr. Palson angrily.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"And he was with Landa and the boy," Roco added.

Just then, the four huddled figures under the table disappeared into thin air and appeared at the edge of the woods.

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"Traitor! He is a traitor! Roco betrayed us! Traitor!!" Landa burst out in angry confusion.

"Calm down, Landa," Galadriel soothed her. "He didn't really betray us. He has to tell his father, whether he wants to or not. He will get into cruel trouble if his father finds out. Aldrich is already suspicious. Roco helped us! He hid us from his father. Sooner or later, Aldrich would have discovered us. That is why Roco sent us here. He-"

"He sent us here?" Landa exclaimed.

Equally confused, Logan added, "How?"

"Let me explain. It is magic. He looked at us intently. If you were watching him, you would have seen his concentrated gaze on us. Then, he thought the word 'Dissape' which means 'disappear'. He also imagined the place he was sending us to. Slowly, we faded from view and he broke his gaze. That is how we got here," explained the patient wizard.

"I have a lot to learn," commented Landa and Logan nodded in agreement.