Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia

11: Recipe for disaster

"War is constant chaos," Strickler said during history class. "The winner will be the one who controls the chaos. Both his own and his enemy's. Napoleon's words show an unquenchable need for conquest. A man who could not be stopped. So, what was the French general's downfall? Did he stare down the barrel of a cannon?"

Silence.

"Did he die from the deafening silence of a classroom?"

The class laughed at his joke and Jim just glared from the back of the classroom. "Look at that," he said to Toby. "He's got the whole class eating out of his hand."

"His creepy troll hand," Toby said.

"I trusted him. He betrayed me. And worst of all, he hit on my mother. I should end him now."

"Or you can ask him to divulge the whereabouts of the Bridge that could release unspeakable evil? I don't know. Do you think Strickler knows you're the Trollhunter?"

"Bular called me Young Atlas. Only Strickler calls me that. Of course, he knows. But he doesn't know we're onto him."

"Malaria," Strickler continued his lesson. "The world's most powerful army felled by the bite of an insignificant insect."

The bell rang and the students walked out of the class. "One last lesson," he said. "Who could tell me where Napoleon kept his armies? In his sleevies."

The students all groaned and walked out of the class. Strickler walked over to Jim. "Young Atlas, if I could have a brief word before you leave." He looked at Toby. "Alone, please."

Toby whispered in Jim's ear. "Not until he divulges where the Bridge is."

He walked out, leaving Jim and Strickler alone. Claire walked out with her friend, Darcie. "Look like someone has eyes for Jim," Darcie said.

"Remember that letter I was telling you about?" Claire asked her.

"The one where he was fighting all those inner monsters? You don't think he's crazy, do you?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

"Is everything okay?" Jim asked Strickler.

"Actually, no," he said. "Due to recent developments, I don't want anything strange between us. Your mother has invited me over for dinner. I've graciously accepted. Will that make things awkward?"

"Awkward? No, no, no. It's just dinner, right?"

"Splendid. Then I shall be seeing you this evening."

***

"He's coming over for dinner?" Toby asked Jim in the locker room. Claire was eavesdropping nearby.

"I know," Jim said. "I thought it was a bad idea at first, but now that I think about it, this could work in our favor."

"Totally. Like how?"

"You know how he practically lives in his office? Well, if he's busy with me, you guys can break-in. See if he's hiding anything about the bridge."

"' Covert operation'! My two favorite words! After 'taco truck', of course."

"No more secrets. No more lies. It's all coming out tonight."

They started walking out and Claire hid in a trash can so they wouldn't see her. "If you find out where the bridge is, then it is goodbye, Mr. S." Jim said as they walked out.

***

"I do not approve of this plan," Draal said after Jim told him everything. "It lacks a certain 'killing the changeling' component."