Elliot decided he wasn't going to accept bullying from Tubs anymore either. Just as he was helping the Brownies stand up for themselves, he planned to stand up for himself from now on too. He stood even taller on his rock, like a true king would.
"Here's the deal. Any Goblin who promises to live in peace with the Brownies will get to come off the island. If you make this promise, you can return to Flog. We'll become friends and learn to help each other. If you won't promise to live in peace, then you will have to learn to live on this island."
Elliot watched as several of the Goblins tried to poof themselves off. But he'd already commanded them not to leave, and they were too afraid of the water to cross the island. They truly were trapped.
After a number of failed tries at leaving on his own, a tall Goblin with an extra-long nose stepped forward and raised his hand. "King Elliot? I will promise."
Elliot walked forward so that he stood across the water from the Goblin. "You won't eat any more Brownies?"
The Goblin raised his hand. "May I be forced to eat chocolate cake all the rest of my life if I eat another Brownie."
"Then be a friend to us, and we'll be a friend to you." Elliot nodded his head at several Brownies near him, who lowered their boards and helped the Goblin cross off the island. "You can poof home," Elliot told him.
With a short, respectful bow to Elliot, the Goblin snapped his fingers and left.
In turn, nearly every other Goblin did the same. Some went home right away, some stayed to talk with other Brownies, setting up pickle trades and sharing ideas on Underworld gardening.
Suddenly very tired, Elliot leaned against a tree, watching the Goblins and Brownies as they worked together. Beside him, he felt a tug on his shirt.
"Your Highness, I couldn't wait any longer to thank you," Mr. Willimaker said, holding Patches by the hand. She danced from one foot to the other, clearly excited to be back with her father. Patches scampered over to Elliot, bowed before him, and then leapt into his arms and gave him a hug.
"You saved me from the Goblins," Patches said, punching Elliot lightly on the arm. "That was really cool."
"I think you saved me from the Goblins too," Elliot said. "We're even."
Patches blushed. "I might have helped a little bit." She told Elliot about escaping from the hole and then hiding in the carrot cave where she was captured again.
Elliot didn't know what a carrot cave was. Maybe he'd ask about that later.
"I was pretty mad when they caught me again," Patches said. "I really enjoyed those carrots. Dad says I ate so many I'm going to turn orange for a week!" Patches rubbed her belly with a hand that Elliot thought already looked a little orange, and then she let out a giant-size burp. Nobody who is only two feet tall has ever let out a burp such as this one. Earthquake scientists hundreds of miles away rushed to their monitors to see what happened. Astronauts orbiting the earth saw the entire planet shake just a little. And Mr. Willimaker laughed. He had missed Patches very much.
"We shouldn't ever have trouble with the Goblins again," Elliot said. "The Goblin war is over."
In the end, every single Goblin left the island in the woods. The Brownies cheered again when the last one left. They hugged each other and then bowed together before Elliot.
Elliot raised his hands again for them to be silent. He took the crown off his head and gave it to Mr. Willimaker, then said, "There's something you all should know. Queen Bipsy never gave Mr. Willimaker my name to be king. She told him to choose a name, and he chose mine. If you all want to have someone else as king, a Brownie maybe, I'll understand."
There was silence as the Brownies looked at each other. Then Patches said, "Your Highness, everything is as it should be. My father did exactly what Queen Bipsy told him to do. When he wrote your name, he was following her command."
"That's right," Mr. Willimaker said. "When I chose you, I did obey her."
Patches continued, "We know you're the king, because when you commanded the Goblins not to poof away, they had to obey you. They would only have to obey a real king."
"Hail King Elliot," the Brownies cheered. "Long live King Elliot!"
Mr. Willimaker pushed the crown back into Elliot's hands. "Your Highness, the Brownies need you. Patches was right. You are our king."
Elliot smiled and put the crown back on his head. "Then as your king, I will finish this." He marched over to the ropes where Grissel and Fudd were still hanging. Their upside-down faces had turned slightly purple, but otherwise they were fine.
"Your war is finished," Elliot told Grissel. "There are no more Goblins who'll fight with you."
"I saw them leave, the cowards." Grissel folded his arms. "Fine, I'll make the promise too. Now let me go home."
"He's crossing his fingers," Fudd said. "I can see him from here. Don't believe his promise, Your Highness."
Elliot shook his head at Grissel, disappointed to see he'd try something as sneaky as crossed fingers. "Mr. Willimaker, take Grissel to the Brownie prison. I want him to receive the most chocolaty chocolate cake we have, every single day, without frosting or milk, until he truly agrees to become a friend to the Brownies."
Mr. Willimaker nodded, and then both he and Grissel disappeared.
Elliot turned to Fudd, who wiped a tear from his eye.
"I suppose you'll want me to have chocolate cake now too," Fudd whimpered.
"You helped me save Patches," Elliot said. "If you still wanted me dead, that would've been your chance."
"I've changed," Fudd said. "I hope I can show you that."
"It will take me a long time to trust you again," Elliot said. "If anyone tries to get me, you have to understand that I might wonder if you're involved."
Fudd scrunched up his face. "What do you mean?"
"Let's just say that no one ever blew up my house until I met you." Elliot frowned as he said it, but Fudd thought he might have seen a slight grin as Elliot looked his way.
"It will take me a long time to prove that I can be trusted," Fudd said meekly. "But if you give me the chance, I'll be a much better advisor than before. I'll be a much better Brownie than before. Tell me what I can do to fix things."
Elliot pointed to the mess of his exploded home. "To start, you can get the Brownies to build me another home. I don't need it fancy or new. I don't care if the stairs still squeak. I just want a place for my family to come back to."
For the first time since Elliot had become king, Fudd Fartwick gave him a real bow (which is not easy when one is hanging upside down with a rope around his leg). "Your Highness, it may not be fancy or new, and the stairs might still squeak, but you are a king and the Brownies will build you a castle."
"Then I release you," Elliot said. "You may poof out of that trap."
Fudd snapped his fingers and landed upright on the ground. He bowed to Elliot again and then quickly ducked into the trees as someone behind them yelled, "Penster!"
Elliot turned and saw Tubs Lawless running across his lawn, dragging the trunk he'd taken behind him. Tubs dropped the trunk in the middle of the yard and said, "Penster, it's a good thing your house blew up!"
"Why?" Elliot asked.
"It was probably full of those big green rats I found in this trunk."
"Did they get out?"
"They're back in the trunk now. Finally." Tubs shook a fist at Elliot. "But watch out. I'll get you for letting me steal those things."
"No," Elliot said firmly. "You won't."
Tubs's lip curled in anger. "What did you say?"
"You won't chase me through town. And you won't throw rocks or toys or even your bicycle at me. I'm not going to do your homework for you or let you flush me down the toilet. You are done being a bully."
"Who's gonna make me stop?"
"Me. And those big green rats will help me if I need them. They're my friends now."
Tubs stumbled back a few steps. "Fine. Just keep that trunk away from me!" He turned and ran, revealing long claw marks down the back of his
pants.
Elliot smiled as he watched Tubs scramble away. Then, with a happy sigh, he grabbed a hose and walked toward the trunk. A king's work was never done.
Acknowledgments
Thanks always to Jeff, my best friend and true companion. To Ron Peters and Tom Horner, talented authors and friends, for keeping their critiquing axes sharp and honest. Thanks to Ammi-Joan Paquette and Dan Ehrenhaft, for catching the vision of Elliot.
And a final thanks to turnip farmers around the world. Some may say that "hero" is too strong a word for you, but I don't think so. Neither do the Brownies.
About the Author
Jennifer A. Nielsen lives at the base of a very tall mountain in Northern Utah with her husband, three children, and a fat lizard. She loves the smell of rainy days, hot chocolate, and old books, preferably all at once. Although she has never actually met any Underworld creatures, she did see someone once who might have been a Troll. Learn more at her website: www.jennielsen.com.
About the Illustrator
Gideon Kendall graduated from the Cooper Union for Science and Art with a BFA and has since been working as an artist, illustrator, animation designer, and musician in Brooklyn.
Jennifer A. Nielsen, Elliot and the Goblin War
(Series: The Underworld Chronicles # 1)
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