Toad groaned as he came to. It took a moment to understand why he was sitting on the floor and why his arms were tied to the leg of a table. The goose-egg sized lump on his head from where Ogg had hit him pulsed. He gritted his teeth against the pain and tugged his arms, but the knots didn’t give. He craned his neck, trying to see if he was alone — if in fact Ogg was preparing to ‘take care of him’ — but the room was dark and quiet, lamps extinguished. Toad strained his ears. Under different circumstances he’d say he was the only person in the whole house, but he knew better. Somewhere in a room — perhaps directly below him — sat Owl, waiting for Fletch to bring him the ingredients.

If Melena was hurt … if she were killed …

Again Toad tried to twist his wrists free, but it was no good. He slumped against the table leg, sick with dread, watching the darkness falling outside the room’s windows, ticking his life away. He couldn’t escape this. He would be dead in hours, moments even, and there was no way to warn Melena of the danger she was in. Why hadn’t he told her from the very beginning? Why had he been such a bungling idiot?

Voices rumbled somewhere through the floorboards and Toad’s heart clenched.

As he sat trembling in the dark, waiting for the door to swing open — would it be Ogg? Cutter? Owl himself? — Toad thought of Melena and her lost brother. If she somehow miraculously managed to dodge Owl, would she find her brother on her own? What had his name been?

The voices grew louder. More distinct.

Morgan?

The softest of vibrations traveled through the floor, as if someone was running.

Miles?

There was the dull sound of a crash and a few odd plunks of a piano.

Milo, thought Toad with satisfaction. That was it. Milo. How could he have forgotten?

A voice shouted very close by, taking Toad by surprise. A second later the door was flung open and he tensed. Light spilled into the room, but Toad couldn’t see who stood in the doorway for the table blocked his view.

“Toad!”

Toad was so startled that he was rendered speechless.

“Toad!” Melena shouted again, voice cracking in desperation. “I don’t see him — oh, Joe, you said he wasn’t dead!”

“Quite,” said Joe. His voice was muffled and an image of Joe in the depths of Melena’s knapsack sprang into Toad’s mind.

“Then where is he?” Melena cried in panic and frustration.

“Hey — hey! Over here!” Toad yelled. There was a gasp, a frantic pattering of feet and Toad was suddenly encased in a rib-cracking hug while Hazel circled over their heads, yowling with delight and Joe cried from within the knapsack, “Greetings, Master Toad!”

“Are you all right?” Melena demanded, holding him at arm’s length. “They didn’t hurt you?”

“No,” said Toad, breathless. He was overwhelmed by the sight of her. “Melena, what are you doing here? You can’t be here — Owl —”

“I know all about Owl,” said Melena, her face growing uncharacteristically dark. “I ran into Cutter —”

“Cutter?” Toad gasped. Then, like she had done him, his eyes searched her for injuries. “And you’re all right?”

“Yes —”

“How did you —”

“We don’t have time,” Melena interrupted. “I’ll explain everything, but we’ve got to get you out of here.” She pulled out a knife that Toad had never seen with her before. She began to saw at his bindings.

Toad’s mind was a flurry of confusion. “But how’d you get in here?” How had Owl not noticed her?

“The Ramblers have a map of the house.”

“The — what?”

“The Ramblers. They’re downstairs distracting Owl’s men.”

With another frantic jerk of her knife, Toad was free. He was winded. He was stunned. The Ramblers were here? Here? To help him? And Melena had enlisted them? Melena, who he’d thought had double-crossed him?

“Melena — I’ve got to tell you something.”

“You can tell me everything when we get out of here.”

“No,” Toad insisted. “I lied to you. I told you Owl’d hired me, but it was all a sham. There was never gonna be any money and I should have told you from the start. I’m sorry.”

Melena stared at him for half a heartbeat, her expression oddly unreadable, before he was pulled again into a tight hug.

“I know, Toad.”

“You know? You mean you really did hear me say … Melena, I didn’t mean any of it!”

“I know, Toad! I know!” Melena squeezed him more fiercely. “I forgive you.”

“You —” Toad blinked in surprise and pulled back to scrutinize her. “But I led you on. I fooled you into spending all your money for nothing. I let you risk your life for a lie.”

“That was a bit rotten,” she admitted with a wry smile, “but it’s okay now.”

“Okay?” Toad was growing more perplexed and alarmed by the second. Melena wasn’t the sort of person who just let things go. What he’d done to her was more than rotten. But before he could question her further, another great clang down below made them jump, both having forgotten that they should be fleeing.

Hazel swooped overhead as Melena grabbed Toad by the arm and pulled him to the door.

“Quick, Toad!”

They ran out of the room and down a long hall carpeted in velvet, Hazel leading the way. All around them, the sounds of utter destruction raged, as if a menagerie of beasts had been let loose. They passed rooms, their doors flung wide. Toad spied Rambler after Rambler shattering crystal chandeliers with brooms, knocking over great chifferrobes of delicate china, throwing heavy portraits out of windows. There were enough echoing smashes that Toad had the wild idea that a Rambler was in nearly every room of Owl’s prestigious home, tearing it to pieces. Toad wanted to crow in delight.

They skidded to a halt as the hall split into three different directions, each leading to a separate part of the house.

“Which way?” asked Toad.

“I — I,” Melena looked scattered, her hair falling out of its braid. “I don’t remember.”

A great clamor made them turn.

Jack, Bone, and Wilson were speeding toward them.

“CLEAR OUT, GENTS! CLEAR OUT!” Jack roared. From another hallway, Toad heard Lynch’s voice echoing the order.

A balloon of delight swelled in Toad’s chest at the sight of Jack. He opened his mouth, but before he could utter a sound, Jack had flown past him without a glance, his coat tails flapping.

Melena yanked at his arm. “Toad — hurry!”

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“STOP!”

It was made clear why Jack, Bone and Wilson had been running so fast: Ogg was right behind them. His furious eyes landed on Toad and Melena; he raised a balled fist, ready to pummel them.

Hazel flamed, but missed.

“RUN!”

Toad and Melena turned tail and chased after Jack and the others, down the hallway, Ogg right behind them, but they hadn’t gone ten feet when they collided into Jack, Wilson, and Bone. Owl stood before them, blocking their progress, a pistol pointed at Jack’s chest.

“Good evening, Jack,” Owl greeted, smiling in a fashion that sent goosebumps up Toad’s arms. “What a unexpected pleasure. Be a chum, Mr. Ogg and tie them up.”

----------------------------------------

Toad once again found himself in the dining room, this time bound to a chair instead of the table’s leg, joined with Melena, Jack, Wilson, and Bone. Hazel was locked in a bird cage.

“I’m surprised, Jack,” said Owl, casually leaning against the wall, his pistol held loosely in one hand. “I always thought you were a coward, not a fool.”

“I was forced,” Jack bit out.

“Forced? Forced to break into my house? Forced to batter and rampage?”

“Yes,” Jack replied firmly. “And please do take it out on the elf.”

“Would that be you?” Owl asked, turning to Melena.

“You’ve got your ingredients!” said Toad, trying to keep Owl focused on him. “They’re all in that bag on the floor. You got what you wanted. We can just walk away.”

Owl did look at Toad then.

“Walk away?” he repeated as if Toad were a simpleton. “After your partner enlisted a troop of elephants to aid in your escape?”

“How far do you think that noise carried?” Toad pressed. “How many guards are heading this way right now? You don’t have time to finish us all off and hide the evidence before Dowell and the lot are banging on your door —”

In one swift movement, Owl pointed the revolver at Toad. He no longer looked handsome and smooth or flippantly carefree. Owl’s stance was rigid, his lips pressed into a downward snarl. But the sight of the gun only fueled Toad’s determination.

“You know I’m right. Take your goods and let us go.”

Slowly, Owl lowered the gun. Never shifting his eyes off Toad, he held out his hand and Ogg lifted the weather-worn knapsack from the floor. Beside him, Melena twitched. Toad shot her a reassuring look. This is gonna work, he wanted to say. Don’t worry.

But Melena looked terrified as Owl, with a repulsed expression, groped inside the satchel. Owl stilled, his frown deepening, before pulling out not a flask of Mirg water or the elfin gold moss or the roc talon or strand of unicorn hair, but Joe.

“Well,” said Owl dully, “one of the pieces to the potion has come to me.”

“What’re you talking about?” said Toad. “Didn’t you see the ingredients?”

“There’s nothing in here but knickknacks and a book.” Owl turned the bag over and Melena’s potion book fell to the floor with a thud along with two small, colorful boxes. Beside Toad Melena was quivering.

Toad couldn’t understand it. He stared at the odd collection of items on the floor. The ingredients. Where were the ingredients?

“At least you brought me the Vessel,” said Owl, giving Joe a little toss. “But where, Mr. Toad are my ingredients? Or should I be asking the elf that?”

All eyes were on Melena who seemed to shrink into her chair.

“Melena,” said Toad in an undertone, “where are they?”

“I hid them!” she said, quivering from head to foot. “I hid the ingredients! I hid them in Bell’s Brews!”

“What?” Toad sputtered.

“And why would you do that?” asked Owl, crossing his arms, one finger in the crook of Joe’s handle.

“Because I knew how important the ingredients are — how rare they are, and I didn’t want them to get stolen, s-so I hid them in Mr. Bell’s shop and I —” Melena bit her lip.

“Don’t become shy now,” Owl said icily.

“Toad told me you were going to pay him fifty thousand gorents if we brought you the ingredients. I … I want to make sure you’re going to hold up your end of the bargain before handing them over.”

Toad felt as if the air had been sucked from the room. He stared at Melena, baffled and growing more frightened by the second. She knew there wasn’t any money. What was she doing?

“Is that so?” Owl’s eyes glittered. Swiftly, he tucked Joe away inside his coat. “I haven’t given you enough credit, Miss Elf. I will be more than happy to pay my share; you will find me to be a very … honorable businessman. Once the ingredients are safely in my possession, you will have your reward. Mr. Ogg, keep guard outside the door. I’m not finished with Jack.”

“What about Dowell, sir?”

“Put a man at the front. Distract him. Tell him anything. Under no circumstances is he to enter the house. I’ll be back soon. Miss Elf, we have a shop to visit.”

“No!” Toad shouted as Ogg ripped away the ropes tying Melena to her chair and Hazel screeched in her cage. “Leave her alone!”

Her eyes huge, Melena was marched from the room with Owl and Ogg. The door closed with a snap.

“Melena! MELENA!”

“Shut it!” Bone spat.

Toad struggled with the ropes binding him and he fell over — chair and all — with a heavy thud.

“Ain’t this pleasant.”

“MELENA!”

“Bone —” said Jack in warning.

“Why don’t we do this more often, eh?” Bone continued nastily. “Locked up and waitin’ fer a giant to snap my neck. We should do this every day.”

“You’re not helping,” said Jack, giving his binds an exploratory tug.

“And it’s all thanks to you!” Bone exploded, glaring at Toad.

“Me?” said Toad from the floor, still trying to wriggle out of the chair. “If you hadn’t been such a pig head —”

“YEH LITTLE —”

“— and gotten me chunked out —”

“YEH GOT YERSELF CHUNKED OUT!”

“— I never would have gone to Owl in the first place!”

“When I get my hands free, I’m gonna —”

“Gents, for the last time, SHUT IT!” Jack roared. “I doubt we’ve got much time left before Ogg returns, so ideas?”

Silence.

“Wonderful. I’m stranded with the least creative Ramblers.”

“What about the others?” asked Toad. “I saw them trashing the place.”

“Done a runner,” said Wilson, “when Jack gave the order.”

“The one thing thieves do best,” Jack sighed. “Flee the scene.”

Wilson peered about the dining room. “There might be a knife left from dinner.”

“And how are we supposed to grab a knife with our hands tied behind our backs?” Bone asked scathingly.

“At least it was an idea! I ain’t hearin’ many from you!” Wilson snapped back.

“I can’t believe that rodent on the floor caused all of this,” Bone stormed. “Didn’t I say he’d bring us nuthin’ but trouble? Didn’t I say yeh gotta be careful with Snatchers? Never know what yer gettin’!”

Toad stopped struggling. He stared up at Bone, who appeared even larger than usual from his viewpoint on the floor.

“It was a perfectly sound transaction. Billy has a solid reputation. He always gets the best,” said Jack stubbornly. “Look at Igor. Bates. Floe.”

Bone shook his head. “They came from good stock. This cockroach coulda come from Hickory knows where! And from the looks of this mess, probably from a pair of clumsy, tea drinkin’, book readin’, uptight good fer nuthins!”

“What’s going on?” said Toad. “What’re you talking about?”

“And I refuse to let that mangy pup be my downfall,” Bone growled, giving his bonds a violent jerk.

“What are you talking about?” Toad repeated, voice rising. “What’re you saying Snatcher for? My dad’s a pirate—”

Bone let out a vicious laugh. “Pirate?” he jeered. “Pirate? Yeh ain’t got no father, boy! Wilson made that up when yeh started askin’ questions. Thought it’d be nicer than sayin’ yeh was an orphan. I never understood why Wilson had a soft spot fer yeh.”

Toad’s eyes jerked to Wilson who drooped his head and wouldn’t meet Toad’s eyes.

“Lynch was the one who added Captain Shark-Tooth. Thought it sounded fun. The mates had a good time pullin’ yeh on. Yeh was the stupid one fer believin’ it.”

Toad felt like he’d been punched in the gut. He was an orphan? He’d been Snatched? All along? All this time?

“When?” he demanded. “When was I Snatched?”

“Like it matters now,” said Bone with nasty indifference.

“Did I come from Hickory?” Toad shouted, twisting to see Jack and Wilson better. “Do you know what quadrant? What street?”

“Miggens Street,” said Wilson, his hang-dog eyes finally meeting Toad’s. “There was a fire. I remember Billy sayin’ it was his easiest snatch in years: little kid, toddlin’ on the street, everyone distracted …”

Toad didn’t breathe as he searched Wilson’s eyes for a lie, but Toad knew the gangly thief wasn’t lying. There was a terrible ache right in the center of Toad’s chest. A sudden rap on the window made Bone, Jack, and Wilson turn, and Toad realized that his cheeks were wet.

“Lynch!” Jack cried in delight as Lynch’s lanky frame unfolded from the window. “Fine fellow! What took you so long?”

“You know how many windows are in this joint?” Lynch grumbled, pulling a short knife from his pocket and cutting at Jack’s ropes. “More than any bleedin’ house should ever have. Took me ages to check ’em all.”

“Much better,” said Jack, rising to his feet and rubbing his wrists while Lynch hurried to Bone and Wilson. “We must sound the alarm. Owl will be unbearable after this.”

“Where do we go? The tombs?”

Jack shivered. “Rather not. No, gents. I think it’s time we set our sights abroad.” And with that, Jack hoisted himself onto the window sill and lowered himself onto the adjacent tree branch. Bone followed.

“Wait!” Toad cried from the floor, still tied to his chair. “What about me?”

“What about you?” Bone snarled before disappearing down the tree.

“Lynch! Wilson!”

Wilson paused and looked gloomily at Lynch.

“Hang ya all!” Lynch cursed, pulling his knife back out and cutting Toad free. By the time Toad had risen to his feet, Lynch and Wilson had vanished.

For a moment, Toad stood still, staring out the dark window.

Hazel gave a loud snarl.

“Sorry, Hazel!” Toad ran to the bird cage, but before he’d reached it, the dining room door flew open. Ogg’s eyes swept the room, taking in the empty chairs, the cut ropes, the open window, before narrowing on Toad.

He advanced, his great feet making the very floor shake and the decanters in a cabinet rattle. Toad stumbled backward, voiceless in terror. Hazel snarled and flapped in her cage.

Toad retreated. Ogg cracked his knuckles. Toad’s back hit the wall and his foot stepped on something. He looked down and saw the boxes that had fallen from Melena’s bag.

Knowing it wouldn’t do any good, but unwilling to go down without a fight, Toad snatched up a box and threw it with all his might at Ogg’s face. It exploded in a glittering cloud of dust. Ogg stumbled to a stop. He hesitated. And then let out an enormous sneeze.

And another. And another. He couldn’t stop. He didn’t seem to be able to see. He waved his arms blindly, every other breath exploding in an ear-shattering sneeze.

Stunned, Toad scooted around Ogg and opened Hazel’s cage. Without another glance, they fled the room. Toad snapped the door shut and dragged a heavy chair under the doorknob.

“Do you know where he took her?” Toad asked Hazel. “Can you smell her? Can you hear her?”

Hazel turned in midair and sped down the hallway, Toad sprinting behind her.