#AC4 ,! ,NOME ,K+ ,LAU<S

  ,9 A MO;T ! ,K+ RETURN$ 6HIS ?R"O &
RELI<T$ 8 PIPE1 &! RE/ (! LL B& (
ADV5TUR]S SETTL$ !MVS = ANO!R L;G WAIT4
,!Y 7 GRTLY 4HE>T5$ 0! FAILURE ( _! GIRL
,RUL]1 &! K T %E 0 N[ AN ORNA;T 9 !
,NOME ,K+'S PALACE--A DR1D;L1 CREEPY
PLACE 9 SPITE ( ALL XS MAGNIFIC;E4 ,)\T
_! LL L1D] !Y DID N "K :AT 6D NEXT1 &
EA* "O1 D[N 6! TREMBL+ PRIVATE (! >MY1
2GAN 6FE> HE WD SOON 2 M ORNA;TAL ?AN
USE;L4
  ,SU45LY ! ,NOME ,K+ 2GAN LAU<+4
  8,HA1 HA1 HA6 ,HE1 HE1 HE6 ,HO1 HO1
HO60
  8,:AT'S HAPP5$80 ASK$ ! ,SC>ECR[4
  8,:Y1 YR FR1 ! ,T9 ,WOODMAN1 HAS 2COME
! FUNNIE/ ?+ Y C IMAG9E10 REPLI$ ! ,K+1
WIP+ ! TE>S ( M]RI;T F 8 EYES4 8,NO "O
WD "E 2LIEVE HE CD MAKE S* AN AMUS+
ORNA;T4 ,NEXT60
  ,!Y GAZ$ AT EA* O!R ) S9K+ HE>TS4 ,"O
(! G5]ALS 2GAN 6WEEP DOLE;LLY4
  8,:AT >E Y CRY+ =80 ASK$ ! ,SC>ECR[1
9DIGNANT AT S* A 4PLAY ( W1K;S4
  8,HE [$ ME SIX WEEKS BACK PAY10 SD !
G5]AL1 8& ,I HATE 6LOSE HM40
  8,!N Y % G & F9D HM10 DCLD ! ,SC>ECR[4
  8,ME60 CRI$ ! G5]AL1 GRTLY AL>M$4
  8,C]TA9LY4 ,X IS YR DUTY 6FOLL[ YR
-M&]4 ,M>*60
  8,I WON'T10 SD ! G5]AL4 8,I'D L TO1 (
C\RSE2 B ,I J SIMPLY ,,WON'T40
  ,! ,SC>ECR[ LOOK$ 5QUIR+LY AT ! ,NOME
,K+4
  8,N"E M9D10 SD ! JOLLY MON>*4 8,IF HE
DOESN'T C>E 65T] ! PALACE & MAKE 8
GUESSES ,I'LL ?R[ HM 96"O ( MY FI]Y
FURNACES40
  8,I'LL G6--( C\RSE ,I'M GO+10 YELL$ !
G5]AL1 Z QK Z SCAT4 8,": IS ! 5TR.E--":
IS X8 ,LET ME G AT ONCE60
  ,S ! ,NOME ,K+ ESCORT$ HM 96! PALACE1
& AG RETURN$ 6AWAIT ! RESULT4 ,:AT !
G5]AL DID1 NO "O C TELL2 B X 0 N L;G 2F
! ,K+ CALL$ =! NEXT VICTIM1 &A COLONEL 0
=C$ 6TRY 8 =TUNE4
  ,?US1 "O AF ANO!R1 ALL (! TW5TY-SIX
(FIC]S FIL$ 96! PALACE & MADE _! GUESSES
--& 2CAME ORNA;TS4
  ,M1N"T ! ,K+ ORD]$ REFRE%;TS 6BE S]V$
6^? WAIT+1 & AT 8 -M& A RUDELY %AP$
,NOME 5T]$1 BE>+ A TRAY4 ,? ,NOME 0 N
UNLIKE ! O!RS T ,DORO?Y _H SE51 B HE
WORE A H1VY GOLD *A9 >.D 8 NECK 6%[ T HE
0 ! ,*IEF ,/EW>D (! ,NOME ,K+1 & HE
ASSUM$ AN AIR ( M* IMPORT.E1 & EV5 TOLD
8 MAJE/Y N 6EAT TOO M* CAKE LATE AT
NI<T1 OR HE WD 2 ILL4
  ,DORO?Y1 H["E1 0 HUNGRY1 & %E 0 N
AFRAID ( 2+ ILL2 S %E ATE S"EAL CAKES &
F.D !M GD1 & AL %E DRANK A CUP (
EXCELL5T C(FEE MADE (A RI*LY FLAVOR$
CLAY1 BR[N$ 9 ! FURNACES & !N GR.D F9E1
& F.D X MO/ REFRE%+ & N AT ALL MU4Y4
  ,( ALL ! "PY : _H />T$ ^U ? ADV5TURE1
! LL ,KANSAS GIRL 0 N[ LEFT AL"O )!
,SC>ECR[1 ,TIKTOK1 &! PRIVATE =
C\NSELLORS & -PANIONS4 ,( C\RSE !
,C[>DLY ,LION &! ,HUNGRY ,TIG] 7 / "!1 B
!Y1 HAV+ AL EAT5 "S (! CAKES1 _H G"O
6SLEEP AT "O SIDE (! CAVE1 :ILE ^U ! O!R
SIDE /OOD ! ,SAWHORSE1 MO;N.S & SIL5T1 Z
2CAME A M]E ?+ ( WOOD4 ,BILL9A _H
QUIETLY WALK$ >.D & PICK$ UP ! CRUMBS (
CAKE : _H BE5 SCATT]$1 & N[1 Z X 0 L;G
AF B$-"T1 %E TRI$ 6F9D "S D>K PLACE 9 :
6G 6SLEEP4
  ,PRES5TLY ! H5 ESPI$ A HOLL[ "UN1? !
,K+'S ROCKY ?R"O1 & CREPT 96X UNNOTIC$4
,%E CD / HE> ! *ATT]+ ( ^? >.D H]1 B X 0
ALM D>K "UN1? ! ?R"O1 S T SOON %E _H
FALL5 FA/ ASLEEP4
  8,NEXT60 CALL$ ! ,K+1 &! PRIVATE1 ^:
TURN X 0 65T] ! FATAL PALACE1 %OOK H&S )
,DORO?Y &! ,SC>ECR[ & BADE !M A SORR[;L
GD-BYE1 & PASS$ "? ! ROCKY PORTAL4
  ,!Y WAIT$ A L;G "T1 =! PRIVATE 0 9 NO
HURRY 62COME AN ORNA;T & MADE 8 GUESSES
V SL[LY4 ,! ,NOME ,K+1 :O SEEM$ 6"K1 0"S
MAGICAL P[]1 ALL T TOOK PLACE 9 8
B1UTI;L ROOMS ( 8 PALACE1 GREW IMPATI5T
F9,Y & DCLD HE WD SIT UP NO L;G]4
  8,I LOVE ORNA;TS10 SD HE1 8B ,I C WAIT
UNTIL TM 6GET M ( !M2 S1 Z SOON Z T
/UPID PRIVATE IS TRANS=M$1 WE W ALL G
6B$ & L1VE ! JOB 6BE F9I%$ 9 ! MORN+40
8,IS X S V LATE80 ASK$ ,DORO?Y4
  8,:Y1 X IS AF MIDNI<T10 SD ! ,K+1 8& T
/RIKES ME Z 2+ LATE 5\<4 ,"! IS NEI NI<T
NOR "D 9 MY K+DOM1 2C X IS "U ! E>?'S
SURFACE1 ": ! SUN DOES N %9E4 ,B WE H
6SLEEP1 J ! SAME Z ! UP-/AIRS P D1 &= MY
"P ,I'M GO+ 6B$ 9 A FEW M9UTES40
  ,9DE$1 X 0 N L;G AF ? T ! PRIVATE MADE
8 LA/ GUESS4 ,( C\RSE HE GUESS$ WR;GLY1
&( C\RSE HE AT ONCE 2CAME AN ORNA;T4 ,S
! ,K+ 0 GRTLY PL1S$1 & CLAPP$ 8 H&S
6SUMMON 8 ,*IEF ,/EW>D4
  8,%[ ^! GUE/S 6"S (! SLEEP+ A"P;TS10
HE -M&$1 8& 2 QK AB X1 TOO1 = ,I'M
DR1D;LLY SLEEPY MYF40
  8,Y'VE NO BUSI;S 6SIT UP S LATE10
REPLI$ ! ,/EW>D1 GRU6LY4 8,Y'LL 2 Z
CROSS Z A GRI69 TM MORN+40
  ,8 ,MAJE/Y MADE NO ANSW] 6? REM>K1 &!
,*IEF ,/EW>D L$ ,DORO?Y "? ANO!R DOORWAY
96A L;G HALL1 F : S"EAL PLA9 B -=TA#
SLEEP+ ROOMS OP5$4 ,! LL GIRL 0 GIV5 !
F/ ROOM1 &! ,SC>ECR[ & ,TIKTOK ! NEXT--
AL? !Y N"E SLEPT--&! ,LION &! ,TIG] !
?IRD4 ,! ,SAWHORSE HOB#D AF ! ,/EW>D 96A
F\R? ROOM1 6/& /I6LY 9 ! C5T] ( X UNTIL
MORN+4 ,EA* NI<T 0 R A BORE 6! ,SC>ECR[1
,TIKTOK &! ,SAWHORSE2 B !Y _H LE>N$ F
EXP]I;E 6PASS ! "T PATI5TLY & QUIETLY1
S9CE ALL _! FRS :O 7 MADE ( FLE% _H
6SLEEP & DID N L 6BE 4TURB$4 ,:5 ! ,*IEF
,/EW>D _H LEFT !M AL"O ! ,SC>ECR[
REM>K$1 SADLY3
  8,I AM 9 GRT SORR[ OV] ! LOSS ( MY OLD
-RADE1 ! ,T9 ,WOODMAN4 ,WE H _H _M
DANG]\S ADV5TURES TGR1 & ESCAP$ !M ALL1
& N[ X GRIEVES ME 6"K HE HAS 2COME AN
ORNA;T1 & IS LO/ 6ME ="E40
  8,HE 0 ;AL-WAYS AN OR-NA-M5T 6S-;CI-
;E-TY10 SD ,TIKTOK4
  8,TRUE2 B N[ ! ,NOME ,K+ LAU<S AT HM1
& CALLS HM ! FUNNIE/ ORNA;T 9 ALL !
PALACE4 ,X W HURT MY POOR FR'S PRIDE 6BE
LAU<$ AT10 3T9U$ ! ,SC>ECR[1 SADLY4
  8,WE W MAKE RA?-] ;AB-SURD OR-NA-M5TS1
\R-SELVES1 TO-MOR-R[10 OBS]V$ ! MA*9E1 9
8 MONOTON\S VOICE4
  ,J !N ,DORO?Y RAN 96_! ROOM1 9 A /ATE
( GRT ANXIETY1 CRY+3
  8,":'S ,BILL9A8 ,H Y SE5 ,BILL9A8 ,IS
%E "H80
  8,NO10 ANSW]$ ! ,SC>ECR[4
  8,!N :AT HAS 2COME ( H]80 ASK$ ! GIRL4
  8,:Y1 ,I ?"\ %E 0 ) Y10 SD ! ,SC>ECR[4
8,YET ,I D N REMEMB] SEE+ ! YELL[ H5
S9CE %E PICK$ UP ! CRUMBS ( CAKE40
  8,WE M/ H LEFT H] 9 ! ROOM ": ! ,K+'S
?R"O IS10 DECID$ ,DORO?Y1 & AT ONCE %E
TURN$ & RAN D[N ! HALL 6! DOOR "? : !Y
_H 5T]$4 ,B X 0 FA/ CLOS$ & LOCK$ ON !
O!R SIDE1 &! H1VY SLAB ( ROCK PROV$ 6BE
S ?ICK T NO S.D CD PASS "? X4 ,S ,DORO?Y
0 =C$ 6RETURN 6H] *AMB]4
  ,! ,C[>DLY ,LION /UCK 8 H1D 96H] ROOM
6TRY 63SOLE ! GIRL =! LOSS ( H] F1!R$
FR4
  8,! YELL[ H5 IS WELL A# 6TAKE C>E (
H]F10 SD HE2 8S DON'T WORRY AB H]1 B TRY
6GET ALL ! SLEEP Y C4 ,X HAS BE5 A L;G &
WE>Y "D1 & Y NE$ RE/40
  8,I'LL PROB'LY GET LOTS ( RE/ TM1 :5
,I 2COME AN ORN'M5T10 SD ,DORO?Y1
SLEEPILY4 ,B %E LAY D[N ^U H] C\*1
N"E!.S1 & 9 SPITE ( ALL H] WORRIES 0
SOON 9 ! L& ( DR1MS4