Luke and Elliot joined a crowd of little people. They didn't look at the boys. They're attention was on the castle. The brothers wondered what was going on.

“I wonder what's going on,” said Luke.

“Do you think these guys are friendly?,” asked Elliot.

“Hold on,” said Luke. “It looks like they are waiting for something to happen.”

A woman in a flowery dress stepped out on a balcony above the assemblage. She stood taller than her subjects, but had the same bigger head and stubby arms. A crown sat on top of the pile of pink hair on her head.

“My people,” said the pink princess. “There is trouble brewing to the south. We must be ready for an invasion from the Lava King. You should gather up as many brights as you can. We will need them to weather the storm.”

“What about the Mandelas?,” yelled one of the little people on the ground.

“I have already sent them south to try to stop the King from leaving his volcano,” said the princess. “We must be ready in case they fail.”

“I wonder how big a deal this is,” said Luke.

“Do you think these Mandelas can stop this Lava King?,” asked Elliot.

“I don't know,” said Luke. “Maybe they know something about the pipes. They seem to be adventuring guys. I wouldn't say that for these guys.”

“So you think we should see if they know something?,” asked Elliot.

“I don't think these guys are going to let us close to the princess without a fight,” said Luke. “Let's take a look at the volcano.”

“I'm ready,” said Elliot.

Luke walked away from the crowd. He headed for the road leading back the way they had entered the town around the castle. He wished them the best of luck repelling the enemy.

He didn't want to get caught in their war. He expected a lot of blood to flow. He and Elliot had to be gone before that happened.

He needed a way out for the both of them before they get in so deep they couldn't get out before their mother started wondering what had happened.

They couldn't afford to get into trouble over this.

Jeff wouldn't cover for them. He might cover for Luke, but he would enjoy selling Elliot down the river. His parents hated both of the brothers and they were forbidden to visit.

Luke didn't blame him. Elliot had blown up an experiment that would have netted Jeff and his family money from grants and future jobs.

Elliot had thought it had been funny until the shouting had started. Luckily, they had not thought to call Mrs. Peke. If they had, the brothers would have been deeper in hot water.

The brothers ambled down the road. They didn't need the pictures posted to tell them they were on the right path. The volcano plainly stood out against the sky, smoke rolling up from its mouth.

“I don't know if my fire will let me walk on lava,” said Elliot.

“I think walking around will be easy,” said Luke. “My main worry is the fact there might be little guys in the volcano wanting to stop us.”

“So we might have to fight if we want to talk to the Mandelas about a door home,” said Elliot.

“Maybe,” said Luke. “I don't want to have to fight anybody here, but I also don't want to stay here any longer than necessary.”

“I can see that,” said Elliot. “If they are all little people, we should be able to take them with no problem.”

“We're not here to take anybody,” said Luke. “Don't start picking fights because you think that is cool.”

“I don't do that,” said Elliot.

“You do it all the time,” said Luke. “We don't have time for it this time. If we do have to fight someone, we combine attacks and take him out fast.”

“So I have to electrocute anybody we're fighting so we can move on?,” said Elliot.

“Exactly right,” said Luke. “I'm going to do the same.”

“You won't kill steal me?,” said Elliot.

“This is not a video game,” said Luke. “We fight just enough to get room to run away. We're not taking on all comers. That's dumb.”

“I guess I can see that,” said Elliot.

“All right,” said Luke.

The brothers continued down the road at a moderate pace. The light from above gave everything a gray look. The smoke from the volcano looked like a thunderstorm cloud.

The Pekes met their first group of enemy soldiers at the edge of the vast lava field around the volcano. Elliot laughed at the the upright reptiles and their lances. Luke didn't.

“How's it going?,” said Luke. “We're looking for the Mandelas.”

“The Mandelas?,” said the leader of the creatures. “Where?”

“I don't know,” said Luke. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

“We're not telling you anything,” said the reptile. “We're taking you in to see the Lava King. Maybe he has a use for you.”

“You're taking us to see the Lava King?,” said Elliot. “Awesome. He might be the guy we need to talk to get out of this mess.”

“My brother is right,” said Luke. “We're just trying to go home. If the Lava King can help us with that, it would be great.”

“He's not going to help you with anything,” said the reptile. “He rules all with his magnificent might. You help him, or else.”

“How much help do you think we can give him?,” asked Luke.

“That is for him to decide,” said the reptile. “Fall into line if you want to live.”

“We have to fall into line, Luke,” said Elliot.

“Let's go with the nice lizards, and see the Lava King,” said Luke. “Do not set any of these guys on fire.”

“I can't set one on fire?,” said Elliot.

“No,” said the patrol commander. “You can't set any of us on fire.”

“Would you like to see your commander on fire?,” asked Elliot.

The other reptiles nodded in the affirmative. The reptile commander shook his head. Elliot grinned.

“You heard them,” said Elliot. “Looks like there's some frying tonight.”

The patrol commander stabbed out with the lance he carried. No one was setting him on fire. That went double for some strange looking child.

Elliot turned so the point of the lance slid by on his right. He stepped in, swinging a fist. Fire lit up the fist. He connected with the hardened scales of his enemy. The reptile flew into the lava field.

“That was pretty good,” said Elliot. “I didn't think he would bounce like that.”

“Can we go talk to the Lava King without any more trouble?,” asked Luke.

“You heard him,” said Elliot. He clapped his hands together. “Let's get this done. We have to get home before our mom realizes we lied about where we were going.”

The patrol formed a circle around the two boys. They kept their lances at the ready as they started marching the Pekes across the glowing field toward the volcano.

“I don't think that's a volcano,” said Elliot as they marched closer to the cone sticking out of the ground.

“It looks like a castle that looks like a volcano,” said Luke. He looked around. The patrol seemed unconcerned.

“Do you think the Lava King is in there?,” asked Elliot.

“It would be strange if he wasn't,” said Luke.

“I wonder what he looks like,” said Elliot. “I'm thinking maybe one of these guys but way bigger.”

“Maybe covered in lava because he's fireproof,” said Luke. “Maybe he has to stay down in the bowels of the earth since any other place is too cold for him to do anything.”

“You think he has horns or something?,” said Elliot.

“Maybe some fangs too,” said Luke.

“That would be cool,” said Elliot. “Maybe he's ten feet tall.”

“We would have to go for his legs,” said Luke. “Once he's down on the ground, then we can go for the vitals.”

“This guy must be tougher than leather,” said Elliot. “Probably has a sword bigger than he is.”

“That would be an anime touch,” said Luke.

“I know, right?,” said Elliot.

The patrol marched the boys to a large gate that looked like the mouth of a monster with the rest of the head forming the central part of the wall. One of them knocked on the door with the butt of his lance.

A port opened to the right of the mouth. A reptile stuck his head out and yammered at the patrol. The lancer that knocked yammered back. The mouth opened as a drawbridge dropped to allow the patrol to enter. They gestured for the boys to enter the court with their lances.

Luke walked into the central room revealed by the lowered door. He looked around as the patrol was met by similar reptiles from the inside of the castle.

He could see differences in the individuals, but they still resembled clones of each other more than family members.

“What do we do now?,” asked Elliot.

“We wait for someone to talk to us,” said Luke. “Too bad you knocked out the only one of them that seemed to speak English.”

“That's not fair,” said Elliot. “It got us into the castle without much problems.”

“I'll give you that,” said Luke. “But we can't talk to the king if we can't talk to his guys.”

“What do you want to do?,” asked Elliot. He studied the room. He noted a ton of exits that led deeper into the castle. The big door was the only thing keeping them from heading back out into the glowing fields.

“Let's wait for a minute while they decide what they want to do,” said Luke. He indicated the two groups of reptiles making noises at each other.”

“All right,” said Elliot. “I can do that. Any idea how to open the big door if we want to leave?”

“There's a ratchet next to the door,” said Luke. “You pull the switch and the chains lower the door. You lock the switch and spin the reel and the chains pick up the door.”

“So if we want to leave, we can blow that ratchet apart and that will drop the door,” said Elliot.

“I think so,” said Luke. “It looks like they've decided what they want to do with us.”

The inner group of guards gestured at the Peke brothers to step forward from the patrol. The patrol turned and marched to the door and were let out. The remaining reptiles hooted at the boys to keep moving forward.

“Nobody likes a pushy dinosaur,” said Elliot.

“If they don't take us to see the King, get ready to bust out and head for the door,” said Luke.

“I'm ready to blow these guys up right now,” said Elliot. He turned at one of the reptiles pushing on him. “Hands to yourself, ugly.”

The guard hooted back at him.