CHAPTER 10
"CRUEL RETURNS"
PREVIOUSLY:
Lizy received a letter from Rex, by the way of 'Number Two,' one of Rex's mice.
"Don’t anybody worry!" Lizy shouted as he took to his feet, "Everyone begin to head for the exits in an orderly fashion!" Next thing he knew, he was under a mass of panicking lizards.
"Come on, Sandy," Lizy said, pouncing up to his feet again and rubbing his sores. He took Sandy by the hand, and the two rushed out followed by Number Two who was just now getting over his 'conversation' with Goody-Goody.
Outside, there was smoke rising up into the air from the direction of downtown. It seemed something dreadful had just happened!
"This is the work of Cruel, to be sure!" Lizy thought aloud.
"How can you know?" asked Sandy.
"Well, for one, the letter from Rex that Number Two brought," Lizy answered. "He had spent so much time basking in the spotlight that Cruel was able to catch up with him for whatever reason. In any case, it looks like the letter arrived just a little too late."
"I just barely escaped with the message, myself," Number Two added proudly.
"Anyhow," Lizy continued, "Rex at the very least left me with some valuable information. But if he had been doing his job, this wouldn't have happened!"
"It won't help to blame him now," Sandy replied harshly. About then, a horde of lizards came fleeing down the street from the direction of downtown.
"Cruel just opened fire on City Hall!" cried someone in the crowd to Lizy as he passed by, "And he's holding the Mayor and all of City Council hostage!"
"Opened fire!" exclaimed Lizy aloud, "With what? Does Cruel have some sort of cannon?"
But there was no answer. The lizard was already long gone, and a steady steam of lizards kept streaming down the street.
"Lizy! Lizy!" called the voice of someone fighting against the flow of the crowd. It was Speedy Swiftfoot, postlizard and royal messenger of the King, who had delivered the invitation to Lizy a week ago.
"Speedy?" Lizy called back as Speedy made his way out of the mayhem. "What is it?"
"More terrible than an over-sized cat with heartburn!" Speedy replied, "I've been looking all over for you! I have some bad news and some really bad news and then some really, really bad news. Which do you want first."
"Just tell me what it is, already," Lizy groaned.
"The bad news is that there is no good news," began Speedy as Lizy rolled his eyes. "The really bad news is that we just finished an inventory of the library, and no books were taken, but there was a missing statuette!"
"What in Zytrolilex does Cruel want with a statue?" Sandy asked.
"Forget that," Lizy interrupted, "What’s this really, really bad news all about? And it better be good... I mean... Nevermind. Go on."
"The really, really, really bad news is that Mt. Lizard is under siege!" Speedy answered, "And we can't find Rex to help us! Do you know where he is, Lizy?"
"Forget Rex!" laughed Sandy, "Lizy’s here to help!"
"You're right as usual," admitted Lizy proudly, "And this time, I’m going to do things right! C'mon, Speedy, I just might need your help. You better come, too, Sandy. I don’t want anything to happen to you! Let's go!"
And with that, Lizy took off for downtown followed by Speedy, Sandy, and poor Number Two, who decided he ought to tag along.