Once she switched guard duty with Angles. Angles was much more strong then Doris, but unlike Doris, he didn’t watch Dark all the time, and tended to be thinking of other things. Once, when Angles was looking at the moon, Dark tried pushing the cable car lever. Angles heard the noise and whipped around and punched him so hard, Dark did not try it again.

Dark was covered with bruises and his leg was badly cut. He gritted his teeth and pressed his hand on the wound to prevent it from bleeding. Thank goodness for that dumb First Aid class Bilbo made me take, he thought to himself wryly. Still, he knew that he had already lost a great deal of blood, and he was beginning to feel a little dizzy. Dark concentrated on staying awake.

Presently Doris returned and Angles left. Doris gave Dark a bit of old Morning Glory plant to help keep him awake. Dark looked at her, and she was snickering.

He decided he hated her.

Around midnight, the other Grendels returned. They spoke in Grendlish with Doris for a little while. Then Angles came over to Dark.

“Git up,” he said in a gruff voice. “We see Galywag now.”

Dark glared at Angles, and tried to stand up. To his dismay he found that he could barely stand. The Grendels spoke to each other, and then quickly formered a circle and shoved him in the middle of it. They nudged him along roughly.

Although they only walked a short while, it seemed an eternity. Then Dark saw a male Grendel, slightly larger then the rest, sitting underneath a clock. Galywag. The moon shone on Galywag’s face. It was so hideous that Dark couldn’t help but back up a little. Despite his grotesque look, he did have an air of royalty about him. He could be no other but the great and mighty Grendel king.

Somebody else was sitting next to the Grendel leader, but Dark couldn’t tell whom. Suddenly, Angles kicked Dark forward. “Speek to Galywag, Dark,” he ordered. The Grendels all backed away.

“Um, sir, I mean, er, Galywag… look, I didn’t mean to come here. You can keep the cable car. But would you please let me go?"

Galywag shouted, “Silence, Norn! Be still,” in perfect English.

Dark was taken aghast. Such good English! His accent was perfect. It might have just been because it was dark outside, but he could swear that Galywag had a smug look on his face.

Galywag laughed deeply, but his eyes were cold. “Surprised that I know English? Well, this is not the first time I have seen one of your kind,” he sneered. “You are quite an intruiging creature, Dark. I have waited a long time for this moment.” He paused. “I just hope you don’t interfere with my plans for Nell,” he contemplated.

“Who’s Nell?” asked Dark.

Galywag punched Dark until he fell over. “I will do the talking, Norn!” Galywag yelled. He was about to punch him again, but he stopped, his arm in midair.

“No, no, this will never do,” he murmered. He sounded disappointed, and almost regretful. He looked sheepishly at Dark and said, “Sometimes my, let’ s say, ‘violent natures’, get the best of me.”

“What do you want with me?!” demanded Dark. His face got hot and his head spun, both with rage and with nausua. He glared defiantly at the Grendel king and said, “Are you going to kill me?”

Galywag picked up an Albian Carrot Beetle that was scurrying about before answering. “If I wanted to kill you,” he said cruelly, “I would have already done it!”

And before Dark’s eyes, he bit off the head of the beetle, spewing blood out of it’s wiggling body. Dark stared at him in amazement. His eyelids began to feel heavy, and the room spun, fading.

“Bring the restraining cage, Angles!”

Then everything went black.