A Grimm Warning (The Land of Stories, #3)(70)

The storm of soldiers didn’t show any sign of letting up. From the top of the tree the three kids saw flashes in the fog for miles around. The hundreds of men and pieces of equipment that rained from the sky turned into thousands as the storm increased. Many soldiers barely missed being crushed by the carriages or cannons or horses that fell beside them.

Eventually the storm dissipated and the thunderous crashes around the forest came to a stop. The sounds of thousands of men moaning and grunting took its place. The soldiers twitched and turned on the ground—they were a hundred times as discombobulated as Conner, Bree, and Emmerich had been. Most of them held their heads in agony or vomited.

They all wore black boots, white pants, and blue jackets. Most of them wore plain hats while others’ were decorated with colorful accessories and feathers representing their rank. They stayed on the ground for a long while without attempting to stand.

One man appeared through the fog in the distance. He was smaller than the average man and wore a large curved hat. He gazed around at the suffering soldiers with disgust. A musky cologne smell filled the air as he got closer to the tree where Conner, Bree, and Emmerich were hidden. Although Conner and Bree had never seen him before, they were certain he had to be General Jacques Marquis, who Mother Goose had warned them about.

The general apparently had a much stronger stomach than the soldiers and wasn’t affected by the arrival. “Debout!” he shouted at the anguished men on the ground. “Vous êtes une honte pour la France!”

“What did he say?” Conner whispered to the others.

“He said, ‘Stand up, you’re an embarrassment to France,’ ” Emmerich translated.

“You speak French?” Conner asked.

“I can speak German, English, French, and Danish.”

Conner was floored. “Wow, I’m still struggling with English.”

Bree covered their mouths with her hands. “This is not the time to be comparing party tricks!” she snapped, and they both stayed quiet.

Many of the soldiers stumbled to their feet as their general commanded. Emmerich quietly translated what they were saying for Conner and Bree.

“Walk it off like men,” the general told his nauseated soldiers. “This is nothing compared to the battle ahead.”

Another man appeared through the fog. He was a very tall and broad man and wore a rounded hat just like the general’s but it was turned to the side.

“General Marquis—congratulations, sir, we’ve arrived,” Colonel Baton said.

“Yes, Colonel, I can see that,” the general barked. “But there is no use congratulating me until we know exactly where we are.”

Two other soldiers hurried through the forest to the general and colonel. They were dragging another man who didn’t look like a soldier at all.

“General Marquis! Colonel Baton!” Captain De Lange said. “We’ve found someone!”

“This man was walking through the forest when we arrived!” Lieutenant Rembert said.

They pushed the weak old man onto the ground in front of General Marquis. He was terrified and looked around at the soldiers in complete shock. “I saw you all fall from the sky!” he said, trembling. “What kind of magic is this?”

The general had no time for his befuddlement. “Tell us where we are and you may keep your life,” he said.

“Why… why… you’re in the Eastern Kingdom, sir,” the old man said.

Conner locked eyes with Bree; this was good information for them to know, too.

“And what is near here other than trees?” the general asked.

“The border of the Fairy Kingdom is west of here, but Pinocchio Prison is closer, just to the east,” the old man said.

The general stepped closer to him, looking intrigued. “A prison, you say?” he said. “Home to what kind of criminals?”

“The worst criminals in all the kingdoms,” the old man said, surprised the general did not know.

General Marquis’s forehead went very smooth and the corners of his mouth curled to form a sinister smile. “Gentlemen,” he said to his soldiers. “The gods have smiled down on us! Soon we shall have the fairy-tale world in the palm of our hands! Napoleon will be so proud!”

The soldiers mustered up enough energy to cheer.

“You’re here to take over the world?” the old man asked. “Who are you people?”

The general bent low to look the man in the eyes. “Unfortunately, you already know too much,” he said. “Get rid of him.”

The old man screamed. “No! Please! I have a family!” he pleaded, but it was no use. The general didn’t have an ounce of mercy to spare. Captain De Lange and Lieutenant Rembert dragged the old man into the foggy woods and his screams echoed through the trees around them. A moment later a gunshot was heard and the woods were silent again.

Bree had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming. Emmerich gazed around the woods like he had found himself in a nightmare. Conner looked at them with a grave expression in his eyes—they had to stay as quiet as possible or they could be next.

“Colonel Baton, we need to regroup with our men immediately,” the general instructed. “Half will stay in the woods and set up camp, the other half will accompany us to the prison. We strike at dawn.”

“What are we doing at the prison, sir?” Baton asked.