Worlds Collide (The Land of Stories #6)(57)

“We should start looking for a place to land,” Charlotte said from inside the blimp. “Look over there—it’s Liberty Island! That’s perfect!”

Emgee gave her a thumbs-up and gradually steered the blimp toward the lawns behind the Statue of Liberty. Once the Charlie Chaplin landed safely, the BASK-8, the Dolly Llama, and the Ziblings’ jet joined it on the island.

Charlotte, Bob, Trollbella, the Tin Woodman, and Lester rode aboard the blimp with Beau Rogers and Emgee. Unfortunately, they also had to share it with Bones and all the mummies from the Pyramid of Anesthesia. After traveling across the country with the undead in a tight space, the smell was almost unbearable. Trollbella yanked opened the door and jumped out of the blimp before it came to a complete stop.

“Thank the Troblin Heavens—fresh air!” she gasped. “I don’t think I’ll ever get the stench of death out of my clothes! I smell like the Breemonster’s breath!”

The BASK-8 lowered its ramp and the Cyborg Queen rolled out of the spacecraft with Commander Newters and the Cyborg soldiers following behind her. Captain Auburn Sally kicked down her ship’s gangplank and she, Admiral Jacobson, their crew, the Merry Men, and the Rosary Chicken exited the Dolly Llama. The Blissworm’s cocoon had been hung at the top of the mast beside the ship’s flag.

The Ziblings lowered the steps of their jet, and the superheroes climbed down with Professor Wallet, Blubo, Peter Pan, and the Lost Boys.

“That! Was! AWESOME!” Tootles cheered. “Can we ride the jet again?”

“If you think that was fast, you should see the Ziblings’ rocket our dad is building!” Bolt bragged.

Riding the Ziblings’ jet made the Lost Boys euphoric, but Peter Pan looked like the saddest boy in the world.

“Peter, what’s wrong?” Professor Wallet asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Peter said with a sigh. “I just never thought people would invent machines that could fly. I mean, it sort of defeats the purpose of me if everyone can do it.”

“My dear boy, who do you think the rest of the world has been trying to catch up with all these years?” Professor Wallet said with a twinkle in his eye.

Once everyone had exited their various methods of transportation, Charlotte gathered Conner’s binder of short stories, the emerald-green treasury, and the Portal Potion, and led the characters to the grassy field directly below the Statue of Liberty. They looked across the Hudson River at the island of Manhattan and could see smoke bellowing from somewhere in Midtown. After closer inspection, they could see the Jolly Roger and flying monkeys snaking through the city’s skyscrapers.

“Oh no!” Charlotte gasped. “The Literary Army is already here!”

“What should we do now?” Bob asked.

“I’m trying to think,” Charlotte said. “Call me crazy, but I’ve never orchestrated a war before.”

The emerald-green storybook suddenly started to glow in her hands. Charlotte dropped the book on the grass and it opened, shining a beam of light toward the sky. Froggy hopped out of the beam and looked around Liberty Island. His mouth dropped open at the sight of the New York skyline across the river and the Statue of Liberty towering above him.

“So this is the Otherworld,” he said in amazement. “I can’t imagine why the twins would ever leave a place like this.”

“Froggy, how did you get here?” Charlotte asked. “The twins told me you were trapped in a magic mirror!”

“Hello, Mrs. Gordon,” he said. “I’d love to stay and catch up, but it’s urgent I speak with the twins! Where might they be?”

Charlotte pointed to the New York skyline. “They’re in there somewhere.”

Froggy looked toward Manhattan and noticed the smoke, the flying monkeys, and the Jolly Roger hovering above Midtown.

“The army’s already arrived!” he said. “We’re too late!”

“You mean, you’re not alone?” Charlotte asked.

As soon as she asked the question, Charlotte had the answer. Mother Goose, Merlin, Arthur, and the Knights of the Round Table emerged from the beam of light in a straight line. Cornelius galloped out of the beam next with Rook on his back, followed by the seven members of the Fairy Council.

“Well, take a look at all these theatrics,” Mother Goose said as she scanned the island. “Are these the characters from Conner’s short stories or am I back at Burning Man?”

Lester was overjoyed to see Mother Goose. He wrapped his wings around her and the two embraced.

“Squawk!” the gander said as he nuzzled his beak under her chin.

“I’ve missed you, too, Lester,” Mother Goose said. “Gosh, I leave you alone for a couple of weeks and the whole universe starts falling apart!”

“You guys sure are a sight for sore eyes,” Charlotte said. “We could really use your help. New York City is under attack! The witches and the Literary Army have crossed into the Otherworld!”

“The witches?” Emerelda asked. “What on earth are they doing in the Otherworld?”

“I imagine the same thing as the Literary Army,” Mother Goose said. “Come on, Emerelda, you can’t be that surprised. It’s just like the kids say: Witches be witches.”

“They kidnapped Alex a week ago and have put her under some sort of spell,” Charlotte informed them. “Conner and his friends came to the city yesterday to find her, but now we’re not certain where any of them are. Before she was kidnapped, Alex helped Conner assemble an army from his short stories to fight the Literary Army, but I’m not exactly qualified to lead them.”