CHAPTER FOUR

Stephanie crept into the mayor's mansion. There was a big mirror against the wall, something she hadn't noticed before. The place was gloomy. Stephanie hesitated whether she should call out or go look for him. Perhaps he was in bed or out doing mayor things?

Someone grabbed her shoulder and she screeched!

"You're a feisty annoying little thing, do you know that?" Said Rikki, and he faltered to the stairwell with his cane wobbling as he went, Stephanie began to plead.

"Please, Rikki, don't fire my father. What do you want us to do?"

He spun around, "Leave town! Stop writing about stupid elves! Stop looking for them! Let me live my life without you snooping every day. This is twice you've come here, you know. And twice you've let yourself in!"

"The door is always open."

"Oh is it?"

She looked at the mirror and saw something that astounded and frightened her. Rikki was not Rikki in the mirror, it was that hairy grotesque creature from the orchard. Every time Rikki made a movement it mimicked him. She pretended not to see it as he stammered on.

"…Do I look like I care to be bothered by irritating brats? I should've gotten rid of you when I first found you in the cemetery."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He threw his cane away and walked over to her the agility of a healthy man, no limping, nothing of the sort. He never had a hobble to begin with. He was acting out all along to fool people.

She pointed at the mirror. "You're Grim Galdur aren't you?"

He paused before grabbing her, "How do you know that name?"

"My friend told me."

"Your friend?" He sneered. "So is your superhero by any chance an elf?"

"Maybe."

"It's either a 'yes' or a 'no'?"

"Okay," she crossed her arms over her chest. "My friend is called Sportacus."

"Who?"

"Baldur."

He appeared surprised, and then whispered to himself, but still loud enough that she could hear him. "I banished him, how is it he's still alive?"

"I found his crystal in a stream. He has it back, and he's coming for you if you try anything funny."

Grim grasped her by the chin, "then I'll use you as an excuse to get rid of him for good. It's pleasant that you came here tonight, not only will I kill that pointy-eared freak, I will have you for supper. Ever been served on a pilaf?"

He yanked her by the hair and dragged her into the dining room.

Stephanie was tied to a chair right then and there; it was one of those throne-like ones which sat at the head of the long table. She called out for Sportacus.

A while later: Rikki came into the room dressed in a purple striped suit and spats; he was smoking a cigar and carrying a Tommy gun. "Keep calling him, I'm ready."

"You won't get away with this!"

He beamed, "Tonight elf will be splattered on my wall." He left the room. "I'm off to make my speech to the citizens of this retched town."

As Rikki opened the front door he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"Going somewhere?"

He spun around and saw his old enemy Baldur -or what looked like Baldur- standing on the stairwell with his arms crossed. He wasn't dressed in his usual brown and yellow outfit but a blue one now.

"Blue?" Rikki closed the door. "You look good for what's about to be your own funeral."

"Where's the child?"

"Oh, her?" He puffed on his cigar. "Here." He pointed at his stomach. "You're too late!"

"I don't believe you." He walked down a few steps. "Where is she?"

He held up the gun. "This here is MY child, do you want to see what she can do?"

He started firing it, the banging and bullets reigned out over the silence. Baldur jumped into the air and clung to the ceiling. Rikki aimed in that direction and Baldur leapt to another part of the foyer.

"Ugh! Stay still will you?"

With that cigar between his teeth he fired like a madman, he could even hear Stephanie screaming in the other room. Soon Baldur was gone. He stopped the gun, listened, and glanced around but his enemy was gone. He shrugged his shoulders, "Humph! That was easy."

His chandelier fell to the floor and shattered. Rikki scowled, "Ohhhh, that was an expensive gift to myself."

He turned around, went out the front door, and got into his vintage car…

Stephanie struggled with her bonds, Baldur came into the room and ripped the ropes off of her. "I'm so sorry, Stephanie, I should never have told you to come here."

She hugged him. And, "Did you hear what he said? He's going to make a speech. He's going to lie to those people, he's going to give them a product which will stop them from wanting fruits and vegetables. He's Grim Galdur! I saw him in the mirror. His reflection was that ugly thing…"

"Don't worry, we will stop him."

"But how?"

"I have a plan. You get down to the City Hall and try to halt his speech."

She raced out of the house…

Rikki was at his podium speaking to his crowd, who held onto signs and flags. "…You will have fun MY way. Things will change now that I'm in charge. You will live fulfilling lives. All you need do is take this Smart product and add it to your lifestyle. Add it to your meals, add it to your sickly gardens. You don't know how much having me as your mayor will benefit your lives. I am here to help you. Raise your kids on Smart, sleep in until noon, forget that morning jog and eat only cake and pudding for all of your meals."

"Stop! Don't listen to him!" Stephanie cried as she ran up to Rikki, he put his hand on her face and shoved her away, all the while keeping that sly smile on his face.

"Don't worry about her. She voted for Milford!"

The audience chuckled.

"Stop!" Stephanie yelled and slapped his hand away. "He's not who he says he is!"

Miss Busybody and Milford arrived on the scene.

"Get your Smart today, folks."

Stephanie tried to yank him away from the podium. "He's Grim Galdur!"

Rikki let out a fake laugh.

"He is trying to trick you, if you let him continue being your mayor Latibær won't have anymore sports, fun or singing."

"Little girl," Rikki stated, "You're being a nuisance, do stand down and let the adults speak."

Miss Busybody stepped up to the podium holding onto Milford's hand, "Milford was a good man, but ever since YOU came into town rumours spread about Milford that he was going to do all sorts of bad things to the town."

Stephanie agreed. "It's because Rikki is not a human. He's a wicked elf! He has the power to do these things."

"She's lying, folks!" Rikki exclaimed and shoved both Stephanie and Busybody aside. "Listen and trust me, for I am your mayor and I know what's best for you."

"Rikki is trying to get you to buy his Smart brand so that you will get ill and not want to eat fruits and vegetables. He wants to close down our schools, pollute the waters with trash and destroy all of our playgrounds."

Rikki smiled and shook his head, "That's only half true."

Busybody slapped Rikki, "Don't you put your hands on me, mister!"

"Put a mirror next to him, see if you don't see the real him." Stephanie said.

The crowd started lowering their banners and whispering amongst themselves. Rikki growled at Stephanie, "You're not going to win this one."

"I have Sportacus with me, he is a good elf and he cares about Latibær. He knows Rikki now as Grim Galdur, and he fought him before in the wilderness. Sportacus is back and he's going to prove to you that Rikki is a fraud."

The crowd starting asking questions to Rikki, questions that he couldn't promise positively or answer whole heartedly. He backed off the podium and walked toward his car, still using that cane and pretending he had a bothersome limp. The press surrounded him and bombarded him with questions, he fought his way through the street, getting angrier as he did so.

Busybody spoke into the microphone, "Bring back mayor Milford!"

Rikki was practically chased up the street, Baldur's hot air balloon came out of the sky carrying some large flat object. Rikki didn't see this, he was too busy brushing people off of him. Baldur lowered the object and pulled a cord to drop the sheet off of it. It was that big mirror from Rikki's foyer. When placed behind Rikki, the crowd didn't see Rikki, but a hairy old creature. They grew silent and stared in disbelief.

Rikki turned around slowly and saw the mirror, he screeched and looked up and saw his foe. "No! No! Don't do this to me!" He put his cane over his knee and broke it in two!

Stephanie pushed through the crowd as Baldur lowered himself with his rope ladder. The people enclosed around Rikki.

"Let's run this troll out of the town!" Busybody said into the microphone.

The crowd starting booing Rikki and throwing rotten fruit at him, he was chased up the street. The press were interested in Baldur. Stephanie smiled as her father came forward.

"Who is this?" He asked of her.

"It's Sportacus! Saviour of Latibær."

"Where did he come from?" Fred, Stephanie's father, asked.

Stephanie smiled and held onto Baldur's arm. "You'll have to ask him."

Baldur smiled.

The news crew asked him all sorts of questions like 'where are you from' and 'how do we locate you' and 'are you really an elf'?

As this was happening Stephanie slipped away and chased the crowd that went after Rikki. Apparently they pursued him all the way to the mansion and were breaking his windows by throwing rocks at them. Stephanie stood on the front steps of the house. "He's gone now. We never have to worry about him ever hurting us. But we need a new leader. Do consider Milford again."

The crowd calmed down, over time they gave up their hunt for Rikki, and went away. When they left Stephanie knocked on Rikki's door. She opened it and peeked in. She saw him sitting on the stairwell crying. She went over to him. "I'm sorry Rikki."

"My name is not Rikki."

"I'm sorry this happened to you but you can't go around hurting people."

He stared up at her. "I should never have tried defying you. How could I know that you'd bring HIM back?"

"I had to."

"Go on, leave this house, and never return."

"Okay, but always know that you can talk to me."

"I am not who you think I am, if you side with Baldur… or Sportacus as you now call him, I cannot be your cohort."

"I will always be his friend."

"Then we will always be enemies."

Stephanie left the mansion; she glanced back at it, its foreboding structure and walked back to town. Sportacus was in his hot air balloon scanning the city. This town was a mess but at least it was saved.