Morgana Macawber had been right, as she often was. Standing just outside the bizarre train called The Wanderer for some reason, she took no satisfaction in this. She now understood her earlier sense of foreboding, and her visions of a castle and a steam-powered locomotive. Much good that knowledge did her. Even as she gazed across the horizon in the direction from which they'd come, she felt nothing but fear and frustration. Her darling Dark was somewhere back there, facing who knew what deadly dangers in his attempt to rescue Gosalyn – without Morgana and her sorcerous powers by his side. He wasn't alone, true. He had two kindly Secret Service agents with him, but who knew how competent they were? And Megavolt wasn't alone either. The voltage-craving villain had teamed up with some sort of criminal mastermind native to this unsettling realm. She'd never heard of this Count Manzeppi character before, but according to James West's and Artemus Gordon's descriptions, he was at least as bad as Negaduck! Just the thought of Negaduck was enough to make Morgana shudder. And the Count might have other allies, servants and vile weapons within that castle . . . .
How could she, Morgana Macawber, stand here and do nothing while two of her loved ones were in terrible danger? What kind of Justice Duck was she? She should be helping them! She should be at that castle too!
"Fiddlesticks," she muttered to herself.
Oh, Morgana understood the official reasons for making her wait back by the train. She and her magic might be her group's only ticket back to their own world. There was Honker's safety to consider as well. That poor little boy hadn't asked, well, not exactly, to be dragged into this multidimensional mess. But dragged he was, and now babysat he must be. Yet there were others here who could surely handle that job. Well, maybe Launchpad wasn't the best babysitter . . . . Judging by what had happened so far, Honker might do a better job of babysitting him! There was also Archie, certainly competent if a bit . . . small. Of course, the train's pair of engineers were both strangers and, yes, strange. It wasn't reasonable to entrust them with such an important task. And poor, poor Great-great-great-step-grandpapa Loring – his best babysitting days were clearly far behind him, by decades or maybe centuries. Morgana knew an unofficial reason she was sidelined too - that her Dark darling was as protective and worried about her own safety in this place as he was about Gosalyn's.
Yet . . . .
Oh, what to do? What to do?
Morgana was still a trifle worn with the effort it had taken to bring them all here from their own home world. That didn't mean she couldn't at least try to seek out some more mystic visions that might prove helpful. She could do that much right here.
"Yes . . . ." she mumbled, closing her eyes, holding out her arms and trying to concentrate, trying to feel the psychic vibrations . . . . Yes . . . . There it was . . . . Another vision . . . . a sight and sound taking shape . . . .
No!
"Noooooo!" Morgana shrieked, waving arms wildly to push the terrible image away . . . .
At the sound of her scream, Launchpad, Honker, the engineers Orrin and Silas all came running to see her standing there, eyes suddenly wide and staring in the direction of Manzeppi's castle. Archie scuttled near too, and something slightly decomposed shambled forward as well.
"Morgana!" Launchpad shouted, grabbing her by the shoulders to snap her out of her spell. "What's wrong?"
She blinked, but her eyes became wide with fear again.
"Oh! Launchpad, they're in trouble! I have to do something! I have to go and help somehow!"
Honker and Launchpad exchanged worried glances.
"Uh, maybe I should go instead!" Launchpad volunteered. "I know DW wants-"
"No!" Morgana cried. "It has to be me! My mystic powers tell me so!" As terrified as she was by what she'd just seen in the sorcerous ether, she did her best to regain control of herself for all their sakes. "Launchpad, if I don't go back there . . . ." Morgana looked down and saw an anxious Honker staring up at her, so she tried to think how to word it. ". . . . That is, if I don't go, things will be . . . ungood."
Launchpad gulped and nodded. No one would ever accuse him of being the juiciest highlighter in the supply closet, but he sensed what she was getting at.
"Right. Ungood." Launchpad nodded again, and gave Honker a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Then don't you worry about us! You go and do what you have to, and Honker 'n' me will take care of things here, won't we, buddy?"
Honker nodded solemnly.
"I'll have Eek and Squeak with me," Morgana said, patting on her tall bathive hairdo. "But I'll leave Archie here as well in case there's trouble. I'll be back as quickly as I can, I promise!" And with that, Morgana made a gesture in the air once again and began to vanish into thin air.
"Good luck, Morgana," Launchpad whispered as she disappeared.
[WWWWWWWWWWWW]
"Hmmmphh!" Silas grunted, having failed to see what all the excitement was about. He was already stomping back toward his duty station in the locomotive's engine compartment.
"Huh," Orrin exhaled, puzzled by what he'd just witnessed himself. Both of the engineers were keeping their distance from the visitors, as they often did with folks who visited the Wanderer. He'd agreed with Silas' initial assessment that they were a bunch of odd ducks. He'd still come running when he'd heard the tall female one scream a moment earlier, but kept back, ready to draw his revolver, not interfering when he hadn't seen any actual danger present. He couldn't hear all of what the visitors said among themselves, though he'd been astonished by the way the female one simply waved her arms and suddenly disappeared. How had she done that? He looked back toward Silas. "Did you see . . . ?"
Silas' response was another grunt and a complaint more than a comment.
"I sees what I'm paid to see!" he snapped. "We've got a job to do, remember?"
Orrin frowned and followed. Silas had a point. Whatever was going on, it would be up to the agents to follow, as they usually did. But in Orrin's opinion, these visitors were the strangest lot yet!
[WWWWWWWWWWWW]
With surprisingly little opposition, they'd almost made it all the way to the ground floor without incident. That was what kept Jim West in his state of highest alert. In his experience, it was when you thought you were home free that you were most in danger. The light at the end of the tunnel would turn out to be an armed gang led by Dr. Loveless wielding a death lantern or something. No escape from one of Count Manzeppi's lairs should be this easy. The fact that Jim had a nervous, ungainly civilian to protect should have made the way even more difficult. And yet, here they were, with what might be a path to a clear exit dead ahead.
Emphasis on the dead part?
No other choice. They couldn't go back, so he and Dr. Denver would just have to find out the hard way. Cautioning the dentist to remain standing in his current spot, Jim stepped forward first and tossed a coin from one of his pockets to test the floor in the chamber ahead of them. Nothing happened for several seconds. Then, in the air just above where the coin had fallen, sparkles began to appear . . . .
[WWWWWWWWWWWWW]
What's the worst that could happen?
Artemus Gordon wondered as he tried to assess the situation he and Darkwing – and the kidnapped child – were now in as fast as possible. There was a lot of 'worst' to go around. Along with Darkwing, he was at the bottom of a circular pit that had appeared in this chamber's floor. The pit was surrounded by sharp metal spikes mounted in a mechanized framework that had begun slowly pushing inward. To make matters more dire, only seconds after they'd gotten to their feet, the floor of the pit had sprayed out an ochre mist containing some sort of glue. Darkwing and Artemus were now stuck fast where they stood with no means of escape. The child they'd come to rescue wasn't in a much better position above them. They couldn't reach or untie her. She was out of range of the spikes at least, but distressed at their dilemma. If they couldn't find some way out of this mess, Artemus realized, the poor kid might be forced to watch her own father die. Not that Artemus wanted her to see him die either! Could the fix they were in possibly be any worse?
Then Arte heard the sound of Count Manzeppi's laughter and knew.
Why, yes. Yes, it could.
The flamboyant Count himself appeared at the edge of the pit to look down at his captive audience, although he was the one to clap. Arte noticed that one side of Manzeppi's face appeared to be a bit swollen, but was still managing to wear a smug smirk that the Secret Service agent would've dearly loved to erase with his fists.
"Well, well, Mr. Gordon," Manzeppi chuckled. "We have a new partner, I see! But where, pray tell, is your other partner?"
"Oh, Jim couldn't make it," Arte said with a shrug. "He had to return a library book that was overdue."
The Count tsked and waggled a finger down at them.
"Come now! Surely you don't expect me to believe that. I would rather think, gentlemen, assuming you are both gentlemen," Manzeppi glanced at Darkwing and raised his eyebrows, "that you would prefer to be truthful with me, if you see my point." He gestured around at the circle of moving spikes. "Or points, as the case might be."
Darkwing glared up at him with a look that should have melted cement, but Artemus knew who Manzeppi was more focused on.
"Look," Artemus called up. "It's me you want, so why don't you just let these, uh, other folks go?"
Manzeppi rolled his eyes heavenward and placed his beringed right hand over his breast with a sigh.
"Ah, such noble sentiments!" the Count sighed again. "Such willing self-sacrifice and appeal for mercy to the hardest of hearts! Alas, Mr. Gordon," he looked back down at them, "I am not a great believer in mercy. Though I assume you would like the child at least spared?"
Darkwing nodded vigorously and stared upward himself, though not at the Count. Artemus narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw, feeling a cold fury. He had a pretty good idea of what was going to come next and didn't try to plead again.
Manzeppi did just what Artemus predicted.
"Unfortunately, according to my good friend Mr. Megavolt, she, like the two of you, is what he called a 'do-gooder,' and I, as you know, am not. So . . . ."
With another clap of the Count's hands, the rope keeping said child suspended from the ceiling disappeared.
"No!" Darkwing cried as she came hurtling downward. He and Artemus put their hands out and managed to catch her, just barely. She wasn't hurt. But now she wasn't safe from the spikes either. Darkwing hugged her tightly, but even if he tried to use his own body as a shield, he wouldn't be able to protect her from this.
"Now then, Mr. Gordon," Manzeppi smiled, gesturing at the ring of spikes again. "Don't you feel you ought to tell me where your partner Mr. West is? It seems to me you have a lot at stake."
So that was the Count's game. Threaten not just one but two innocent hostages to get the information he wanted. Trouble was, even if Artemus thought for one second that Manzeppi would let Darkwing and the girl live (which he didn't any longer) and if he was willing to give up that information (which he wasn't), Artemus couldn't be sure of exactly where Jim was at the moment.
And that remained the case for at least ten seconds.
"Right here."
Artemus couldn't see Jim from where he was at first, but that was definitely Jim's voice! He and Darkwing, with their feet stuck in place, had to crane their necks to see what was happening above them. They could see Manzeppi well enough, and as the spikes moved in closer and closer, his attention was no longer on them.
"Ah, Mr. West," the Count grinned in his lazy fashion. "How good of you to join us. Also, how very predictable."
The response they heard next came not from James West, but from the yet-unseen Morgana Macawber.
"Release them, you . . . you fiend!" she shouted angrily. "Or so help me, I'll . . . ."
Darkwing gasped and he and the girl both looked up toward the sound of that voice.
"Morgana, watch out for the floors!" Darkwing yelled. "They're rigged to-"
His warning came just in time. Now he and Darkwing could see Morgana and Jim as they hopped aside to avoid the treacherous tilting panel that had trapped the other two. Jim had his gun leveled at Manzeppi, but from somewhere behind the Count, a small electrical blast came flying to zap it out of his hand. Jim jerked his arm back in pain.
"Megavolt!" Darkwing growled. "I might have known!"
Sure enough, the yellow-clad villain appeared at the rim of the pit. Two bad guys and two rescuers now faced each other in what looked to be a very non-traditional Mexican standoff.
"And what do we have here?" Manzeppi chuckled. "A duck woman too? Quite the quaint little family gathering, if not for long."
Morgana raised both of her arms, which began to glow and Megavolt, with a snarl, jumped aside to dodge an attack. But the bolt of green mystic energy that shot from Morgana's hands wasn't aimed at him. It struck the contracting ring of spikes instead, causing them to grind to a halt and not a moment too soon. The effort wearied her, and she almost fell forward into the pit. Jim managed to pull her back. The spell seemed to have an even more dramatic effect on Manzeppi. The Count's normal droll and conceited mask slipped and he gaped at Morgana in astonishment.
"A magical spell-casting . . . ?" he exclaimed. "You are an Enchantress!"
"Not for you, buster!" Darkwing shouted. But stuck to the floor of the pit and still holding onto his little girl, there wasn't much he could do to defend her from Manzeppi. She appeared faint and Jim was still disarmed. Manzeppi or Megavolt were neither, and there looked to be little hope of rescue for the pit's prisoners – two of them, anyway. Artemus could see the concern on his Secret Service partner's face and knew Jim understood the odds as well. He and Morgana would have no choice to retreat – though not alone.
"Is Mr. West good at catching?" Darkwing asked in an urgent whisper.
Artemus nodded, both of them thinking the same thing. Darkwing gave the little girl an affectionate peck/duck kiss on the forehead, then held her out so that he gripped her on one side and Artemus on the other. In unison, they swung her back, then forward, then back and . . . .
"Jim – catch!" Artemus yelled, and in one, swift Alley Oop motion they tossed her in a high arc toward James West. He reached out and caught the girl just as they'd hoped.
"Get them to safety Mr. West – please!" Darkwing shouted up at him.
He didn't have to plead twice. Jim motioned to Morgana to flee ahead of him, though she looked back in torment at the pit still containing her Dark darling.
"Go!" Darkwing and Artemus yelled simultaneously. They each drew the guns they'd had on their persons – Darkwing his gadget gun and Artemus his Colt – intent on covering Jim, Morgana and the girl's escape. Megavolt foiled their best intentions, zapping the guns away with a stinging electrical force that numbed their hands for a moment. Jim had his own hands full – literally, and Morgana was tired but they headed for the exit. As Count Manzeppi and Megavolt seemed likely to catch them, Morgana had one more non-trick up her sleeves. She pointed toward the ceiling over Megavolt and Manzeppi's heads and recited a quick, improvised incantation.
"Magical forces, stop these fellows! Turn their chandelier to Gel-o!"
The Count and his newest Eccentric barely had time to glance up as one of Manzeppi's large chandeliers magically transformed into an enormous gelatin mold the size of a haystack, ripping unsupported from the ceiling chain. The massive, translucent, colorful dessert blob crashed down on Megavolt and Manzeppi, causing them to hit the floor hard in the midst of a pile of glistening gelatin globules.1 Count Manzeppi howled in agony and grabbed at his cheek as the force of the fall jarred his bad tooth, but neither villain had suffered a knockout blow. They both struggled to get up from the puddle of slippery, sweetened slime.2 Morgana, now thoroughly spent, had to lean on Jim as they fled, but with the enemy even more slowed down, they made it out of the chamber. Artemus, watching and silently rooting for their escape, saw a pair of bats go fluttering up into the dark rafters of the chamber's ceiling, wondering where they'd come from, and hoped they weren't some of Manzeppi's 'pets' that he might use to pursue Jim and Morgana.
"By the Accursed Behemoth of Atlantis!" Manzeppi roared in fury. "Owww!"
No cursed behemoths materialized as the portly Count, slipping, sliding and balancing with difficulty, managed to rise to his feet. His picture-of-rage manner was robbed of what dignity he had left by the way he covered his swollen cheek with one hand and the splotches of colorful, fruit-scented ooze which covered the rest of him. Spindly-figured Megavolt got up slower, and it was obvious the two arch-criminals were too late to follow the escapees. Artemus, never one to pass up the opportunity to create a diversion, did something he knew would get under Manzeppi's skin even more:
He began laughing.
"Hey, Count! Looks like you're getting your just desserts! Now all you two need is some custard sauce for a topping!"
"And don't forget the nuts and cherry!" Darkwing joined in, aiming his laughter at Megavolt. "Oh, wait, Mega-bulb-brain! I forgot – you're nuts already!"
As desired, the taunts kept the villains' attention focused on them and not on the fleeing trio.
"You think this is funny, Mr. Gordon?" Count Manzeppi shook his arms with outrage, not helping his case any by the bits of gelatin that flew off of them. "You won't be laughing when I get done with you!"
"Or you either, Dork-wing!" Megavolt howled.
The high-wattage supervillain aimed his fists down at the glued-in-place prisoners and zapped them both with enough force to make them stop laughing and slump to the ground as the electricity finally caused their feet to come unstuck. Megavolt's and Manzeppi's snarling, gelatin-slick faces glaring down were the last things Artemus Gordon saw before he lost consciousness.
1 Let's hear you say that three times fast!
2 Or that.
