11. The Hostage
Cranch lowered his gun. "Please," he whispered, "Let him go. He's got nothing to do with this..."
"Good job!" cried Jack, keeping the gun on this nemesis. "How did you manage to catch him?"
"We noticed him watching Julima when she was starting to climb down the chimney. He was so focused on her, he never saw us coming." The pig snickered. "We stuffed him into this old empty rat-trap we found up there. Pretty clever, huh?"
"Very clever indeed," Jack concurred. "Now, Red Riding Hood, you seize his rifle. And you pigs, bring me the bird... what are you doing?"
The tantalizing aroma of the food on the table was too much for the pigs. None of them had eaten anything since the night before, and before anyone could protest, they were up to their snouts in meat, wine, and fruit pie.
"Well, what have we here?" Jack grinned. "A lovely dinner for the giant... were you expecting company? Who else is here!" He prodded Cranch sharply with the pistol. Both hunger and his newfound power were slowly driving him mad, and making him extra paranoid.
"Nobody," mumbled Cranch. "This was all laid out for you folks. I was hoping you'd come in peace. Weary travelers, that sort of thing…but I see I was I was wrong. I really wish you wouldn't eat it," he said in a defeated tone. "This dinner was meant to be my show of hospitality, intended for friendly people."
If Red Riding Hood felt bad, Julima was now wracked with shame. Disgusting, she thought. Look at what we've become. And as hungry as she and the little girl were, her stomach turned at the thought of eating the food. Red Riding Hood started towards the table, but stopped at the sight of the tears in the giant's eyes. He was deeply worried about his friend.
Jack was unmoved. "Oh, is that what you wish? That we not eat your lovely repast!" And just for spite, he took an extra large helping of pie and shoved it into his mouth. "Mmmm... delicious!" He made loud, exaggerated chewing sounds, cramming piece after piece between his lips. "What kind of fruit is this... I've never tasted such sweet berries before!" The pigs grunted in agreement. Julima had to take deep breaths; it was all she could do to keep the fury from overtaking her. Jack moved on to the meat and cheese.
"Please don't do that," the giant begged. "It's all I have left."
"You won't be needing it, when we're finished with you, you monster...But do you know what would taste best of all?" Jack was having the time of his life. "...No, not that cheap wine over there… RAVEN!" He cast a menacing glance at the caged bird. "Baked raven! Red Riding Hood, go into the kitchen and fetch me a large knife." He grinned maliciously. The little girl ran to do as she was told, not wanting to antagonize him.
"Jack, wait!" Julima knew she'd never forgive herself if anything happened to the raven, and she was starting to realize she was on the wrong side, doing the wrong thing, for all the wrong reasons.
"Now what." Jack hiccupped, then let out a large belch. His eyes and his silver pistol were trained on Cranch, and there was impatience in his voice. The feast had not been enough of a distraction... she had to find another way to stall him.
"Haven't you forgotten about his riches? We should make him tell us where he keeps his gold, and keep him alive until we find it, to make sure he's telling us the truth! Otherwise, we may never find it ...you see how huge his castle is, and who knows if he's rigged it with booby traps?"
The pigs looked at Jack, and the little girl listened from the kitchen. Once again, Julima had a good point. Jack had to grudgingly admit she was smart. And if she hadn't kept him from killing the raven on the way to the castle, they wouldn't have the leverage that they had now. Not to mention the way she'd distracted the giant when she fell down the chimney, enabling Jack to turn the tables on him. Still, why didn't he trust her?
"Jack," Red Riding Hood called from the kitchen, "There's a wine cellar of sorts in here. It's just about big enough for the giant to stand upright in. We can hold him at gunpoint in here until we find the treasure."
Jack conceded. "Fine," he said to Cranch, "Let's go." And with that, they marched their prisoner into the kitchen, and had him lower himself into the well. Only the topmost part of his head could be seen. Red Riding Hood trained the shotgun on him, and Jack held onto the pistol.
"Now," he demanded, "where is your treasure hidden? Tell me or I'll pluck your friend here alive!"
The giant's voice was quiet, subdued. "It's in a vault...on the second story...in the east tower. You'll find a narrow winding staircase, and at the top is a large tapestry of my family's coat of arms." He swallowed. "Behind the tapestry is the vault. You spin the knob counter-clockwise once, then clockwise three times, and it will open." He was breathing heavily now. "All the gold, silver, and precious jewels you could ever imagine are in there."
"Are there any booby-traps or hidden dangers we should know about? None of your tricks, now!"
Cranch let out a resigned sigh, "No."
Jack wasn't convinced. He turned to the pigs. "You three, go. Take the raven with you. That way if there are any traps waiting, then his friend will get it first." He glared at the bird. "Red Riding Hood and myself will stay here, and keep an eye on the giant."
"Hey," piped the runt, "We'll need better protection than that. Give us your pistol."
"Then what am I going to use!" barked Jack. "Take Julima with you, you'll be fine." Keeping his eyes on the giant, he continued, "And when you do find the treasure, you come right back and confirm it with us. Then we can destroy this monster and live like kings. And queens," he added, looking at the little girl in the red cape, who at the moment was holding a shotgun twice her size. "Now hurry up!" Jack ordered. "I promised this young lady I'd get her back to her grandmother's by sundown."
The Vault
The sun was low in the sky, and castle halls glowed with the last rays of light that filtered in through the high gothic windows, illuminating their way. The giant had told the truth about every detail, and before long they were in front of the narrow winding staircase Cranch had described. The raven squawked softly in his cage, silently chiding himself for getting caught so easily. He'd been mesmerized by that strange wild woman, seeing her on the rooftop, her movements had been almost... wolflike. Then, suddenly, he'd been snatched up and stuffed into a rusty old rat-trap. How embarrassing. His foolishness had gotten both him and his best friend into this mess.
Julima was feeling worse by the minute. How had she managed to get tangled up in all of this? She was an accomplice in the torture and robbery of an innocent giant, and she would most likely witness his murder. And who knows what would become of the raven? All because she wanted revenge. At this point, would she even get it? How could she find a way to avert this tragedy, and still get even with the girl in the red cape?
The pigs put Raven's cage on the floor. "Keep an eye on him, we'll go up to the vault ourselves." Julima avoided Raven's judgmental gaze as the three pigs raced up to the top of the staircase. With a crash they pulled the tapestry down, and there was a collective gasp of awe as the enormous vault was revealed to them. They fell upon the door handle excitedly, as they tried to remember how to open it. It was obvious that they were having difficulty.
Julima had a sudden inspiration. If she was careful, she might find a way out of this mess after all. "Excuse me," she muttered to Raven, and ran up to join the pigs at the top of the stairs.
"Here, let me do it," she commanded, and with a few spins of the knob ... and much huffing and puffing ... she managed to pry open the heavy metal door. One of the pigs had removed a torch from the wall sconce, and Julima pulled the flint from her pocket and lit the flame.
Nothing could have prepared the group for what lay before them in the glowing light. There in the vault they could see the most amazing collection of treasures one could ever imagine. Piles upon piles of gold and silver coins glimmered enticingly at them, and rubies and diamonds sparkled playfully in the shadows. Strands of soft white pearls and brilliant amethysts were draped around exotic jade and ivory carvings. Antique porcelain statues swam in a sea of emeralds and sapphires.
The little pigs squealed their delight, and all three of them bounced among the heaps of riches like children among candy, digging their hooves deep into the mountains of jewels. Forgetting Julima, they ran deeper into the vault, examining the wonders that lay before them, each one more marvelous than the last.
"We're rich! We're rich!" they cried, until they heard the door of the vault creak, then slam behind them.
Julima raced to the bottom of the staircase, and with trembling hands flung open Raven's cage door. Her heart was beating only slightly faster than her thoughts, and she spoke in a terrified whisper. "Don't worry, I locked them in, and we're too far away for anyone to hear them call for help." She swallowed and tried to regain her breath. "Quick, fly away from here, don't let anybody see you or they'll definitely kill your friend. Let me try and save him, I think I have a plan."
The bird climbed out of the cage slowly, and gave her a long, hard stare.
She spoke urgently. "Look, it's a long story, and I know you have no reason to believe me, but I'm begging you, PLEASE do as I say. That boy is dangerous. He's clever and cruel and he'll stop at nothing to kill us all. Now go! Please!"
The raven didn't take his eyes off her. He flapped his wings and glided onto a nearby windowsill.
"I wouldn't underestimate my giant friend," he said at last. "He's also very clever. And believe me, he can be cruel when he wants to be as well."
And before she could reply, he vanished into the evening sky.
