Chapter 2

So Muriel, Eustace and Courage packed their bags (and Muriel's sitar) and got into Eustace's truck to drive into town. Of course, this was after much grumbling from Eustace, but they made it to town in the end.

They stopped at the doctor's office and made it inside. After getting an appointment and waiting for a long while, they finally got to see Dr. Vindaloo.

As soon as they trooped into the office, Dr. Vindaloo looked at Muriel and said, " I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. Nothing at all."

"But we haven't even told you what we came here for!" said Muriel.

"Oh, yes, I see. Well, what is it then?"

Muriel handed him the invitation card. "Hmmm, this is the most interesting specimen of a scab I've ever seen . . . ," started Dr. Vindaloo.

"No! Read the card, doctor!"

All this while, Courage was watching all that was happening, growing more and more afraid. He knew something wasn't right. He tried dancing around Muriel but it didn't help.

After reading the card, the doctor's eyes widened. "Yes, I've heard about the competition, but I thought they had cancelled it. Too many bad things would happen to the contestants . . . oh, well I guess they must have fixed the problem!"

"Bad things? This is not good!" thought Courage.

"When do we get the money?" asked Eustace impatiently.

"We have to first compete, Eustace dear," said Muriel. Eustace just grumbled, as usual.

"Let's see now, how do we get there . . . let me see if I can remember," said Dr. Vindaloo. He spent a few minutes figuring out how to get to India. "Ah yes . . ." He clapped his hands twice and !poof! – They were in India.

It was a bustling street with tourists as well as citizens walking up and down. The Taj Mahal could be seen in the background.

"Oooh, the Taj Mahal! I would love to visit it . . . I think it's very romantic. What do you think, Eustace?" pleaded Muriel.

"Bah, I ain't goin' to no Taj Mahal! I just want the money! Lousy stinking competition, why can't they just give me the money?"

"Oh dear, this is going to be very difficult," thought Courage.

"I'm afraid we have to get to the competition venue as soon as possible. It's about to start, according to my calculations," said Dr. Vindaloo.

"Oh well, I guess we'll have to go some other time," sighed Muriel.

"Hehehehe . . ." said Eustace.

Dr. Vindaloo whistled and a carriage appeared, but it was pulled by a blue bull, rather than a horse. They got in and the doctor whispered something into its ear and it started off.

After about ten minutes, it came to a stop in front of a brick wall.

"This is it?" scoffed Eustace.

"No, there is a special entrance that can be opened by only a true sitar player," said Dr. Vindaloo.

Courage rolled his eyes.

"May, I have your sitar?" asked the doctor to Muriel.

"Of course," answered Muriel who handed it to him. He sat down and played a few notes, which sounded like magic to Courage.

A small hole appeared in the wall which grew bigger and bigger until it was big enough for all of them to pass through. As they entered, Courage thought maybe this wasn't so bad after all.

But when they had all stepped into the other side of the wall, the hole closed up behind them with a cackle of laughter from somewhere far away. Courage decided he was wrong about what he had thought.