The Three Furies (Erec Rex) Read Online Free

come to him. If he had just gone back earlier, like Bethany had wanted him to, he could have stopped this from happening somehow.
    But he had been too worried about his idiotic feelings to be there protecting her.
    Something crashed through the window and hit him on the head. It was gloppy and sticky, sliding down his check like a slug. He peeled it off and wiped his face on his sleeve. The thing in his hand looked and smelled like a big, oily dumpling. It had another note tied on to it.
    Danny unwrapped the note and showed it to Sammy. "Look, it's the same symbol language. This one is saying that our old babysitter will meet us and help us hide. We just have to go outside and she'll take care of us."
    "Old babysitter? I wonder who that could be. But thank goodness someone is helping," Sammy said. "Let's go find her."
    Erec's mind was spinning, but he could still process what Sammy just said. "Are you crazy? Has everyone gone completely nuts? First Bethany is walking into mortal danger on purpose, and now you!" He immediately felt bad that he had blamed Bethany for going to Baskania. She had obviously been put under a spell. But what was Sammy's excuse? "Don't you realize these people are trying to tempt us to go outside? They are probably the ones after us to begin with.
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    Which old babysitter is it, anyway? If it was someone trustworthy, they would come knock like a normal person."
    Sammy looked at the paper, frowning. "It's really strange, though. I can tell by this writing that this person is trustworthy. Don't you think so, Danny? I think that it's our old sitter, Mrs. Smith. Even though she was a bit odd, she must be trying to help us."
    Danny nodded. "I know. It's weird to me, too. I remember her as being awful. But there's something about these symbols. It seems like I can read more into them than just what they say. This person is telling us the truth."
    Erec almost screamed. "Has it ever occurred to you this is just a trap? A spell put on those notes to make you think that way? I can't even read them. Maybe they're just bewitching the two of you." He grabbed the note from Sammy's hand and handed it to Nell. "Do you understand this?"
    Nell shook her head and giggled nervously. "Uh, it just looks like a bunch of scribbles written in . . . is this written in blood?"
    "No," Danny rolled his eyes. "It's in strawberry rhubarb pie. Can't you tell?"
    "Um . . . no." Nell handed the paper back to Erec with an eyebrow raised.
    Erec held the paper before Trevor. "What about you? Any luck with this?"
    Trevor studied it a minute. It looked like he was making calculations in his head. In fact, it seemed sure that he would soon come up with an interpretation, but then he shook his head. "It's a language. See the patterns? But I don't know what it says."
    "Okay, guys," Erec said, "let's call the police. It's too dangerous to go outside. Someone is waiting for us out there."
    "Erec," Sammy explained patiently. "Of course someone is waiting. It's our old babysitter Mrs. Smith out there. Don't you remember
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    her? She was a little weird, but not a maniac or anything. She just wants to help us."
    Erec remembered Mrs. Smith very well. The only time he had seen her before was the morning after his mother had been kidnapped by Baskania's servants. She was probably one of them.
    He felt dazed. Part of him wanted to run as fast as he could to Alypium and try to find Bethany, but it had to be too late. He had to keep everyone safe here. Danny and Sammy were affected by those notes somehow. It was up to Erec to make sure they didn't do anything crazy. If he could only ignore his heart tearing to pieces over Bethany . . .
    "Look." He got up and started to pace near the door. "Let's just think things over logically. Okay? We can't leave this place with crazy people outside that are throwing rocks through our windows. Mrs. Smith is the least trustworthy person I can think of. Okay?"
    Danny and Sammy looked at one another, exasperated. "It's