"Where do you think we are?" he asked.

But there was no answer. Erec turned around to see Bethany standing in knee-deep water, her face pale.

"Bethany? You okay?"

She made a strange sound between a cough and a sputter, and pointed down into the lake. A knobby gray-green log drifted nearby. "Is that driftwood?" he asked, shielding his eyes from the sun.

But then it blinked. Was Erec imagining that? No, the log blinked again.

Then it yawned. Rows of sharp white teeth lined its mouth.

Bethany backed toward Erec, tripping and splashing in the water. She looked at Erec in terror. "It's a crocodile." Her voice shook. "A big one."

The crocodile swiveled, eyeing them. Erec stepped back in panic, his feet slowed by the water, and fell.

With a swish the crocodile's tail swung around so it faced them. It opened its huge mouth wide, flashing its teeth.

Suddenly, Erec's head spun. He felt his eyes turn in their sockets. Everything looked green. His dragon eyes were out. A lacy netting of Substance floated in the air, not the thick ropes he saw in Alypium and Otherness. This must be Upper Earth, he thought. He yanked Bethany behind him and took a step toward the crocodile.

91."Watch out, Erec!" Bethany shouted. "What are you doing?"

As he walked closer, he felt himself changing, growing. Soon his backpack felt too tight, so he shrugged it off, hoping Bethany would catch it. The buttons on his shirt popped. His skin felt funny, and when he glanced at his arm he saw scales.

Interesting, he thought. This was a cloudy thought, and he knew what he had to do. But he was not angry this time. And there was no vision or premonition. He wondered about that as he walked toward the crocodile, growing, claws sprouting from his hands. All fear had left him. Only a calm feeling remained in its place. Erec was not upset at the crocodile. It was only doing what its instincts told it to do. It was hungry and saw food.

The creature drew back as he got closer. Then it lunged at him.

Bethany screamed.

Before its giant mouth clamped on his neck, Erec breathed a stream of fire right into the crocodile's jaws. The animal jerked back in pain. A fierce surge of strength gripped Erec. He raised his claws, slashing down on the crocodile, breathing more fire on to its back. In seconds, the beast ducked under the water and swam away.

Erec was surprised. Breathing fire had filled him with a feeling of power, dominance. It felt good. He looked back at Bethany, who had picked up his backpack and was squeezing it with shaky arms. "It won't bother us again," Erec said.

Bethany stared at him in terror, not answering.

"What's wrong?" Erec splashed her, relaxed now.

A strangled squeal came from her throat. She pointed at Erec.

"What?" Erec spun around. "Is there another crocodile?" He couldn't see any.

Bethany shook her head. Her breathing sounded ragged. Finally she gasped, "You still look...funny."

Erec looked down at his reflection in the water and jumped in 92.surprise. He was green, although it was hard to tell, since everything looked a shade of green through his dragon eyes. His chest was lined with scales. Torn clothing hung off him, and claws still jutted from his fingers. He wondered what his face looked like. Maybe it was best he didn't know.

"I won't hurt you." Erec held his hands up. "Sorry, Bethany." He knew he must look terrible. He strode to the shore and walked out. His shirt was already dry from the heat, and the cool water on his ragged pant legs felt good. Bethany followed him, though she looked uneasy.

Erec began to feel unsure too. What if he stayed like this forever? Would he always look like a freak? He'd never have any more friends. Everyone would be afraid of him. And would Alypium want him as their king then? Doubtful, he thought. They didn't even want him as king now. He sat under a tall broad-leafed tree and leaned against the trunk. "Time for a snack?" He realized he was starving.

Bethany nodded solemnly and took Jam's Serving Tray out of Erec's backpack. Several huge colorful butterflies floated past, and a golden-backed woodpecker tapped high over their heads.

"Look." Erec pointed at a huge ox wandering by with horns curling over its head. Bethany saw it and cringed, clinging close to the tree.

Erec laughed, feeling much better. "It won't hurt you. But I realized something. I figured out why I still look like this." Relief surged through him. He would not look like a dragon forever. He was sure of that now.

"Why?" Bethany's eyes darted to his. He could tell she was hopeful.

Erec pointed up into a tree. Slung over a sloping limb, one leg thrown over a smaller branch, a Bengal tiger lazed, black stripes cascading across its orange back. It was watching them.

93.Bethany froze in terror. She muttered, "Should we run?"

"Nah," Erec said. He sniffed, and rested his head back on his arms against the tree. He had to shift when he felt spines jutting from his neck and back grinding into the tree bark. "It'll come check us out in a few minutes and I'll scare it away. Then it'll leave us alone. I think we better wait to eat, though."

A smile snuck its way across Erec's face. It felt pretty good to know he could fight off a hungry crocodile and a huge tiger. There was no doubt in his mind what would happen. He wasn't seeing an image, like a movie in his head, like he had with his other recent cloudy thoughts. This time he just knew what would happen and what to do.

Bethany's lip quivered. She kept looking between Erec and the tiger. "There is no way you could fight that thing off."

"But I will." Knowing what would happen made him completely calm. Even better, a part of him was glad that Bethany was there to see how cool he was now, how strong. He began to whistle, thinking how impressed she would be.

In moments, the tiger scaled down the tree and approached them. Its huge shoulders and legs carved a swath through the tall grass. Its back swished and its tail flicked back and forth.

Bethany looked ashen, staring like a deer into headlights. The tiger, only a few feet away now, began to crouch.

But before it leaped, a huge roar erupted from Erec's chest. The tiger paused a moment. Erec sprang toward the tiger, flames shooting from his mouth. Fire shot into the tiger's face. It twisted its head back and forth, upset, and backed away from the flame. Then it turned and ran into the jungle.

Erec had known that was going to happen, but he was still surprised at how it felt. It seemed like every time he breathed fire, a strong emotion overcame him. Before it had been a sense of 94.dominance and power over the crocodile, and the other times it had been anger. But this time it was a feeling of protectiveness for Bethany--shielding her, defending her from harm.

He turned to her with a smile, waiting to see her grateful face. But instead she was curled on the ground, tears drenching her cheeks. "Bethany? You okay?"

Bethany buried her face in her knees, which were squeezed to her chest. She didn't answer.

Erec sat next to her and patted her head, smoothing his fingers down her cheek. He could see his skin turning back to normal, his claws disappearing. "It's okay, Bethany. It's all over now." He kept his hand on her shoulder until she finally stopped shivering and fell asleep.

Erec fell asleep too, and he awoke starving. The sun was beginning to set. He shook Bethany. "Hey, wake up. Let's eat and see if we can find some kind of shelter around here."

Bethany opened her eyes. A big sigh escaped her when she saw her friend looking normal again. Erec picked up the Serving Tray. "I wonder how this thing works." He turned it over, rubbed it, and knocked on it. Nothing happened.

Bethany called out, like she was in a restaurant, "Give us some hamburgers."

In a flash, two huge, juicy hamburgers were sitting on the platter. Erec grabbed his and took a giant bite. "This is the best hamburger I've ever eaten," he said between gulps.

Bethany nodded, mouth full. "Give us some ketchup," she said. "And pickles." Little paper cups of ketchup and pickles appeared on the platter. They dumped them on what was left of the burgers.

Erec wanted to try. "Give us potato chips and scrambled eggs with cheese." The chips appeared in a paper bowl, and a pile of eggs 95.with cheese appeared in another. Erec grabbed some of the eggs with his hand and scooped them into his mouth.

Bethany laughed. "What a barbarian. Give us forks," she said. And plastic forks appeared. They ate the eggs and chips, and Erec's hunger finally started to fade.

"Now, platter, I'd like a nectar fizz sundae." One popped onto the platter. "And a spoon," he added. "Bethany?"

"Me too. That looks good." Another appeared next to it. They dug in. After warm chocolate-chip cookies and milk they finally put the Serving Tray away.

"Thank you, Jam," Bethany sang out into the air.

Getting up, they walked aimlessly through the trees. While Bethany crunched over dried leaves and sticks, Erec moved soundlessly on them with his magic Sneakers. But they found no paths. "Shh..." Bethany stopped and pointed. "I think it's a hyena. Is it safe?" she whispered.

Erec saw what looked like a gray-brown dog with big pointed ears. It took a look at them and scrambled away. Erec felt a little nervous. "I guess it's okay. I'm not getting any more cloudy thoughts." He hoped he would get another one if he needed it. "At least I look normal now."

Bethany nodded. "You looked so freaky before." When Erec's face fell, she added, "I mean, not really that bad. I'm just not used to seeing you turn into a dragon."

"Where do you think we are?" he asked. The sun was getting lower in the sky, and there was no shelter in sight. At least it was still warm. "I wish I knew what to do. Anything. Just a direction to go." As he thought about it, doubts began to swarm into his mind.

"You know," he said, "I really don't know anything at all, do I? I don't know where I am. I don't know who who I am. I'm supposed to be the next king, according to the scepters and that Lia Fail stone. I am. I'm supposed to be the next king, according to the scepters and that Lia Fail stone.

96.But I don't know why. I found out my birth mother is alive. But I have no clue who she is and why she left me. I found out my father is still alive. I don't even know where to look for him or why he he left. Aoquesth said he was a great guy--little good that does me. left. Aoquesth said he was a great guy--little good that does me.

"And then I find out that awful memory of my father, that recurring dream, wasn't really my dad. Thanks a lot, Memory Mogul, for implanting that one in me. My luck, to get stuck with someone else's rotten memory of their dad. But is that all? No way. Because now I hear that there are two other kids around somewhere--I'm guessing they are kids--who are supposed to be the other two rulers of the Kingdoms of the Keepers along with me. And to make it worse, not only do I have no clue who they are, but King Piter does, and he won't tell me." A bitter laugh escaped him. "Well, I guess I should be glad they're around somewhere, so at least there is a chance that all three of us will be crowned, and Balor and his brothers won't get the thrones." He shook his head. "Like that will ever happen."

Bethany nodded. "Doesn't sound too likely. One of them is missing, and the other can't help and has to be protected? I wonder what King Piter meant about that."

Hearing King Piter's name made Erec scowl. "Face it," he said. "I have no clue about my father, my mother, or myself. I don't know where I am or what I'm doing." He looked into Bethany's eyes. "Maybe I should just go home."

"Only one problem," Bethany said. "Upper Earth is dying. The bees are disappearing, and the Substance is draining away. If we don't do something about it, there will be no 'home' soon."

Screeches resounded above them. A band of white monkeys with black ears and hands and scrunched black faces swung from the branches. One of them dropped Erec's Magiclight, which hit the ground with a thud in front of him. "What?" He picked it up. "How did they get this?" He turned it on to make sure it still worked, then 97.put it away. But he saw that his backpack was unzipped. His bag of money was gone. Luckily the silver tray was still there.

He looked up at the branches. "Give me back my money!" he yelled up at them.

They just screeched back. It sounded like they were laughing.

"Too bad I can't turn into a dragon now," he said, shaking a fist at them.

Some of the monkeys shook their fists back at him. They swung around making that annoying laughing sound.

"Give it back, you dumb armpit-scratchers! Go pick bugs out of each other's noses and eat them!" he shouted. Bethany was starting to giggle.

One of the monkeys had opened the bag, and now they were passing coins to each other. They were amazingly good at not dropping any.

"Give those to me!" Erec shouted. One of the monkeys picked up a shiny gold ring coin and tossed it, hitting Erec on the head. "Ow!"

Erec tried to throw sticks at them, but none of them hit.

"Cut it out, Erec. They're cute."

"Real cute." Erec picked up the ring coin and put it in his pocket. "Little thieves." He threw a bigger stick and it hit a monkey in the arm. The monkey didn't look bothered by it.

"Erec!" Bethany looked mad. "Would you stop it? You could have hurt him."

"They stole all our money!" Erec kicked the dirt. What was wrong with her? "Why are you siding with the monkeys?"

She snapped back, "Because they're cute. Why do you have to be so selfish?"

It didn't seem to Erec that trying to get his money back from monkeys that had no use for it was selfish. But he felt guilty anyway.

98.And that just made him more upset. It didn't help that it was getting dark and he had no clue where they could sleep.

"Fine," he said. "Let's keep going. I give up." He walked in the direction they had been going, which was away from the lake. As far as he knew this path might take them into a thousand-mile forest. They might never get out.

Bethany waited a moment before following, then crunched after him, arms crossed. When Erec glanced back at her she called out, "We have food. We don't need money out here anyway."

After a few more minutes, Erec heard a loud clatter, which grew into a low roar, quickly coming closer. A wide, dusty truck with an open top rumbled into view. They ran toward it, waving their hands. A sign of civilization!

The truck skidded to a stop, and a dark-skinned man with straight black hair jumped through the door. He was about Erec's size and wore loose black pants and a white shirt embroidered with black swirls. The man ran at them, shouting something Erec could not understand, a rifle in his hands.

Bethany screamed as they turned and ran. The man chased them, yelling and pointing wildly, but it sounded like gibberish. He seemed furious.

Erec panicked. Now a man with a gun? Where were his cloudy thoughts? What would he do? The man raged, tearing after them.

Bethany tripped on a tree root. She flew a few feet in the air and landed on her stomach.

As much as Erec had been annoyed with her a second ago, he was now filled with fear. Standing in front of her, he turned to face the man. Maybe she could crawl away while he fought off this stranger. Erec grabbed a stick from the forest floor--the only thing he could find to defend himself.

But the man stopped when he got close to them. He continued 99.screaming and pointing back to his truck. Finally, with a strong accent he yelled, "Are you crazy? You understand English? What's wrong with you? You're not allowed to be out here. It's veddy, veddy dangerous."

Erec answered, "Who are you?"

"Look at you," the man said. "You're from England, no? Can't understand Marathi or Hindi? What are you doing out here? You want to get yourselves killed?" Erec could not place his accent.

Erec and Bethany stared at his rifle, afraid to answer. Finally the man looked at his own gun. "What, this? Don't worry about this. It's a tranquilizer gun, for the animals." He eyed the two kids more intently. "How did you get out here? You're not supposed to be here. Don't you know how dangerous this is?" Even though he had a strong accent, Erec could understand him perfectly.

Erec dropped the stick, exhausted and relieved. "We're lost. Can you help us?"

"I'll say you're lost." The man shook his head. "You're lucky I found you. I'm a guide here. I'm Rajiv. Just finished my last safari tour today." He gestured toward his truck with his gun. "Now get in the truck. What would you two do if I didn't find you here? Huh?"

They followed him to his truck and climbed in. Erec appreciated its comfort as he sank into the seat cushions.

"You were attacked." Rajiv pointed at Erec's torn clothing as it flapped around in the wind blowing through the open truck. Red scratches striped his chest. He nodded yes, not sure how else to explain.

They bounced over rocks and splashed through a stream, following a bumpy path through the jungle. Finally, they stopped at a group of buildings in a clearing.

"Where are we?" Erec asked.

100."You don't know?" Rajiv stopped in front of a white house. "This is Tadoba National Park."

"And where is that?" asked Bethany.

"Near Chandrapur," the guide said. "You know that."

"We don't know," Erec said. "Where is Chandrapur?