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Benjamin was dazed.
    â€œHave a good evening.” Officer Hunter walked out the front door and got into her patrol car, took a minute to make a phone call, then drove off.
    Benjamin stood staring out the large front window. The clouds in the eastern sky were building as the sun set. He glanced at the calm pond and orange and red leaves on the tall oak, deceivingly peaceful. He knew something evil was brewing again.

CHAPTER EIGHT
A Stressful Request

    T OM AND C AROL CAME IN THE FRONT ROOM and saw their son staring out the window. “Ben, iseverything alright?” He didn’t reply to his mom. “Ben? Sweetie?”
    Benjamin turned to them, looking like he had seen a ghost. “M-Mrs. Crane was bitten by a rattlesnake.”
    â€œYou’re kidding!” his dad cried. “Oh, how awful!”
    â€œBenjamin, I’m so sorry.” His mom hugged him. “Do you need to talk about it?”
    â€œNo…I think…I think I just wanna go outside.”
    â€œOkay. You probably should get some fresh air, but don’t wander off in the weeds. There may be rattle—” Tom frowned at her, then nodded at his son with a faint smile.
    Benjamin opened the door and trudged off the porch. The rocks in the driveway crunched under his feet. His wrenching gut told him his collar was the reason the snakes had come. He felt too guilty to dig any deeper. As he approached the mailbox he looked back to make sure his parents weren’t at the front window. He pulled the collar from his pocket and slipped his hand through. As he neared the fox den the sticks popped up. He made sure no one was around, then leaned over the entrance. He heard shouting from far inside the cave, like all the animals were in the hall arguing.
Oh boy, that’s all I need!
He was already having a horrible day. He popped down the hole and walked through the darkness, unable to distinguish any words in the noise. When he rounded the last corner his suspicions were confirmed. They wereall in the hall, and they were mad!
    Wrapped up in their own arguments, none of them noticed him pass through the crowd. It reminded him of the first time he’d walked in on them. But this time they were not happy and laughing. He didn’t like seeing the chickens arguing with gophers, the squirrels and rabbits yelling at the mice and cats. Benjamin finally had enough.
    â€œQuiet!!”
The hall went silent as the echoes of his shout sounded down the tunnel and throughout the cavern. They looked in awe at the boy who stood among them. “Hello everyone.” He lazily raised a hand in greeting, slouching as he ambled toward his throne.
    â€œKing Benjamin, can you understand us?” the old badger shouted.
    Instead of answering he lifted his arm, showing the collar around his wrist. They all gasped in excitement. Roscoe galloped happily over to the boy as he sat on the throne.
    â€œOh! Good to know, Your Majesty! Now, is there any news of King Pugsly’s heir?”
    â€œNo, Roscoe…” He really wanted to say that, for the last hour, the heir had been the last thing on his mind.
A rattlesnake killed the old lady because her dog was wearing the collar
. It wasn’t the best thing for them to hear. The kingdom had been living in peace since the small band of heroes saved them from Farangis. That should have been the end of the snakes’ threat to the kingdom, and now this! Benjamin hunched over in his seat and rested his face in his open hands. “I don’t know what to tell you, Roscoe.”
    â€œSire?” Clementine asked, concerned. The fox came forward. “This is Felix. He uh…he sort of fell in on us…through the hole.”
    â€œThe hole?” Benjamin peeked at the pig through open fingers.
    â€œYes,
that
hole.” Clementine looked up at the fading light shining through.
    â€œHe fellthrough
that
hole?”
    â€œOh, it’s not uncommon, Your Majesty. We’ve had