Chapter 20: The Wheels of Justice Grind Demonically

A group of figures clad in purple and black robes emerged from Purrberus’s mouths, twelve altogether. Their faces were hidden. Roanna and a man who looked like a younger, brawnier version of Rufus were with them in shackles. Purrberus sat down and began grooming herself with all three tongues.

“How nice of you to return,” Mister Gentry said to me with a sweeping bow. “Our guests are from the League of Demon Lords.” He explained they were there to bring Roanna and Harte to justice and that I’d better make myself comfortable.

Harte. So, that’s who the lookalike was.

One of the demon lords stepped forward and announced that “the court is now in session.” There was a deafening CRACK like an infernal gavel. At first I thought the ceiling was caving in.

“Mister Gentry, Lord of Purrberus,” the demon lord said. “State your complaint for the League members to hear.”

“I demand to know who my accusers are!” said Roanna, arrogant as ever. Aside from her messy hair and rumpled clothing, you’d never suspect she had just eaten alive by a demonic feline.

“You,” Rufus growled to her, “and my cousin are in big trouble.”

“Can’t wait to hear this,” Ruddy said.

“Quiet!” the lords said in eerie unison. “The accused does not get to make demands.”

“I order you to release me and return my property or else,” said Roanna as she struggled against her captors. “It’s mine, I made it.”

“Or else what?” Yvette said in a faint voice. “You’ll obliterate everyone?”

“You’re alive, Yvette,” I croaked.

“Barely, not that you care,” she said.

“Wait a minute,” I started to say but Tobin interrupted.

“I care, Yvette,” he said, putting his paw on hers. “We’ve all just been through some hellish experiences.”

“Oh, Tobin,” she sighed dreamily. “I would’ve been more scared if you hadn’t been there with me.” Her whiskers quivered, and they touched noses.

I can only guess what they might have seen inside Purrberus, the nightmare world.

“Disgusting!” crowed Ruddy.

Jamison holstered his baton and dusted himself off. “So much for my sidekick.” Tobin glared at him.

“QUIET!” thundered the demon lords as one murderous voice. “Mr. Bridger will sit down until this court has been adjourned.”

“I have nothing to do with this case. I was called in as a third party,” Jamison scowled. He jammed a torrowroot in his mouth and chewed, all brown spit and grinding teeth.

Ruddy’s putrid face lit up at the sight of the torrowroot. “You could do a fellow a favor and toss a sprig of that my way.”

“You and those creatures assaulted me and my hell realm with a weaponized faerstone,” said Mister Gentry to Jamison. “Among other things.”

The undead invertebrates came out of hiding with loud hisses.

“I was just doing my job. Let’s not forget you tried to strangle me, and on top of that, how was I supposed to know that triple-headed monstrosity is a hell realm?” Jamison said. “Why do you let it wander around?”

Mister Gentry crossed his arms. “I would hardly call it wandering. Purrberus was simply looking for her lost tooth. She even split herself in three to expedite her search.”

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Rufus frowned. “Lost tooth?”

“Order in the demoniacal court! The League would like to hear how the defendant’s hell realm lost a tooth,” said one of the lords.

Rufus frowned harder. “So would I.”

“The human sorceress and her friend wrenched it from my dear kitty’s middle mouth and thought that I would have no idea that a piece of it was missing, or that my own realm wasn’t running smoothly. I’m not Lord of Purrberus for nothing, you know,” Mister Gentry said.

“I did the pulling,” Harte said, puffing himself up. “Roanna wasn’t strong enough.”

Roanna looked furious. “All you did was use a pair of fireplace tongs. I did the hard part.”

“So that’s how those got broken,” Rufus said, eyes narrowing.

“The League would like to hear what the sorceress means when she says the hard part,” the lords said.

“Yes, go on,” said Rufus. “I would like to hear this too.”

Ruddy craned his neck from under his trapdoor among the wreckage of the smashed bookcase. “I tried telling you those two were up to no good, but you ignored me as usual. I’m surprised you took me seriously when I told you about the pendant she made.”

“Making enchanted jewelry is what she does for a living. You told me I needed to locate a pendant to fix that thing coming out of the wall,” Rufus said to Ruddy, pointing to the corner of the basement. “I barely knew what I was looking for.”

“That thing coming out of the wall is a cat hair,” said Mister Gentry, “left behind when your ex-wife and her boy toy lured Purrberus here with their pathetic summoning magic.”

“I told you it would probably be black and that it would reflect no light, because that’s how the demon cat’s tooth looked,” said Ruddy.“I thought I was being helpful.”

“I had to practically torture that tiny bit of information out of you, you stinking, useless bag of putrefied flesh,” Rufus said to him. “I knew you were hiding something far more serious from me, so you can rot down there forever for all I care.”

Ruddy gasped. “You promised to let me go if I told you!”

“Well, you left out some important information,” said Rufus. “Do you know how many evil pendants there are in the world?”

“If I ever get out of here,” Ruddy said, “I will knock you unconscious with the Chimbrelis and eat you slowly, starting with your toes.”

Rufus looked enraged.

“Speaking of,” one of the lords said, “the League would like to hear how a tooth became a pendant.”

“Why should I tell you any of my methods?” Roanna scowled. “Those are trade secrets.”

I don’t know how she dared become more defiant with each question since I didn’t even dare move an inch from where I was, next to my pile of half-dried vomit.

“You can tell us or we can begin pulling out your teeth,” said one of the lords.

“Perhaps we will do that anyway,” said another.

I wish I could’ve seen the expressions on the League’s hidden faces at Roanna’s look of pure horror.

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