On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness

Nia makes a maggotloaf for Gnorm, making sure to make it as rotten and disgusting as possible to appeal to Fang tastes. The children wait in Oskar’s shop while she delivers it to the jail. Gnorm seems pleased. None of the Fangs have seen Slarb for a while. Janner sees Peet making his way through town and asks Leeli more about him. Leeli liked him. He hummed her a beautiful song, and she fell asleep in his house until Podo arrived. Outside, Peet and Podo get into an altercation; Podo hits Peet and sends him running away. Tink wants to learn more, so he follows Peet. Janner and Leeli reluctantly follow him out of town.

The siblings follow Peet to the edge of the forest. He runs toward a tree and then vanishes. Tink approaches the tree to investigate and also disappears. Janner and Leeli then see a toothy cow, a terrifying creature, approach the tree and stand on its hind legs before moving on. They examine the tree and find a hidden rope ladder; Tink is at the top. Janner and Leeli climb the ladder and find that it leads to a series of rope bridges that stretch through the trees. They enter the forest safely without worrying about the dangerous creatures below. After crossing several bridges, they meet Peet, who invites them into his treehouse.

Peet brings them inside and offers them soup, which delights Tink. Janner asks if “Peet” is his real name, to which Peet responds, “Is Janner Igiby your real name?” (213). Nugget, having found his way through the forest, arrives at Peet’s home. Janner notices a stack of books in the corner of the room. He examines one, and something about it surprises him. He and his siblings return home the way they came. Along the way, Janner explains that the book had the same illustration of the dragon on it. It was inscribed, “This is the journal of Artham P. Wingfeather, Throne Warden of Anniera” (218). As the children approach their cottage, they see fire.

The children rush home and see their barn on fire. Fangs are swarming the area. Podo has been injured, and Nia’s hands are bound. The cottage has been ransacked. The Fangs are looking for the Jewels of Anniera. Tink and Nugget rush to help Nia and Podo, but the Fangs stab Nugget and soon capture all the Igibys. Nia insists that she gave the Fangs all the gold in her possession, but Gnorm does not believe her. The Fangs bring the Igibys to the jail to await the Black Carriage.

The family waits for hours, now sure that nobody can rescue them. Janner tries to be brave, and Podo reassures him that they will fight to the end. Eventually, the Black Carriage arrives. When the Fangs bring them outside, the Igibys try to run and fight back, but they are soon overwhelmed. Gnorm tells Nia that he will spare her children if she tells him where the Jewels of Anniera are, but she refuses. At the last second, before they board the carriage, Peet rushes down the road to rescue them.

Peet attacks the Fangs. The socks that he wears on his arms are shredded; in place of hands, he has talons. The fight rages on for some time, and Podo helps Peet. Janner rushes into the fray and stabs Gnorm with his own dagger, giving Podo the chance to kill him. When the fight is done, 16 Fangs are dead. The driver of the Black Carriage starts to leave. Zouzab uses a slingshot to knock the driver out with a stone to keep him from calling reinforcements. Janner asks if Zouzab was the one who rescued them in the alley, not Peet. Zouzab confirms that he used his slingshot to knock out the Fangs. Podo shuns Peet, despite all his help. Peet leaves, and the Igibys recuperate in Oskar’s shop.

The people of Glipwood all must evacuate: 16 Fangs are dead, and others will surely come soon to avenge them by setting Glipwood on fire. A few people insist on staying and fighting. The Igibys choose to flee to the Ice Prairies. Podo, Janner, and Tink go back to the cottage to pack. Nia and Leeli shelter in Oskar’s cellar.

Zouzab descends into the cellar where Nia and Leeli are waiting. He has betrayed them and summoned the Fangs to where they are hiding. Slarb is waiting at the cottage. He attacks Podo and the boys when they arrive and demands to know where the Jewels of Anniera are. Podo tricks Slarb into opening a box of thwaps and then kills him while he is distracted. They pack for their journey and return to town. Already, Fang forces are amassing.

Podo and the boys sneak into the bookshop only to find that Nia and Leeli have been captured again. Oskar explains Zouzab’s betrayal. He only knocked out the carriage driver to make the Igibys think they had more time. Oskar has been stabbed and is dying. He apologizes for failing to protect them. Tink wonders why Zouzab would have saved them in the alley; Oskar says that it was “because he suspected—” but does not, or cannot, elaborate (263).