Chapter 20: True Intentions


Humphrey and Viggo met up with the others in the middle of the valley. There was a silence in the air as the میں تپ, تپ آگ کے, آگ stopped.

“Okay, I’m confused,” Steven said. “You told me to keep him in the den. What were آپ thinking?”

“He’s right,” Runt said, “kind of. Are we really trusting Viggo to be freely walking among us, especially now?”

“If Viggo can help us stop this attack-“ Humphrey began.

“What if he can’t?” Stinky added. “What if he won’t? What if this is all part of his plan and we’re just walking into it.”

“Then we’re walking into it,” Humphrey کہا slowly. “But we don’t really have much choice right now and Viggo is our best chance at getting rid of the cannon. آپ guys stay here and keep fighting off Robert’s men, Viggo and I are gonna go get the cannon.”

The morning was coming to an end when the group reluctantly تقسیم, الگ کریں up with Humphrey and Viggo taking the long way around the valley. The sound of میں تپ, تپ آگ کے, آگ was still nonexistent, but the two could still hear the sounds of battle nearby.

“I’m glad you’ve chosen to trust me, Humphrey,” Viggo said. “I hope I can make everything up to you, as hard as that may be for آپ to accept.”

“Don’t read too much into it, Viggo,” Humphrey shot back, a bit annoyed. “We take care of Robert and the cannon, just like we agreed, and آپ go on your way and never bother us again, just like آپ agreed. There’s no proving anything to anyone here. We do our parts and go our separate ways. So just leave it at that.”

“You seem quite vexed, Humphrey, as if you’re not pleased with my true intentions and my efforts to make amends,” Viggo said.

Humphrey suddenly stopped and looked at Viggo, wide-eyed and upset. He’d snapped. Viggo had been getting on his nerves for a while now about insisting that he’d changed, and part of Humphrey didn’t want to believe it. سے طرف کی this point, it had grown to just be annoying and distracting.

“You know what’s vexing, Viggo?” Humphrey yelled at him, stopping. “What’s vexing is why you’re rambling on trying to get inside my head. آپ keep telling me you’ve changed, and I keep telling you, that I don’t care. I’d think that سے طرف کی now, you’d have دیا up trying to convince me. آپ see that I am focused, I’m clear-minded, and decisive. What I am not, is your friend, your ally, your brother-in-arms! Okay? So, let’s just forget about whatever آپ may be trying to make up for and stick to business.”

“I was only trying to help,” Viggo replied.

“If آپ want to help, then why don’t آپ tell me your brilliant plan for taking down Robert and the cannon,” Humphrey told him.

Viggo smiled as Humphrey turned around. He carefully and quietly walked up behind Humphrey, and reaching back behind his shoulder, Viggo slowly pulled out his sword from behind his back.

“Oh, yes,” he said, smiling. “It’s quite simple.”