A condor as big as Bonny’s Revenge descends from above to hover outside the ship’s deck, the one farther from us. Suzy, Joy, Master Mind and I watch from the tunnel as Charlie jumps from the railing to the back of the condor with unusual bravery for such a height.

Joy nods to herself. “He used that condor when we met. She’s his friend.” 

The dark demons are a kilometer or so ahead of him, throwing Justin from one to the other. 

As Charlie flies on the condor towards the demons, more giant condors appear at his side. There are eleven of them now, creating a V formation in the air, with Charlie at the point of the V.

“Oh, my…” Suzy says. “He’s just a little kid. He’s going to have an aerial battle with demons?” 

Apparently so. 

The condors screech and the demons stop and look back. One demon holds Justin, Justin hanging limply from its talons. 

The demons scream at the condors approaching them. There are only five demons. 

But suddenly there are twelve. And then there are a hundred. And then there must be a thousand of them - I can’t count them, the air is full of them. 

Charlie’s condors are flying into a wall of demons. 

“Oh no…” Joy says.

And I think, he doesn’t have a chance. And thinking that I remember than in the year and a half since I had been living in Justin’s dream, in all the adventures I’ve seen, I hadn’t thought that once about anybody. But he doesn’t. 

(To be continued…) 

—Told by Grampa Walt