March 14, 2000
       
      
  
The Nick Chronicles, Volume II
****************************** 
by Deanie and Valerie

  
Nick let them drag him down a staircase, and out a mirror in a hallway below. 
Deanie and Val still had a hold of his hands, and continued to pull, but 
Nick wasn't budging. "Will one of you please tell me what's going on? 
What's wrong with the Knighties? I thought they liked me. And why are we 
running?" 
  
"The problem is, that they like you too much," Deanie explained. 
  
Val continued, "Nick, do you really want a mob of drooling Knighties coming 
after you?" 
  
"You saw what they're doing to LaCroix down there... they'll tear you to 
pieces!" Deanie added emphatically. 
  
"Nick, you just don't understand...we COULDN'T let them hurt you!" Valerie 
insisted. 
  
"We had to save you!" Deanie asserted. < For ourselves > she thought. 
  
Nick gazed at them suspiciously. Sure, they were two of his staunchest 
supporters (at least, staunchest supporters on the fanatics list) but could 
they be trusted? The way they were looking at him. He knew he recognized 
the look. But from where? 
  
"We really need to get out of the hall," suggested Deanie. "They'll find us 
in a few minutes." Val nodded her agreement. 
  
Lost in thought, Nick allowed himself to be led down the hallway. The two 
stopped before a door on the left and entered a secret code. Inside, was a 
huge suite, with a luxuriously decorated sitting room... but what was through 
those half-open doors across the room... they were bedrooms! He heard the 
door shut behind him. As he turned to face the two Knighties, he suddenly 
realized where he had seen that look. It was the same look Natalie got when 
she was looking at a particularly tasty piece of chocolate! 
  
  
************ to be continued *************