re, take these little gemstones away. I
don't really need them. All part of the game, though, you know. Well, I
do have work to do now ... Toodle-oo!"

"LAMBERT!" roared the troll in a voice that would have shamed the
kingliest of lions. "You have no work to do here."

"Oh, but I do," said Lambert. "I must take this darling unicorn back to
where she belongs. Oh, yes, yes! Please do not hinder us. I must get her
away from here, where she is such a lovely distraction. Yeah, that's
exactly the problem, my master. Gotta get her home now. Later!"

The troll placed a powerful and majestic hoof on one of Lambert's
flippers. "Excuse me," he said. "But I told you that you have no further
work to do here. Please pick up your toys and get off of my ranch. And
take your disobedient helpers with you. Also, you may have as many
milkweed pods as you can carry. I'll never let it be said that I am
heartless."

"But, master!" stammered Lambert. "You can't do this! You mustn't! We've
come such a long way already! I was up for a raise next year!"

"I'll raise a few things for you if you aren't out of my sight before
nightfall." Lindsay was suddenly calm. "And if I ever see you around
this innocent waif again, I will ... Well, I don't rightly know what
I'll do. But you can rest assured that it won't be very much fun for
either of us."

CHAPTER FIFTEEN:

CAN'T STAND IN THE WAY OF LOVE

"Well, now!" cackled the Witch. "You thought you'd seen the last of ol'
Allidap, did you? You were so wrong! Ha ha ha! Now I have you in my
clutches once more, and you won't be escaping from me again, I can tell
you! To think, you tried to trick me with a photo of some television
star. But you won't be able to fool me again quite so easily, my little
basket of nuts and bolts!"

The evil woman had chained Telly to a large black platform and was
standing over him in a most menacing manner. "You showed me a picture of
somebody else to make me think I was a ravishing beauty. You lied to me,
you electronic hunk of junk!"

Telly struggled to free himself of his chains, but they proved to be too
strong for him. Giving in, he stopped struggling and tuned in to an old
rerun of _Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color._

"Let me see now," muttered the false Allidap. "I must think this over. I
have to do something appropriate to punish you for your deceptive ways.
Maybe I should turn you into a candy cane and gobble you up?" She
scratched her chin. "