Hercufleas Read Online Free PDF

gravel.
    Licking his lips, the giant reached the Church of Saint Katerina on the Hill. He tore off the roof and plunged in his hand…
    â€˜Enough!’ shrieked Stickler. ‘I’ve heard all I need to hear!’
    Greta fell silent. In the library stacks, Hercufleas tried in vain to imagine Yuk’s size. To him, humans were enormous. But Yuk… the giant’s
blood cells
were probably bigger than he was. What hero could possibly stop something so gargantuan?
    â€˜Gnome-catchers, goblin-trappers…’ Behind him, Min and Pin hopped along the shelves, reading labels. ‘Here we are: giant-slayers.’
    But just as they reached the first book, the shelves sank back down again with a shudder. Gears whining, they juddered back below the counter and vanished.
    â€˜Apologies,’ Stickler said to Greta, taking his hand from the lever. ‘We are currently experiencing technical issues. I’m afraid it won’t be possible to help you. Goodbye, and have a Happily Ever After.’

9
    H ercufleas looked at Min and Pin. They stared back, as confused as he was. Above them, Mr Stickler sat, hands folded, waiting for Greta to leave the shop.
    She did not.
    â€˜What do you mean, you won’t help me?’ She scowled. ‘Why?’
    â€˜At current, we currently have no suitable heroes, erm, currently available.’ Stickler blinked nervously.
    â€˜You didn’t even look!’ Greta cried. ‘You’re afraid!’
    â€˜Afraid?’ Stickler barked a laugh. ‘Ridiculous.’
    â€˜You are. You’re terrified of Yuk!’
    â€˜He could damage my top earners!’ Stickler said primly. ‘Your quest sounds as if it has already wasted a good number of heroes. I recommend you try BestQuest again, or As Good As Our Sword.’
    â€˜Or me!’ Hercufleas piped up.
    â€˜Hercufleas, hush!’ said Min.
    â€˜Goodbye,’ said Stickler. ‘The door is located behind you. Use it at your earliest convenience.’
    Greta locked her eyes on him. ‘You’ll help me,’ she growled, ‘or else.’
    He snorted. ‘Or else what?’
    Her eyes brimmed. ‘Or else
this
,’ she said, bottom lip quivering.
    Stickler folded his arms. ‘Crying won’t get you anywhere.’
    â€˜He wouldn’t help me,’ Greta sniffed, looking around the shop as if people were there. ‘Mr Stickler, from Happily Ever Afters. I only wanted a hero, and he sent away a poor helpless child in need!’
    Stickler looked around in confusion. ‘Who are you…? What are you…?’ But Greta drowned him out with an anguished howl and burst into tears. They dribbled down her cheeks and hung from her chin in wobbly drops.
    â€˜Why wouldn’t he help?’ she sobbed to the invisible crowd. ‘Happily Ever Afters had such a good reputation! “You bring the quest, we’ll do the rest,” he says, but that’s not truuuuue.’
    Mr Stickler reared back in alarm. ‘Stop it! Don’t… You mustn’t say that to anyone!’
    â€˜I can’t help it,’ Greta wailed, heading for the door. ‘I’m just so saaaaaad! I’m never going to stop being saaaad, or telling everyone just who made me saaaad!’
    â€˜Hold it!’ Stickler said in a panic. ‘Be quiet! Shut up!’
    Greta only cried harder, louder. She opened the shop door to the street.
    â€˜All right!’ Stickler lunged forward, catching hold of her satchel and yanking her back inside. ‘It’s all right, you can stop crying, you can shut the door! I remember now!’
    Her tears stopped at once. Greta turned to him, eyes red and triumphant. ‘Remember what?’
    â€˜I know who can give you your Happily Ever After.’ Stickler sank back into his chair, dabbing his sweaty forehead with his sleeve.
    Greta sniffed. ‘Who?’
    â€˜Me?’ suggested Hercufleas.
    â€˜They are the