Chapter 42 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

Chapter 42 — Into the jungle; Quemada breaks; the Wienermobile

Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 41 — Forty paths; Osvaldo's crystals · Next: Chapter 43 — The cannibals; Great Rusty; Pasty Inferno · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series

Opening

The light turned green, and we were off.

Summary

Green. The bugbears float ahead; the Dominators pass. Team Sparkles fires at the Dominators, misses, and knocks Bruna over; she gets up. Quemada panics over what the elf mage said, sure they have been doing this over and over, and Olga explains: she has a panic disorder; Helado the ice fairy used to calm her; after Helado died to the chain demon she killed one of their two clients, and Finley talked her down. The paths split: the bugbears take the long safe road; Sparkles, One Fine Pig and Flamengo the left; only the Dominators are ahead on Carl's. In the constricting jungle the Wienermobile of the Bleak Congregation merges from an unseen road and blocks the path — Donut has befriended the Minister of Blood-Letting, who practises for the Unholy Choir and promised not to sacrifice them to Baal. Quemada begs Emberus to show himself so she and Carl can 'cleanse—', and asks Finley to let her end it; he grabs her, pokes her with a claw — 'Sleep now, friend' — and lays her Unconscious in the sink: 'She hasn’t been right since Helado died.' Imani reports they are behind and have already lost a team — Crawler Henrietta, from Angola, new this heat, swallowed with her partner and mount by a trap. Carl sends the course; they will wait at the cliff for Imani's wall-climbing kit.

Characters

• Carl — Sends the course; will wait at the cliff.
• Princess Donut — Befriended the Minister; 'THIS ISN’T DOWNTON ABBEY.'
• Team Helix (Olga, Finley and Quemada) — Quemada's panic — 'We’ve been doing this over and over!'; Finley sedates her into the sink.
• Radoslav and Jasha (Team Free Love) — Take the long safe road.
• Genesis and Rapture (the Lady Dominators) — Four fingers as they pass.
• Osvaldo — Bruna knocked over by Sparkles' cannon: 'We good. Bruna is tough.'
• The Minister of Blood-Letting — The Wienermobile blocks the path; practising for the Unholy Choir; promised not to sacrifice them to Baal.
• Imani — Behind; lost Henrietta from Angola to a trap.
• Elle McGibbons — Driving like an old lady.

Locations

• The jungle track — Steaming under the acid; a cliff ahead.

Motifs

• Waking the NPCs — What awakening does to a fairy of faith.
• The mobs are victims — Helado, killed by the chain demon.
• The tenth floor — Paths split.
• The gods — 'Emberus, help me understand.'