Although the Portal was only a few feet away, Denise wasn't sure she could make it. She'd already used most of her strength just to stand. After the beating she'd taken from Nathan, she doubted she was strong enough to fight any more sand and wind. Still, there was something about Samson's, Listro Q's, and Aristophenix's encouragement . . . and their love — the way they stayed right at her side, helping her.

Somehow it gave her strength, and enabled her to stagger the last remaining steps toward the opening.

The Portal continued to expand and shrink, expand and shrink, as it grew smaller and smaller. Once they arrived, Samson was the first to enter, then Listro Q, then Aristophenix. Now it was Denise's turn. It was more than a little spooky, stepping through something that seemed half alive. But taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she crawled through the opening and entered. . . .

Now hold on to yer horses, I don't mean to harp. But what happened to Seerlo? This here looks like Keygarp.

The group stood inside some sort of frozen forest. But instead of leaves, each of the twisted and gnarled tree branches was covered in layers of frost and ice. That was Denise's first impression of the place — frost and ice. And the color blue. It seemed everything was blue. From the midnight blue of the tree trunks and boulders, to the lighter shades of blue for the snow, to the clear blue layers of crystalline frost that coated everything. There was no yellow, no orange, no red . . . only blue. It was both eerie and beautiful.

Denise gave a shudder and pulled up her collar against the cold. Listro Q and Aristophenix did the same with their clothes — though Listro Q made an extra effort to ensure his tuxedo was free of any sand or debris.

“You there-Upside Downer!” The voice was harsh and raspy, like the cawing of a crow.

Denise looked up. “What on earth?”

The others followed her gaze. Through the twisted branches of the forest they saw a creature with cloven hoofs and covered in scales. It circled high over their heads, its black wings stark against the cold blue sky.

“I have not forgotten!” it cried. “You have been promised to me. I have not forgotten!” And then, with two mighty thrusts of its wings, the creature sailed off.

Denise gave another shudder. Turning to the group, she croaked, “Who . . . who was that?”

No one had an answer. But, even now, Denise suspected it would not be the last time they met.

“Look!” Listro Q pointed in the distance. “Castle Bobok's!”

Denise turned to see a craggy set of towers that seemed to defy gravity as they leaned and loomed in all directions.

“Alrightee then,” Aristophenix took a deep breath for courage.

To help Nathan, let's move, since that's what we chose. 'Cause there ain't much time left 'fore the Portal is closed.

He started toward the castle and the others joined him. Denise hesitated, took her own breath for courage and followed.

The doors slithered open with a harsh hiss. Like everything else in Bobok's castle, they were made of smooth, cold steel. And like everything else in Keygarp, they were covered with a thin coating of frost that sparkled in deep blue light.

Nathan had learned the hard way not to touch the walls or doors or anything else in the castle. Actually, the touching wasn't the problem. It was the letting go that got a bit painful. The steel was so cold that once you touched it, it was impossible to let go without leaving a layer of skin forever frozen to its surface.

They had barely left the forest and entered the castle before Mr. Hornsberry sidled up close to Nathan. “I do hope I'm not speaking with impropriety,” the dog whispered between chattering teeth, “but I don't fancy this place, Master Nathan — I don't fancy it one bit.”

Nathan had to admit he wasn't too fond of it either. In fact, as they moved from room to room, he wasn't sure if he was shivering because of the cold or because of fear. Maybe it was both.

The next room they entered was like all the others — a large, cavernous hall that seemed to have no purpose except to echo their footsteps. And, like every other room, the walkway was lined on both sides with little orbs that rolled onto their faces as Bobok, Nathan, and Mr. Hornsberry passed. Each frosty-blue ball wore a helmet and had a small sword strapped to its side. But, since they had no arms, Nathan figured the swords were more for show than anything else. And, like Bobok, each had a set of sunken little eyes.

Nathan couldn't help thinking how everyone in the castle looked exactly the same. They reminded him of one of those assembly lines where the same part is stamped over and over again. That's what they were — stamped, carbon copies. Carbon copies of Bobok. Only these creatures had no personality. They were just stamped carbon copies that moved in perfect synchronization with no life or feeling.

Oh, and there was one other thing Nathan noticed . . . a hum. He'd heard it when they'd first entered the castle. And now, with every footstep, it seemed to grow louder. They approached a pair of doors that towered a dozen feet over their heads. Bobok rolled to a stop and turned to Nathan. “You'll like this,” he purred, his voice as smooth as when they'd first met. “You'll like this a lot.”

He turned back to the doors and they whisked open. A blast of cold air hit Nathan so hard that he had to close his eyes. And when he opened them . . . well, let's just say he wished he hadn't.

The three of them approached the edge of a platform a hundred feet high. Before them floated dozens of strange creatures — some as thin as pencils, some as round as beach balls, some with three eyes and one head, others with three heads and one eye. Amazing. If you could imagine the strangest imaginables imaginable, and then imagine them just a little bit stranger . . . well, at least you'd be getting close.

“What — what is this place?” Nathan stuttered.

“Welcome to my menagerie!” Bobok beamed.

Nathan continued to stare. The creatures rotated inside a giant cone that stretched a hundred feet above them and a hundred feet below . . . a cone of energy that crackled and sparked every time someone or something bumped against its side. Each of the creatures looked like they had been in a thousand fights. They were scarred and beaten and battered. Their strange, exotic clothing was torn into a million shreds.

But what frightened Nathan even more was how everyone seemed to be in some sort of trance.

Although their eyes were open, it was as if they couldn't see. When they drifted into one another, they automatically began to fight and scratch. Sometimes it was over a shred of clothing or a scrap of floating food or even the remains of a shattered toy. But it was always done in slow motion — as if the creatures were being controlled. As if they couldn't help themselves.

Finally there was the matter of the hum. Nathan no longer wondered about its source. It came from here. And it really wasn't a hum. It was a groan. Dozens of groans. Long, slow, mournful groans coming from the throats of these strange creatures caught within the energy field.

“Who . . . who are they?”

“Oh, just different beings I've collected from different kingdoms,” Bobok purred. “But they all have one thing in common — at least they do now.” He chuckled. “Each is possessed with greed — pure, unadulterated greed.”

Nathan stepped back as two creatures passed so close he could have reached out and touched them. Like the others, they kept fighting, slowly and mechanically.

Mr. Hornsberry let out a long, low growl.

Bobok paid little attention and continued. “Once they're in that energy field, they are under my power. They're doomed to scratch and claw, to take and steal for eternity. Great sport, wouldn't you agree?”

Nathan continued to stare.

“Particularly for those who never give but want only to possess.”

Nathan tried to respond but he had no voice.

“However,” Bobok purred as he turned toward Nathan, “in all my years I've never had an Upside Downer in there . . .”

Nathan swallowed hard. Slowly he turned to look at Bobok.

He wished he hadn't.

The blue orb was grinning his grin again. A grin that said his wishes were about to be fulfilled.

Excerpted from The Portal, book one of the “Imager Chronicles” series by Bill Myers, and reprinted by permission of Tommy Nelson Publishers. Read chapter 10 of The Portal.

To read chapters 1 through 8 of The Portal click here.