The Swan Princess: A Royal Myztery Page #2

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That's easy. "Zhe bad guy!"

Let's not jump to conclusions.

These could be the marks of

friendly cinnamon-scented mice.

I'm just saying,

we need to be calm.

Well, that's easy for you to say.

You're not on a hit list!

Huh?

Oh. No.

I'll just be moving along.

If we're all marked,

Alise and Lucas!

We'll leave right away

for Borromeo.

Puffin, you fly ahead.

Warn the children.

Thief!

You stole our pink bellies!

We'll get revenge!

- How did you catch him?

- Sidearm cast-and-snatch.

It's a new

roping classic, buddo.

Yep! Say toodle-loo to the

overhand toss because...

I'll catch you up

on the details later.

You shouldn't have done

what you've done, ghost.

Those were our pink bellies.

But basically

it cinches tighter.

That's all I'm gonna say for now.

Details to follow.

Oh...

Article 3,

section 19, point 1,

sub-clause A, addendum C,

particle M, slash umlaut.

"The penalty

for stealing pink bellies,

"if the guilty party

be a ghost, shall be..."

Huh...

Ah!

Life behind glass.

Yeah.

Get in.

I can't possibly fit in there.

Oh! Yeah!

Yep.

In you go.

So no trial, huh?

Wait! Point of order, Nums.

It's a small thing

and yet a big thing.

Tiny yet gargantuan.

Miniscupule yet

elephantinormous.

- Lillipushkin yet...

- What?

You can't punish him

without a trial first!

If someone finds out we put him

in that jar without a trial,

they could technically,

feasibly,

set him free.

Wait, wait.

I got him here.

I'll get him in that jar

fair and square.

Game on! I've been

training all my life for this!

Well, all my

ghost life, anyway.

But that's still a life.

Here we go again.

On the upside,

I'm getting a trial.

On the downside, I'm being tried

by some pretty dumb animals.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

A bouquet for every home

in Borromeo.

This is my favorite color.

Ah, here they are.

Puffin, it's so boring.

And if anything needs

protecting, it's the tulips.

I'm sorry, children, but

no one leaves the castle

until Derek and Odette say so.

Thank you, Puffin.

Mama! Papa!

Sweetheart, you're safe.

You saw what's

been done to my tulips.

Someone's leaving a mark.

- Do you have any idea what it means?

- I wish I did.

A statue

of Nicollo and Antonio.

It's slated for destruction,

but, until then,

I must attend

to more pressing matters.

King Sebastian!

Not to worry, Jasper.

We'll have it repaired

in no time.

Order in the court!

Hmm. That's a quality tool.

Proceed.

Do you promise not to tell

a bunch of big fat lies?

I certainly do.

My dear, diablical Mr. Scully,

not your first time

to Bogg Island?

- No, sir.

- The accused agrees.

Let it be so noted.

Hmm?

Uh... Never mind.

On your previous visit,

did you come as a ghost?

Objection! Your Honor, these questions

about ghosts are immaterial.

Get it?

Sustained,

because it's funny.

- Seriously?

- Proceed.

- The porpoise?

- I'm sorry. Are we talking about dolphins?

No! The porpoise

of your visit to Bogg Island.

I came to see my friends.

Your pink belly friends,

am I right?

Exactamundo.

And these pink belly friends,

are they the same pink bellies

my client was planning to eat?

The very same.

And then suddenly

they were set free.

Imagine that!

No further questions.

Never even took a class.

Mr. Scully. First, I wanna thank

you for being so transparent.

I'm killing me.

From now on, Mr. Scully

wants to represent himself.

So I wanted to make it fun.

Sue me.

Your Honor, I would like

to call a witness. Nums.

Will you state your name

for the record, sir?

- Nums.

- And that is your full name?

Is Nums your full name,

sir, or no?

Objection, Your Honor!

He's badgering the witness!

Badgering? Excuse me, Your Honor.

Nothing of the sort.

Badgers are fierce animals!

My question is friendly,

like a bunny rabbit.

Well, it's okay

to bunny rabbit the witness.

Huh?

Your full name then, sir.

Um. Numsy...

Yes, and?

Wumsy, okay? Wumsy!

It's Numsy Wumsy!

Very well then, Mr...

I'm sorry. I'm sorry,

Your Honor.

Mr...

I'm sorry.

All right, moving on.

What proof do you have that

I stole your pink bellies?

Objection!

That was not

a bunny rabbit question.

He may not be badgering,

but he's at least

weaseling my client.

And weasels

can be fierce, too!

- No weaseling the witness.

- Fair enough.

Sir, you seem an honest Bogg.

I'm sure you wouldn't

accuse me of stealing

- if you didn't see it yourself, right?

- Yes.

So how did I do it?

When we weren't looking,

you untied their ropes

and hauled them off.

You saw me

do that, did you?

Yes, I did,

you thieving ghost!

Order. Order.

Um...

One final question before I turn

myself over to your justice.

Sir, would you be so kind as to take

up the gavel and throw it at me?

Throw it right at me. Just right

here in the old bread basket.

Here, "X" marks the spot.

Right here.

- Objection?

- What could you possibly object to?

Unless he throws

less like a Nums

and more like a Numsy Wumsy?

How does a ghost who can't

touch or be touched

untie ropes

and haul off pink bellies?

Did not see that coming.

Your Honor, I move

that you declare a mistrial!

Say he's guilty! Say it!

But we haven't deliberated.

- Guilty!

- It doesn't count!

Only a foreman can say

"guilty," and I'm the foreman.

Order in the court!

Bailiff, establish order!

I've been waiting

all day for that.

Come on! Get out of here!

This is not proper

courtroom decorum.

Oh. That can't be good.

- Princess!

- Scully!

There's a... We got a...

I think there's a...

Derek! Move!

- Good thing I'm a ghost.

- That was close.

Derek, he controls the rats.

He was spying on you.

- Then he whistled!

- Who?

A man in black.

I've seen him before.

Follow him, Scully.

He jumped.

I'm an innocent ghost!

You're a foo-gitive.

But Larry and I are

gonna fix that.

My men

are searching everywhere.

So far, no man in black.

I'm worried that he'll try

to hurt the children.

Don't worry.

Scully will find him.

Your Majesty.

The prisoner Nicollo requests

to speak with Prince Derek.

Alone.

He says he has information

about the man in black.

I'll be back.

Prince Derek.

Don't get your hopes up.

Nicollo's mind

is quite undone.

Well?

No sign of the man in black

or Scully, I'm afraid.

- You?

- Just more rats.

Follow the rats! That's how

we can find the man in black.

I don't like it, Princess.

Let's leave that to Scully.

Well, when he

shows up, I will.

Until then,

I'm following the rats.

Ugh!

I can't believe

I just said that.

I'm gonna need help, Number 9.

Uh-huh. No way!

Talk to the paw, people.

- Number 9!

- Look, even if I wanted to,

the King would never allow it.

What are you gonna do?

I'm popular.

I've got it!

Follow the rats!

Your Highness?

And here's how you do it!

- Jasper!

- Are you sure?

I thought maybe...

Uh-uh. Jasper and I

may be royalty,

but when it comes to friends,

we are foot soldiers.

- Aren't we, Jasper?

- Only if you insist.

Help me.

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