Chapter 7: The Royal Banquet

The King’s advisory council rushes Milo and Tock to the palace. The palace is very strange (but also amazing) It is engineered to look exactly like a book, standing on end. The front door is in the spine. I would totally want to visit it. Actually, I’m a little disappointed that I dropped architecture of my list of possible careers, way back in 2001. (I can’t math quickly, and I don’t own steel toed boots.)

There is a party waiting for Milo and Tock in the banquet hall. Everyone seems grumpy about having to wait for lunch. The Humbug, who I believe might be a fedora wearer (both literally and figuratively), shakes Milo’s hand and tells Milo he is guest of honor. As guest of honor, Milo is tasked with choosing the menu.

The King seems disappointed in Milo, but invites him to sit next to him at a place of honor. Milo tries to ask for a “light” meal, which the servers believe to mean a meal consisting of a light show. It’s pretty, but not filling. Realizing his mistake, Milo then tries to ask for a square meal, and everyone is served tasteless squares.

They have speeches, and Milo learns the hard way that he will have to eat his words. Literally. The cabinet has some cartoonish antics with metaphors. Finally, the half bakery brings out dessert, which consists of half-baked ideas. Milo grabs one that says “THE EARTH IS FLAT” and the Spelling Bee tells Milo that people swallowed that one for years, but it’s not popular these days.”

Milo ends the chapter by wrapping “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR THE BEST” in his napkin for later.

Chapter 8: The Humbug Volunteers

Everyone is full. The Humbug is so full he feels ill and is uncomfortable. I know that feeling well. It seems that whenever I forget that lesson, my body/mind/taste buds feel the need to remind me why overeating is bad. And I’m kind of a small person, so it’s VERY easy to overeat. People asking me if I don’t like my food doesn’t help, either. If I can’t finish my food, it doesn’t mean I don’t like it. Take that, Grandma, with your third helpings of mashed potatoes!

Anyway, so the Humbug, Milo, and Tock are left alone with the King and his advisors. Everyone in the hall rushed to the exit the second the King stood up for an after dinner speech. The Humbug says that they have all gone to dinner, and he will join them as soon as he can.

The King wonders what to do about the fact that everything is confusing and all of the words make things worse. Eventually they all come to the conclusion that  Rhyme and Reason must return.

The Humbug describes the journey that our heroes will have to make. Travel through miles of countryside, vividly described as hazardous, harrowing, unknown, etc., until Milo reaches Digitopolis. In Digitopolis they must persuade the Mathemagician to agree to release the princesses. Then they will travel through the Mountains of Ignorance (which is also scary and crawling with Demons), until they reach a two thousand step circular stairway without railings that lead to the Castle in the Air.

Azaz gives Milo a box full of all of the words he (Azaz) knows. He tells Milo that with the words, there are no obstacles you can not overcome, if he uses them well and in the right places. The King also volunteers the Humbug to accompany Milo and Tock. The trio is cheered out of the city.

Thoughts.

The light meal has always been so memorable. Other than that, I’m just glad we finally have all members of our traveling party together and a purpose for the hero’s journey. We are on our way. This seems like a pretty good place to stop for now.

There wasn't much in these two chapters that really jumped out at me as being allegorical or important on any level other than just fun writing, and setting up the rest of the story. 

Hopefully I can knock out a few more chapters for all three of my readers today, because I don't think I'll be able to get to it again until MAYBE Monday.