Gerald didn't know what to say to the Ugly-Wugly.
"You want a hotel?" he finally said.
"A good hotel," said the middle-aged gentleman.
"I'm sorry, but the hotels here shut early.
They're all closed now."
Gerald had said the first thing that came into his head.
He couldn't send these creatures to a real hotel.
They'd frighten everyone in town!
"What about a lodging house?" asked a lady in a bonnet.
Another lady pushed her way to the front of the group.
"Where are the carriages that we ordered?"
"I don't know, but I'll find out,"
said Gerald, pretending everything was normal.
"We'd better get going now.
The play is over.
It's time to close the building and put out the lights."
"Let's get going,"
repeated the gentleman, who seemed to be the leader of the group.
He stepped toward the front door.
"I can go with you and help you find a place to stay," said Gerald.
"But you'll have to wait a few moments in the backyard."
The Ugly-Wuglies grumbled.
For some reason they didn't like that idea.
"It's a very nice backyard," Gerald said.
"The pump was just painted green."
The Ugly-Wuglies seemed interested in the fresh paint.
Gerald led them out into the backyard.
He hoped no one would see them.
"I hate to make you wait," he said, inventing an excuse.
"But my uncle is quite insane.
I have to give him his supper now.
When he sees strangers—even nice ones like you—he gets quite upset.
So please wait right here."
"Perhaps we should try to find a hotel ourselves?"
the lady in the bonnet said nervously.
"Oh no," Gerald said, acting very serious.
"The police arrest all strangers.
It's a new law."
As Gerald went back into the school, he heard the creatures muttering.
They said things like "quite the polite young gentleman."
Although the creatures looked horrible, Gerald wasn't afraid.
He knew it was because he was wearing the ring.
As long as he didn't touch them, he could be brave.
He found the other children in the dining room.
He didn't want them to be afraid.
"This is such fun!" he said in a cheerful voice.
"The Ugly-Wuglies are just like real people.
They're quite kind and jolly."
"Fun?" Kathleen said doubtfully.
Gerald told them about the need for a hotel.
"Wait here while I go up to talk to Mademoiselle and Eliza."
He ran upstairs.
"I wonder what lies he's telling them," said Jimmy.
Gerald came down again and said that he'd walk Mabel home.
"What about a hotel for the Ugly-Wuglies?" she reminded him.
"Is there a place on the castle grounds?
I need to put them somewhere until the charm breaks," said Gerald.
"Then they'll just be a pack of coats and things.
And we can carry those home later."
"There's a secret passage in the Temple of Flora," said Mabel.
Right then an Ugly-Wugly opened the back door.
He looked in anxiously.
"We'd better go," said Gerald.
He went outside with Mabel.
"This is my friend Mabel.
She played the princess in the play."
The middle-aged Ugly-Wugly shook her hand.
The one in the bonnet took Mabel's arm.
"You clever thing. Do walk with me."
And so they walked through town like any other group of people.
Mabel had to keep telling herself that the creatures weren't real.
They passed only one man who stared at them.
But he just muttered to himself.
At last they reached the gates to the castle grounds.
Gerald tried to open the gates, but couldn't.
They were locked.