Doren explained. "For example, we know a wonderful nest of jewels stowed in a pit under a boulder, if you don't mind chronic flesh-eating infections."
"And a priceless collection of gilded weapons in an armory protected by a vengeful family of ogres," Newel added. "But up ahead there's lots of gold with almost no strings attached," Doren promised.
"I still think I should get paid extra since you need my help collecting it," Seth complained.
"Now, Seth, don't be ungrateful," Newel chided. "We set a price. You agreed. Fair is fair. You don't have to help us retrieve the gold. We can just call the whole thing off."
Seth looked from one goatman to the other. Sighing, he zipped up the duffel bag. "Maybe you're right. This feels too risky.
"Or we could up your commission by twenty percent," Newel blurted, placing a hairy hand on the bag.
"Thirty," Seth said flatly.
"Twenty-five," Newel countered.
Seth unzipped the bag again.
Doren clapped his hands and stamped his hooves. "I love happy endings."
"It isn't over until I have the gold," Seth reminded them. "You're sure this treasure will truly be mine? No angry trolls will come to claim it?"
"No curses," Newel said.
"No powerful beings seeking retribution," Doren asserted.
Seth folded his arms. "Then why do you need my help?"
"This stash used to be free money," Newel said. "The easiest payday at Fablehaven. With the help of your oversized bodyguard, it can be a bargain again."
"Hugo won't have to hurt anybody," Seth confirmed. "Relax," Newel said. "We've been over this. The golem won't need to harm a fly."
Doren held up a hand. "I hear somebody coming." Seth heard nothing. Newel sniffed the air.
"It's the golem," Newel reported.
Several moments later, Seth detected the heavy footfalls of Hugo's approach. Before long, the golem crashed into view, crunching through the undergrowth. An apelike figure fashioned out of soil, clay, and stone, Hugo had a thick build and disproportionately large hands and feet. Currently one arm was somewhat smaller than the other. Hugo had lost an arm in a battle with Olloch the Glutton, and despite frequent mud baths, the limb had not quite finished reforming.
The golem came to a stop towering above Seth and the satyrs, who barely reached his massive chest. "Set," the golem intoned in a deep voice that sounded like huge stones grinding together.
"Hi, Hugo," Seth replied. The golem had only recently begun attempting simple words. He understood everything anyone told him, but rarely sought to express himself verbally.
"Good to see you, big guy," Doren said brightly with a wave and a broad smile.
"Will he cooperate?" Newel asked out the side of his mouth.
"Hugo doesn't have to obey me," Seth said. "I don't officially control him like Grandma and Grandpa do. But he's learning to make his own decisions. We've done some private adventuring together over the summer. He'll usually go along with whatever I suggest."
"Fair enough," Doren said. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly. "Newel, my fellow gold digger, we may be back in business."
"Will you finally explain what we're doing?" Seth begged.
"Have you ever heard of the nipsies?" Newel asked.
Seth shook his head.
"Tiny little critters," Doren elaborated, "smallest of the fairy folk." The satyrs watched Seth expectantly.
Seth shook his head again.
"They're most closely related to brownies, but stand at only a fraction of the height," Newel said. "As you know, brownies are experts at mending, salvaging, and inventively recycling. Nipsies are also master artisans, but they tend to start from scratch, tapping into natural resources to acquire raw materials."
Doren leaned close to Seth and spoke confidentially. "Nipsies have a fascination with shiny metals and stones, and a knack for finding them."
Newel winked.
Seth crossed his arms. "What will stop them from taking their treasure back?"
Newel and Doren burst out laughing. Seth frowned.
Newel placed a hand on his shoulder. "Seth, a nipsie is about this big." Newel held his thumb and forefinger half an inch apart. Doren snorted as he tried to resist further laughter.
"They can't fly, and they have no magic to attack or harm." "In that case, I still don't see why you need my help getting the gold," Seth maintained.
The chuckling subsided. "What nipsies can do is prepare traps and plant dangerous vegetation," Doren said. "The little nippers apparently took umbrage at the tributes Newel and I demanded, so they erected defenses to keep us away. Hugo here should have no trouble getting us into their domain."
Seth narrowed his eyes. "Why don't the nipsies get help from Grandpa?"
"No offense," Newel said, "but many creatures at Fablehaven