Chapter 5: Pumpkin Head
It was now in the late afternoon, and Mac had long since moved away from the portrait. Moving around the different pieces of artefacts he found quite a few different objects. Some vases with the Wizards large green head upon them, some more of those sunglasses Bloo had gotten from their last trip, and many more. Out the window, which was also barred, Mac could see the distant horizon. There lay the woods, beyond those were the deadly desert and finally, a spot in the far distance was a mountain. The Gnome King’s mountain, as the large map had read.
"What this place needs is a woman’s touch." Billina said as she ate a spider which had made a home on one of the chest of drawers.
"Mooommmmyyyyy...?" came a voice from somewhere. Mac and Billina froze, and so did the whole room. The voice came again. "Mommy?" it sounded like it was coming form far away, an echo.
Mac and Billina observed the other, before making their way cautiously towards where the voice had stemmed from. Around a few more large portraits that had been placed up here, was a couch and leaning up against the couch in pieces was... well. Something. His head was orange, not only orange but a pumpkin. The pumpkin had been carved into a face, large wide eyes and a mouth forever stuck in a grin. Just like the Scarecrow. His body was made of twigs, odd in length so it gave him a rather lanky appearance with the clothes that didn't seem to fit him either. Once Mac stepped closer, the head turned suddenly and stared at him, somehow without eyes. "Aww..." it whined gently. "Not Mommy." It looked greatly disappointed.
"What is that?" Billina asked in a half whisper. "A man or a melon?"
"Pumpkinhead!!" the figure sang loudly, suddenly. "Jack, Jack Jack Pumpkinhead." Jack introduced himself by waving the remains of his right arm. "Daddy help Jack back togetheerrrr?"
"I'm not your Daddy." Mac replied, uneasily. This Jack was a peculiar fellow, maybe his head was beginning to go rotten. But, he couldn't hold that against him. Jack seemed to be as much a prisoner of Mombi as he was. Setting Billina down he walked over to him. "How'd you get in here?" he asked, looking at what pieces of Jack were strewn around, just out of his reach.
"Mommy make Jack, to scare mean Princess lady!" Jack explained as Mac picked up one of his arms. "I scare Princess, but then she get mad. GRRRRRR!" he emphasized with a growl, which failed since he had no sharp teeth or claws like the Lion. Mac began tying his arms and legs back on. "So she use magic sprinkle fairy dust and Jack is alive! ...but then is thrown away, to be made into pie! But meanie Princess lady forget about Jack."
Even if Jack's voice was a strain on the ears, Mac was taking in everything the pumpkinheaded man was saying. So Princess Mombi could bring things to life? Maybe that explained those heads she had. And if she had something to make things come to life... his eyes scanned the room quickly. There were a lot of couches, an old palm tree and more interestingly enough, the head of an animal mounted on the wall gathering cobwebs and dust. His mind already ticking away at an idea, Mac helped Jack to his feet. "Jack, think really hard now."
"Mmmmmmm?" Jack asked,
"Do you know where Mombi keeps the powder?" Mac asked, hoping he had an idea where.
Jack stood there, unsteady on his shaky feet and looked to be in thought. Or watching a dust particle make its way through the air. It was hard to tell.
"Jack!" Mac called out. "Do you know?"
"32!" Jack cheered.
"32?" Mac asked, "That's the answer?"
"32." Jack echoed, nodding his head as best he could.
Now normally that would mean nothing, but it meant something to Mac. When he had been taken down the hallway of heads, every single cabinet was a see through glass. Except 32, which had a mirror instead. That must be where Mombi keeps the powder of life!
"Jack. Billina. I've got a plan."
"Yay plan!"
~*~
Using Jack's thin fingers, Mac was allowed to break the lock of the door. He reattached Jack's arm, and the two began down the long winding steps to the floor below. Lucky for him, despite how unsteady Jack seemed, he was totally fine with walking unlike the Scarecrow who used to tumble over by just stepping on a rock. He explained the plan as he went, every now and then asking Jack if he could remember what he said. It took a while, but eventually Jack had the gist of what to do. Finally they reached a door, and pushed it open to reveal the large foyer Mac had entered with Billina and Tik-Tok.
Carefully the two crept along the foyer, but then Mac felt a cold hand land on his shoulder. He almost leapt out of his skin before he realised it was Jack. "What, what is it?" he asked through his teeth, in a hushed tone.
"Daddy?" he asked.
"No, I'm not." Mac said back.
"Daddy?" Jack asked again, looking as sad as a pumpkin could.
"No! I'm..." Mac grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Daddy."
"Yaaaaaaaay." Jack said in a hushed voice, tapping his fingertips together in a silent clap. Mac rolled his eyes. Maybe his pumpkin head really was going rotten.