Music blasted from Grimlock Manor.

The place was lit up brighter than a glowshroom forest. Long limousines drove through the front gates to the mayor’s cliffside home. Kobolds in sleek suits, trolls in tiaras and spider-folk draped in jewelry were all ushered into the mayor’s brightly lit home by wide-shouldered ogres in dark suits. Outside the gates, a pack of reporters snapped photos as the rich and famous monsters arrived.

None of them noticed the three of us across the road, hiding behind a clump of boulder bushes.

“Mayor Grimlock sure knows how to throw a party,” Aleetha whispered.

“And he didn’t invite us?” Tank said. She stood to get a better look. “Even the police got invitations.”

Four police cars lined the road outside the mansion. Half a dozen cops stood around their cars, chatting and looking bored. My tail twitched at the sight of the officer in charge.

Detective Hordish wasn’t a bad ogre. He was just a grumpy cop who didn’t like detectives like me and Tank messing up his investigations. And by messing up, I mean solving. Right now, he looked extra grumpy. He probably wasn’t happy to spend his evening babysitting wealthy monsters.

Aleetha peered over a boulder bush. “The police are just standing around. They’re not checking any of the partygoers. It’s as if they’re waiting for something.”

“If Hordish sees us, something will happen,” I said. “He’ll send us packing back to our parents.”

“He won’t have to pack you very far, Fizz.” Tank pointed through the boulder bushes to the reporters. In the scrum of photographers stood a very familiar goblin reporter. “Your mom is here.”

I curled down even farther. I wished for a whole field of boulder bushes to hide in.

“I told her I was doing homework at your house, Tank,” I said. “If she catches us here, I won’t be allowed out of our cave for a month!”

“Let’s make sure she doesn’t see you out here then,” Aleetha said.

“We can’t stay out here all night,” Tank said. “The bot went into the mayor’s mansion. And that’s where we have to go if we want to find out who is controlling it.”

“It’s hopeless,” I said. “The only way into the mansion is through those front gates, right past my mom and Detective Hordish.”

“Good thing I brought along my homework.” Aleetha held up a small glass jar. A bright purple cream glowed inside. “My latest assignment. It should help get us inside that party.”

“Since when has homework been helpful?” I grumbled.

Tank held out her phone like a shield to protect her. “It’s magic! I am not touching any magic.”

“Then have fun out here,” Aleetha said with a shrug. “And keep your voice down. We’re hiding, remember?”

“What is it?” I said.

“Mage’s secret.” Aleetha rubbed a bit of the cream on her arm. “Okay, it’s doppelgänger sweat mixed with crushed naggle root and spices to make it smell nice.”

“Doppelgänger?” I said. “You mean those shape-shifters from the Depths?”

“Disgusting!” Tank said. “And it’s magic. Two reasons not to touch this stuff.”

“Relax, Tank,” Aleetha said. “Just put a little on your wrist, like this. And wait.”

She reached out to dab the purple cream on the troll’s arm.

Tank pulled her arm back. “No way!”

“Tank, we need to get inside the party,” I said. “And we’ll need you with us.”

I took the cream from Aleetha and put some on my arm.

“All right.” Tank took the jar and rubbed some cream on her wrist. “But how is this stuff going to get us into the party?”

“Like this,” Aleetha said. The lava elf ’s words rumbled like thunder, and her body sparkled.

Being an ogre was weird. Everything seemed smaller. My extra height gave me a different view of the world around me. It was like I was standing on a ladder, but I could walk at the same time. Inside I was still a goblin, but to anyone looking at me I was an ogre.

I wasn’t sure Aleetha’s disguise would work. I held my breath as we walked past my mom and the other reporters. I was sure she would recognize me. But she didn’t look twice at a trio of waiters rushing to the mayor’s party. No one paid any attention to us.

“They probably think we’re just late for work,” Aleetha whispered as we walked up the driveway and through the front door.

It was the same inside the party. None of the wealthy monsters even looked at us. We were just hired help. Monsters in the Overlook never paid attention to the hired help. Even though I was double my usual size, I could move through this party as if I were a tiny bug. But we still had to be careful. Bugs can get splattered.

The mayor’s party was a who’s-who of monster royalty. All the important ogres, goblins and trolls were there. Business tycoons, celebrities and politicians chatted, laughed and danced in Mayor Grimlock’s massive home.

Aleetha led us to a quiet corner under the stairs leading to the back of the mansion.

“I do not like being an ogre,” Tank said after she bumped into the corner of the wall. She was clearly having a hard time getting used to her added size. “This will wear off, right?”

“Sooner than you think,” Aleetha said. “I’m not sure how long it’ll last, but it won’t be long. We’d better keep moving.”

“Moving where?” I said. Now that we were inside the party with all the well-dressed monsters and fancy food, finding the monster who controlled the battle bot seemed impossible.

“I got us through the front door,” Aleetha said. “I was hoping you two would come up with a plan.”

A door along the nearest wall swung open. A troll in the same waiter’s uniform as us stepped into the room. She carried a wide tray heaped with rolled-up pastries and skewers of steaming meat. The waiter strolled around the room, offering the treats to the partygoers.

The door opened again and another troll appeared. This one was much older, with a face that looked like it was chiseled from old rubble. He snarled when he spotted us.

“You three! Quit standing around,” Rubble-Face barked. He grabbed me by the sleeve and pulled me back to the door, motioning for Aleetha and Tank to follow. “Get in here! I have a special job for you.”