Jack shivered. He could see his breath in the dim light.
Annie was staring out the window. "This is Camelot?" shesaid.
Jack looked out with her. The tree house had landed in agrove of tall, bare trees. A huge, dark castle loomed against thegray sky. No light shone from its windows. No banners wavedfrom its turrets. Wind whistled through its tall towers, soundingsad and lonely.
"It looks deserted," said Annie.
"Yeah," said Jack. "I hope we came to the right place."Jack pulled his notebook and pencil out of his pack. Hewanted to write a description of the dark castle.
"Hey, I see someone" said Annie.
Jack looked out the window again.
A woman was crossing the castle draw-bridge. She wore along cloak and carried a lantern. Her white hair blew in thewind.
"Morgan!" said Annie and Jack together. They laughed withrelief.
Morgan hurried over the frost-covered ground toward thegrove of trees. "Annie? Jack? Is that you?" she called.
"Of course! Who'd you think?" shouted Annie. She starteddown from the tree house.
Jack threw his notebook into his backpack. He followed Anniedown the rope ladder. When they reached the icy ground, theyran to Morgan and both threw their arms around her.
"I was looking out a window in the castle and saw a brightflash in the orchard," said Morgan. "What are you doing here?""You didn't send the tree house for us?" asked Jack.
"With a Royal Invitation to spend Christmas in Camelot?"asked Annie.
"No!" said Morgan. She sounded alarmed.
"But the invitation was signed with an M," said Jack.
"I don't understand . .. ," said Morgan. "We are not celebratingChristmas in Camelot this year.""You aren't?" said Jack.
"Why not?" said Annie.
A look of sadness crossed Morgan's face. "Do you rememberwhen you visited my library and gave King Arthur the hope andcourage to challenge his enemy?" she asked.
''Sure, said Jack.
"Well, Arthur's enemy was a man named Mordred," saidMorgan. "After you left, Arthur defeated him, but not beforeMordred's Dark Wizard cast a spell over the whole kingdom.
The spell robbed Camelot of all its joy.""What? All its joy?" whispered Annie.
"Yes," said Morgan. "For months, Camelot has been withoutmusic, without celebration, and without laughter.""Oh, no," said Annie.
"What can we do to help?" said Jack.
Morgan smiled sadly. "This time, I don't think you can doanything," she said. "But perhaps it will lift Arthur's spirits to seeyou both again. Come, let us go inside the castle."Morgan held up her lantern and started toward thedrawbridge.
Jack and Annie hurried after her. As they walked through theouter courtyard, the frozen grass cracked under their sneakers.
They followed Morgan over the bridge and through a tallgate. There were no signs of life in the castle's inner courtyard.
"Where is everyone?" Annie whispered to Jack.
"I don't know," he whispered back. Jack really wished theyhad a book about Camelot. It might help them understand whatwas going on.
Morgan led them to a huge archway with two wooden doors.
She stopped and looked at them.
"I am afraid no book would help you tonight, Jack," she said.
Jack was startled that Morgan had read his thoughts.
"Why not?" asked Annie.
"On all your other journeys, you visited real places and timesin history," said Morgan. "Camelot is different.""How?" said Jack.
"The story of Camelot is a legend," said Morgan. "A legend isa story that begins in truth. But then imagination takes over.
Different people in different times tell the story. They use theirimaginations to add new parts. That is how a legend is keptalive.""Tonight we'll add our part," said Annie.
"Yes," said Morgan. "And please, I beg you"--in the lanternlight, she looked very serious--"do not let the story of Camelotend forever. Keep our kingdom alive.""Of course we will!" said Annie.
"Good," said Morgan. "Come, then. Let us go into the greathall and see the king."Morgan lifted an iron latch and pushed open the heavy doors.
Jack and Annie followed her into the dark castle. |