"I don't believe what just happened," said Jack.
"What part don't you believe?" said Annie, holding the silvercup.
Jack laughed and shook his head.
"I don't believe any of it," he said.
Annie laughed, too. "That was cool, huh?"Jack pushed his glasses into place and stared at her.
"Seriously, what just happened in there?" he asked.
"I imagined us fighting the Keepers with flaming swords," saidAnnie. "What did you imagine?"Jack shrugged. "I--I just imagined the Keepers going back intheir holes," he said.
"Good," said Annie. "We both got what we imagined.""Yeah," said Jack, smiling. "But what you imagined made amuch better story."A shriek of fury came from inside the cave.
"Yikes!" said Annie.
"Let's get out of here!" said Jack.
He scrambled to his feet, and together they climbed backdown over the big rocks to the thicket. Annie moved verycarefully to keep from spilling the water in the cup.
When they came to the thicket, Jack pulled out Sir Percival'scompass. "If we came west to get here, we have to go east to getback," he said. "East is that way....
As they started into the wild growth, Jack went first so hecould clear the way for Annie.
Without talking, they pushed steadily through the trees andbushes, moving farther and farther from the Keepers' cave.
Finally, they heard music in the distance. They walked closerand closer toward the sound, until they stepped back into thegreen glade.
The winged dancers were still there, dancing in their magiccircle. Jack's heart raced. He wanted to join them again. But heknew that if he did, he would never escape their dance.
"Look!" said Annie. "The knights are awake!"Sir Lancelot, Sir Galahad, and Sir Percival were standing justbeyond the circle of dancers. They were buckling on theirswords.
"Hi!" called Annie. "Guess what! We got it!"The knights walked shakily toward Jack and Annie. They stilllooked thin and tired, but color had returned to their cheeks.
"We have the Water of Memory and Imagination," said Annie.
She held up the silver cup. The knights smiled.
"Now we just have to get it back to Camelot," said Jack.
"We would like to help you," said Sir Lancelot. "But it seemswe have lost our three horses.
"No, you haven't!" said Annie. "Your horses are waiting foryou!""They're on the other side of the hill," said Jack.
Jack and Annie led the knights over the hill. On their way,Jack picked up the red velvet cloak. When they came to themeadow, they saw the three horses.
The horses neighed and cantered over to the knights. As SirLancelot stroked the mane of the black horse, he turned to Jackand Annie.
"You can both ride back to Camelot with me, he said.
"Thanks!" they said.
Jack fastened the red cloak around his neck.
Sir Lancelot helped them onto the back of his horse, thenclimbed on himself.
Annie sat behind Lancelot. She held on to the knight with herright hand. She held the silver cup in her left hand.
"Can you carry the water without spilling it?" Jack asked her,worried.
"I'll try," she said.
Sir Galahad mounted the brown horse, and Sir Percivalclimbed on the gray horse. Then the three knights startedthrough the pale green meadow.
"Careful, careful," Jack whispered to Annie.
"I got it, I got it," she said.
When they came to the iron gate, the knights drew theirswords.
"Open the gate! In the name of King Arthur of Camelot!" SirLancelot called. Though he still sounded hoarse, the knight'sdeep voice carried an amazing strength.
The iron gate slowly swung open. Sir Lancelot urged his horseonward.
The guards watched silently as the knights passed by themand started across the bridge.
The three horses trod in single file over the wooden planks.
Again, Jack was amazed by the difference between this worldand the Other-world. Here it was dark and freezing and foggy.
The red cloak flapped in the bitter wind.
As the horses stepped off the bridge, they each neighedloudly.
"Oh, wow!" whispered Annie.
Standing high on a rock, in a swirl of fog, was the white stag. |