10 Hail, Home!

10 HAIL, HOME! Not far from the Danube River, the emperor dismounted. He helped Jack and Annie down from the white horse. "Thank you for letting me carry the eagle, my Lord Aurelius," said Annie. "You need not call me that outside the camp," said the emperor. "You may call me Marcus." "Thanks for helping us, Marcus," said Jack. "You're welcome," said Marcus. "I hope you learned about the Roman Legion today." "We did," said Jack. "You guys are amazing," said Annie. "We

wrote a lot in our journals." The emperor smiled. "Good," he said. "I tell few people this, but I myself keep a journal." "Really?" Annie said. "What sort of things do you write?" Marcus paused for a moment. "Perhaps I will share some of my thoughts with you," he said. He pulled his journal from a saddlebag. He read: Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. "It sounds like poetry," said Jack. "I love it," said Annie. "Then perhaps you will like this, too," said Marcus. "I have begun a list of small things that have a special beauty for me." He read from his journal again: fresh bread

ripe figs wheat bending in the field the face of a lion the beauty of old age in men and women the smell of wood smoke Marcus looked at them almost shyly. "That's an amazing list, Marcus," said Jack. "A beautiful list," said Annie.

"Thank you," said Marcus. He sighed. "I must leave you now and don my emperor disguise again. There are battles still to be won." "Good luck, Marcus," said Jack. The emperor mounted his black horse. Jack handed him the reins of the white horse. "Farewell, my friends," said Marcus. "I bid you safe travels." "Thank you," said Jack. "You should keep writing, Marcus," said Annie. "Your journal is really good." The emperor smiled again and raised his hand. Then he turned and led the white horse back toward the camp. "Let's go," Jack said to Annie. They hurried to the tree with the hidden tree house. "Look," Annie said. She pointed up. Jack saw the golden eagle perched high on

a branch. "Hi, there," he said. Then he and Annie climbed up the rope ladder. They looked out the window together. They watched the emperor pass through the front gate into the camp. The eagle cried out from above and flew into the darkening winter sky. "It's time for Marcus to be ruler of the Roman Empire again," said Annie. "Yup," said Jack. He took his tablet out of his pack and put it on the floor of the tree house. "Time for us to be Frog Creek kids again." "Right," said Annie. She set her tablet beside Jack's. "We'll leave these for Morgan." Jack picked up the Pennsylvania book. He pointed to a photo of the Frog Creek woods. "I wish we could go there!" he said. The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still. "Hail, home!" said Jack. "Pax," Annie said with a sigh. They were wearing their own clothes again. The sun was rising over the woods. Birds were singing. "I hope Morgan likes our notes," said Jack, glancing at the tablets on the floor. "I think she will," said Annie. "We should head home now and hop back into bed." "Yep," said Jack. "Pretend to wake up when Mom calls us for breakfast." "I hope Dad makes blueberry pancakes," said Annie. "Best in the world!" said Jack. "Write it down!" said Annie. They laughed, then climbed down the