7 Now or Never

7 Now OR NEVER "Are you sure that's Cria?" said Jack. "Yes! She's the only silver one. She's wearing a bell. And she's tiny!" said Annie. "Right, right," said Jack. "But we can't just charge over there and grab her. We need to make a plan." "Make it fast!" said Annie. "She looks tired. She can't keep up with the big llamas!" "I know. But look, they've stopped," said Jack. "Something's going on." The two royal guards had stopped on the lowest level of the plaza. Leaving the animals, the guards climbed up to the highest level. They entered a gate that

“你确定那是克里娅吗？”杰克说。 “是啊!她是唯一一个银质的。 她戴着铃铛。而且她很小！”安妮说。 “对，对，”杰克说。 “但我们不能冲过去抓她。 我们需要制定一个计划。”“快点！”安妮说。 “她看起来很累。她追不上大羊驼！”“我知道。 但是看，他们已经停下来了。”杰克说。 “一定发生了什么事。”两名皇家卫队在广场的最底层停了下来。 卫兵们离开了动物，爬上了最高的一层。 他们进了一扇门

led to the largest building on the plaza. "The Royal Palace," said Jack, remembering their map. A moment later, the two men returned. Four others followed them. They also carried spears and wore helmets with feathers. "More guards," said Annie. The men were guarding a tall man who walked behind them. The man wore a cape covered with glittering jewels. Gold earrings hung from his ears. His headdress was made of coils of gold with gold feathers that looked like rays of sunlight. All the people in the plaza stopped what they were doing. Everyone stared at the glittering, golden man.

通向广场上最大的建筑。 “皇宫。”杰克说，想起了他们的地图。 过了一会儿，那两个人回来了。 另外四个人跟着他们。 他们还拿着长矛，戴着羽毛盔。 “更多的警卫，”安妮说。 这些人正在看守一个走在他们后面的高个子男人。 那人披着一件镶满闪闪发光的珠宝的斗篷。 他的耳朵上挂着金耳环。 他的头饰是用金线圈做成的，上面有金色的羽毛，看起来像阳光。 广场上所有的人都停止了他们正在做的事情。 每个人都盯着那个金光闪闪的人。

"Who is he?" whispered Jack. "Check the book!" whispered Annie. Jack pulled out their guide. He quickly found a painting that showed a man wearing the same clothes and headdress. He and Annie read together: Emperor Pachacuti ruled the Inca Empire from 1438 to 1471. The fierce

“他是谁？”杰克小声问。 “看看这本书！”安妮小声说。 杰克拿出了他们的向导。 他很快找到了一幅画，画中有一个人穿着同样的衣服，戴着同样的头饰。 他和安妮一起读：帕查库提皇帝从1438年到1471年统治印加帝国。 激烈的

emperor was called Earth Shaker because he created the largest empire in South America. He also founded the secret city of Machu Picchu. "I get it!" whispered Annie. "They took the baby llama as a gift for Earth Shaker. We have to get her back before they give her to him." "Hold on, wait!" said Jack. "We need a plan!" "No! Now's the time!" said Annie. "He and his guards aren't paying attention to her. It's now or never! That's the plan!" Before Jack could stop her, Annie stepped out from their hiding place. "Annie!" he whispered. Annie started walking toward the llamas. Jack looked around. No one seemed to notice Annie. All eyes were on Emperor Pachacuti. High on the plaza, the emperor and his men

这位皇帝被称为震动大地者，因为他在南美洲建立了最大的帝国。 他还建立了秘密城市马丘比丘。 “我明白了！”安妮小声说。 “他们把小羊驼作为给震动地球者的礼物。 我们必须在他们把她交给他之前把她救回来。” “等等，等等！”杰克说。 “我们需要一个计划！”“不!现在是时候了！”安妮说。 “他和他的警卫没有注意到她。 机不可失失不再来！这就是计划！”杰克还没来得及阻止她，安妮就从他们的藏身之处走了出来。 “安妮！”他低声说。安妮开始朝大羊驼走去。 杰克环顾四周。似乎没有人注意到安妮。 所有的目光都集中在帕查库提皇帝身上。 高高站在广场上的是皇帝和他的部下

were talking. They, too, seemed unaware of Annie heading toward the llamas. Annie walked casually to the little silver llama at the end of the line. She patted Cria's head and whispered in her ear. Then she tried to untie her. But she seemed to have trouble with the knot. She's taking too long, Jack thought frantically. He had to help her. Jack stepped out from his hiding place and headed toward Annie and Cria. He was terrified, but he tried to walk calmly. Before he even got close, the baby llama broke free from the rope. She started sprinting across the plaza. She was heading away from Jack.

在说。他们似乎也没有意识到安妮正朝着大羊驼走去。 安妮漫不经心地走到队伍最后一头的银色小美洲驼跟前。 她拍了拍克里娅的头，在她耳边低语。 然后她试图解开她。 但她似乎不太会打结。 她花的时间太长了，杰克疯狂地想。 他必须帮助她。杰克从藏身之处走出来，朝安妮和克里娅走去。 他很害怕，但他努力保持镇静。 还没等他靠近，小羊驼就挣脱了绳子。 她开始跑过广场。 她正要离开杰克。

"Get her, Jack!" Annie cried. People in the plaza laughed and pointed at Cria. Some Inca children started running after her. Jack charged toward the baby llama, too. He reached her first. He grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her fuzzy silver fur. Annie caught up to them. She held Cria's little head and looked into her eyes. "It's okay…," Annie said breathlessly. "It's okay. We're taking you home to Topa." The baby llama nuzzled Annie's hand. Before Annie and Jack could whisk her away, a man shouted, "Thieves!"

“抓住她，杰克！”安妮哭了。 广场上的人们笑着指着克里亚。 一些印加儿童开始追着她跑。 杰克也向小美洲驼冲去。 他先走到她跟前。他一把抓住她，用双臂搂住她毛茸茸的银色皮毛。 安妮追上了他们。她抱着克里娅的小脑袋，看着她的眼睛。 “没关系……”安妮上气不接下气地说。 “这是好的。我们要带你回托帕。” 小美洲驼用鼻子蹭安妮的手。 安妮和杰克还没来得及把她带走，一个男人喊道：“小偷！”