9 Ch9-The Sword of Light

CHAPTER NINE The Sword of Light Annie pointed to the sword handle. Jack nodded. But he was running out of air. He swam back up to the surface. Annie followed him. Their heads bobbed above the water, and they gasped. "Did you see it?" cried Annie. "The handle of the sword?"

"Yes! The blade must be buried in the sand!" said Jack. "We have to pull it out!" said Annie. "And we have to hurry!" "Right!" said Jack. He and Annie took giant gulps of air. Then they swam back down to the bottom of the cove. Jack got to the sword first. He grabbed the handle and pulled. The sword didn't budge. He pulled again. The sword still didn't move. Annie grabbed one side of the handle. She and Jack pulled together. Jack felt the sword move a tiny bit. His lungs felt like they were about to burst.

Gripping his side of the handle with both hands, Jack pulled with all his might. Suddenly the flashing blade slipped out of the sand! Jack and Annie carried the sword up through the water as fast as they could. They burst into the air, clinging to the Sword of Light and gasping for air.

"We got it!" Jack called to Kathleen and Teddy. The seals circled around them, splashing and barking joyfully. Barrh! Barrh! "Lead us to the rocks!" Annie shouted. Jack and Annie each held on to the sword's handle with one hand. Paddling with their free hands, they dragged the sword after the seals. As they swam, the fog began to lift, and the sky turned from gray to blue. By the time they reached the rocky island, light from the late-afternoon sun was again glinting off the strange green shoreline. "Hold the sword while I get out!" Jack shouted to Annie.

Jack climbed onto the rocky island. He took the sword from Annie, then carefully pulled it up onto the rocks and laid it on its side. Annie climbed out of the water. Nearby, Teddy and Kathleen poked up their seal heads. They were all silent as they stared in wonder at the sword. "Wow," breathed Annie. Jack nodded. The mighty sword reflected the burning light of the setting sun. Its blade glowed as if it, too, were on fire. "Now what do we do?" Jack said. "We have to get the sword to Merlin fast," said Annie. "The sun's about to go down." "Right," said Jack. "Before nightfall. Right."

Suddenly Teddy and Kathleen barked a warning. Jack and Annie looked up. The water had begun to ripple. The ripples started at the edge of the cove and swelled toward the center. Waves crashed against the small rocky island, sending up great showers of spray. "What's going on?" said Jack. "Maybe a bad storm's coming!" said Annie. Barrh! Barrh! Kathleen and Teddy tried to haul themselves onto the rock, but the waves pushed them away. "We've got to help them!" said Annie. She and Jack tried to help the seals out of the rough water. Their hands slipped over the sleek seal skin, and they nearly toppled into the water themselves.