Ch9-The Painting

CHAPTER NINE The Painting The gondolier silently helped Jack and Annie into the boat. Then he untied the gondola and pushed off from the landing. As the boat glided through the shallow waters, Jack looked back at Venice. Bathed in

early sunlight, the Grand Lady of the Lagoon did seem timeless. The gondola moved around the bend and up the narrow canal near the walled garden. The gondolier tied the boat to a striped pole. He then offered his gloved hand to Annie to help her out of the boat. Annie climbed out and the gondolier offered his hand to Jack. As the gondolier helped Jack onto the landing, the boat rocked in the water. Jack tripped, pulling the glove off the gondolier's hand.

"Oh, sorry," said Jack. As he handed the glove back, he gasped. On the gondolier's finger was a pale blue glass ring. Before Jack could say anything, the gondolier pulled his glove back on and pushed the boat away from the landing. "Hey—hey!" Jack sputtered. "Teddy? Kathleen? Wait! Come back!"

Neither of the masked people looked back at Jack and Annie. "Teddy and Kathleen? Where?" said Annie. "His glove—it came off! There was a blue glass ring on his finger!" said Jack. Jack and Annie watched the gondola disappear into a blaze of sunlight shining on the water. Had it just glided around the bend? Or had it vanished altogether? "Are you sure it was them?" said Annie. "Well, I guess anybody could wear a glass ring," said Jack. "But still…" "Maybe Morgan and Merlin told them to watch over us," said Annie.

"Yeah, to make sure we'd be safe," said Jack. "And be patient and follow instructions," said Annie. "Right," said Jack. "Well, Venice wasn't destroyed by a flood. So I guess we passed our first test." "I think we did," said Annie. With Lorenzo's canvas tucked under his arm, Jack led the way into the walled garden. Annie followed him to the rope ladder. When they climbed into the tree house, Jack pulled Merlin's letter from his backpack. He unfolded it and pointed to the words Frog Creek.

"I wish we could go there!" he said. "Good-bye, Grand Lady of the Lagoon!" said Annie. The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still. A nippy wind rustled the Frog Creek trees. Jack and Annie were wearing their jeans and jackets again. It was dawn.