Ch8-Room of the Tree

CHAPTER EIGHT Room of the Tree. "Nooooo!" cried Jack. Jack ran to Beauty and yanked hunks of paper from her mouth. Annie dropped to her knees and picked up the torn pieces strewn around the camel's big feet. "The treasure's ruined!" moaned Annie. Jack was stunned. "I shouldn't have left my bag here," he said.

"No, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have gone back and bragged to those kids," wailed Annie. "I should have acted more humble, like Merlin said." Annie sounded like she was about to cry. "It's okay," said Jack. But he knew it wasn't. The book was destroyed. They'd

failed in their mission. "Maybe—maybe we can fix it," said Annie. Jack shook his head. "No, we can't," he said. "It's completely destroyed. It can't be fixed." Annie looked up. "What—what did you just say?" she said. "I said it can't be fixed," said Jack. A big grin crossed Annie's face. "Right! It can't be fixed!" she said. "Help me gather up all these pieces!" "Why?" said Jack. Had Annie gone nuts? "Just do it! Quick!" said Annie.

Jack and Annie rushed around the stable, gathering up all the torn pages. "Now pile everything over here on top of the cover and give me the book," said Annie. "What book?" said Jack. "The rhyme book!" said Annie. "Oh. Oh!" said Jack. "Right!" He reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out Teddy and Kathleen's book of magic rhymes. Jack opened the book and read down the list. "Here it is: Mend What Cannot Be Mended," he said. "That's the one," said Annie.

Jack flipped through the pages until he came to the rhyme. He held up the book so he and Annie could both see. Standing in a shaft of sunlight, Jack read in a loud, clear voice: Heal what is broken beyond repair! Annie read the second line: Avi-bree-all! Fen-a-mare! The paper bits fluttered. They began to swirl off the floor. They swirled up and around as if they were caught in a small tornado. The tornado captured all the torn pieces in its funnel and twisted them together.

The papers swirled into a blur of blinding light.