Ch10-Good Night, Magicians!

CHAPTER TEN Good Night, Magicians! It was much easier walking down 1,652 steps than walking up. Jack and Annie walked down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down and down—until finally they stepped onto the ground.

Jack noticed that the two-seater bicycle was gone. "I guess those two people came and got their bike," he said. Jack and Annie looked around. Exhibits were covered and gates were locked. All the motion and noise of the World's Fair had ended for the day. The living encyclopedia had gone to sleep. Suddenly Jack felt very exhausted. "Home?" said Annie. Jack nodded. "Frog Creek," he said, sighing. Jack and Annie hurried over the bridge and across the avenue. "Those guys were really nice," said Jack as they

walked through the dark, rose-scented park. "I know," said Annie. "They acted like regular people. But they've done all those amazing things." "Yeah," said Jack. "They're like magicians in disguise." Jack and Annie came to the magic tree house. They climbed up the rope ladder and looked one last time out the window. The Eiffel Tower seemed to stand watch over Paris, its spotlights sweeping over the city. Jack pulled Merlin's letter out of his satchel. He opened it and pointed to the

words Frog Creek. "I wish we could go—" Before Jack could finish making the wish, he and Annie were bathed in brilliant white light. Jack looked up. One of the beams of the tower's spotlights had come to rest on the tree house. It shined on them for a long moment.

With both hands, Annie waved wildly into the blinding light. Jack waved, too. "Good night, magicians!" Annie shouted. Jack laughed. Then he pointed at Merlin's letter again and finished his wish: "…home to Frog Creek," he said. The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.

Jack opened his eyes. He and Annie were dressed in their regular clothes again. Dusky light filtered into the tree house. No time at all had passed in Frog Creek. "That was a great trip," Jack said softly. "Really great," said Annie. Jack pulled the guide book to the 1889 Paris World's Fair out of his backpack. He left it on the tree house floor along with Merlin's letter. But he kept Teddy and Kathleen's book of magic rhymes.