Ch6-Invisible Enemies

CHAPTER SIX Invisible Enemies Jack and Annie whirled around. A dark figure was standing at a side door of the institute. The sorcerer! Jack thought. He frantically tried to remember his line of the rhyme.

"Can I help you?" the figure said. He stepped forward into the light of a gas lamp. He was an old man with stooped shoulders. His hair was white and he had a friendly smile. "Hi! Who are you?" asked Annie. "I am the night watchman," the man said. "The institute is closed for the night. Have you been bitten by a dog? Have you come for the rabies treatment?" "No, we're fine," said Annie. "Is that what you do here?" asked Jack. "You treat people for rabies?"

"Yes. Not I, of course, but Dr. Pasteur. He treats other diseases as well," said the old man. "He is the world's foremost medical researcher." "Really?" said Jack. "What does he research?" "Microbes," said the night watchman. "Microbes?" said Annie. "Germs," explained Jack. "Yuck," said Annie. "Microbes are invisible to the eye," said the old man. "Some are useful and necessary, but others can cause great harm. Dr. Pasteur battles the deadly ones

with research and vaccines and new medicines." Annie gasped. "He battles deadly enemies no one can see!" she said. "He's the Magician of the Invisible!" "Yes!" said Jack. The old man smiled. "I suppose you could say that," he said. "Dr. Pasteur has certainly helped a lot of people." "We have to find him," said Annie. "Do you know where he is now?" "Unfortunately, you have just missed him," said the night watchman. "Earlier, a messenger left an invitation for him."

"A strange man in a black cloak?" said Annie. "You know him?" said the night watchman. "Not really," said Jack. "But we think we know who he is. What did the invitation say?" "I do not know," said the old man. "But when Dr. Pasteur read it, he left immediately. He said he had to get to the Eiffel Tower by ten p.m." "The Eiffel Tower?" said Annie. "By ten p.m.?" said Jack. "Do you know what time it is now?"

The old man pulled out a pocket watch. "It is about twenty-five minutes until ten." "Yikes, we'd better get going!" said Annie. "Thanks for your help," Jack said to the night watchman. "You're welcome," the old man said. Then he stepped back inside the institute and closed the door. "Hurry!" said Annie. She and Jack ran down the steps to the street. "Dr. Louis Pasteur!" said Jack. "I've heard of him, too! This is crazy. None of these guys are really magicians. They're