Ch9-The Sorcerer

CHAPTER NINE The Sorcerer Jack's knees turned to jelly. The knocking came again. Mr. Eiffel laughed. "Goodness, another unexpected guest!" He started toward the door. "Don't open it!" Jack shouted.

Everyone looked at Jack as if he were crazy. "It's the sorcerer!" Jack said. "My sister was telling the truth! He thinks you're all magicians!" "Don't be afraid, son," Dr. Pasteur said to Jack. "I'm sure it's just another guest." Mr. Eiffel stepped toward the door. "No, please!" shouted Jack. Mr. Eiffel opened the door. There was a deafening clap of thunder! A ball of fire blasted into the room! Jack covered his face.

Then all was quiet. "Jack?" Annie said in a small voice. Jack looked up. A golden haze had filled the room. Annie stepped quickly to Jack's side. But none of the others moved. Mr. Eiffel, Mr. Bell, Mr. Edison, and Dr. Pasteur were all as still as stone. Jack could barely make out a dark figure in a long cloak standing in the doorway. "It's him!" Jack cried. "We have to say our rhyme!" Jack shouted the line he had memorized: Thing before us, now we see—

Jack waited for Annie to finish the rhyme. But she didn't say her line. Oh, no! She's forgotten it! Jack thought wildly. Suddenly he heard Annie laugh. "It's you," she said. Jack looked up. The haze had cleared. The sorcerer's face glowed in the light.

It was a familiar face, craggy with electric-blue eyes. "Merlin?" breathed Jack. The master magician answered him with a smile. "Merlin! Hi!" said Annie. She rushed over and hugged him. Jack just stared at Merlin. "What happened?" he asked. "Where's the evil sorcerer?" "There are evil sorcerers in my world," Merlin said in his deep voice. "But I assure you none of them were here at the World's Fair today."

"So you were the messenger?" said Annie. "You delivered the invitations for everyone to come to the top of the tower?" "Yes, I was the messenger," said Merlin. "I wanted to gather these remarkable men together so you could meet them all in the short time you had to spend in Paris." "But why did you tell us that we had to find them before an evil sorcerer did?" said Jack. Merlin smiled. "Without that challenge, would you have used all your powers of thinking and courage?" he