Ch10-Joy

CHAPTER TEN Joy. "Go, go!" said Jack. Jack and Annie ran through the Great Rosa Room, through the next three rooms, and into the room off the back terrace. Then they turned and hurried to the huge party room, where the

thousand candles had nearly burned out. They ran to the door that led out to the front entrance. "We have to leave. Good night!" Annie said to the guard. "Thanks for everything!" The guard opened the door, and they ran outside. "Keep going!" said Jack. They hurried down the sweeping, curved stairway that led to the giant square. A line of coaches was parked below, waiting to pick up guests. Jack and Annie saw Josef standing by his coach. The moonlight shone on his two milk white horses. "Josef!" shouted Annie.

Jack and Annie ran over to the coachman. "Ah, my young friends!" he said. "How was your evening?" "Great," said Annie. "But we have to go home now. Do you have time to take us back to the gate?" "Indeed, it is early," said Josef. "I can take you now and then return for my employer and his family." Josef gave Annie his hand and helped her into the coach. Then he helped Jack. Josef climbed up onto his bench and snapped the reins, and the two horses clomped over the cobblestones. "So tell me now, young lady," said Josef, "did you have a good time at the party? What did you

see and what did you do?" "I had a great time!" said Annie. "I was received by Her Imperial Majesty. I saw a room lit with a thousand candles. I made good friends, met some zoo animals, heard a great concert, and saw a silly clown." "Excellent," said Josef. "And you, young man?" "I did all those things, too," said Jack. "But the clown was the best part. He knew how to make great use of his wits and his talents." Annie laughed. Josef drove the coach through the palace gate and stopped on the cobblestone street. "Where do you need to go?" he asked. "Oh, this is perfect," said Annie. "We can get out right here. Thank you."

Jack and Annie climbed out of the coach and looked up at Josef. "Thank you, Josef!" said Annie. "Yeah, thanks a lot for the ride," said Jack. "You two are very mysterious," said Josef. "You appeared out of the twilight and now you disappear into the moonlight." "We're magicians," said Annie. "It would seem so," said Josef, smiling. He tipped his hat. "Well, I had better return now. Good night, my young friends." "Good night, Josef," said Jack and Annie. Josef flicked the reins, and the milk white horses clomped back toward the palace gates.

"Nice guy," said Jack. "Let's go." Jack and Annie ran to the trees that lined the cobblestone street. "There!" said Annie. She grabbed the rope ladder. Annie started up to the tree house. Jack followed her. When they got inside, they looked out the window at the full moon shining over Vienna, Austria. "Good-bye, Wolfie," said Annie. "Good luck, kid," said Jack. Then Jack picked up the envelope from their invitation. He pointed at the words Frog Creek. "I wish we could go there!" he said. The tree house started to spin.