Ch10-Best Escape Act Ever

CHAPTER TEN Rest Escape Act Ever Annie grinned at Jack. "Done!" she whispered. "Done!" Jack agreed. "Now we can leave." "Harry and I have to go, too," said Bess. "I want to get him out of here before he attracts the wrong types." "Hooligans and crazy fans?" asked Annie.

"You got it," said Bess. "Harry!" she called. "Time's up!" Harry excused himself from the crowd of people and walked back to the bench. "Thanks, sweetheart," he said. "I couldn't escape." He winked at Bess, then looked at Jack and Annie. "They think I do truly magical things. But it's not true. It's all just entertainment. It's all tricks." "Harry's never seen anyone do a trick he couldn't do himself," said Bess. "That's a fact," said Harry. "Nothing. Ever." "Amazing," said Annie. "Amazing, yes, but it's also a great sadness," said Harry, frowning. "The world's lost its wonder for me. I would be so happy just once to see a bit of magic I could never do or never explain." "Really?" said Jack. "Yes, but it's not going to happen," Harry said with a sigh. "Well, I'm ready, my love. Let's go home." "Yes, let's," said Bess, standing. She looked at Jack and Annie. "Which way are you two going?" "Just down that way," Jack said. And then he had a great idea. He smiled at Annie. "Let's walk

them as far as the Japanese Tea Garden." Annie's eyes lit up. She seemed to know what Jack was thinking. "Good plan!" she said. "Sure, let's all go together," said Bess. Harry, Bess, Jack, and Annie all stepped down from the terrace and started up the broad avenue. The band was playing "After the Ball Is Over." The crowd had thinned out. The lights were starting to dim. "What a fantastic park," said Harry. "Did you try many rides? The pirate ship? Or the navy ship sailing the deep ocean? The Arctic trip?" "No, but we've done all those things before," said Jack. "Did you get to experience the cyclone attraction, too?" said Bess. "The volcano? The big fire?" "Actually we've experienced all those things, too," said Jack. "Really?" said Bess. "So you must have been in this park a long time?" "No, I was talking about real life," Jack said matter-of-factly. "My sister and I travel in a magic

tree house to different times and places and have lots of adventures." Annie grinned. "Jack's telling the truth," she said. "We've been all through time." Harry and Bess chuckled. "Sounds like a good act," said Harry. "It does, doesn't it?" said Bess delightedly. "Where else do you perform your act, besides Coney Island?" "We don't really perform this act for anyone," said Annie. "It's usually a secret." "But we'll show it to you," said Jack. "Lucky us," said Bess, winking at Harry. "The tree house is parked in the Japanese Tea Garden," said Annie. "You want to see it? It'll only take a minute." "Sure, why not?" said Harry. Bess and Harry followed Jack and Annie over to the wooden gate that led to the Japanese Tea Garden. They followed them through the gateway, up the pebble path, and over the small arched bridge to the cluster of trees. "There," said Annie. She pointed up at one of the trees.

"A tree house! Well, how about that?" said Harry. He sounded genuinely surprised. "I never knew that was here." "That's because it's only been here for a few hours," said Annie. "You want to watch us take off?" asked Jack. "Take off?" said Bess. "Yep, the tree house is going to take us back home to Pennsylvania now," said Jack, "to a time more than a hundred years from today."

"In the future," Annie added. Bess and Harry laughed. "You two might be the looniest kids in the world," said Bess. "Or the best actors!" said Harry. "Wait and see…," said Annie. She held out her hand. "Bye, Harry. It's been great knowing you." Harry shook Annie's hand, and then he shook Jack's. Bess grabbed each of them and gave them big hugs. "You two kiddos are great!" she said, giggling. "You're just my kind of screwballs." They all laughed. Then Jack and Annie climbed up the rope ladder. Inside the tree house, Annie picked up the Pennsylvania book, and she and Jack looked out the window. "Bye!" They both waved to Harry and Bess. The Houdinis waved back. "I wish we could go home," Annie whispered as she pointed to a picture of Frog Creek. "Behold a miracle!" Jack shouted down to Bess and Harry. He clapped three times. One! Two! THREE! Then the wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster.