4 The Castle

4 The Castle The castle was still and silent. No candles burned in its windows. No guards stood at its gatehouse. No archers patrolled the tops of its walls. “ Hello! ” Teddy shouted. No one answered. “ Not very well protected, eh?” said Teddy. “ Our mission should be easy. ” “ Yeah, ” said Annie. Jack didn't say anything. He would have felt happier if guards had been protecting the castle. That would have seemed more normal.

“ Come along! " said Teddy. Jack and Annie followed Teddy over a wooden bridge to the gatehouse.

Teddy held up his lantern before the arched double doors. Cobwebs sparkled in the misty light. “ Hello! May we enter?" he called. Silence. They all stared at the heavy wooden doors. “ Never fear, I shall get us in, ” said Teddy. The boy sorcerer put down his lantern. He took a deep breath. He rubbed his hands together. Then he stretched out his arms and shouted: “ Open, ye two oaken doors. . . . ” He looked at Jack and Annie. “ Quick, what rhymes with doors?” “ Uh--floors?” said Jack. “ Good, ” said Teddy. He opened his arms again and yelled: “ Open, ye two oaken doors! Or we will not mop up your floors! " Nothing happened. Teddy looked at Jack and Annie. “ Bad rhyme, ” he said.

Annie frowned and nodded. “ Are you sure they're even locked?” said Jack. “ Let's see, " said Annie. She pushed on one door. Jack pushed on the other. Slowly the doors creaked open. “ Ah, brilliant! ” said Teddy with a laugh. “ Shall we?” He held out his hand and waved Jack and Annie through the open doorway. The castle gatehouse was cold and empty. Jack could see his breath in the sharp air. He heard a creak. They all turned to look. The heavy doors moved by themselves and closed with a thump. They all stared at the doors for a moment. Then Teddy broke the silence. “ Interesting, " he said cheerfully. Jack tried to smile. “ Indeed. Interesting, " he said. He shivered. He couldn't tell if it was from cold or from fright. Now? he wondered. Now are we entering the tunnel of fear?

“ Onward! " said Teddy. He led them through the empty gatehouse onto the shadowy castle grounds. There were no signs of life anywhere. Jack thought of the old woman's rhyme: Where is the girl who spins wool into thread? Where are the boys who play chess before bed? Where is the hound who waits to be fed? Jack wondered what the rhyme could mean. What girl? What boys? What hound? Teddy crossed the courtyard to the entrance of a large building. Jack and Annie quickly followed him. Teddy held up his lantern so they could see inside. There were rows of clean, empty stalls. Saddles and bridles hung from pegs on the walls. Hay was piled in the corners. “ Must be the stables, " said Jack. “ But no horses, " said Annie.