So that's why Merlin sent for those books!" saidTeddy.
"What books? Who's the Raven King?" said Jack.
"Now it all makes sense, " said Teddy. "Who's theRaven King?" said Jack.
"But I wonder how he found the Diamond ofDestiny," said Teddy.
"Teddy, who's the Raven King?" Jack nearlyshouted.
"He's a terrifying creature who comes from56the Otherworld, " said Teddy. "I read all about himin one of the books I brought Merlin from Morgan'slibrary. As a boy, the Raven King longed to be a birdso he could fly. He stole a spell from the Wizard ofWinter, but he didn't have the magic to make it workproperly. So the spell only worked halfway. It madehim half bird and half human.""Oh, man, " said Jack.
"Now he commands a huge army of ravens whotreat him as their king," said Teddy.
"Why would he steal the Diamond of Destiny?"asked Annie.
"I don't know," said Teddy, "but we must get itback! For the sake of Camelot's future!""And for these ghost kids, too," said Annie, "and theghost dog!"She looked around the room. "Don't worry!" shecalled. "We'll help all of you! We'll get the Diamondof Destiny back!""We will?" asked Jack. "How? We don't know57where this crazy raven man lives or anything.""Look! More writing," whispered Teddy. "She heardyou."Three more words slowly appeared in the mirrordust:
n esf on0 n f A A"nr., OPJack felt cold air whoosh by him again. The curtaincovering the window moved aside. A patch ofmoonlight shone on the floor.
Jack, Annie, and Teddy walked to the window andlooked out. In the distance, a craggy mountain roseinto the moonlit sky.
"Ah!" whispered Teddy. "Sotheredwells the Raven King! I had thought his nest wasin the Otherworld.""It might as well be," said Jack. "We'll never be ableto get to the top of that mountain." "Aye," said Teddy,"no mere mortal can climb that steep rock."58"How will we get the diamond back?" cried Annie.
"I said nomeremortal, " said Teddy. "I am more than a mortal,remember? I'm a sorcerer." "Yeah, but your rhymesnever work," said Annie.
"True, but I have more than just rhymes," saidTeddy. He pulled a twig out of his pocket. "See?""What's that?" said Jack.
"'Tis an enchanted hazel twig," said Teddy. "Itsmagic is strong enough to change me into anything Iwant.""Oh, wow," said Annie.
"Did Morgan give you that?" asked Jack. "No, " saidTeddy. "Morgan and Merlin do not even know I haveit. A forest sprite, a cousin of my mother's, gave it tome, in case I was ever in urgent need.""So what do you want to change into?" askedAnnie.
59"Why, a raven, of course!" Teddy said.
Teddy's crazy,thought Jack.
But Annie didn't seem to think so. "What a coolidea, " she said.
They're both crazy,thought Jack.
... Tis cool indeed, " said Teddy. He held up thetwig.
"Wait a minute!" said Jack. "Do you have a plan? Imean, what're you going to do once you change intoa raven?""I shall fly up to the mountain nest," said Teddy.
"Find the diamond. Bring it back. Mission done.""And what dowedo?" asked Annie.
"Wait here for me. I'll be back as soon as Ican, " said Teddy- He climbed up onto the windowledge. His moon shadow stretched across the floor.
"Good luck!" said Annie.
"Thank you!" said Teddy. He raised his hazel twig.
60"Stop!" said Jack. "Can we discuss your 'plan' a littlemore?"But Teddy was already sweeping his hazel twigthrough the air. He waved it from the top of his headto the tips of his toes.
"Teddy, stop!" said Jack.
But Teddy started his rhyme: "0 hazel twi9fromhazel tree! Make mea raven-""Quick," he said, "a word that rhymes withtree?""Wait!" said Jack.
"Doesn't rhyme with tree," said Teddy. "Three!" saidAnnie.
"Brilliant!" said Teddy. He started again:
"0 hazel twi9from hazel tree!
Make mea raven one,two, three!"He waved the twig wildly.
"Careful!" said Jack. He ducked and covered hishead.
Suddenly he heard a roar. He felt a blast of61heat. Then he heard a strange screech.
Jack looked up. Teddy's hazel twig had fallen to thefloor. Jack saw Teddy's shadow on the floor, too. Butit was no longer the shadow of a boy.
chill went through Jack.
large raven was perched on the windowsill.
Moonlight shone on its sleek blue-black wings, itsshaggy throat feathers, its thick neck and big beak.
A second raven stood beneath the window. Itlooked like the first, only smaller.
Where'sAnnie? Jack wondered wildly. He tried calling hername. But a terrible croak came from the back of histhroat: "AWK-NEE!"Jack felt as if he were caught in a terriblenightmare. With jerky turns of his head, he peereddown at his own body.
His arms had turned into jet-black wings. His legswere spindly twigs that ended in four long, skinnytoes with curved claws.
62Teddy had accidentally changed them all intoravens! One two three! |