Teddy dropped down to a ledge. Jack and Anniefollowed. Hidden in the shadows they crouched together, their dark feathers touching.
They peered out at the moonlit lair of the Raven King.
68The king's giant nest was tucked under a rockyoverhang. It was made of mud, twigs, and long stripsof tree bark. Two raven sentries were guarding itsdark entrance.
Okay, Jack softly croaked,what's theplan?
Listencarefully, Teddy answered. In tiny queeksand cawsof raven whispers, he spelled out a plan:
I'll distract the guards.
Annie, youkeep watch at the entrance. Jack, you go into thenest and get the diamond. Then both of you headback to the castle and wait for me there.
Whatabout the RavenKing? croaked Jack.
I sense he's nothere, croaked Teddy.
I seenolegions of bodyguards. But we should hurry beforehe returns.
Jack had lots more questions about the plan. Butbefore he could ask them, Teddy lifted off his perchand flew toward the entrance.
Let's go!
cried Annie, rising into the air.
Jack was in a panic. He fluffed out his feathers andcroaked, Wait, you guys!
69But it was too late! Teddy was alreadydive-bombing the raven sentries! "ARK-ARK-ARK!"The two sentries left their watch and flew atTeddy with short shrieks. They chased him highinto the sky.
Annie zipped to the entrance of the nest.
Come on, Jack!
she croaked.
Jack jumped off the ledge and flew on to the giantnest. Without thinking, he stepped through theentrance.
He jerked his head from side to side. With his ravensight, he saw walls packed with dried mud, animalfur, vines, and sticks. The floor was covered withmoss.
Jack took a few stepsforward. He stopped. He saw no sign of the RavenKing. He cocked his head from side to side, listening.
All was quiet.
Jack looked around the nest. One part of the nest'swall looked different. It was black and70shiny. He stepped toward it. He touched it with hisbeak. It wasn't a wall at all. It was a curtain offeathers.
Jack pushed through the feather curtain. Moonlightshone into the space behind it. Heaps of gold andsilver coins glittered in the cool light. Pale pearls,emeralds, and rubies shone and sparkled.
Amid all the treasure was a blue-whitecrystal. It was no bigger than a marble. But it shonewith a light all its own, like a piece of a star.
Jack knew at once the stone was the Diamond ofDestiny. His raven heart thumping, he walked to thediamond and nudged it with his beak. As thediamond tilted, it shot forth beams of brilliant light.
"JAH! JAH!" Annie was calling to him from outside.
"CREE-GRO!"They're coming!
Jack carefully picked up the diamond with his beak.
He felt a surge of strength and courage.
71Annie called another warning. But Jack wasn'tafraid at all. He calmly walked out of the RavenKing's nest back into the night.
More sentries had been alerted. They were flyingtoward the mountaintop, cawing madly in alarm.
"KRAK! KRAK! KRAK!"Jack saw Annie perched on the ledge.
Hurry, Jack! Hurry!
she croaked.
Annie flew off the mountain. Holding the diamondin his beak, Jack gracefully flapped his wings andlifted into the air after her.
As he and Annie sailed down from themountaintop, a chorus ofKRAKssplit the night. Thousands of roosting ravens roseinto the sky like a giant black cloud. Their beatingwings rumbled like thunder.
The cloud of ravens covered the light of the moon.
The night was completely black. "SPREE! SPREE!"Annie croaked.
Fly! Fly!
She and Jack glided down through the dark72sky toward the duke's castle. The wing beats of theraven army still thundered above the mountaintop.
But none of the ravens were chasing them.
They don't know what to do without theirking, Jack thought. He wondered where their kingwas. But with the Diamond of Destiny in his beak, hefelt no fear.
The farther Jack and Annie flew from themountain, the more distant became the sound of theraven soldiers' wings.
The duke's castle came into sight. Jack saw the lightof Teddy's lantern in the nursery. But he didn't wantto stop flying just yet. Instead, he swooped over thecastle keep, over the courtyard, the gatehouse, andthe bridge, over the candlelit cottages and oak forest.
Annie flew with him.
Finally they both glided smoothly back to the castleand landed on the window ledge of the nursery. TheDiamond of Destiny was safe! |