The gondolier silently helped Jack and Annie intothe boat. Then he untied the gondola and pushed offfrom the landing.
As the boat glided through the shallow waters, Jacklooked back at Venice. Bathed in early sunlight, theGrand Lady of the Lagoondidseem timeless.
The gondola moved around the bend and up thenarrow canal near the walled garden. The gondoliertied the boat to a striped pole. He then offered hisgloved hand to Annie to help her out116of the boat. Annie climbed out and the gondolieroffered his hand to Jack.
As the gondolier helped Jack onto the landing, theboat rocked in the water. Jack tripped, pulling theglove off the gondolier's hand.
117"Oh, sorry," said Jack. As he handed the glove back,he gasped. Onthe gondolier's finger was a pale blue glass ring.
Before Jack could say anything, the gondolierpulled his glove back on and pushed the boat awayfrom the landing.
"Hey--hey!" Jack sputtered. "Teddy? Kathleen?
Wait! Come back!"Neither of the masked people looked back at Jackand Annie.
"Teddy and Kathleen? Where?" said Annie. "Hisglove--it came off! There was a blue glass ring on hisfinger!" said Jack.
118Jack and Annie watched the gondola disappear intoa blaze of sunlight shining on the water. Had it justglided around the bend? Or had it vanishedaltogether?
"Are you sure it was them?" said Annie. "Well, Iguessanybodycould wear a glass ring," said Jack. "But still . . .""Maybe Morgan and Merlin told them to watchover us," said Annie.
"Yeah, to make sure we'd be safe," said Jack. "Andbe patient and follow instructions," said Annie.
"Right," said Jack. "Well, Venice wasn't destroyedby a flood. So I guess we passed our first test.""I think we did," said Annie.
With Lorenzo's canvas tucked under his arm, Jackled the way into the walled garden. Annie followedhim to the rope ladder.
When they climbed into the tree house, Jack pulledMerlin's letter from his backpack. He119unfolded it and pointed to the wordsFrog Creek.
"Iwish we could go there!" he said.
"Good-bye, Grand Lady of the Lagoon!" said Annie.
The wind started to blow.
The tree house started to spin.
It spun faster and fastenThen everything was still.
Absolutely still.
A nippy wind rustled the Frog Creek trees. Jack andAnnie were wearing their jeans and jackets again. Itwas dawn.
Annie sighed.
"Iwish we'd had a little more time to visit Venice,"she said.
"I'm glad Lorenzo gave us his painting to finish,"said Jack. "That'll be like living our trip all overagain.""Cool," said Annie.
"We'd better leave Morgan's research book here,"said Jack. He pulled the book out of his120backpack and put it on the floor. "And this." Hetook out Teddy and Kathleen's book of magic rhymes.
"Wait," said Annie. "Don't you think we shouldtake the book of rhymes with us? For safekeeping?"Jack nodded. "We can't use them in Frog Creek," hesaid. "We'll just keep it safe till we go on our nextmission.""That's what I was thinking," said Annie. "Come on.
Hurry, before Mom and Dad wake up."Jack put the book of rhymes back into his pack.
Carrying Lorenzo's canvas, Annie climbed down theladder. Jack followed.
As they walked through the chilly dawn woods,Annie held up Lorenzo's canvas. The shimmeringlight and waters of Venice looked just like they had inreal life. "So what should we put in our painting?" sheasked.
"Gondolas, of course," said Jack, "with people incostumes."121"Wearing black capes and bird masks," said Annie,"and fancy dresses and wigs.""And we could paint the clock tower in thebackground," said Jack, "with the two men strikingthe bell.""And the watchtower, too," said Annie, "with thegold angel on top.""And the ruler's palace," said Jack.
"And the old man and Rosa walking along thecanal," said Annie, "and, of course, Lorenzo.""And the lion flying across the sky," said Jack, "andNeptune's spear rising out of the water.""With Neptune himself peeking out!" said Annie.
"We'll show just the top of his head and hismysterious eyes.""That's a lot of stuff for one painting," said Jack.
"We didn't even put ourselves in yet," said Annie.
"We'll paint ourselves on the back of the lion," saidJack, "wearing our clown suits and red slippers."122"Yeah, with huge smiles on our faces," said Annie,"like we're thinking, Wow! Wow! Wow!" Jacklaughed.
A chilly dawn breeze swept through the bare trees.
The bells of a Frog Creek church began to chime. Jackand Annie took off running for home. |