"Wow," said Jack and Annie together.
Inside the crowded fairgrounds, below the loomingEiffel Tower, a band played a lively march. Fountainsshot colored water high into the sky. A small trainchugged through the crowd, blowing its whistle.
People of all ages from many different countriesbustled about in the twilight. Everyone seemed to behaving fun, reading from guide books, strolling fromone exhibit to another, or buying refreshments andsouvenirs.
28"We can't see much from here," said Annie. "It'shard to know what's going on.""What about that little train?" said Jack. "Maybe wecould ride on it and get a good look at everything.""Great idea," said Annie. The train whistle blewagain.
"Over there," said Jack. He pointed to a clear spacewhere passengers were getting off the train and otherpassengers were boarding.
"Hurry!" said Jack.
They raced to the train and jumped on. Annie duginto her pocket and took out some coins. She heldthem out to the conductor. He took a few, and Jackand Annie squeezed into seats on a wooden bench.
The whistle blew, steam sputtered out of thesmokestack, and the small train began to move.
"Look for anything about magic or magicians," saidJack.
As the train slowly chugged through the29World's Fair, a tour guide's voice blared from amegaphone: "Welcome to the World's Fair SightseeingTrain! On your ride, you will witness the astoundinghistory of human structures as seen nowhere else! Inevery age, buildings had style and beauty."The train chugged by cave dwellings, canvas tents,and huts made of mud.
Magic? Magicians?
Jack thought as he looked at the differentstructures.
No, no, no.
The train passed a thatched cottage, a mansion withcolumns, and a palace with a huge golden dome.
No, no,no, Jack thought.
"Now we will visit the many lands of the world,"said the tour guide. "First, Egypt!"The train chugged past an outdoor cafe. Smells ofgrilled meat and rich coffee filled the air. Threewomen with veils over their faces danced to flutemusic.
No magicians there,thought Jack.
30"Next we have an African village on the beau- tifulSerengeti Plain," said the tour guide. They passed acluster of huts surrounded by tall grass. People playeddrums and shook gourd rattles.
Still no magicians,thought Jack.
31"And now we visit a New Year's festival in farawayChina," said the guide. The train chugged by Chineseacrobats and a huge dancing red dragon.
"Dragons are sort of magic, aren't they?" saidAnnie, looking back.
32"It's just a couple of guys in a costume," said Jack.
"That doesn't count.""On our left is a Muslim mosque," the tour guidesaid. "On the right, a Buddhist temple. Here is anexquisite Japanese garden....""No, no, no," murmured Jack.
The train passed by a show with dolls dressed inoutfits from all around the world. It rolled by a giantbrown statue of a woman. "This amazing creation isthe Roman goddess Venus," said the tour guide,"made entirely of chocolate.""That is amazing!" said Annie.
"It is, but it's not magic," said Jack.
The train rode by a globe of the world at least threestories high. The globe was turning slowly. "See thelovely mountains, deserts, rivers, and oceans ofEarth," said the tour guide.
"This fair really is a living encyclopedia!" Anniesaid.
"But the encyclopedia doesn't have what we needto find," said Jack. He sighed and started33thumbing through the guide book.
"Ahh, fantastic!" a train passenger said.
"Shocking!" said another.
"Magical!" exclaimed another.
Jack looked up. "Did someone just saymagical?"he asked Annie.
"False alarm," said Annie. "They're talking aboutthe Eiffel Tower."The train came to a stop. All the passengers weregazing up. Pink lights lit the huge arches at the baseof the tower.
"The Eiffel Tower was built especially for thisWorld's Fair," said the tour guide. "The tower isnearly one thousand feet high, making it the talleststructure in the world today. Some of you may wantto leave us here to get a closer look at Paris's newestmiracle."People began climbing off the train. "Maybe weshould get off here, too," said Jack. "This train isn'tmuch help."Jack and Annie jumped off the train just34before its whistle blew and it started moving again.
"That's a tall tower," said Jack, looking up.
"Reallytall," breathed Annie.
3536Iron rods rose in crisscross patterns high into thesky. Large elevators clanked up through the tower'slacy ironwork. Powerful spotlights beamed from thetop of the tower, sweeping long fingers of light overthe city.
"It would be fun to ride to the top in one of thoseelevators," said Annie.
"I know, but we don't have time," said Jack. "Wehave to find the four new magicians before the evilsorcerer finds them.""I wonder if he's here yet," said Annie.
Jack and Annie looked around at all the peoplebusily moving about the fairgrounds, going from oneexhibit to another. Parents were holding theirchildren's hands and pointing to the tower. Coupleswere strolling arm in arm. Everyone seemed happyand excited.
No one looks like an evil sorcerer,thought Jack. Noone looks like a Magician of Sound, or a Magicianof Light, or a Magician of the Invisible, or a Magicianof Iron, either.
37Jack's thoughts were interrupted by a young girl'svoice-"You see, Papa? It is magic!""Magic?"said Jack. He and Annie looked at each other.
"Over there," said Annie. She pointed to a nearbyexhibit. A little girl was laughing as her fatherpressed a pair of earpieces against his ears.
Jack and Annie walked closer to the exhibit. "It ispositively unbelievable, Mimi!" the man said, shakinghis head.
"It's magic, isn't it, Papa?" said the girl. "It can senda voice a thousand miles!"Annie grabbed Jack's arm. "Did you hear what shejust said?" she whispered.
"Send a voice a thousand miles-that'swhat the Magician of Sound does!""Right!" said Jack. He and Annie looked at the signabove the exhibit. It said:
Telephone: A New Invention by Alexander GrahamBell38"She's talking abouta telephone!"said Jack. "I guess it's just been invented!""So Alexander Graham Bell must be the Magicianof Sound!" said Annie.
"Oh, man, do you think Alexander Graham Bell ishere in person?" said Jack.
"I'll ask," said Annie. She walked to a grayhairedwoman helping with the exhibit. "Excuse me, but doyou know where we can find Alexander GrahamBell?""I'm afraid he just left," said the woman. "Wheredid he go?" asked Annie.
"I do not know," said the woman. "A strange mangave me an invitation to give to Mr. Bell. When Mr.
Bell read it, he left at once. That is all I know. Excuseme." The woman turned away to answer someoneelse's question.
"Alexander Graham Bell!" Jack said to Annie. "He'sa famous inventor, not a magician!""The evil sorcerer must've heard about thetelephone and thought it was magic," said Annie.
39"I wonder what that invitation said," said Jack.
"And why did that lady say the messenger wasstrange?""Let's ask," said Annie.
Annie tapped the gray-haired woman on the arm.
"Excuse me, we have two more questions," she said.
"Do you know what was on the invitation? And whydid you say the messenger was strange?""I do not know what the invitation said," replied thewoman, "but the man who delivered it was dressed ina long, dark cloak. He wore a hood that hid most ofhis face, and he spoke in a deep, whispery voice."Jack felt a chill go down his spine.
So that's what the evil sorcerer looks like,he thought.
Just like you'd expect!
"Sounds like the sorcerer," Annie whispered to Jack.
"I know, I know," Jack said, looking around. "Doyou have any idea where the strange40man in the cloak went?" Annie asked the woman.
"He asked for directions to the Hall of Machines," saidthe woman.
"Where's that?" asked Jack. "Is that here at the fair?""Yes, of course. It is the gigantic building made ofglass. Can you see the roof?" The woman pointed toan arched glass rooftop looming above other fairbuildings in the distance.
"I see it," said Annie.
"Good," said the woman. "Excuse me now. I musthelp some other people.""Sure, thanks," said Annie. "Let's go," she said toJack. She started walking quickly across thefairgrounds.
"Wait, wait, wait," said Jack, hurrying after her.
"The messenger is the sorcerer, I just know it!" saidAnnie.
"Of course he is," said Jack. "But what do we dowhen we find him?"41"I don't know yet," said Annie.
"He could be dangerous," said Jack. "We need tomake a plan.""We need to find him first," said Annie, "before hegets away! Hurry!" She broke into a run and dashedtoward the Hall of Machines. |