There were seven tapestries in all. Each was almost as high asthe wooden ceiling. Jack read aloud from a sign on the wallunder the first one:
The Hunt of the UnicornTapestries woven in the Netherlands at the end of the 1400sThe first tapestry showed hunters and hounds searching forthe unicorn. The second showed the unicorn being found.
The other tapestries showed the unicorn trying to escape,leaping from a stream, chased by71hounds, then captured and slain by the hunters' spears.
Oddly, the last tapestry showed the unicorn alive again. Hewas sitting in a garden of flowers surrounded by a woodenfence. There was a wide blue and gold collar around his neck,and he was chained to a tree.
"That'shim,"Annie said softly.
"How can it be him?" said Jack. "He's a picture in a tapestry.""Read Merlin's poem again," said Annie.
Jack unbuckled his briefcase and pulled out the parchmentscroll. He read aloud.
She very last unicornIs now hidden wellBy those who have put himUnder a spell.
"The unicorn is hidden in the tapestry," said Annie. "Thepeople who wove it must be the ones who put him under aspell.""Hmm ... ," said Jack. He read on.
72Four centuries, four decadesFromthat afternoon,At the endof November,Before theblue moon ...
"Stop, do the math," said Annie.
"Right," said Jack. He took out his notebook and pencil. "Okay,four centuries is four hundred, and four decades is forty. Add'em up, you get four hundred forty. Then if you subtract fourhundred forty from 1938, you get ... 1498.""It works!" said Annie. "The sign says the tapestries werewoven at the end of the 1400s! And it's the end of November,and Mr. Perkins said there's a blue moon tonight!""Oh, man," whispered Jack. He kept reading.
He willwake once moreAnd be freeto go homeIf you callout his name:
Divine Flower of Rome.
Annie looked up at the tapestry.
"Divine Flower!"she called.
73Nothing happened.
"Divine Flower of Rome!"Jack called.
Jack and Annie watched and waited. Nothing changed in thetapestry. It looked exactly the same.
"Maybe he's not the right unicorn after all," said Jack.
"Maybe it's just not the right name," said Annie. "Read therest."Jack read more of the poem.
You must coax him to standOnce hisname is spoken.
His chain will breakAnd the spell too, be broken.
"He is the right unicorn!" said Annie. "See? There's the chain!"She pointed to the chain in the last tapestry.
"Yeah, but why didn't calling his name work?" said Jack.
"Why didn't he wake up?""I don't know," said Annie. "What else does the poem say?"74Jack read on.
Then a young girl must love himAnd show him the way,Lest he be trapped foreverOn public display.
If he loses this chanceTo rise and depart,All magic will fadeFrom his horn and his heart.
"He is on public display, andI'mthe girl, Jack!" said Annie. "I love him a lot! I'll show him theway!""Okay, calm down. First we need to wake him up," said Jack.
Voices came from outside. Jack moved to a window. Helooked out into the courtyard. Two people were coming throughthe cloister, their heads down against the flying snow. One worea dark cape, and the other a tan raincoat.
Jack turned back to Annie, a big grin on his face. "You wereright! They found us! Teddy and75Kathleen are here!" he said.
"They'llknow how to break the spell!""Of course!" said Annie, beaming. "Quick, let's hide andsurprisethemfor a change.""In there!" said Jack. He and Annie hurried into a long roomoff the tapestry room. They heard the door from the cloisteropen. They felt a rush of cold air. They heard footsteps.
Jack and Annie grinned at each other. Jack put his finger tohis lips. Then a quick, nervous boy's voice came from thetapestry room: "Grinda, they are not here!""I see that, Balor, butlook""Ahh! Is ithim,Grinda?"Annie grabbed Jack's arm. "Balor? Grinda?" she whispered.
"Shh," whispered Jack.
"Of course 'tis him!" said the girl. "I told you those Frog Creekbrats would lead us to him! Get the rope ready!""Aye," said the boy.
Jack and Annie carefully peeked around the76corner. They saw a girl and boy standing with their backs tothem, facing the unicorn in the last tapestry. The boy held athick black rope.
"Call out his name, Grinda," said the boy. The girl took a steptoward the tapestry. She raised her arms in front of the unicorn.
"Dianthus!"she called.
Wind whistled through the open doorway. The flowers in thetapestry swayed as if the wind77were blowing them. The scent of roses wafted through theroom. The unicorn moved his head. "Ohh!" whispered Annie.
"Get ready, Balor, to take him back to the Master," said thegirl.
Annie clutched Jack's arm. "Who's the Master?" shewhispered.
"I don't know," whispered Jack. "But I don't think he's a goodguy."The girl turned back to the tapestry and spoke softly to theunicorn. "Come, come, my lovely Dianthus, stand up now. Comeout of that old rug...."The unicorn turned his head and looked out at the girl. Thelook in his blue eyes was ancient yet young, wise yet innocent.
He lifted his head as if he were about to stand.
The girl nodded to the boy. The boy slowly coiled the blackrope into a noose. The girl looked at the unicorn again. "Come tome, Dianthus!" she coaxed. "Don't be afraid. I'll love you andshow you the way"78"No, Dianthus!" yelled Annie. "Don't go to her!" Annie andJack bolted from their hiding place.
Balor and Grinda whirled around in surprise. They both hadpale faces and pale shining eyes.
"Leave him alone!" Annie yelled at the strange pair. "Youdon't love him!
Welove him!" At that moment, there was a flash of light, and theunicorn in the tapestry leapt like a deer over the woven fence.
Balor and Grinda shrieked and jumped back. Jack covered hishead.
Then there was silence. Jack looked up. The tapestry on thewall was unchanged-it still showed a unicorn woven from yarnchained to a tree.
But standing on the floor of the museum was the mostbeautiful creature Jack had ever seen. |