In the icy field below the slope were yellow, brown,and green buildings; telephone poles; metal pipes; andstorage tanks. Tractors and bulldozers moved alonggravel roads. It looked like a small town.
HONK!
The sound came from a red bus with giganticwheels that was parked nearby.
"Whatisthis place?" asked Annie.
Jack looked in their book and found a photo thatlooked like the scene below. The caption read:
McMurdo Station.
Jack read the paragraph under the photo:
35Antarctica has many scientific research stations,representing countries from all over the world. Thelargest is named McMurdo Station. Researchers livethere for weeks or even months at a time.
HONK!
Jack looked up. He saw four people come out of ayellow building and start toward the bus. They wereall bundled in red parkas with hoods, goggles, andmasks. They carried backpacks and camera bags.
"They must be researchers," said Jack.
"Let's go talk to them," said Annie.
"We can't," said Jack. "They'll ask why two kids aretraveling alone in Antarctica.""Maybe they won't know we're kids," said Annie.
"If we put our goggles and masks back on, we'll lookjust like them, only shorter. They'll think we're shortgrown-ups.""Uh... I don't think so," said Jack.
Just then someone jumped off the bus. "Hi,36folks!" a woman shouted to the four researchers.
"I'm Nancy--your bus driver and guide today!"Nancy caught sight of Jack and Annie. She wavedher arms at them. "Hello!" she called. "Are you twopart of the group going up to the volcano?" Shepointed toward a mountain looming in the distance.
"Did you hear that?" Jack said to Annie. "Avolcano!" He cupped his gloved hands around hismouth. "Yes!" he shouted back in his deepest voice.
"We're coming!""We are?" Annie asked with surprise.
"Avolcano--get it?" said Jack. "A volcano is 'a burningmountain'!""Oh, right!" said Annie. "Like in the rhyme-- theburning mountain! Got it!""Quick, cover up your face!" said Jack.
Jack and Annie covered their eyes with theirgoggles and pulled up their face masks. Then theystarted walking toward the bus.
"Try not to talk to anyone unless we have to,"37Jack said quickly. "And if we do, talk in a really-deep voice.""No problem," Annie croaked in a really deep voice.
"Urn ... maybe you shouldn't talk at all," said Jack.
"Hurry!" Nancy called to them.
"Coming!" Jack shouted in his deepest voice, andthey started running across the snow.
By the time Jack and Annie arrived at the bus,everyone but Nancy had climbed aboard. "Good. Youmade it just in time!" Nancy said. "Follow me!" Shebounded up the steep steps of the red bus and sat inthe driver's seat.
Without a word, Jack and Annie climbed on afterNancy. Walking down the aisle, Jack glanced at theothers in the group. A couple of them nodded and henodded back. Everyone was hidden behind goggles,ski masks, and bulky parkas. Jack couldn't tellanyone's age, or even whether they were male orfemale.
38Jack and Annie sat a few rows behind the others.
Jack took off his backpack and put it at his feet.
"All set?" Nancy asked, looking in the bus mirror.
Jack and Annie nodded.
Nancy closed the door and started the engine. Asthe bus's giant wheels moved slowly over the gravelroad, Jack looked out the window.
The sun shone brightly on the wide, snowy fields.
Glittering ice crystals blew in the wind. All the worldaround them seemed to be sparkling.
"How's everyone doing?" Nancy called over hershoulder. "Are you all happy campers?"Everyone, including Jack and Annie, nodded.
"Good. I like travelers who don't complain!" Nancyjoked.
So far, so good,Jack thought. No one seemed to suspect they werekids.
"We have a short ride," said Nancy. "But enoughtime for you all to introduce yourselves to39me. I'm Nancy Tyler, and I work here in Antarcticaas a guide, a bus driver, and a flight mechanic.""Cool," whispered Annie.
"I know you all come from different countries asresearchers and journalists," said Nancy. "Start fromthe front and tell me who you are."The woman in front pulled down her face mask.
"I'm Lucy Banks," she said. "I'm an American, and I'ma space scientist. I'm writing a paper on the use ofrobots on the crater of Mount Erebus. Hopefully thiswill help our work on Mars someday."Oh, brother,thought Jack.
What can we say? That we're Jack and Annie fromFrog Creek and we've come to Antarctica to find thefourth secret of happiness to save Merlin the magicianinCamelot?
"Wonderful, Lucy!" Nancy said. "Antarctica is assimilar to Mars as any place you can find on earth.
Next?"40"Ali Khan, biologist from Turkey," said the mansitting behind Lucy Banks. "I'm researching heat-resistant bacteria in the crater of Mount Erebus."Quick, think!
thought Jack.
"Very good!" said Nancy. "Next?""Tony Sars from Sydney, Australia," another mansaid. "I'm a travel writer for theSydney Morning Herald."He held up a notebook.
"Good!" said Nancy.
Yes!
thought Jack. He yanked off a glove and41pulled his notebook and a pencil out of hisbackpack.
"Kim Lee," said the woman sitting behind Tony.
"I'm a photographer for a Korean magazine.""Great," said Nancy. "And my friends in the back?"Without taking off his mask, Jack shouted in a deepvoice,"Frog Creek Times,USA!" He held up his notebook. "Story aboutAntarctica. She's ... uh..."42Annie held up her camera. "His photographer!" shecalled in a deep voice.
"Excellent!" said Nancy. "A great group! We'll hearmore introductions later. Now, I know you've allheard this before, but I have to tell you again. It isvery important to remember the rules here inAntarctica."Jack opened his notebook and got ready to writedown the rules.
"Never rush," said Nancy. "You should always thinkabout where you're going and what you're doing."Jack scribbled:
Goslow!
"Never walk on snow and ice fields alone," saidNancy. "In many places beneath the snow, there aredeep, hidden cracks in the ice."Jack wrote:
Stay with others!
Cracks in ice!
43"And remember, all of Antarctica is a naturepreserve," said Nancy.
"Never, evertouch or disturb the wildlife.""Oops," said Annie.
Jack frowned. "We really broke the rules with thosepenguins," he whispered.
"I know, but we won't do it again," Anniewhispered back.
"Right," said Jack. He wrote down:
Never touch wildlife!
"Got all that?" Nancy asked the group.
Everyone nodded.
"Good," said Nancy. "I look forward to sharingAntarctica with you today. I know you'll all findsome great information and stories!"As the bus rolled along, no one gave Jack andAnnie a second look. "Nancy called us 'friends,' " Jackwhispered to Annie. "The others must think sheknows us.""Yeah, andshethinks we're friends withthem,"said Annie.
44"We're getting away with this," said Jack. He couldhardly believe it.
"It reminds me of our last mission," Anniewhispered, "on the ship with the ocean scientists.""This is better," said Jack. "Here everyone's treatingus like grown-ups, and I don't feel like throwing up.""And nowadays women get to do really cool stuff,too, like men do," said Annie.
"Good point," said Jack. "But there's still stuff aboutour rhyme I don't get." He pulled the rhyme out of hispocket, and he and Annie read it silently:
For the final secret, you must go To a burningmountain of ice and snow On wheels, by air, then allfall down, Till you come to the Cave of the AncientCrown. Then speed toCamelot By close of day, Lest grief take Merlinforever away.
"See, it sounds like it's talking about a magicalworld," said Jack. "But Antarctica is a hundredpercent real. It's filled with scientists!"45"I know, but some of the rhyme fits," said Annie.
"Like you said, the 'burning mountain of ice andsnow' is the volcano, Mount Erebus." She pointed outthe window of the bus. "And there it is."A white mountain loomed in the distance. Ice andsnow covered its slopes, and puffs of smoke rose fromits peak, drifting into the blue sky.
"It's burning, all right," said Jack.
"And we'reon wheels,"said Annie.
"Yep," said Jack. He looked at the rhyme again.
"Okay, 'burning mountain of ice and snow,' 'onwheels'--but then what about 'by air'? What's--""Oh, my gosh!" said Annie, craning her neck.
"What?" said Jack.
"Look over there!" said Annie. |