The snowmobiles and the helicopter were bothparked on the slope. The scientists and journalistsstood talking with Nancy and Pete.
"Oh, no!" Annie said, grabbing Jack. "What aboutPenny? We're not supposed to have a penguin! They'lltake her away!"Jack put his arms protectively over his parka. "I'llhide her," he said. "We've got to get her to Merlin."Jack heard a shout. He turned around. Nancy hadcaught sight of them. She was waving her arms andrunning toward them.
89"Hey, you two!" Nancy called. She dashed acrossthe snow and threw her arms around Annie, thenJack.
Jack held his breath, hoping Penny wouldn't besquashed.
Peep.
Jack pulled away from Nancy and pretended tocough. He made his coughing end in a sort ofpeep.
"The chopper just got here!" said Nancy. "Pete toldme he was delayed by a snow squall! I freaked out!
Where have you been? Are you okay?""Don't worry, we're fine," said Annie.
"Perfect," said Jack. "We don't feel a bit sick oranything. We were just getting some fresh air. We'reready to go now!" Jack started walking toward thechopper.
Annie grabbed Nancy's arm and walked with her.
"Did you have fun on the mountain?" Annie asked,trying to keep Nancy's attention off Jack. "Whathappened? What did you see?"90"We saw lots of things, but I was worried about youguys the whole time," said Nancy. "Your parents mustbe frantic back at the station!""They had their own expedition today," said Annie.
"They study penguins."Peep!
"What was that?" asked Nancy.
Jack did his weird cough again.
"Are you sure you're okay, Jack?" Nancy calledafter him.
"I'm perfect," he said.
As the three of them approached the others, theywere greeted with cheers. Nancy must have toldeveryone that we're just little kids, Jack thought.
"So glad you're safe, young man!" said Ali, thebiologist. He slapped Jack on the back.
Penny peeped, and Jack coughed.
"Sorry you couldn't make it up to the top," saidKim, the photographer.
91"That's okay," said Annie. "We still got a goodstory.""Did you now?" said Lucy, the space scientist.
"Yes, areallygood story!" said Annie.
"Excellent, but you mustn't tell a soul," said Tony,the journalist, "or one of us will steal it!" Tonylaughed, and the others laughed with him.
"Okay, we'll keep it a secret." Annie smiled.
Pete opened the door of the chopper.
"Brave little kids first," said Nancy.
Oh, brother,thought Jack.
Nancy ushered Jack and Annie toward thehelicopter. They scrambled up the steps, climbedaboard, and sat down.
As the others climbed in and got settled, Jackloosened his seat belt so he could buckle up withoutcrushing Penny.
Peep!
Jack coughed. But to his relief, Pete started theengine. The rotor blades began to spin.
"Headphones!" yelled Nancy.
92Everyone pulled on their headphones.
Nancy gave Jack and Annie a big smile and athumbs-up sign as the helicopter lifted off themountain slope.
"I love late spring evenings in Antarctica," Nancysaid to the group.
Jack looked out the window. The evening sky waslavender with streaks of pink.
"This light always reminds me that we're in adifferent world from the world back home," saidNancy.
Jack and Annie smiled at each other. If only theothers knew how many different worlds there reallywere.
The chopper swept up through the soft light of thecold sky, up the slope of the burning mountain, pastthe orange-red lake of boiling lava, over white fieldsof ice and snow, until finally it landed at the heliport,where the red bus was waiting.
93The chopper blades stopped spinning. Pete gave thesignal. Then Jack and Annie followed Nancy and theothers out of the helicopter.
Jack held Penny in place under his parka as heboarded the red bus. He sat with Annie near the back.
Nancy took the driver's seat and started the engine.
As the bus rolled along, Jack peeked inside his parka.
Penny looked up at him. She blinked a few times, as ifshe was a little worried. Jack patted her gently untilshe closed her eyes and fell asleep.
Jack kept patting the front of his parka to comfortPenny. He looked out the window and patted thebaby penguin the whole ride. As Penny snuggledclose to Jack, none of his worries of the day matteredanymore: his fear of falling into the lava lake, hisdread of altitude sickness, his embarrassment at beingcaught by Nancy. All the cares and confusions of theday were wiped away by his feelings for the orphanpenguin.
94[Image: Boys.]
When the red bus stopped at the station, Jack andAnnie followed everyone down the aisle and climbedoff. As the others stood talking in a group, Jack andAnnie started walking away.
"We're leaving now! Bye, Nancy!" said Annie. "Bye,everyone!""Thanks for everything!" called Jack.
"Oh, no you don't!" said Nancy. She grabbed themboth by the sleeves of their parkas. "I'm not lettingyou two out of my sight again, not until I hand-deliver you to your parents.""But--but... our parents are still on their penguinexpedition," said Annie.
95"Then I'll take you to where you're staying," saidNancy. "Come on." Clutching their parkas, she startedwalking them toward the buildings. "You all must bestaying at the wildlife quarters, right?""Uh--yes," said Jack.
Nancy led Jack and Annie to a building at the edgeof the compound. "Well, here you are. Home safe andsound.""Thanks!" said Annie.
"Bye!" said Jack. He was desperate to get away withPenny.
"Wait--" said Nancy.
Oh, no. What now?
thought Jack.
"I'm still worried about you guys," said Nancy. "Areyour parents really here to study penguins? I wantyou to tell me the true story now."Annie heaved a sigh. "Okay. The true story is thatJack and I came alone to Antarctica in a magic treehouse--""Annie!" said Jack.
96But Annie kept talking. "It belongs to Morgan leFay of Camelot. Morgan wants us to find the fourthsecret of happiness for Merlin the magician. See, he'svery sad. And as soon as we leave Antarctica, we'reheaded for Camelot to cheer him up."Nancy just stared at Annie. Jack held his breath,afraid Nancy would finally have her heart attack.
But Nancy burst out laughing and shook her head.
"Where didthatcome from?" she said. "You guys are so cute! Howdo you think up this stuff? Seriously now, tell me thetruth.""Well...,"started Jack.
"Oh, look!" said Annie. "Mom! Dad!""What?" said Jack.
"There they are!" said Annie. She pointed to acouple bundled up in parkas, goggles, and ski masks.
They were walking toward a building.
"Oh--right!" said Jack. "Mom! Dad!"The couple kept walking and disappeared behindthe building.
"They didn't hear us!" said Annie. "We better97go! They'll wonder where we are. Bye, Nancy!
Thanks for everything!""Nancy, you coming with us for coffee?" Tonyyelled, standing by the bus.
"You should go, Nancy," said Annie. "We'll be fine.""Okay," said Nancy, sighing. "Bye, guys. Run andcatch up with your folks."Peep!
Jack coughed his funny cough.
"And take care of that cough of yours, Jack!" saidNancy.
"Don't worry, I will!" said Jack.
Then Jack and Annie took off. They ran behind thebuilding. They stopped and peeked back around thecorner. They watched Nancy walk off with Tony andthe others.
"Let's go," said Jack. He and Annie hurried awayfrom all the buildings at McMurdo Station.
Jack put his arms around Penny as they crossed theicy slope and ran to the cliff near the seashore.
98The tree house was still there, tucked under theoverhang. Annie climbed in through the window.
Jack followed her, careful not to let Penny slip out ofhis parka.
Annie pulled Morgan's rhyme out of her pocket andread the last part:
Then speed to Camelot by close of day, Lest grieftake Merlin forever away.
"Let's go!" said Jack. "Speed to Camelot!"Annie pointed to the wordCamelotand said loudly and clearly: "I wish we could gothere!"A blast of light-- a roar of wind-- a rumble ofthunder-and, of course, they werethere. |