Moonlight on the Magic Flute: A Merlin Mission (2 page)

J
ack was sitting at the computer in the living room. He was doing research on penguins for a school project. His mom and dad were cooking in the kitchen. Jack could smell bread baking in the oven and spaghetti sauce bubbling on top of the stove.

“Jack!” Annie burst into the living room. “Come with me!” she said.

“What’s going on?” said Jack.

“They’re here!” said Annie.

“Teddy? Kathleen?” asked Jack.

Annie nodded, her eyes shining.

“Oh, man!” Jack whispered. He jumped up from his chair and grabbed his jacket and backpack. “Mom, Dad—we’ll be back soon!” he called.

“Dinner’s in thirty minutes,” their mom called from the kitchen.

“No problem!” said Annie. Then she and Jack headed out the front door into the cool spring air.

“Where did you see them?” said Jack.

“At the edge of the woods!” said Annie. “I was riding my bike home from my piano lesson. When they saw me, they waved.”

“You didn’t stop and talk to them?” said Jack.

“No, I pointed to the house,” said Annie, “to let them know I had to get you first.”

“Oh! Thanks!” said Jack. “We’d better hurry!”

“I wonder where they’re sending us!” said Annie as they crossed their yard and headed up the sidewalk. “I wonder what our next mission is! Hey, did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?”

“Yep, it’s in my backpack!” said Jack.

Jack and Annie ran into the Frog Creek woods. They hurried through the shadowy light of late afternoon, until they came to the tallest tree. Jack looked up. The tree house
was
back. The two young enchanters from Camelot were looking out the window.

“Hi!” yelled Jack and Annie.

“Hello!” Teddy and Kathleen shouted.

Annie grabbed the rope ladder and climbed up into the tree house. Jack followed.

“We’re so glad you’re back!” said Annie. She hugged Teddy and Kathleen. Jack hugged them, too.

“How’s Penny?” Jack asked. He’d been missing the little penguin they had given Merlin on their last adventure.

“Oh, Penny and Merlin have become the best of friends,” said Kathleen. “She has brought him much joy and laughter.”

“Cool,” said Jack. He wasn’t surprised. Penny had made him really happy, too.

“What do you want us to do now?” said Annie.

“On your last missions, you found secrets of happiness to help Merlin,” said Kathleen.

Jack and Annie nodded.

“Now, on your next mission, Merlin wants you to help bring happiness to
millions
of people,” said Kathleen.

“Whoa,” said Jack. “That’s a big job.”

Teddy and Kathleen laughed.

“How do we do that?” asked Jack.

“Simple,” said Teddy. “You must seek out a brilliant artist—”

“Do you mean like a painter?” asked Annie.

“It could be,” said Teddy. “But it could also be any person who uses passion and imagination to create something beautiful.”

“Merlin wants you to help put that artist on the right path,” said Teddy, “to share his or her gifts with the world.”

“Oh, cool!” said Annie. “Where do we start?”

Kathleen took a creamy white envelope from
her cloak. It was sealed with melted red wax. In fancy writing, it said:
For Jack and Annie of Frog Creek.
“‘Tis a royal invitation,” said Kathleen.

Jack took the envelope. He carefully broke the seal and pulled out a thick card with gold edges and gold script. He read aloud:

“A party at a summer palace! In 1762!” said Annie.

“Yes,” said Teddy. “The palace is in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most splendid palaces in all the world.”

“That sounds like fun,” said Annie.

“Indeed, it should be,” said Kathleen. “But you must watch your manners. And beware of unexpected dangers.”

“What kind of dangers?” asked Jack.

“I do not know,” said Kathleen. “But Merlin believes you will need magic to keep safe. Did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?”

“Yes,” said Jack. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the silvery wand. It was shaped like the horn of a unicorn.

Kathleen took the wand from Jack. She closed her eyes and spun it through the air, as if she were spinning a baton. In a blur of light and movement, the wand changed into a small silver flute.

“Wow,” said Annie.

“A flute?” asked Jack.

“A
magic
flute,” said Teddy. “Playing this flute will deliver you from danger.”

“But Jack and I don’t know
how
to play the flute,” said Annie.

“Do not worry,” said Kathleen. “If the time is right, the flute will make its own music.”

“Just blow over the mouthpiece,” said Teddy. “And while one of you plays, the other must make up a song. Whatever you sing will come true.”

“Cool!” said Annie.

“But when your song has ended, the flute’s magic will end, too,” said Kathleen. “You can only use the flute’s magic once, so choose the time wisely.”

“Okay, got it!” said Annie.

“Are you ready to go?” asked Kathleen.

“Uh, wait,” said Jack. “Party invitation … magic flute … Is that all? Don’t you have a research book for us?”

“On this journey, Merlin wants you to rely only on your wits and your talents,” said Teddy.

“Oh. Okay,” said Jack, though he wasn’t sure he had many talents.

“Tell the magic tree house where to go by pointing to the words on the invitation,” said Kathleen.

Annie pointed to the words
Summer Palace.
But before she made her wish, she looked at Teddy
and Kathleen. “I hope we see you again very soon,” she said. “Say hi to Merlin and Morgan when you go back to Camelot.”

“And Penny, too,” said Jack.

Kathleen and Teddy both smiled.

“Yes, we will,” said Teddy.

Annie took a deep breath. “Okay. I wish we could go
there
!” she said. “To the summer palace!”

The wind started to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.

J
ack opened his eyes. He looked down at his clothes. He was wearing a blue velvet coat, a long vest, and knee-length pants. His shoes were black with shiny buckles.

Jack looked up at Annie and burst out laughing. Her pigtails had changed into thick, cigar-shaped curls. She was wearing a pink dress covered with lace and bows. There was a big hoop underneath her skirt to hold it out. The hoop, the skirt, and lots of petticoats were all bunched up around Annie.

“You look like you’re standing in a basket,” said Jack.

“
You
look like an old woman,” said Annie. She pointed at Jack’s head.

Jack reached up and lifted off a black velvet hat. But something else was on his head, too. He pulled off a white wig with curls on the side and a ponytail in the back.

“ A
wig
?” said Jack. His nose tickled. He sneezed, and a cloud of white powder puffed from his wig. “It’s covered in powder! I can’t wear this!”

“Yes, you can,” said Annie. “If I have to wear
this
“—she shook her dress—”you have to wear
that
.”

“But why are we dressed this way?” asked Jack.

“Because we’re going to a fancy party in a palace a long time ago,” said Annie.

“Okay, but where’s the palace?” said Jack.

Jack and Annie went to the window and looked out. They had landed in a row of trees that lined a
cobblestone street. At the far end of the street, glittering horse-drawn coaches were parked outside tall iron gates.

“I wonder if the palace is beyond those gates,” said Annie, pointing.

“I don’t know,” said Jack. “I wish we had a research book to help us.”

“Merlin wants us to rely on our wits and talents,” said Annie.

“Yeah,” said Jack, “whatever that means.”

Bells rang in the distance:
bong, bong, bong, bong, bong.

“Five bongs,” said Annie. “What time’s the party?”

Jack looked at their invitation and read aloud, “‘Five o’clock in the evening.’”

“Oh, no! We’re going to be late!” said Annie. “Put on your wig!”

Jack crammed his wig back onto his head and put on his hat. He pushed the silver flute and invitation into a deep pocket in his coat.

Annie squashed her hoopskirt and squeezed through the opening in the tree house floor. “It’s hard to climb down a rope ladder in this dress!” she said.

“Be careful! Go slow!” said Jack.

“But we have to hurry!” said Annie. She jumped off the ladder and landed on the ground.

Jack hurried down the ladder. “You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” said Annie, standing up. “Just got a
little dirty.” She brushed off her dress. “Let’s ask one of those guys about the palace.” She pointed toward the coach drivers outside the iron gates. “Hurry!”

Annie started to run. Her skirt swung wildly from side to side like a giant bell.

“Slow down!” said Jack, rushing to catch up with her. “You can’t run in that big skirt—you look ridiculous. Besides, we need to discuss our mission before we go to this party.”

“It’s simple,” said Annie. “We’re looking for a brilliant—”