Eve of the Emperor Penguin Read Online Free Page B

taking off your mask and goggles so you canbreathe better.” She helped Jack lift off his mask and goggles. “Does that help?”
    “Yeah, a little…” Jack took a deep breath. “But we need
lots
of help.”
    “What do you mean?” said Annie.
    “Help getting over altitude sickness,” said Jack, “help driving snowmobiles, help dodging lava bombs, help finding an ancient crown … and what is
that,
anyway—an
ancient crown
?”
    Nancy poked her head back into the hut. “What’s up, guys? You coming?”
    “Yikes,” said Annie.
    Jack quickly tried to put his goggles and mask back on. But it was too late.
    “What—what are you—who are you?” Nancy sputtered. “You’re not a journalist! You’re a kid!”
    “Don’t worry,” said Annie in a deep voice. “He’s my son.”
    “What?”
said Nancy.
    “He is,” said Annie. “I often take him on my assignments.”
    “You what?”
said Nancy.
    “Annie, give it up,” said Jack. “We’re caught.”
    “Oh, okay,” said Annie. She pushed up her goggles and pulled down her mask. “I’m Annie, and he’s Jack. We’re sister and brother.”
    “I’m going to have a heart attack!” said Nancy. “What are you kids doing here?”
    “We were looking for …” Annie stopped. “Um …” Jack knew even Annie couldn’t explain their mission to save Merlin to Nancy.
    “This is unbelievable!” said Nancy. “I’ve got to get you two back to the station! Your parents must be frantic. I can’t believe this!”
    “No, no, it’s our fault. No one will blame
you,
” said Jack.
    But Nancy was pulling out a small radio. “Come in, Pete. Come in.”
    The radio crackled and popped. Then Pete’s voice came through. “Hear you, Nancy,” he said.
    “Pete, you need to get the chopper back here quick and pick up two of my group. They’re just little kids!”
    Not so little,
thought Jack.
    “Repeat that, Nancy,” said Pete.
    “Two little kids came with the group!”
Nancy shouted. “I didn’t know they were kids—oh, it’s too hard to explain! Can you come back right away, please?”
    “Sure thing,” said Pete. “You head up with the others. I’ll pick up the kids.”
    “Thanks. They’ll be here at the hut, waiting for you to take them back,” said Nancy. “Over and out.”

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C lutching the wand, Jack lay in the pitch-dark. He pushed up his goggles, but he still couldn’t see anything.
    “You there?” It was Annie’s voice.
    “Yes,” said Jack.
    “You okay?”
    “Yes. But we’re really in trouble now,” said Jack. “We fell way down into a dark hole, and the wand doesn’t work.” He struggled to sit up.
    “Well, maybe we should try again,” said Annie.
    “What’s the point?” said Jack. “We’ll never get out of here now.”
    Jack and Annie were silent for a moment.
    “Hey—we’re moving!” Annie said.
    “Moving?” said Jack. They
were
moving. The ice under them was gliding silently and smoothly through the darkness.
    “What’s happening?” said Jack.
    “Maybe we’re not in a hole,” said Annie. “Look, there’s light ahead.”
    In the distance they saw a glimmer of light. As they kept moving, the light grew brighter. It grew brighter and brighter, until they slipped out of a dark tunnel into dazzling light.
    Now Jack could see they were lying on a slab of ice, floating down a narrow river.
    “We’re on an ice raft!” said Annie.
    “What’s happening?” said Jack again.
    “I don’t know,” said Annie. “But I think maybe the wand
did
work.”
    The ice raft floated through light and shadow, past tall frozen cliffs. Then it glided toward an archway in one of the cliff walls.
    “Where are we going?” asked Jack.
    The raft floated through the archway into a gigantic cavern. The cavern was like a huge icy cathedral. Its walls shone as if they were covered with silver.
    “Ohhh,” whispered Annie.
    “What
is
this place?” said Jack.
    “I don’t know. But now I’m
sure
the wand