Winter of the Ice Wizard - Mary Pope Osborne [4]
Beneath the rising moon, its gleaming spires pierced the blue dusk.
“I wonder who lives there … ,” said Jack.
“Let us go and find out!” said Teddy.
Teddy led the way down the slope to the ice palace. Long icicles hung like spears in front of the entrance.
“It seems no one has visited this place in quite a while,” said Kathleen.
“Indeed,” said Teddy. He broke off several icicles, and they clattered to the ground. “Onward?” he said.
The others nodded.
Kicking aside the chunks of ice, Teddy led them all into the ice palace.
The air inside the palace was even colder than the air outside. Moonlight flooded through tall arches in the walls. The floor shined like a skating rink. Thick columns of sparkling ice held up a domed ceiling.
“WELCOME, JACK AND ANNIE,” boomed a voice from beyond the columns.
Jack gasped. “Is that Merlin?” he whispered.
“It does not sound like Merlin,” whispered Teddy.
“But how does he know our names?” whispered Annie.
“COME, JACK AND ANNIE. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU,” bellowed the voice.
“Maybe it is Merlin!” said Annie. “Maybe he’s just using a different voice! Come on!”
“Annie, wait!” Jack called. But Annie had already disappeared into the sparkly room. “We have to follow her,” he said to Teddy and Kathleen.
The three of them hurried after Annie. Beyond the columns, steps made of carved ice led up to a platform. Sitting on a throne on the platform was a huge bearded man.
The man on the throne was definitely not Merlin. He was dressed in a worn robe trimmed with dirty fur. He had a rugged, weather-beaten face, a bushy beard, and a black eye patch. He leaned forward and glared down at Annie with his one good eye.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “I was expecting Jack and Annie of Frog Creek.”
Annie stepped toward the throne. “I am Annie and he’s Jack,” she said. “And these are our friends Teddy and Kathleen. We come in peace.”
“Annie? Jack?” the man snorted. “You are not Annie and Jack! You are far too small!”
“We’re not so small,” said Annie. “I’m nine. Jack’s ten.”
“But you are children,” the man said with scorn. “Jack and Annie are heroes!”
“Well, I don’t know if I’d call us heroes,” said Annie. “But we sometimes help Merlin and Morgan le Fay.”
“Annie, shhh!” said Jack. He didn’t trust the man on the throne and worried that Annie was saying too much.
But Annie went on. “In fact, Merlin told us to come to the Land-Behind-the-Clouds today,” she said. “He sent us a message written on a stone.”
“Ah … ,” said the man on the throne. “Perhaps you really are Jack and Annie.” He leaned forward and spoke in a low voice:
To Jack and Annie of Frog Creek:
My Staff of Strength has been stolen. On the winter solstice, journey to the Land-Behind-the-Clouds. Travel toward the setting sun and retrieve my staff—or all will be lost.
Jack didn’t understand. “How … ?”
“How do I know what was in Merlin’s message?” the man said. “I know because I wrote it myself! I hoped it would find its way to you somehow.”
Jack stepped back. So Merlin hadn’t sent them on this mission at all. The weird man on the throne had tricked them!
“Who are you?” demanded Teddy.
“I am the Ice Wizard,” said the man. “The Wizard of Winter.”
Teddy gulped.
Oh, no! thought Jack. They had heard about this wizard on their past Merlin missions. It was the Wizard of Winter who had put a spell on the Raven King and who had stolen the Sword of Light!
The wizard glanced coldly from Teddy to Kathleen. “And who are the two of you?”
“I am Teddy of Camelot,” said Teddy. “I am an apprentice to Morgan le Fay, in training to be a sorcerer myself.”
“A sorcerer?” said the wizard.
“Yes,” said Teddy. “My father was a sorcerer. My mother was a wood sprite.”
“And I am a selkie,” said Kathleen, “one of the ancient seal people.”
“So you are both from my world,” said the Ice Wizard. “You are of no use to me.” He looked back at Jack and Annie. “I am interested only in the two mortals, Jack and Annie of Frog Creek.”
“Why are you interested in us?” said Jack.
“Because of what you have done for Merlin!