《神奇树屋》 第三十二册 Winter of the Ice Wizard 08 Return of the Eye

　　Jack 1 and Annie walked through the front hall of thepalace, past the ice columns, and into the wizard'sthrone room. The walls and floor glittered with thebrilliant, cold light of dawn. "Uh-oh," said Jack.



The wizard was waiting for them--and the twowhite wolves were sleeping on either side of histhrone. Jack was confused. Why are they here? hewondered. Do they belong to the wizard?



The wolves lifted their heads and sniffed 2 the air.



Their ears pricked 3 up. When they caught92sight of Jack and Annie, they sprang to their feet.



They stared at them with piercing yellow eyes.



The Ice Wizard was staring intently at Jack andAnnie, too. "Well?" he said. "Did you bring back myeye?""Yes," said Jack.



Annie took the hailstone out of her pocket and heldit up to the wizard. Jack watched the wolvesnervously as the hailstone passed from Annie's smallhand into the wizard's large, rough hand.



The wizard stared down at the chunk 4 of ice. Thenhe looked at Jack and Annie. "Indeed, you are heroes,"he said breathlessly.



"Not really," Jack murmured.



The wizard looked again at his eye inside thehailstone. Then, with a quick movement, he slammedthe ice chunk against the arm of his throne.



Jack and Annie gasped 5 and stepped back. Thewizard slammed the hailstone against his throneagain. This time, the ice cracked.



The wizard gently pried 6 his eye out of the93heart of the hailstone. He lifted the frozen eyeballinto the air and studied it in the light. Then, with aneager cry, he ripped off his eye patch.



Jack and Annie watched in amazement 7 as thewizard fitted the eye into its dark, empty socket 8. Jackheld his breath. He was horrified 9, yet fascinated. Hecouldn't imagine someone just shoving an eye backinto his head.



The wizard slowly lowered his hand. He seemed tobe holding his breath. He had two eyes. But the newone didn't move. It looked as if it was still frozen.



Jack grew worried. If the eye didn't work, thewizard might not help them. "We--we brought youyour eye," he said. "So can you tell us where Merlinand Morgan are now?"The wizard jerked his head to look at Jack. Hecovered one eye with his hand. Then he covered theother. In a frenzy 10, he went back and forth 11, coveringand uncovering each eye.



Finally the wizard dropped his hand and94roared, "NO!" The wizard's howl shook the icecolumns. "You have tricked me!""No we haven't," said Annie.



"This eye is useless!" cried the wizard. "It has nolife! No sight!""But that's the eye you gave to the Norns,"95said Annie. "You promised if we brought it back,you'd give us Merlin and Morgan."The two white wolves threw back their heads andhowled.



"NO!" cried the wizard. "You tricked me! Youtricked me!""Let's get out of here," whispered Jack. He pulledAnnie toward the ice columns.



"STOP!" shouted the wizard. "YOU CANNOTESCAPE ME!" He grabbed Merlin's Staff of Strength.



The wolves growled 12 and yelped 13. The wizard pointedthe staff at Jack and Annie. He started to say a spell-"RO-EEE--"[ILLUSTRATION: Jack and Annie looking at theWizard as he sits in a thrown.]



96"WAIT!" someone yelled. Teddy burst into thethrone room. "Wait! Wait!"The wizard held his staff in the air. He staredwildly at Teddy. His face was twisted with rage.



"We have something for you!" Teddy shouted at thewizard. "Kathleen!" he called.



Kathleen stepped out from behind the ice columns.



With her was a young woman with long braids. Thewoman wore a flowing dress. Around her shoulderswas a white feathered cloak. Her eyes rested on thewizard, and a radiant smile spread over her face. Shebegan walking slowly toward the throne.



The wizard lowered Merlin's Staff of Strength. Hestared back at the young woman. All the colordrained from his face. For a long moment, he was asstill as a statue. Then an ice-blue tear leaked out ofhis frozen eye and ran down his white cheek.



Jack and Annie stood with Kathleen and97Teddy. They all watched the young woman and theIce Wizard gaze silently at each other.



"Is she his sister, the swan maiden 14?" whisperedAnnie.



"Yes," whispered Kathleen.



The swan maiden spoke 15 to the Ice Wizard in astrange language--"Val-ee-ven-o-wan."The wizard did not answer. Tears flowed gentlynow from both his eyes.



"Val-ee-ven-o-wan," the swan maiden said again.



98"What's she saying?" Jack asked.



"She is saying, I have come back to forgive you,"said Kathleen.



The wizard stood up. He walked down the stepsfrom his throne. He gently touched the swan maiden'sface, as if to make sure she was real. Then heanswered her softly in the strange language. "Fel-owan.""How did you find her?" Jack asked Teddy.



"A seal took us under the ice to the Isle 16 of theSwans," said Teddy.



"When we found her, I told her how much thewizard has missed her," said Kathleen. "I also told herabout the two of you and how you always help eachother. I told her she should return to her brother andbe his friend again."The wizard and his sister kept speaking softly toeach other in their strange language. Warm sunlightshimmered through the palace windows.



Annie stepped forward. "Um--excuse me," she said.



99The wizard looked at her. "My sister has returnedhome/' he said with wonder. "I can see with both eyesnow. I can see perfectly 17.""I'm glad," said Annie. "But now you must giveMerlin and Morgan back to us."The wizard looked at his sister. She nodded. Thewizard held out Merlin's Staff of Strength. "Use this tobring them back," he said. "Hold it tightly and call outfor them." He gave the staff to Annie.



Annie could barely lift it by herself. "Hold it withme, Jack," she said.



Jack stepped forward and grabbed the magic staff.



The smooth, golden wood felt warm and vibrant 18 inhis hands.



As they gripped the staff together, Annie threwback her head and called out: "Merlin and Morgan,come back!"A long burst of blue light shot out of the end of thestaff--and flashed toward the two white wolves.



Suddenly wolf eyes changed into human eyes! Wolfnoses changed into human noses! Wolf mouthschanged into human mouths! Wolf ears into humanears! Wolf paws into human hands and feet! Wolf furinto long red cloaks!



The two white wolves were gone, and a man and awoman stood in their places.