《神奇树屋》 第三十三册 Carnival at Candlelight 04 Rats!

　　Jack 1 found Annie standing 2 behind a column in alantern-lit courtyard. The courtyard was quiet andempty. "Everyone in Venice must be at Carnival," saidJack. "I just hope the ruler is home.""Yeah, we'll ask him if he knows the Grand Lady ofthe Lagoon," said Annie. "And we'll tell him he has tohelp us save her from a terrible disaster."Jack looked at his map of the palace. Several roomswere labeledRulers Living Chambers 3.



"I52[Picture: Annie and Jack, dressed in the pink andpurple suits and ruffled 4 white collars, are inside of abig palace, holding the book, and hiding behind apillar.]



53guess that's where he lives," said Jack. "We have togo up some stairs called the Giants' Stairs to getthere.""The Giants' Stairs?" said Annie.



"Yeah," said Jack. "Listen to this."These stairs are called the Giants' Stairs becausethey are guarded by two large statues of gods fromRoman mythology 5: Mars, the god of war, andNeptune, the god of the sea.



"Cool," said Annie. "Let's go."Jack and Annie hurried down the passageway thatran along the courtyard until they came to a widestaircase. On either side of the stairs were giantmarble statues of strong-looking men.



"Mars and Neptune 6," said Jack. "This is it. Comeon."Jack and Annie quickly climbed the Giants' Stairs.



At the top, Jack looked at the map again. "Now weturn right and head for the Golden Staircase," he said.



54Keeping an eye out for more guards, they creptdown a hall until they came to a fancy staircase undera gold ceiling.



"There it is," said Jack. "Let's climb up." He andAnnie hurried up the Golden Staircase. When theygot to the top, they froze. Another guard wasslouched against the wall by the stairs. His eyes wereclosed, and he was snoring softly.



Jack motioned to Annie, and they tiptoed past thesleeping guard to the entrance of the ruler's livingchambers. Jack glanced at the map. "This is it," hewhispered.



The door was open. Jack and Annie peeked 7 inside.



"Knock, knock?" Annie said in a soft voice. No oneanswered.



They stepped through the doorway 8. A fire blazedon the hearth 9. Overhead many candles burnedbrightly. The dancing flames cast shadows on amarble floor and a carved gold ceiling.



"I have a feeling the ruler's not here," said Annie.



"Maybe we should leave."55Jack looked at their book. "Wait, the next room isthe Map Room," he said. "Let's just take a look.""Okay, but we'd better hurry," said Annie.



Jack led the way into the Map Room. Colorful mapshung on the walls. In the middle of the floor weretwo huge globes. Jack sighed. "Ilovethis room," he said.



"Look, more lions," said Annie. She pointed 10 to threepaintings of winged lions on one of the walls. "Whyare there lions with wings everywhere?"Jack looked upwinged lionsin their book. He turned to the right page and read:



The winged lion is the symbol of Venice.



Represented in paintings and sculptures all over thecity, the lions stand for strength on both land and sea.



As Jack and Annie looked back up at the lionpaintings, they heard footsteps. The grouchy 11 guardand the sleepy guard rushed into the room.



56"Hi, we're looking--" began Annie.



"There they are! The thieves!" the sleepy guardshouted at the grouchy guard. "Itoldyou I heard voices!""We're not thieves," said Annie. "We were justlooking for your ruler to ask for his help.""She's right," said Jack. "We have to tell him that--""Won't admit your crime, eh?" said the grouchyguard. "The worst cells are reserved for criminals likeyou! Move!""But we--" started Annie.



"Move!" shouted the grouchy guard, raising his rifleand pointing to the door.



Jack knew there was no use arguing. He tookAnnie's hand and led her out of the ruler's livingchambers. The two guards walked behind them,pointing guns at their backs.



"To the end of the hall and down the steps!"growled 12 the grouchy guard.



Jack and Annie walked quickly down the hall, thendown some steep, narrow steps. They57moved through a low stone corridor, the guardsclose behind them.



"Over the Bridge of Sighs!" shouted the grouchyguard. "And be sure to sigh when you cross it-becauseyou won't be coming back for a long time!"Jack gripped Annie's hand as they crossed a coveredfootbridge to another building. Once inside, theystarted down a lantern-lit hallway filled with puddles 13.



Jack's shoes felt squishy and soggy as he sloshedthrough the water.



"Halt!" shouted the grouchy guard.



Jack and Annie stopped in front of a heavy woodendoor. The grouchy guard opened the door and pushedthem into a dark, damp cell.



The door slammed shut. Jack heard a heavy metalbolt clank into place. Then he heard the guards splashaway clown the hall, arguing with each other.



The prison was eerily 14 quiet. It was hard to breathein the stale cell. It was hard to see, too. Only the dimlight of the hallway shone faintly58through the barred window. Under the windowwas a wooden bench.



"What now?" Annie asked in a small voice.



For a moment, Jack couldn't answer. He wasstunned. Minutes ago they'd been at the brightCarnival. Now they were locked in a dingy 15 prisoncell. look in the book," he said.



Jack felt shaky as he opened their research book. Hemoved close to the barred window to read by the dimlight. He looked upprisonin the index. He found it and read aloud:



The prison cells at ground level in the palace werecalled the pozzi, meaning "wells" or "pits." They weredank, airless, and filled with rats. Even thegovernment eventually decided 16 they were too cruel.



Jack heard a squeak 17 from a dark corner. He stoppedreading and looked up. He heard the squeak again.



The hair went up on his neck.



Was that a rat?



he wondered.



"Was that a rat?" said Annie.



59The squeak came again from the dark corner. Thena squeak came from another corner. Jack heardrustling along the walls and more squeaking 18.



"Oh, man," he breathed.



There were rats everywhere.



"I think it's time for magic," said Annie.



"Yep," said Jack, "definitely." He kept his eye on thedark corners while Annie reached into his backpackand pulled out Teddy and Kathleen's book.



Annie read from the table of contents:



"Stand on Water Make a Stone Come Alive. MakeMetal Soft. Turn into Ducks."Annie looked up. "Are rats afraid of ducks?" sheasked.



"Forget ducks!" said Jack. "Go back toMake MetalSoft-that's what we need to do! You read therhyme, and I'll try to pull the bars apart.""Okay, good," said Annie.



Jack jumped onto the wooden bench under thebarred window. The squeaking grew louder.



Jack reached up and felt the iron bars. They werecold and hard and very solid. Jack couldn't imaginebending them.



60The squeaks 19 were getting louder. Jack gripped twobars in the middle of the window and took a deepbreath. "Read the rhyme!" he said.



Annie read aloud:



Iron or copper 20, brass 21 or steel,Bree-on-saw! Bro-on-beel!



As Annie finished the rhyme, the bars began toglow. They grew warmer in Jack's hands. "I think it'sworking!" he cried.



Holding the bars tightly, Jack pulled in oppositedirections. Slowly the glowing bars began to stretchand bend. Jack pulled till there was an opening largeenough for Annie and him to fit through.



61[Picture: Jack and Annie bend bars on a windowwhile rats hiss 22 at them.]



62"We did it!" he cried.



"Great! Hurry, hurry! The rats are coming!" criedAnnie as she jumped on the bench.



Jack heard a chorus of squeaks from all sides of thecell. He looked down. He saw the shadowy shapes ofdozens of rats. They seemed to be sniffing 23 the airbelow the window.



"Go! Go!" Jack cried to Annie.



Annie squeezed between the bars and jumpeddown into the hallway. Jack followed her. He hit thewet floor and scrambled 24 to his feet. "Come on!" hecried.



Jack and Annie sloshed down the watery 25 hallway.



At the end of it, they nearly bumped right into thetwo guards. Jack and Annie kept running.



63"Hey!" the grouchy guard shouted, running afterthem. He reached for Jack. The other guard tried tocatch Annie.



64Jack and Annie dodged 26 away from them. Theguards crashed into each other, falling to the floor.



Jack and Annie kept running. They dashed across theBridge of Sighs. They ran through the corridor and upthe steep stone steps.



"This way!" cried Jack. He and Annie tore down thehall, heading for the Golden Staircase.



"Hey! Hey!" the guards yelled from far behind.



Jack and Annie bounded down the Golden Staircasetwo steps at a time. They flew down the hall anddown the Giants' Stairs. They ran past the statues ofMars and Neptune and charged down the long, openpassageway. Finally, they dashed through theentrance of the palace and escaped into Saint Mark'sSquare.