A pair of torches dimly lit the drafty entrance hall of thecastle. Shadows danced on the worn tapestries.
"Wait here," said Morgan. "I will tell the king of your arrival."She headed through the huge stone archway that led to the greathall.
"Let's peek in," Annie said to Jack.
Jack pushed his glasses into place. He and Annie walkedquietly over to the big arch and peered in.
The ceiling of the great hall towered high above a stone floor.
At the far end of the room, King Arthur and his knights weresitting around a huge, round table. They all wore brown tunics.
They had shaggy hair and beards.
Their names were carved in gold letters on the backs of theirchairs.
"The Knights of the Round Table!" whispered Jack.
Morgan was talking to King Arthur. Beside the king sat awoman in a plain gray robe. She had pale skin and brown, curlyhair.
"Queen Guinevere," whispered Annie.
Morgan left the king, and Jack and Annie moved quickly backinto the shadows. A moment later, Morgan appeared.
"I told the king that two special friends of his have justarrived," she said. "Come with me."As they walked with Morgan through the great hail, Jackshivered. The huge room was drafty and damp. There was nofire in the fire-place. The stone floor was so cold that Jack couldfeel the chill through his sneakers.
They stopped near the Round Table. King Arthur stared atthem with his piercing gray eyes.
"Greetings from Frog Creek," Annie said to the king andqueen. Annie bowed, and Jack bowed, too.
The queen smiled. But King Arthur did not.
"Your Majesty, you remember Jack and Annie?" said Morgan.
"You met them last summer in my library?""Indeed, I shall never forget them," King Arthur said softly.
"Greetings, Annie. Greetings, Jack. How do you come to be inCamelot on this bleak night?""We came in the magic tree house," said Annie.
A shadow crossed the king's face. He looked at Morgan.
"No, Your Majesty. I did not use my magic to bring themhere," she said. "Perhaps a bit of magic still lingers in the treehouse, and it traveled on its own."What going on? Jack wondered. Why does King Arthur seemunhappy about the magic tree house?
King Arthur looked back at Jack and Annie.
"However you have come, you are welcome in my kingdom,"he said. He turned to the queen. "Guinevere, these are the twofriends who once gave me hope and courage in a time of need."Queen Guinevere smiled again. But there was a sad look inher eyes. "I have heard much about you," she said.
"I've heard about you, too!" said Annie.
"Allow me to present my knights," said King Arthur. "Sir Bors,Sir Kay, Sir Tristram..
As the king named each knight, Jack and Annie nodded shyly.
The knights nodded at them in return. Jack waited to hear thename Sir Lancelot, the most famous of Camelot's knights. Butthe king never said it.
"And finally, Sir Bedivere and Sir Gawain," King Arthur said.
The king then turned to three empty chairs at the table. "Andthere once sat three who are lost to us now," he said.
Lost how? wondered Jack.
"You may sit at their places and join our din-ner" King Arthursaid.
"Thank you," said Annie.
Following Morgan around the table, Jack read the namescarved on the backs of the three empty chairs: SIR LANCELOT,SIR GALAHAD, SIR PERCIVAL.
Jack took off his backpack and sat down in Sir Lancelot'splace.
As he sat tall and straight in the heavy wooden chair, Jacklooked at the king and his knights. They were gnawing meat offbones and slurping wine from heavy goblets. They ate withoutmanners or delight.
Jack really wanted to take notes. He reached into his packunder the table and pulled out his notebook and pencil. Butbefore he could write a word, a serving boy brought more food.
Jack quickly put his things away. The boy set a greasy slab ofbeef on a soggy piece of bread in front of him. The food lookedterrible.
"Not much of a Christmas feast, huh?" Annie said in a lowvoice.
Jack shook his head.
Annie leaned close to Morgan and whispered so King Arthurwouldn't hear. "What happened to the three lost knights?" sheasked.
"After Mordred's Dark Wizard cast his spell, the king soughthelp from the magicians of Camelot," Morgan said quietly.
"They told him he must send his knights on a quest to theOtherworld, to recapture our kingdom's joy.""What's the Otherworld?" said Jack.
"It is an ancient, enchanted land beyond the edge of theEarth," said Morgan. "The place where all magic first began.""Wow," whispered Annie.
"The king chose his three bravest knights to journey there,"said Morgan. "When they did not come back, Arthur turnedagainst his magicians. He blamed magic for all of Camelot'swoes. Hence, he has banned magic of any kind from thekingdom forever.
"But you're a magician," whispered Annie. "Did the king turnagainst you, too?""Arthur and I have a long friendship," said Morgan. "He hasallowed me to stay in the castle as long as I promise not topractice the art of magic ever again."A feeling of dread crept over Jack. "So... does that mean themagic tree house is ...
Morgan nodded. "Yes. Banished from Camelot," she said. "I'mafraid this will be your last journey. And the last time we seeeach other." Her eyes filled with tears. She looked away.
"What? The last time we see each other? Forever?" said Annie.
Before Morgan could answer, the wooden doors swung openwith a bang. A wind rushed through the great hall. The torchesand candles flamed brighter, making the shadows leap wildly onthe walls.
The sound of hoof beats filled the room. A knight on a hugehorse rode through the arched doorway.
The knight was dressed all in red--from his shining helmet tothe long cloak on his back. His horse was dressed all in green-fromthe armor that covered his head to the cloth that hung fromhis saddle.
"Oh, wow!" breathed Annie. "A Christmas Knight!" |