A Perfect Time for Pandas: A Merlin Mission

special food.”
    “No, actually, we don’t,” said Jack.
    “What?” said Annie.
    “I said we don’t have to look for the special food anymore,” said Jack.
    “But why? What do you mean?” said Annie.
    “We … don’t … have … to …
look
 … for … it,” Jack said.
    Annie stared at him. “Are you saying we
have
it?” she asked.
    Jack nodded, then pulled the hunk of panda bread out of his backpack. “It’s called panda bread! When I went to say good-bye to Bing-Bing, Master Lee was feeding it to her.”
    “But what makes you think—” began Annie.
    Jack held up his hand, interrupting her. “Panda bread is a healthy food,” he said. “It’s grainy and good, baked with love, tough as wood, round in shape, and the color of sand.
And
it’s given to those who have lost their land—the pandas at the center!”
    “Perfect!” breathed Annie.
    Jack held up the panda bread and looked at it. “This is why I think pandas will survive,” he said.
    “Why?” asked Annie. “Because of panda bread?”
    “Nope,” said Jack. He put the bread into his pack. “I think they’ll survive because people take responsibility for them. People make healthy bread for them and carry them to safety and raise money for them. And people speak up for them because they can’t speak up for themselves.”
    “That’s it,” said Annie. “That’s what panda bread stands for! It stands for people protecting and saving animals.”
    “Exactly,” said Jack. “And now we have to go save Penny.”
    “Great,” said Annie. “I think the tree house is nearby.” She looked around. “Yes! It’s there, in that line of trees. See it?”
    “Yep,” said Jack. “Let’s go!”
    When they came to the grove of trees, Jack switched on their small flashlight. The beam oflight guided them to the rope ladder hanging in the dark.
    “Wait! Our volunteer clothes!” said Annie.
    They took off their coveralls and left them at the bottom of the tree. Then they climbed up the rope ladder into the tree house.
    “Is everything still here?” asked Annie.
    Jack shined the flashlight into a corner of the tree house. The light fell on the emerald rose, the white and yellow flower, and the gray goose feather. “It’s all here,” he said.
    “Add the fourth thing,” said Annie.
    Jack pulled out the panda bread from his backpack and placed it on the floor next to the feather.
    “Good,” said Annie.
    Roaring sounds filled the night. Jack and Annie looked out the window and saw another helicopter coming in.
    “Remember our helicopter ride in Antarctica?” said Annie. “When you hid Penny in your jacket?”
    “I totally remember it,” said Jack. “We couldn’t let anyone see her and she kept peeping, so I hadto keep pretending to cough.” He thought about the penguin’s big eyes and her fuzzy little head. He thought about Teddy and Kathleen and the wonder and beauty of Camelot. Suddenly he couldn’t wait to be there and help bring Penny back to life. “Are you ready to go to Camelot?” he asked Annie.
    “Absolutely!” she said.
    Jack reached into his backpack again and took out their note from Teddy and Kathleen. He pointed to the word
Camelot
. “I wish we could go
there
,” he said.
    A blast of light—
    a roar of wind—
    a rumble of thunder—
    and all was quiet.



CHAPTER ELEVEN
Breaking the Spell
    A crescent moon hung low in the dark purple sky. A few stars still twinkled. Jack and Annie didn’t move for a moment, breathing in the clean, fresh air.
    Jack broke the silence. “It looks like we made it to Camelot before break of day.”
    “Yep. Where did we land exactly?” said Annie.
    Jack turned on their flashlight. He pointed it out the window. The light shone on trees, their branches heavy with golden apples.
    “I’ll bet we’re in the orchard where we landedthe last time we were here,” said Jack.
    “Turn off the light,” whispered Annie. “I think I see something in the distance.”
    Jack switched off the flashlight.
    A different kind of light was shining in the dark orchard—a flickering light that moved toward them. Jack heard leaves crunching, twigs cracking, feet running, and voices whispering.
    “Jack? Annie?” a boy called out.
    “Is that you?” a girl said.
    “Yes!” cried Annie. She scrambled down the rope ladder.
    Jack gathered up the jewel, the flower, the feather, and the panda bread. He put them in his pack and carefully climbed down after Annie.
    Teddy and Kathleen