Blizzard of the Blue Moon: A Merlin Mission

snow-covered outdoor stage and a fountain with the statue of an angel. Raising her outspread wings, the angel seemed about to fly away.
    “Which way now?” said Jack.
    Two paths led away from the angel fountain: one to the right, one to the left. “I don’t know,” said Annie. “Pick one.”
    Jack headed to the left. Annie followed. They passed a frozen lake and walked over an arched bridge. Jack kept his eyes on the ground andwalked and walked and walked. Every time he lifted his head, the snow felt like needles against his skin.
    Jack tried to keep walking in a straight line, but the path they were following began twisting and turning like a maze. Different paths branched off, curving this way and that. Jack remembered information from their research book:
The park has thirty-two miles of winding footpaths.
    “We have
got
to get off these paths!” he shouted to Annie. “Or we’ll be lost in Central Park forever!”
    Annie didn’t answer. “Annie!” Jack shielded his face from the cutting wind and looked back. He didn’t see her.
    Jack turned around and around, looking for Annie. But he couldn’t see anything—the world was completely white.
    “Annie!” he cried. Had she gone off on another path? Was she lost? “Annie!”
    She could wander around in the storm for
    hours!
thought Jack.
She could freeze to death! I have to find her!
    Jack tried to stay calm. He took a few breaths.
A rhyme
, he thought. He couldn’t remember which magic rhymes were left. He struggled to unbuckle his briefcase—his fingers felt frozen. He pulled out the book and hunched over it, trying to shelter it from the storm. He wiped his glasses off and read:
Turn into Ducks.
That wouldn’t help.
Pull a Cloud from the Sky.
That would only make things worse.
Find a Treasure You Must Never Lose.
    Is Annie a treasure?
Jack wondered. He’d always thought of a “treasure” as something super valuable, like gold or silver or rare jewels. But right now Annie seemed more valuable than any of those things. She seemed like the most valuable thing in the world. Jack found the rhyme and shouted:
    Treasure forever must never be lost!

Um-motta cal, um-motta bost!
    “Jack!”
    Jack whirled around. Annie was standing right behind him. “There you are,” she said. “I was afraid you got lost.”
    “
I
wasn’t lost,” said Jack.
“You
were lost.” He slipped the rhyme book back into his briefcase.
    “Not me,
you,”
said Annie.
    “Whatever,” said Jack. “Just stay near me now.” He took her hand and gripped it tightly. “Okay, let’s figure out what to do.”
    “Wait, is that a castle over there?” said Annie.
    “A
what
?” said Jack.
    “A castle. Look!”
    Peering through the storm, Jack saw a small castle sitting on top of a snowy hill. A light burned in a window.
    “A castle in Central Park?” Jack said. “That’s weird.”
    “Let’s go see if anyone’s inside,” said Annie. “Maybe they can help us. People in a castle might know about unicorns.”

    “Or at least know how to get out of the park,” said Jack.
    Jack and Annie struggled up the stone steps that led to the castle. At the top of the steps, Jack glanced back at the park. He could barely make out two figures in the snow: one in a dark cape and one in a raincoat.
    “Them—it’s them!” said Jack.
    A cloud of wind-driven snow blew over the couple. Jack kept looking, eager for another glimpse of the two young enchanters. But the snow hid everything in sight.
    “They’ll find us,” said Annie. “Come on.” She pushed open the door to the castle and led the way inside.
    The door slammed shut behind them. Jack and Annie stood in a dimly lit hallway.
    “Hello? Who’s there?” a man called.
    “Jack and Annie!” shouted Annie.
    A tall, thin man came down a curving stone stairway. He wore an old-fashioned blue-striped suit. “Goodness! Two children!” he said. “What are you doing here on a day like today?”
    “We got lost in the park,” said Jack. “Myname’s Jack and this is my sister, Annie.”
    “Pleased to meet you. I’m Bill Perkins,” said the man. “Welcome to Belvedere Castle.”
    “What
is
this place?” asked Annie.
    “The castle was built in 1869,” said Mr. Perkins. “It was meant to be a delightful surprise when one wandered the park. Today it’s a delightful surprise with a nature observatory and weather instruments inside.”
    “Weather instruments?” said Jack.
    “Yes. I’ve come from the U.S. Weather