Blizzard of the Blue Moon: A Merlin Mission

of hiding and—and—”
    “Reveal his true nature?” said Jack.
    “Exactly!” said Annie.
    “Okay …,” said Jack. “But how will we know what kind of animal to look for?”
    A signal bell clanged. Lights appeared at the end of the tunnel. Jack and Annie moved with the crowd as it surged forward.
    The subway train rumbled down the tracks. On the side of the train, Jack saw a big number 2. “That’s us!” he said.

    When the train stopped, everyone on the platform crammed inside. Jack and Annie were squashed into one of the first cars. All the seats were taken, so they had to stand in the aisle. They held on to a silver pole as more riders squeezed into the subway car and grabbed straps hanging overhead. Jack actually didn’t mind the tight squeeze. He was anxious to thaw out from the cold.
    “Look, Jack!” cried Annie. She pointed out a window of the subway car.
    Jack peered out the window, just in time to see two people rush across the platform toward one of the rear cars. One was dressed in a dark cape, the other in a tan raincoat.
    A bell sounded. The subway doors closed and the train started down the tracks.
    “Yay! They’re on the train!” exclaimed Annie.
    “Cool,” said Jack, grinning. “We’ll see them when we get off.”
    “Hey,
where
do we get off?” said Annie.
    “Oh, man, we forgot to ask!” said Jack. He turned to the lady next to them.
    “Excuse me, where do we get off for the Bronx Zoo?” he asked her.
    “Tremont Avenue,” the woman said gruffly.
    “Where’s that?” asked Annie.
    “There’s a map,” said the woman. She pointed to a map on the wall above a row of seated passengers.
    Jack and Annie stared at all the colorful lines that showed the subway system. “Nothing here makes sense,” said Jack.
    “Do you need help?” the girl sitting under the map said. She wore a tattered purple shawl over her head and shoulders.
    “Yes, please,” said Annie. “Can you tell us where we get off for the Bronx Zoo?”
    “It’s much further north,” said the girl. “I’ll let you know when we get to the right stop.”
    “Thanks,” said Jack.
    The train bumped and creaked along,stopping every couple of minutes. Jack looked out the window and tried to read the name of each station, but sometimes the platforms were too crowded. He was glad the girl in the shawl had promised to help them.
    Just when Jack was starting to feel warm and a little drowsy, the girl called out, “Your stop’s next!”
    “Thanks a lot!” said Annie. She and Jack squeezed through the crowd toward the doors. When the train stopped and the doors opened, Jack and Annie were practically pushed out onto the platform with the other people leaving.
    The subway doors closed and the train moved on.

“D o you see Teddy and Kathleen?” asked Jack.
    The crowd was swarming away from the subway platform toward different exits. Jack couldn’t see anyone who looked like the two young enchanters.
    “No,” said Annie. “But if we figured out where to get off, I’m sure they did, too. Let’s hurry and get to the zoo. We can meet up with them there.”
    Jack and Annie moved with the crowd. They passed a change booth on the way out of thestation. “Wait, I’ll ask where to go,” said Annie. She waited in line and then leaned forward to talk to the man in the booth. “Do you know how to walk to the Bronx Zoo from here?” she said.
    “Walk
to the Bronx Zoo? Are you out of your mind?” said the man. “This isn’t the stop for the Bronx Zoo! It’s much further north.”
    “You mean we got out at the wrong stop?” said Annie.
    “You did, but it doesn’t matter,” said the man. “You can’t get there now, anyway. The tracks near the zoo are above ground. And I just got word they’re buried in snow.”
    “Oh, no,” said Jack.
    “Lousy day for the zoo, anyway,” said the man. “Next!”
    Jack and Annie stepped away from the booth and walked out of the subway station. The sidewalk was deserted. “Oh, man, that girl gave us the wrong information,” said Jack.
    “This is terrible,” said Annie.
    “No kidding,” said Jack. He looked around, wondering what to do next.
    AH-U-GA! AH-U-GA!
    “What’s that?” said Jack.
    “It looks like a taxi.” Annie pointed at a big yellow car with a checkerboard stripe and writing on the side. Its horn let out a loud squawk:
AH-U-GA! AH-U-GA!
    The driver stuck his head out the window. He wore a big furry cap that came down over his ears. “Need a