Magic Tree House #50: Hurry Up, Houdini! (A Stepping Stone Book(TM))

the window. The sign read: SOLD OUT .
    “Oh, no, we didn’t see that,” said Annie.
    “You’re … sold out?” said Jack.
    “Yes!” yelled Mr. Dewey. “We sold out an hour ago! S-O-L-D O-U-T! So it’s a full house with no opening act! Go away now, please! We got problems! Big problems!” And with that, Mr. Dewey slammed the box office window shut.

“S old out,” Jack said to Annie, “an hour ago.”
    “I know. You were right. I was wrong,” Annie said quickly. “We
should
have come earlier.”
    Jack just stared at her.
    “I’m sorry,” said Annie, making a face. “Really.” She looked around. “So, do you think anyone in line would sell us
their
tickets?”
    “Not in a million years,” said Jack. “I can’t believe this. How can we meet Houdini now? And learn his secret of greatness?”
    “We’ll figure something out,” said Annie. “Wealways do. Don’t worry. Let’s think.…” She pulled on her braids and bit her lip as she stared at the window of the box office.
    Jack couldn’t get over his frustration. “I—I just can’t believe it,” he said. “Maybe
this
is the secret of greatness:
Don’t listen to your sister! Buy your tickets ahead of time!
” He held up his hand and wiggled his finger. “Afraid the Ring of Truth isn’t glowing,” he said. “Too bad.”
    “Wait a minute!” said Annie. “Doesn’t this remind you of the time we went to Shakespeare’s theater in London and the two actors didn’t show up for the play?”
    “I don’t want to talk about our other missions now,” Jack said. He pulled out their booklet and turned the pages, hoping to find more information about Houdini.
    “But don’t you remember how Shakespeare put you and me in the play instead?” said Annie.
    Jack ignored her. “I don’t see anything else in here about Houdini … just this one show,” he said, scanning each page.
    “It was so cool! And we had a great time. Do you want to give it a try?” said Annie. “Do you?”
    Jack closed the booklet. “Do I
what
?” he asked.
    “Do you want to use Merlin’s magic mist and make a wish to be great stage magicians?” said Annie.
    “Stage magicians?” said Jack.
    “Yes!
You and me!
We go onstage in place of the Bambini Brothers!” said Annie.
    “What? Are you out of your mind?” said Jack.
    “Think about it! It’s a great plan! That way, we can meet Houdini backstage! We’ll be fellow performers!” said Annie. “Plus we’ll be helping out Mr. Dewey and his theater! And, not to mention, it would be incredibly fun!”
    “That plan’s ridiculous,” said Jack. “No one’s going to let us go onstage and do a magic show.”
    “You are so wrong. I’ll bet I can make it happen,” said Annie. “Watch.”
    “Wait!” said Jack.
    But Annie dashed to the box office window and tapped on the glass. When Mrs. Crenshaw openedthe window, Annie leaned forward and spoke in a hushed voice.
    “What are you saying to her?” Jack called.
    Mrs. Crenshaw immediately closed the window and left the box office.
    “Annie, what did you say?” asked Jack.
    The theater door swung open. “Inside! Quick!” Mrs. Crenshaw said to Annie.
    “Wait! Where are you going?” Jack started to follow Annie into the theater, but the door closed behind her and locked.
    Jack went back to the box office and looked through the window. Annie was talking enthusiastically to Mrs. Crenshaw and Mr. Dewey. Jack couldn’t hear a word she was saying.
    Jack tapped on the window and shook his head, but Annie ignored him. As she kept talking, Mr. Dewey’s expressions changed from frowning to squinting to smiling to laughing, until suddenly he shouted, “Yes!”
    No!
thought Jack.
    With a big grin, Annie shot her fist into the air.The next thing Jack knew, she was racing out of the theater door. “I did it! I did it! We have a show to do!” she cried. “He said yes!”
    “But
I
didn’t say yes!” said Jack.
    “Don’t worry! I fixed everything—for us and Mr. Dewey!” said Annie.
    “What did you tell him?” said Jack.
    Before Annie could answer, Mr. Dewey rushed out of the theater. “Hurry, kids!” he shouted.

    “Come on!” Annie grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him toward the door.
    Mr. Dewey pushed Jack and Annie into the theater and locked the door behind them. “George!” he called to an usher. “Quick, change the sign! Erase the Bambinis! Write ‘Jolly Jack and the Amazing Annie’ instead!”
    Jolly Jack?
thought Jack.
    “This