In that case, spells could be reversed. Hope stirred in Emmy’s breast. Perhaps all was not lost.
“But we do have one condition,” said Daisy. “First, you have to throw that iron sword into the abyss.”
“Once you’ve done that,” said Jesse, “you cango back to the palace and draw up another contract.”
“We’ll sign it,” said Daisy. “And she’ll be all yours.”
Beowulf seemed to be thinking it over. At length, he nodded and said, “So be it!”
To Emmy’s astonishment, he yanked the sword out of the ice, swung it around and around over his head, and sent it whistling through the air in the direction of the abyss. Immediately, Emmy felt an itching in her talons and in the tip of her snout that meant her magical powers were returning, one teeny-tiny fraction of an inch of her body at a time.
Why had Beowulf thrown away his sword? He had to know that once the sword was gone, her powers would come back.
Then she understood. Her Keepers were thinking that it would take time for Beowulf to return to the palace and redraft the contract, time enough for Emmy’s powers to return, and they would be off. They couldn’t know that Beowulf had already drawn up the contract and was carrying it with him at this very moment. He would leave her Keepers no choice but to sign the contract—before Emmy’s powers had time to return!
“Very well, then,” said Beowulf, turning to the Keepers. “I have done what you asked. And as goodluck and careful planning would have it, I have already drawn up a new contract.”
He pulled the roll of paper out of his belt and unfurled it with a wicked grin.
Oh, if only she could thaw a little more quickly!
Emmy had to stop her Keepers from signing, but her powers were maddeningly slow in coming back to her.
Jesse produced Beowulf’s ink bottle, and Daisy pulled out his quill and dipped it in the ink.
“Okay, Beowulf,” she said, holding out her hand. “Give us the contract. We’re ready when you are.”
Beowulf stepped past the lights to hand the contract to Daisy, but the contract passed right through her arm! It was as if she were no more than a ghostly apparition. And then it became obvious to everyone—the real Daisy wasn’t there. Neither was the real Jesse.
They were both nothing more than a trick of the light.
Their images flickered and began to melt, like statues made of colored sugar, leaving Beowulf snarling, crushing the scroll in his fists.
C HAPTER N INE
THE BATTLE OF THE NORTH POLE
It had been almost too easy, like working puppets by remote control. All Jesse and Daisy had to do was stand inside the Aurora as they hovered over the abyss, while a hologram of Beowulf shimmered in front of them. Whatever they said to the Beowulfhologram, their holograms down at the North Pole repeated to the real Beowulf.
Not being physically next to Beowulf made the cousins much bolder. For instance, had Daisy actually been standing face to face with the hulking Norseman, she never would have dreamed of accusing him of having dragon slayer cooties. That would have been nuts! But it was like talking to an actor on a television screen who was playing a very scary character. It was easy and safe and even sort of fun.
And better yet, it had worked. Beowulf had fallen for the trick of the light. He had pitched the iron sword away, assuming he could force them to sign the contract before Emmy had her powers back. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And now that Emmy was free, the Army of Light was ready to spring into action.
When the Aurora invited Jesse and Daisy to join the Army of Light, neither had been sure what to expect. The last thing they’d anticipated was that they would be an army of only two.
After the Beowulf hologram disappeared, two patches of light separated them from the Aurora. As the lights approached, they took on shapes that looked a bit like horses, except these horses had sharp snouts and legs that tapered to pencil-pointhooves. One was red,
“But we do have one condition,” said Daisy. “First, you have to throw that iron sword into the abyss.”
“Once you’ve done that,” said Jesse, “you cango back to the palace and draw up another contract.”
“We’ll sign it,” said Daisy. “And she’ll be all yours.”
Beowulf seemed to be thinking it over. At length, he nodded and said, “So be it!”
To Emmy’s astonishment, he yanked the sword out of the ice, swung it around and around over his head, and sent it whistling through the air in the direction of the abyss. Immediately, Emmy felt an itching in her talons and in the tip of her snout that meant her magical powers were returning, one teeny-tiny fraction of an inch of her body at a time.
Why had Beowulf thrown away his sword? He had to know that once the sword was gone, her powers would come back.
Then she understood. Her Keepers were thinking that it would take time for Beowulf to return to the palace and redraft the contract, time enough for Emmy’s powers to return, and they would be off. They couldn’t know that Beowulf had already drawn up the contract and was carrying it with him at this very moment. He would leave her Keepers no choice but to sign the contract—before Emmy’s powers had time to return!
“Very well, then,” said Beowulf, turning to the Keepers. “I have done what you asked. And as goodluck and careful planning would have it, I have already drawn up a new contract.”
He pulled the roll of paper out of his belt and unfurled it with a wicked grin.
Oh, if only she could thaw a little more quickly!
Emmy had to stop her Keepers from signing, but her powers were maddeningly slow in coming back to her.
Jesse produced Beowulf’s ink bottle, and Daisy pulled out his quill and dipped it in the ink.
“Okay, Beowulf,” she said, holding out her hand. “Give us the contract. We’re ready when you are.”
Beowulf stepped past the lights to hand the contract to Daisy, but the contract passed right through her arm! It was as if she were no more than a ghostly apparition. And then it became obvious to everyone—the real Daisy wasn’t there. Neither was the real Jesse.
They were both nothing more than a trick of the light.
Their images flickered and began to melt, like statues made of colored sugar, leaving Beowulf snarling, crushing the scroll in his fists.
C HAPTER N INE
THE BATTLE OF THE NORTH POLE
It had been almost too easy, like working puppets by remote control. All Jesse and Daisy had to do was stand inside the Aurora as they hovered over the abyss, while a hologram of Beowulf shimmered in front of them. Whatever they said to the Beowulfhologram, their holograms down at the North Pole repeated to the real Beowulf.
Not being physically next to Beowulf made the cousins much bolder. For instance, had Daisy actually been standing face to face with the hulking Norseman, she never would have dreamed of accusing him of having dragon slayer cooties. That would have been nuts! But it was like talking to an actor on a television screen who was playing a very scary character. It was easy and safe and even sort of fun.
And better yet, it had worked. Beowulf had fallen for the trick of the light. He had pitched the iron sword away, assuming he could force them to sign the contract before Emmy had her powers back. He couldn’t have been more wrong. And now that Emmy was free, the Army of Light was ready to spring into action.
When the Aurora invited Jesse and Daisy to join the Army of Light, neither had been sure what to expect. The last thing they’d anticipated was that they would be an army of only two.
After the Beowulf hologram disappeared, two patches of light separated them from the Aurora. As the lights approached, they took on shapes that looked a bit like horses, except these horses had sharp snouts and legs that tapered to pencil-pointhooves. One was red,
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