Night of the Ninjas (3 page)

The short ninja tossed the rope ladder back out of the tree house. The tall one
pointed down the ladder. Then he pointed at Jack and Annie.

Uh-oh
, thought Jack. Were they being captured?

“Us? Go with you?” said Annie.

The ninja nodded.

“Oh boy!” said Annie.

Oh boy? Is she nuts?
wondered Jack.

The short ninja darted down the ladder. He went hand over hand. His feet didn't touch the rungs of the ladder.

The tall one did the same.

Jack gasped. The ninjas moved very fast. They were like spiders dropping from webs.

“Wow!” said Annie.

“Now's our chance to leave,” said Jack. “Quick!” He looked around the tree house
again. Where
was
that Pennsylvania book?

“Let's go with them, Jack,” said Annie.

“No! This isn't a game!” Jack said.

“But I think they know something about Morgan!” said Annie.

She started down the ladder.

“Come back!” said Jack.

But it was too late.

Jack sighed. “Why does this
always
happen?” he asked himself.

“Come on, Jack!” came Annie's voice from below.

Jack put his notebook and the ninja book into his pack. He pushed his glasses into place. And he started down the ladder.

Jack joined Annie and the ninjas on the ground.

The sun had fallen behind the hills. The
sky was streaked with red and gold.

The mouse peeked out from Annie's sweatshirt pouch.

“Don't be scared, Peanut,” Annie whispered. “We'll take care of you.”

Great
, thought Jack.
But who is going to take care of us?

The short ninja held Jack's arm in one hand and Annie's arm in the other. He led them through the twilight. The tall ninja walked behind them.

“Where are we going?” Jack asked.

The ninjas stopped near the rushing water of the wide stream. The water roared as it raced downhill.

The short ninja looked at Jack and Annie. He let go of their arms. Then he pushed them toward the stream.

“You want us to cross it?” shouted Annie.

The ninja nodded. Then he and the short ninja stepped into the wild stream. They started wading across.

“Let's run back to the tree house!” said Jack.

“No, we have to follow them!” said Annie. “For Morgan's sake!”

Jack took a deep breath. She was right.

Annie grabbed Jack's hand. Together they stepped into the water.

“YIKES!” They both screamed and jumped out.

It was the coldest water Jack had ever felt! It was colder than ice. It was so cold it felt like fire.

“I can't go back in,” said Annie, shivering.

“Me neither,” said Jack. “I'll have a heart attack.”

The ninjas looked at Jack and Annie. Then
they turned around and came back.

The tall ninja grabbed Jack.

“Help!” Jack cried.

But the ninja lifted Jack high into the air. And put him on his shoulder.

The short ninja put Annie on his shoulder.

Then the two ninjas stepped into the stream again. The icy wild waters swirled around them. It went up to the short ninja's waist.

But the ninjas moved through the stream as calmly as two sailing ships.

The water grew shallow again. Then they were on dry land. The ninjas lowered Jack and Annie to the ground.

“Thanks,” said Annie.

“Thanks,” said Jack.

Squeak
, said the mouse.

The ninjas said nothing, but they looked around.

Jack looked around, too. A full moon was rising in the sky. Dark rocks dotted the side of the mountain.

Then the ninjas started moving. They
went silently up the slope, between the rocks.

Jack and Annie followed them. Jack wasn't afraid of the ninjas now. In fact, he was starting to like them. Maybe they really could help find Morgan.

The ninjas moved silently. But Jack and Annie made plenty of noise.

They panted as they climbed the rocky hillside. Their wet sneakers made squishy sounds.

Suddenly the ninjas froze. Jack could see their eyes darting around. Voices were coming from the valley below. Jack saw torches flaming in the mist.

The ninjas started moving faster. Jack and Annie hurried after them.

“Who's carrying the torches?” Annie asked.

Jack was too out of breath to speak. He also didn't have an answer.

They came to a pine forest. Night birds called out. Wind rattled the branches.

The ninjas moved like ghosts through the forest. They appeared and disappeared, through moonlight and shadows.

Jack and Annie struggled to keep up.

Finally the ninjas came to a stop.

One ninja held out his hand, as if to say,
Wait
. Then both ninjas stepped away into the shadows of the trees. And were gone.

“Where did they go?” said Annie.

“I don't know,” said Jack. “Maybe the book can tell us.”

He pulled the ninja book out of his pack.

He turned the pages until he came to a picture of a cave.

By the light of the full moon, he read:

“Oh man,” said Jack, “I bet they went inside a hidden cave.”

He pulled out his notebook and pencil. He wrote:

Jack turned the page. He stared at a picture of a ninja sitting on a mat. He read:

“Wow,” whispered Jack.

Just then the two ninjas returned. Jack quickly put his books away.

The short ninja motioned for Jack and Annie to follow. In the shadows was the entrance of a dark cave.

“What's in there?” Annie whispered.

“The ninja master,” Jack whispered back.

Jack and Annie went into the cave. They followed the ninja through the darkness.

The back of the cave was lit with dozens of candles. Shadows danced on the walls.

In the flickering light, Jack saw a dark figure sitting on a woven mat.

The ninja master
.

The ninja bowed to the master. Then he stepped to one side.

The master stared at Jack and Annie.

“Sit,” he said.

Jack and Annie sat on the cold, hard floor.

Squeak
.

The mouse poked its head out of Annie's pouch.

“It's okay, Peanut,” said Annie.

The master stared at the mouse for a moment. Then he looked at Jack. “Who are you?” he asked.

“I'm Jack and that's my sister, Annie,” Jack answered.

“Where do you come from?” the master asked.

“Frog Creek, Pennsylvania,” Annie answered.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“We're trying to help our friend Morgan le Fay,” said Jack. “She left us a message.”

Annie pointed to the short ninja. “We gave the message to him.”

“You mean, you gave the message to
her
,” said the ninja master. “And
she
has given it to me.”

“
She?
” said Jack and Annie together.

The woman ninja's eyes sparkled. Jack thought she might be smiling.

The master held up Morgan's note.

“Perhaps I can help you,” he said. “But first you must prove yourselves worthy of my help.”

Just then the tall ninja appeared. He made a sign to the master.

The master stood up. He handed Morgan's note to Annie.

“We must go now,” he said. “The samurai are close.”

“Samurai?” said Jack. He knew that the samurai were fierce Japanese fighters.

“Were they the ones in the valley?” Jack asked. “The ones with the torches?”

“Yes, our family is at war with them,” said the master. “We must leave before they find us.”

“But what about helping Morgan?” said Annie.

The master strapped on his sword.

“I have no time now,” he said. “I must go.”

“Can't we go with you?” said Annie.

“No, there is no place for you where we
are going. You must find your way back to your house in the trees.”

“Alone?” said Jack.

“Yes. You must go alone. And beware of the samurai.”

“Why?” said Jack.

“They will think you are one of us,” said the master. “They will ask you no questions. They will show you no mercy.”

“Yikes,” whispered Annie.

“But you have seen the way of the ninja. You can practice it yourselves now,” said the master.

“H-how?” said Jack.

“Remember three things,” said the master.

“What?” said Jack.

“Use nature. Be nature. Follow nature.”

“I can do that!” Annie said.

Jack looked at her. “You can?” he said.

The master turned to Jack. “Your tree house lies to the east. That is the way you must go,” he said.