The Magic Meadow Read Online Free PDF Page A

concentrate.…”
    â€œHow—how long do you think it will take?” Lily Rose whispered.
    â€œI don’t know. Maybe an hour.”
    â€œI can’t hang on for an hour,” said Charlie Pill.
    â€œThen hang on for as long as you can. Now concentrate! ”
    Time surely passed, though for long it seemed to be standing still. Brick wasn’t aware of the exact moment when Ward Nine vanished and there was a change, but all at once he realized he was somewhere else, and at the same moment he heard Princess cry out in fright.
    He opened his eyes and gasped.
    Something had gone very wrong.

3
    THE CURIOUS BUILDING
    He seemed to be lying on the grass as before, but instead of that wonderfully bright sun overhead to warm him, the sky was dark, and a chill breeze was cutting through his pajamas. Worse, the ground about him was damp and cold. He could feel the coldness seeping straight into his backbone. He’d lost contact with everyone, though he was aware of Princess somewhere on his right.
    â€œBrick?” he heard her cry tremulously. “Brick? Where are you?”
    â€œI’m right here.”
    He stretched out his arm as far as he could reach, and instantly a small searching hand clasped his and clung to it for comfort.
    â€œOh, thank goodness! I’m so glad I found you! Where are we, Brick? Oh, this is awful! Wha-what’s happened?”
    â€œI—I don’t know.” Then he called, “Charlie? Diz? Lily Rose? Hey, where is everybody?”
    There was no answer. He fought down the fear clutching at him and managed to say, “We—we must have left ’em all behind. I—I just can’t figure …”
    â€œI—I’m so c-cold, Brick. And I—I’m scared. I’d rather be back in Ward Nine than in this horrible p-place!”
    â€œOkay. I’ll take you back. But wait just a minute.…”
    In spite of the dark and the cold, something about the spot where he was lying had a familiar feel. He was on a slope just as before, and close on his left there was the same pleasant music of running water. There were some strange sounds, like those curious tick-tockings and peepings somewhere below him, but he could hear a few birds in the distance. Their sleepy twitterings made him wonder if they could just be waking up.
    Was it nearly dawn here? And could it be possible that this was the same place he’d come to before? All at once he knew it had to be. But what had gone wrong?
    Suddenly he realized what had happened.
    â€œHey!” he cried, as he struggled up on his elbows. “This is the right place after all! We just came too early.”
    â€œI—I don’t understand,” Princess said uncertainly.
    â€œBut it’s simple. I forgot the difference in time. You see, when I first came here, it was after midday—but it was after midnight back at Ward Nine. That means there’s about twelve hours difference between where we are and where we were. Do you get it?”
    â€œI think so. If—if we left there at five o’clock in the evening, it would be about five in the morning here.”
    â€œThat’s it. So it shouldn’t be long—” He caught his breath, and burst out excitedly, “ Will you look at that! ”
    The sky had brightened, and on the right it was turning a brilliant red. Then the entire horizon seemed to burst into flame. It was as if there’d been a vast explosion that had set the world on fire. It was awesome and frightening and beautiful and incredible—and it was absolutely soundless, save for the now-awakened birds. And suddenly, as he stared, a monstrous molten ball of gleaming gold slid upward and flung its brilliance over the land.
    Princess whispered ecstatically, “The sun! It’s the sun! ”
    Brick clutched the grass and blinked at it until its growing brightness forced him to turn his eyes away. He was overwhelmed. Until now, the