Danger in the Darkest Hour

by Mary Pope Osborne

  “So she’s okay?” asked Annie.

  “Well, at least I know she is alive,” said Teddy. “The problem is—she wrote her message in a code, in case it fell into enemy hands. But I have had no success trying to make sense of certain parts of it.” He pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket and read Kathleen’s message aloud:

  Come to me in the darkest time.

  A wand I need, and a magic rhyme.

  Three miles east of Sir Kay’s grave,

  Cross a river to find a cave.

  Look for knights, and small, round cows—

  A crack in a rock beneath the boughs.

  Teddy sighed. “You see why I cannot share this with anyone in the SOE?” he said. “Even if they could decipher the code, others would not understand her request for the wand and magic rhyme.”

  “But why does she need them?” asked Jack. “Her magic is amazing. Remember when she turned us all into seals?”

  “Yes, but these are very, very dark times,” said Teddy. “I am not surprised that she may need extra magic. I have found my own powers very limited. That is why I sent for you.”

  “So … do you have something we can take to Kathleen?” asked Jack.

  “Oh, yes,” said Teddy. “I have the Wand of Dianthus and the rhyme to unlock its magic.”

  “Great!” said Annie.

  “The next two lines of her message I do understand,” said Teddy. He read on:

  Three miles east of Sir Kay’s grave,

  Cross a river to find a cave.

  “The secret burial places of Arthur’s knights are revealed in one of Merlin’s books,” said Teddy. “Kathleen knew I would know that the burial place for Sir Kay is Caen, a town in Normandy, France.”

  “Wait, I’d better write this down,” said Jack. He pulled his notebook and pencil out of his backpack. “Spell that, please?”

  “C-A-E-N,” said Teddy. Jack wrote the town’s name in his notebook.

  “So we go to Caen,” said Annie. “We travel three miles east, cross a river, and look for a cave.”

  “Yes,” said Teddy. “But I cannot imagine what the next two lines could mean.” He read from the note:

  Look for knights and small, round cows—

  A crack in a rock beneath the boughs.

  Teddy looked up. “Do you understand this?”

  “Not really,” said Jack. “There weren’t any knights fighting in World War Two.”

  “Indeed not,” said Teddy. “And small, round cows? A crack in a rock? Boughs? What does all that mean?” He folded the note and handed it to Annie. “Well, I trust you to figure this out. I know you are expert decoders.”

  “You’re kidding,” said Jack. “Us?”

  “Of course,” said Teddy. “When Kathleen and I went with you to New York City, you figured out the secret poem to free the unicorn from the museum tapestry, remember? And Morgan’s missions for you were often written as riddles.”

  “Yes, but—” started Jack.

  “We have to find Kathleen,” said Teddy. “I cannot lose her. So many people have been lost in this war. It really is the darkest time—truly a terrible time.”

  “It’s okay, Teddy,” Annie said. “We’ll help you.”

  “Of course we will,” said Jack. “We’ll do our best.”

  Teddy took a deep breath, then smiled. “Thank you, my friends,” he said. “I am most grateful, and sorry that I cannot be with you in France.”

  “You’re not coming with us?” Jack asked.

  “No, tonight the SOE is sending me on an urgent mission to rescue downed airmen in Holland and Belgium,” said Teddy. “I must do so before daylight.”

  “Wow,” said Annie.

  “It is the sort of thing the SOE does every day,” said Teddy. Then he clapped his hands together. “All right! Let us roll up our sleeves and get moving! It is time you put on your parachutes.”

  “Parachutes?” said Jack.

  “Yes!” said Teddy. “You cannot jump from a plane without parachutes!” He picked up his duffel bag and strode off.

  “Wait, did he say we’re going to jump from a plane?” Jack asked Annie.

  “He did,” said Annie. “But don’t worry, he said he’d give us some magic.” She hurried after Teddy.

  “I know. But—” began Jack.

  “Come along, Jack!” Teddy called to him. “The moon is rising over Glastonbury Tor!”

  A full moon glowed over Glastonbury Tor as Jack and Annie followed Teddy between the hedges. Moon shadows stretched along the ground.

  Teddy rounded a tall bush at the edge of the abbey grounds. “There she is!” he said. He pointed to a small plane sitting in an open field.

  “Oh, man,” said Jack. “Is that real?” He thought the tiny plane looked like a cartoon. A single propeller was attached to its rounded nose, and it had big, clunky tires.

  “Yes! We call it a spy taxi,” said Teddy. “It was made especially for secret operations. It can fly low under enemy radar and land in tight places.”

  “How many people does it carry?” asked Jack.

  “It is designed to carry only a pilot and one passenger,” said Teddy. “But it also has room for supply canisters, which I am not carrying. So one of you can take that space.”

  “But what about when we add Kathleen?” said Annie.

  “Do not worry,” said Teddy. “I think we can all squeeze together. And if that does not work, perhaps with the magic you bring her, Kathleen can make everyone fit.”

  “Good,” said Jack. He was eager to get the Wand of Dianthus from Teddy. “And another question: where will you pick us up?”

  “In the same place I drop you off,” said Teddy. “I have been to that drop zone before. It is a lonely field and, to the best of our knowledge, not under enemy observation. You will have to get back there from wherever you find Kathleen.”

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “But an equally important question is when I will pick you up,” said Teddy. “And that is a question you will have to answer.”

  “How do we answer it?” asked Annie.

  “When you know that it is time to leave, you must send me a secret message,” said Teddy.

  “By pigeon?” asked Annie.

  “No, a carrier pigeon might be difficult for you to find. It would be easier to send a message over a wireless radio,” said Teddy.

  “What should our message say?” asked Annie.

  “In your message, say …” Teddy thought for a moment, and then smiled. “Say, The unicorn is free. And—”

  “Wait, wait,” said Jack. He wrote in his notebook:

  The unicorn is free.

  “And then add the date and time,” said Teddy. “Send that message over a wireless radio, and I will pick you up at that time in the field where I drop you tonight.”

  “How do we find a wireless radio?” asked Jack.

  “As you go about your mission, be on the lookout for members of the French Resistance,” said Teddy. “Any one of them will help you find a wireless.”

  “What’s the French Resistance?” asked Annie.

  “Throughout France, there are French citizens who are secretly fighting back against the Nazis who have occupied their country,” Teddy explained. “They are called Resistance fighters. They live very dangerous lives. If a member of the Resistance is caught by the Nazis, he or she will be imprisoned or killed.”

  “That’s terrible,” said Annie. “So how do we find someone in the French Resistance?”

  “There are many ways,” said Teddy. “The simplest way, though, is to make the V Is for Victory sign.” He held up two fingers in the shape of a V. “It is a secret way for one Resistance fighter to recognize another. You can make the sign with your fingers, draw it on a piece of paper, scratch it into the dirt, or signal any way you can.”

  Jack and Annie both held fingers up in a V Is for Victory sign.

  “Good. But be very careful,” said Teddy. “If you give the sign to the wrong
person, you could end up in the hands of the enemy.”

  Teddy reached into his large duffel bag and took out some clothes. “These are your disguises,” he said. He handed Jack and Annie each a pair of corduroy overalls and a long-sleeved shirt. They pulled them on over their shorts and T-shirts.

  “And these,” said Teddy. He handed them each a pair of boots. They took off their sneakers and pulled on their boots.

  “And a field pack instead of your backpack,” said Teddy. He gave Jack an old-fashioned-looking pack with buckles. “You will have to wear it on your chest. Your parachute will be on your back.”

  Jack moved his notebook, pen, and pencil from his backpack into the field pack. He left his backpack beside his sneakers.

  “And now your flying gear,” said Teddy. He took out two leather helmets and two pairs of goggles.

  Jack and Annie each pulled on a tight-fitting leather helmet. Then Jack positioned his goggles over his glasses.

  “And a torchlight,” said Teddy. He handed a large, heavy flashlight to Jack.

  Jack put the flashlight into the field pack.

  “And now …” Teddy climbed up a short step-ladder to the door of the plane and pulled out two bulky contraptions. They looked like long canvas backpacks attached to a complicated web of straps and buckles. “Your parachute harnesses!” he said, descending the stepladder. “Come on, I will strap you in!”

  One at a time, Teddy buckled Jack and Annie into their parachutes. Then he attached the field pack to the front of Jack’s harness.

  “So how does all this work?” said Jack. He was fighting to stay calm.

  Teddy pointed to a large metal ring on the strap across Jack’s chest. “This is your rip-cord handle. When you pull it, it will release your parachute.”

  “Okay. But when do we pull it?” asked Jack.

  “After you step off the plane, you will plunge through the open air,” said Teddy. “Count to five, then pull hard on the handle. Easy.”

  Easy? Jack felt a little sick already.

  “Remember, jump quickly, one after the other,” Teddy said. “If you do not, you will land too far apart and lose each other completely.”

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “And finally …,” said Teddy. He handed them each a printed card with a small photograph. “Identity cards. You now have French names—Jean and Aimée.”

  “Where did you get our photos?” asked Jack.

  “A tap of the wand helped with that,” said Teddy.

  “Cool,” said Jack. He was relieved when he remembered they would have the Wand of Dianthus. He thought their mission would be impossible without magic.

  “Climb aboard!” said Teddy. He scrambled up the stepladder. Annie bounded after him. Jack didn’t know how she did it. The parachute equipment felt very heavy and clumsy to him. He climbed awkwardly into the plane after Teddy and Annie.

  Teddy was already sitting in the pilot’s seat, in front of a control panel. “Position yourselves behind me,” he said.

  Jack and Annie crouched in the narrow space behind the pilot’s seat, squashed by their parachute gear.

  “Remember, when you jump, face the earth,” said Teddy. “Arch your back, spread your arms out, and count to five. Then pull the rip-cord handle. As you float down, keep your elbows close in. Then roll onto your left side.”

  “Wait, wait,” said Jack. “Can you go over all that again?”

  “Easy,” said Teddy. “Eight simple steps—”

  “Hold on, I’ll write them down,” said Jack. He pulled out his notebook and pencil from the field pack. As Teddy gave the directions again, Jack wrote:

  1. Legs together

  2. Face earth

  3. Arch back

  4. Spread arms

  5. Count to five

  6. Pull rip cord

  7. Elbows in

  8. Roll to the left

  Annie and Jack stared at the notebook, whispering the steps to themselves.

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “After you land,” said Teddy, “roll up your chutes and hide them. Hide your helmets and goggles, too, and destroy your notes.”

  “Got it,” said Annie.

  “All right!” said Teddy. “Gas! Oil!”

  Jack peered around Teddy at the instrument panel. There were at least a dozen round gauges. Some monitored oil pressure, fuel pressure, and temperature. There were also compasses, brake controls, knobs, buttons, switches, and levers.

  Oh, man, thought Jack. “You must have had a lot of training,” he said to Teddy.

  “Indeed. A full week,” said Teddy.

  “A week? That’s all?” said Jack.

  “Yes, it was very intense,” said Teddy as he started flipping switches. “They said I was a natural.” Green lights lit up the panel. Needles swung right and left.

  “Air intake control!” Teddy announced. He turned a knob. “It is much easier than learning magic!”

  Jack felt a wave of panic. “Teddy, slow down!” he said.

  “Engine-starter button!” Teddy shouted, pushing a button.

  “Teddy, are you sure you know how to do this?” Jack said. But his voice was drowned out by the sound of the engine as the propeller started to spin.

  The big wheels began rolling. The plane shook as it bumped over the grass. Then, rocking from side to side, the spy taxi lifted into the air. As the tiny, cramped plane climbed higher into the moonlit night, Teddy pushed more buttons and pulled more levers and shouted out more information.

  His heart racing, Jack tried to focus on the eight steps. He whispered: “Legs together—face earth—arch back—spread arms—count to five—pull rip cord—elbows in—roll to the left … What does that mean?”

  Jack shook Annie’s arm. “What does number eight mean?” he shouted.

  “What?” she yelled back.

  “NUMBER EIGHT!” shouted Jack, jabbing his finger at the list. “DO YOU ROLL IN THE AIR OR ROLL ON THE GROUND?”

  “I THINK ON THE GROUND!” Annie answered.

  Jack nodded. That made sense. As the plane rumbled through the night, Jack whispered the instructions to himself again and again.

  “We are crossing the English Channel!” Teddy called. “Normandy soon, and your dropping point! Get ready!”

  Jack crammed his notebook and pencil back into his field pack. His fingers were trembling so much, he had trouble buckling it.

  “We are over France now!” shouted Teddy.

  “Oh, no,” murmured Jack.

  “We are coming to the drop zone!” cried Teddy. “Get ready to jump!”

  Jack froze with fear.

  “Open the door!” yelled Teddy.

  Jack couldn’t move. Annie pulled up the latch, slid open the door, and crouched at the edge of the plane. With the door open, the roar of the engine and propellers was deafening.

  Jack looked down at the endless dark. No way I can jump! he thought. Not without magic help. Jack bolted upright. Oh, no! We forgot to get the wand!

  “TEDDY, WE NEED—” Jack shouted.

  Teddy couldn’t hear him. “JUMP!” he yelled.

  “WAIT! MAGIC FOR KATHLEEN!” cried Jack.

  It was too late. Annie leaned out of the plane. She fell forward, arching her back and spreading out her arms.

  “TEDDY! THE MAGIC!” cried Jack.

  “JUMP, JACK!” Teddy yelled.

  Jack had no choice. He had to jump now, or he’d land far away from Annie and they’d never find each other. Jack closed his eyes and hurled himself out of the plane, down into the moonlit, windless night.

  Falling through the air, Jack forgot everything he’d written down. He forgot: legs together—face earth—arch back—spread arms—count to five. But miraculously, he remembered, Pull rip cord!

  Jack fumbled for the cord on his chest strap. He grabbed the metal ring and pulled hard. The parachute popped out from Jack’s harness.

  As the chute’s white canopy opened above Jack, it yanked him backward. The
billowing silk slowed his downward plunge. Jack clutched his field pack as he drifted through the night air.

  The drone of the spy taxi engine faded into the distance. Teddy was gone. Not far away, Jack could see Annie in the moonlight, floating to earth, too. “Hi!” she yelled to Jack.

  Jack was too amazed to answer. He was filled with a strange happiness as they both drifted in a dreamlike fall toward the field below.

  Suddenly the earth rose up to meet him. Jack hit the ground with a thud and, remembering the eighth step, rolled onto his left side. He lay in the cold damp grass, trying to catch his breath.

  “We’re in France! We did it!” Annie called from nearby. She threw off her parachute harness and ran to Jack.

  “We did it,” he repeated, sitting up. His parachute lay spread on the ground behind him. “We did it!”

  “Wasn’t it fun?” said Annie.

  “Yeah … yeah, it was,” said Jack in a daze.

  Jack wiggled out of his harness. Floating through the night sky actually had been fun—although he had no idea how he’d done what he’d just done. “I have some bad news, though.”

  “Suddenly the earth rose up to meet him.”

  “What?” asked Annie.

  “Teddy forgot to give us the magic wand for Kathleen,” said Jack.

  “Oh, no,” moaned Annie.

  “ ‘Oh, no’ is right,” said Jack.

  “I guess it means we’ll have to help Kathleen without magic,” said Annie. “But that’s okay. We have lots of skills.”

  “Like what?” Jack asked.

  “Well, like—just a lot of skills,” said Annie. “Don’t worry. We can do this. Let’s go.”

  “Hold on. We have to roll up our chutes and figure out where we are first,” said Jack. He and Annie looked around. In the moonlight, they could see trees bordering the field on three sides and a road on the fourth side. A church with a tall white steeple was down the road.

  “Let’s take that road,” said Annie.

  “Yep,” said Jack. “That should work. But we have to hide the parachutes before we go.”

  In the quiet night, Jack stood up and strapped his field pack on his back. He and Annie carefully rolled up the soft silk canopies of their parachutes. They gathered the straps and tangled cords in their arms and started across the field.