Dark Day in the Deep Sea (7 page)

W
hen I first decided to write about the deep sea, I had no idea where the story should take place or what sort of adventure should happen. Once I started my research, though, I discovered some exciting facts about ocean exploration in the 1800s. The ships that set sail were not seeking to discover new lands but rather to discover the depth, the life, and the structure of the world beneath the ocean. Many writers caught the romantic fever of writing about such voyages. The most famous of these stories was
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
by Jules Verne.

The ship I decided to base my fictional story on was HMS
Challenger
, an English vessel that sailed nearly 70,000 miles between 1872 and 1876. During that time, the British scientists aboard the ship found more than 4,000 new living species of sea life! As well as gathering a huge number of plants and animals, their explorations gave the world a new understanding of the landscape of the deep sea, including how deep it is and that it has mountains and ridges just like the land above water.

When shell collecting was very popular in the 1800s, the most sought-after shell was the chambered nautilus. I learned in my research that during the actual voyage of HMS
Challenger
, a living chambered nautilus was captured in the South Pacific. When it was placed in a tub, the creature inside the shell swam around, ejecting water out of its funnel. I imagined this was the creature that Henry had so loved.

The character of Henry was inspired by a real
scientist who sailed aboard the
Challenger
named Henry Moseley. He was a young man in his twenties when the voyage began. He loved natural history and became one of the greatest natural scientists of his time. The chief scientist on the
Challenger
was Charles Wyville Thomson, a brilliant Scottish professor.

All the scientists aboard the ship were courageous explorers who gave birth to a new area of study called oceanography, which is a branch of knowledge concerning the earth’s oceans and seas. Today oceanographers all over the world study climate change, global warming, water pollution, and related concerns. They are working hard to protect the precious life under the sea.

Here’s a special preview of
Magic Tree House #40
(A Merlin Mission)
Eve of the Emperor Penguin

Available now!

Excerpt copyright ©
2008
by Mary Pope Osborne.
Published by Random House Children’s Books,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

J
ack was raking leaves on a chilly November afternoon. Geese honked overhead.

“Smile,” said Annie.

Annie was pointing her camera at him. “No pictures now,” he said.

“Come on,” said Annie. “Smile!”

Jack gave her a goofy smile.

“A
real
one,” said Annie. “I’m taking pictures for our family project at school.”

Jack crossed his eyes and made his smile even goofier.

“Okay. Be that way,” said Annie. “I’m going into the woods.”

“Good,” said Jack. “Go.”

“Maybe the tree house is back,” said Annie.

“You always say that when you want me to stop what I’m doing and do something with you,” said Jack.

“Maybe Teddy and Kathleen are waiting for us,” said Annie.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” said Jack.

“Maybe today’s the day they want us to look for a fourth secret of happiness for Merlin,” said Annie. “Maybe they’re going to send us to a super-cool place.”

“Good. Hope they do. Have fun,” said Jack. “I want to finish raking these leaves before dark.” He glanced up at the late-afternoon sky—just in time to see a bright streak of light pass over the Frog Creek woods. “Whoa!” Jack turned to Annie with a smile. “Did you see that?”

“Hold that smile!” said Annie as she took Jack’s picture. “Thanks! Perfect.”

“But did you see that?” Jack asked. “The light going over the woods?”

“Ha-ha,” said Annie.

“No, I’m serious! It was a bright light! Wait a second!” Jack put down his rake and dashed into the house. “Mom! Dad!” he shouted. “Annie and I are going for a walk, okay?”

“Okay,” called their dad, “but be home before dark!”

“And wear your scarves and hats!” called their mom.

“We will!” Jack grabbed their scarves, their hats, and his backpack from the hall closet and ran back outside. “Let’s go!” he said to Annie.

Annie put her camera in her jacket pocket and took off running with Jack. They ran up the sidewalk, crossed the street, and headed into the shadowy Frog Creek woods. They crunched over a carpet of fallen leaves until they came to the tallest tree.

The magic tree house was there! Kathleen and Teddy were looking out the window. The two
young enchanters were both wearing dark cloaks.

“Hi! Hi!” Annie shouted.

“We were about to come looking for you!” said Kathleen. “How did you know we were here?”

“I saw the light!” said Jack.

“Climb up!” said Teddy.

Jack and Annie hurried up the rope ladder. When they climbed inside the tree house, they hugged Teddy and Kathleen.

“Is it time to go on another mission?” said Annie.

“Indeed,” said Kathleen.

“And it is quite urgent now,” said Teddy.

“Merlin is failing quickly,” said Kathleen. She blinked back tears.

“Oh, no!” said Annie.

“Morgan wants you to find the final secret of happiness
today,
” said Teddy. “And then you must return to Camelot to present all four secrets to Merlin. You remember the first three, do you not?”

“Sure!” said Jack. “We have three gifts to help us remember. I kept them in my backpack.”

“A poem, a drawing, and a seashell,” said Annie.

“Good,” said Teddy. “Here is where you will look for the final secret.” He took a book from his cloak and handed it to Jack.

On the cover was a picture of a volcano surrounded by snow and ice. The title said:

“Antarctica?” said Jack. “We studied Antarctica in school. There’s hardly anything there.
Where would we find a secret of happiness in Antarctica?”

“I do not know,” said Kathleen. “But Morgan has sent a rhyme to help your search.” She handed Annie a slip of parchment.

Annie read Morgan’s rhyme aloud:

“Forever away?” said Annie.

“I fear so,” said Teddy.

“I don’t understand,” said Jack. “This rhyme sounds like we’re going to a fantasy world, a place with ‘a burning mountain’ and a ‘Cave of the Ancient Crown.’ But Antarctica’s a real place, totally real.”

“Aye, Morgan’s rhyme is a mystery to me, too,” said Teddy.

“But you still have the Wand of Dianthus to help you, do you not?” asked Kathleen.

“Yes,” said Jack. But he looked inside his backpack just to make sure. There it was: the gleaming spiraled wand of the unicorn.

“Good,” said Kathleen. “And you remember the three rules of the wand?”

“Sure,” said Annie. “The wand’s magic only works if our wish is for the good of others. It only works after we’ve tried our hardest. And it only works if our wish is
five
words.”

“Excellent,” said Teddy.

“I wish you guys could come with us,” said Jack.

“We must return to Morgan and try to help Merlin,” said Kathleen. “But with your courage and intelligence, I know you will be able to find the secret by yourselves.”

Jack nodded, embarrassed. But Kathleen’s words did make him feel more confident.

“And after you have found it, you must hurry to meet us in Camelot,” said Teddy. “Just point to
the word ‘Camelot’ on the rhyme from Morgan and make a wish to go there.”

“Got it,” said Annie.

“Go now. Quickly,” said Kathleen. “And good luck.”

“See you soon,” said Annie.

Jack took a deep breath, then pointed to the cover of the book. “I wish we could go there!” he said.

The wind started to blow.

The tree house started to spin.

It spun faster and faster.

Then everything was still.

Absolutely still.