The Knight at Dawn

Jack stows his belongings in his backpack and inches closer to the drawbridge, worrying about whether there might be crocodiles in the moat. When a guard stationed on the castle wall orders him to halt, the boy races across the bridge and hides in a dark corner of the courtyard. He looks for Annie and sees a pair of boys leading horses into the stables. Annie peeks out from behind her hiding place behind the courtyard’s well and tells Jack, “I’m going to find the music!” (23). With a sigh, he agrees to help her look.

Jack’s reluctance turns into awe when they find the Great Hall, which is filled with music and laughter. He wonders which of the diners is the knight they saw earlier, and Annie observes that everyone is eating with their fingers rather than utensils. One of the servers sees the siblings and angrily demands that they identify themselves. The children nervously give their names and then sprint away.

Jack and Annie run down a hallway and hide in a dark room. When Annie turns on her flashlight, she catches a glimpse of a “row of knights” before turning off the light with a startled yelp (27).