The Wizard and the Wormhole

by Michael Dahl

  As Annie led them toward the magicians’ rooms, Charlie kept his eyes trained on the lilies that flowed past them on the wallpaper. He started feeling dizzy from staring at the repeating pattern of flowers.

  “Here we are,” said Annie. She had stopped between two doors. On the floor next to the wall lay several trays of half-eaten food, empty glasses, and a single coffee cup.

  Charlie stuffed the yellow paper in his pocket. He felt something else.

  The red hair.

  The hair that matched the fake beard. If the hair was fake, then whoever was visiting Brack was in disguise. And no one would wear a disguise except someone who might be recognized.

  “Theopolis!” said Charlie.

  “Where?” said Annie, turning around.

  “Upstairs, last night,” said Charlie. “That’s who visited Brack. He was the one who took the blueprints so he could get information about the hotel. And he’s stayed inside the hotel ever since.”

  “But I thought Mr. Dragonstone and DeVille used the blueprints to figure out that trick with the glass door,” said Annie.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” said Charlie.

  “So how did the blueprints get from Mr. Theopolis to the dressing room for Mr. Dragonstone?” she asked.

  That’s the big question, thought Charlie. How did the blueprints get in there?

  “Charlie,” Annie said slowly. “Look.” She was pointing at the carpet.

  There was a pattern in the carpet. A rectangle made of twisting lines of gold and turquoise and emerald and cream.

  “It’s beautiful,” said Annie. “Like something out of the Arabian Nights.”

  “Yeah, like something from Aladdin,” said Charlie. “It looks like —”

  “A magic carpet,” they said together.

  Charlie took a deep breath. “Remember what Brack wrote down.”

  “‘Turn lily there,’” said Annie. They both turned to the wallpaper on either side of the hall and examined the painted flowers.

  One of the lilies in the wall was not painted. It was actually a small plaster flower on the wallpaper itself, blending in with the two-dimensional flowers around it.

  “I found it! I found it!” Annie said.

  One of the magicians’ doors opened abruptly. “Who is making all that noise?” A man stuck out his head and looked at Annie and Charlie. His expression was not kind.

  His face made Charlie think of a million things all at once. He thought of the fake red beard. Someone in disguise having coffee with Brack last night. Someone reading Brack’s writing as the old magician had been studying his precious blueprint. He thought of the signature on the card in Dragonstone’s room. The writer had not written “The DeV.” The writer had made a mistake. He had started writing the wrong word and then changed his mind.

  Then Charlie thought of the Glass Door trick. How the French wizard DeVille had told Ty to stand at the far end of the hall since he knew his way around there.

  And how the man had shouted at Charlie, calling him “Hitchcock,” and ordering him to pull aside the black curtains to reveal Dragonstone.

  How did DeVille know that Ty worked at the hotel? They never saw each other. Ty had already left for school before the Frenchman arrived. And how did he know Charlie’s last name?

  How did DeVille know? Because he had been to the hotel before. In fact, that’s how the blueprint got from Theopolis to the dressing room. The same man who stole the papers also hid them. The same man who saw the blueprint last night, saw it during the rehearsal, and then suggested the Glass Door and Wormhole finale to Dragonstone’s Empty Straitjacket trick after the rehearsal. Because he was the only person who knew the secret of the glass door besides Brack.

  One person. A single person behind two beards, one red and one black.

  “Theopolis!” cried Charlie.

  “You meddling little brat!” said the magician, stepping into the hall. “You’re always ruining my plans!”

  “When Dragonstone called you, his friend ‘DeVille,’ to substitute for Brack, you were already inside the hotel,” said Charlie.

  “I’ll make sure you never leave this hotel again,” said Theopolis. “I’ll deal with you like I dealt with Brack!”

  “You’re angry with him just because he revealed one of your tricks?” said Charlie. He was stalling for time.

  “Just? Just?!” The magician’s face contorted with rage. “A magician’s tricks are his life. I was never able to use that trick again.”

  “You’ve never stolen a trick?” asked Annie.

  Theopolis laughed. “I may have borrowed one or two. But I transform them. In my hands they become true miracles.”

  Charlie and Annie heard a sound behind them in the hall. “This is great,” came a voice. “Just what I need for my scoop.” Joey Bingham stepped out of the shadows. He held a video camera aimed at the arguing trio.

  “Young man,” said Theopolis. “Have you been recording all this time?”

  “Mostly,” said Joey with a big grin. “Keep talking. This is great stuff.”

  “What’re you doing here?” Charlie asked.

  “I’ve been here all day,” said Joey. “I kept seeing you two running around and always going back to the elevator. I knew something was up.” He laughed. “Up? Get it?”

  Theopolis completely changed his manner. He became smooth and friendly. He sleeked his hair and bowed toward the camera. “Would you like a quick interview before the big show?” he said. “Learn how a famous performer prepares for the stage?”

  “No,” said Charlie. “You want something better than that, Joey. Something more exclusive. Something amazing. Something like how a magic trick is performed.”

  “No!” said Theopolis.

  “Yeah,” said Joey.

  “Like the secret of the falling magician,” Charlie said. “How did Dragonstone disappear from his straitjacket and then end up on the twelfth floor?”

  Theopolis took a step toward the boys. “You’re just like that thief Brack!” he said, snarling.

  Charlie faced Joey’s camera and spoke as quickly as could. “The secret is simple. There’s a second straitjacket stuck to the back of the real one Dragonstone wears. He probably has a string or flap he can secretly pull with his hand. When he falls, the second jacket pops off and falls toward the stage. Dragonstone, still inside the first one, falls behind a trick mirror onstage. They both hit the ground at the same time.”

  “It looked like a cool trick,” said Annie.

  “It was,” said Charlie. “And is. Dragonstone needs to be very skilled at timing, and at falling. He probably lands on some kind of safety net behind the trick mirrors. But it takes a lot of skill to fall and not break your neck.”

  Annie smiled. “And didn’t you tell me earlier how Dragonstone passed through that solid glass door, too?”

  “Enough, enough!” cried the magician. He folded his arms and looked down at Charlie. “What do you want?” he asked.

  “I don’t want anything,” said Charlie. “But I’m sure Brack would like to keep his hotel.”

  “The hotel is mine,” shouted the magician. “And so is that video camera!”

  Another door popped open. A tall, red-headed man appeared. He stepped into the hall pulling on a pair of gloves.

  “What’s all this noise?” asked David Dragonstone. “Monsieur DeVille! You aren’t dressed for the performance yet.”

  “Will there be a performance, Mr. DeVille?” asked Charlie.

  Dragonstone froze. He stared at Theopolis. “What does he mean, DeVille?”

  Charlie whispered to Theopolis, “If Brack doesn’t have a hotel, then you don’t have a trick. Joey and I will play his video to the audience that’s waiting for you downstairs.”

  “Think you’re clever, don’t you, Mr. Hitchcock?” said Theopol
is. “Very well. You have won this battle.” He turned and walked back to the door of his room. He stopped and shot Charlie a wicked glance. “But the war is not over!” And with a snap of his teeth, he exited the hall.

  “Wish I could stay and chat with you youngsters, but I have to be onstage in twenty minutes,” said Dragonstone. He hurried down the hall toward the elevators.

  “Wow!” said Joey. “That was incredible! What a scoop!”

  “You can’t show people your video,” said Charlie.

  “I know that,” said Joey. “I need that magician guy to sign a release form first.”

  “No,” said Charlie. “I mean you can’t show it ever. Or Brack loses the hotel.”

  Annie smiled. “Let’s go downstairs to watch the show. And then Charlie and I can explain everything that’s been going on.”

  “You got a deal,” said Joey.

  As they walked back down the hallway, Charlie glanced at the magic carpet design beneath their shoes. A gleaming rectangle of many colors.

  He knew the rectangle held the secret to finding his missing friends. He also knew that as soon as he and Annie had convinced Joey Bingham not to show his video, they’d get back on that elevator again.

  They had to find the thirteenth floor of the Hocus Pocus Hotel.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  MICHAEL DAHL grew up reading everything he could find about his hero Harry Houdini, and worked as a magician’s assistant when he was a teenager. Even though he cannot disappear, he is very good at escaping things. Dahl has written the popular Library of Doom series, the Dragonblood books, and the Finnegan Zwake series. He currently lives in the Midwest in a haunted house.

  ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

  LISA K. WEBER is an illustrator currently living in Oakland, California. She graduated from Parsons School of Design in 2000 and then began freelancing. Since then, she has completed many print, animation, and design projects, including graphic novelizations of classic literature, character and background designs for children’s cartoons, and textiles for dog clothing.

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  Explain how Charlie knows to look under the stairs for the missing people.

  Have you seen a magic show? Talk about some of the tricks you saw.

  Would you stay on the thirteenth floor at the Abracadabra Hotel? Why or why not?

  WRITING PROMPTS

  Try writing about Tyler’s disappearance from his point of view. How does the story change? What does Ty see, hear, think, and feel while he is missing?

  Create your own code to communicate with a friend. What is it? How does it work?

  Charlie and Annie work together to find the people who disappeared. Write about a time when you worked with someone else to solve a problem.

  GLOSSARY

  blueprint (BLOO-print) — a model or detailed plan of action

  forfeit (FOR-fit) — giving up the right to something

  fraud (frawd) — dishonest behavior and tricks that are intended to trick people

  illusion (i-LOO-zhuhn) — something that appears to exist but does not; a trick

  premiere (pri-MEER) — the first public performance of a show or work of art

  puny (PYOO-nee) — small and weak

  straitjacket (STREYT-jak-it) — a cover of strong material designed to prevent movement of a person’s arms

  surveillance (ser-VEYL-uhns) — close watch kept over someone or something

  ZARCON, THE INVISIBLE HERO

  The alien hero Zarcon has worked hard to bring criminals to justice. Now it’s time for him to go home. With a wave of your magic wand, he disappears and travels back to his own planet.

  You Need:

  A colorful handkerchief

  A small action figure

  A secret helper

  A magic wand

  Performance:

  Show Zarcon to the audience and tell them he wants to return to his home planet. Tell them that you’re going to help him with a bit of magic. When you’re ready for the trick, hold the toy in your hand as shown.

  Next, place the hanky over your hand to hide Zarcon as shown.

  Now ask two volunteers to feel under the hanky to make sure Zarcon hasn’t disappeared yet.

  The second person will really be your secret helper. Your helper will secretly take Zarcon from your hand as shown, then hide the toy in his or her pocket. Ask your secret helper, “Is Zarcon still there?” He or she should say, “Yes.”

  After your helper takes Zarcon, wave your magic wand over the hanky. Finally, remove the hanky and show the audience that Zarcon has disappeared!

  MAGIC TIPS: The alien hero Zarcon has worked hard to bring criminals to justice. Now it’s time for him to go home. With a wave of your magic wand, he disappears and travels back to his own planet.

  Like this trick? Learn more in the book Amazing Magic Tricks: Apprentice Level by Norm Barnhart! All images and text © 2009 Capstone Press. Used by permission.

  WAIT! DON'T FORGET!

  Find More: Games, Puzzles, Heroes, Villains, Authors, Illustrators at www.capstonekids.com

  Still want more? Find cool websites and books at www.facthound.com. Just type in the Book ID: 9781434265074 and you're ready to go!

  Hocus Pocus Hotel is published by Stone Arch Books

  1710 Roe Crest Dr .

  North Mankato, Minnesota 56003

  www.capstonepub.com

  Copyright © 2014 by Stone Arch Books. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the publisher.

  Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available at the Library of Congress website.

  ISBN: 978-1-4342-6507-4 (library binding)

  ISBN: 978-1-4965-3886-4 (e-book)

  Summary: Abracadabra, the founder of the Hocus Pocus Hotel has vanished! Charlie Hitchcock and Tyler Yu team up again to solve this mystery and find their friend.

  Designer: Kristi Carlson

  Photo credits: Shutterstock

  Abracadabra Hotel illustration: Brann Garvey