Night of the New Magicians by Mary Pope Osborne Page B

reached the end of the bridge.
    Jack and Annie headed for a ticket booth near an entrance gate. Above the gate, a giant banner read:
Welcome to the 1889 Paris World’s Fair
    As they stood in line waiting to buy tickets, Jack pulled out their guide book. “We need to prepare for our mission,” he said. He turned to the first page and read aloud:
    Welcome to the World’s Fair—a living encyclopedia with over 60,000 exhibits from all over the globe!
    “Maybe some of the exhibits are magic shows,” said Annie. “And that’s where we’ll find the new magicians.”
    “Maybe,” said Jack. He kept reading:
    This World’s Fair is a showcase of progress! Discover the genius of man! Learn all about science and technology! See wondrous new machines and inventions!
    Jack looked up. “Hmm,” he said. “It sounds like this fair is mainly about inventions and scientific stuff. I don’t see anything here about magic or magicians.”
    “How many?” the ticket seller asked gruffly. They had reached the front of the line.
    Annie held out a handful of French coins. “Two, please,” she said.
    The ticket seller took two coins. Annie put the remaining change back into her pocket. Then she and Jack walked through the gate into the 1889 Paris World’s Fair.

“ W ow,” said Jack and Annie together.
    Inside the crowded fairgrounds, below the looming Eiffel Tower, a band played a lively march. Fountains shot colored water high into the sky. A small train chugged through the crowd, blowing its whistle.
    People of all ages from many different countries bustled about in the twilight. Everyone seemed to be having fun, reading from guide books, strolling from one exhibit to another, or buying refreshments and souvenirs.
    “We can’t see much from here,” said Annie. “It’s hard to know what’s going on.”
    “What about that little train?” said Jack. “Maybe we could ride on it and get a good look at everything.”
    “Great idea,” said Annie.
    The train whistle blew again.
    “Over there,” said Jack. He pointed to a clear space where passengers were getting off the train and other passengers were boarding.
    “Hurry!” said Jack.
    They raced to the train and jumped on. Annie dug into her pocket and took out some coins. She held them out to the conductor. He took a few, and Jack and Annie squeezed into seats on a wooden bench. The whistle blew, steam sputtered out of the smokestack, and the small train began to move.
    “Look for anything about magic or magicians,” said Jack.
    As the train slowly chugged through theWorld’s Fair, a tour guide’s voice blared from a megaphone: “Welcome to the World’s Fair Sightseeing Train! On your ride, you will witness the astounding history of human structures as seen nowhere else! In every age, buildings had style and beauty.”
    The train chugged by cave dwellings, canvas tents, and huts made of mud.
    Magic? Magicians?
Jack thought as he looked at the different structures.
No, no, no.
    The train passed a thatched cottage, a mansion with columns, and a palace with a huge golden dome.
    No, no, no
, Jack thought.
    “Now we will visit the many lands of the world,” said the tour guide. “First, Egypt!”
    The train chugged past an outdoor café. Smells of grilled meat and rich coffee filled the air. Three women with veils over their faces danced to flute music.
    No magicians there
, thought Jack.
    “Next we have an African village on the beautiful Serengeti Plain,” said the tour guide. They passed a cluster of huts surrounded by tall grass. People played drums and shook gourd rattles.
Still no magicians
, thought Jack.

    “And now we visit a New Year’s festival in faraway China,” said the guide. The train chugged by Chinese acrobats and a huge dancing red dragon.
    “Dragons are sort of magic, aren’t they?” said Annie, looking back.
    “It’s just a couple of guys in a costume,” said Jack. “That doesn’t count.”
    “On our left is a Muslim mosque,” the