Dawn light slanted into the tree house.
No time at all had passed since they’d left. Day was breaking.
Jack rolled up the ancient scroll. He tucked it into the corner.
“We solved the first riddle,” he said.“Three more to go.”
“I don’t see another scroll,” said Annie.“Maybe tomorrow we’ll get the next riddle.”
“That’s okay,” said Jack. “I think I need to rest—and dry out.”
His T-shirt and shorts were still soaked. His backpack, too. Only his shoes and socks were dry.
“And this needs to dry out, too,” said Annie.She put the wet ocean book in a patch of sunlight.
Then Jack and Annie climbed down the ladder.
They walked through the woods, through leafy shadows and golden light.
They left the woods and started down their street.
“You know, we should have found the answer to the riddle right away,”said Jack. “The oyster was on the reef all along.”
“I know, but we wouldn’t have had so much fun,” said Annie.
“Fun?” said Jack. “You call being squeezed by an octopus and chased by a shark fun?”
“Don’t forget the dolphins,” Annie said simply.
Jack smiled. “Right,” he said. The dolphins made up for everything.
They were fun.
“I guess they were the true pearl in the oyster,” said Annie.
“Yep...” said Jack. “I wonder what Sam is doing right now.”
“Sam?” Annie grinned at him. “You’re nuts,” she said.
They climbed their steps and went into their house.
“We’re back!” Annie shouted.
“Did you get your shoes wet?” their mom called.
“Not one bit,” called Jack. Then he and Annie slipped up the stairs to change their clothes.
10真正的珍珠
黎明的曙光斜照進樹屋。
自從他們離開以后時間就好像停住了,現(xiàn)在天剛亮。
杰克把古紙卷卷起來,放在角落里,說,“我們找到了第一個謎語的謎底,但還有三個謎底在等著我們呢!”
“我沒發(fā)現(xiàn)還有其他的紙卷呀。”安妮說,“也許明天我們會拿到另一個謎語吧。”
“那樣也好。”杰克說,“我想我也需要休息一下,把身上弄干了。”
他的T恤衫和短褲還是濕漉漉的,背包也是一樣。只有他的鞋襪是干的。
“這個也需要晾干。”安妮說。她把浸濕的海洋書放在陽光下。
然后,杰克和安妮一起爬下梯子。
他們穿過樹蔭和陽光交錯的樹林,來到街上。
“知道嗎,我們本來一開始就能發(fā)現(xiàn)謎底的。”杰克說,“牡蠣一直在礁石上。”
“是啊,但如果我們一下子就找到了謎底,那就不會有那么多有趣的經(jīng)歷了。”
安妮說。
“有趣嗎?”杰克說,“你認為被章魚捏死和被鯊魚窮追有趣嗎?”
“別忘了還有海豚呢。”安妮回了一句。
杰克笑了,說,“是啊,海豚使一切都變得值得了。它們的確有趣。”
“我覺得它們就像牡蠣里真正的珍珠一樣。”安妮說。
“沒錯。”杰克說,“不知道山姆現(xiàn)在在干什么?”
“山姆?”安妮咧嘴沖杰克一笑,說,“你別傻了!”
他們走上樓梯,進了家門。
“我們回來了!”安妮大聲喊道。
“你們沒把鞋弄濕吧?”媽媽大聲問。
“一點都沒濕。”杰克喊道,然后與安妮一起溜回自己的房間,換衣服去了。