1“Come on!” cried Annie.

2Jack raced behind her.

3Were they being followed?

4“Here! Quick!” Annie dashed toward a door off the hallway. She pushed the door open. The two of them stumbled into a dark, cold room. The door creaked shut behind them.

5“Give me the flashlight,” said Annie. Jack handed it to her, and she switched it on.

6Yikes! A row of knights right in front of them!

7Annie flicked off the light.

8Silence.

9“They aren’t moving,” Jack whispered.

10Annie turned the light back on.

11“They’re just suits,” Jack said.

12“Without heads,” said Annie.

13“Let me have the flashlight a second,” said Jack. “So I can look in the book.”

14Annie handed him the flashlight. He pulled out the castle book. He flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.

15Jack put the book away. “It’s called the armory,” he said. “It’s where armor and weapons are stored.”

16He shined the flashlight around the room.

17“Oh, man,” whispered Jack.

18The light fell on shiny breastplates, leg plates, arm plates. On shelves filled with helmets and weapons. On shields, spears, swords, crossbows, clubs, battle-axes.

19There was a noise in the hall. Voices!

20“Let’s hide!” said Annie.

21“Wait,” said Jack. “I’ve got to check on something first.” “Hurry,” said Annie.

22“It’ll take just a second,” said Jack. “Hold this.” He handed Annie the flashlight.

23He tried to lift a helmet from a shelf. It was too heavy.

24He bent over and dragged the helmet over his head. The visor slammed shut.

25Oh, forget it. It was worse than having a five-year-old on your head.

26More like having a ten-year-old on your head.

27Not only could Jack not lift his head, he couldn’t see anything, either.

28“Jack!” Annie’s voice sounded far away. “The voices are getting closer!”

29“Turn off the flashlight!” Jack’s voice echoed inside the metal chamber.

30He struggled to get the helmet off.

31Suddenly he lost his balance and went crashing into other pieces of armor.

32The metal plates and weapons clattered to the floor.

33Jack lay on the floor in the dark.

34He tried to get up. But his head was too heavy.

35He heard deep voices.

36Someone grabbed him by the arm. The next thing he knew, his helmet was yanked off. He was staring into the blazing light of a fiery torch.