A Crazy Day with Cobras Read Free Page B

places behind the other ambassadors.
    Wow, wow, wow!
Jack thought.
We did it!
    The Great Mogul stood up from his cushion. Quickly and quietly, he walked down the steps of the Peacock Throne. No one moved as the all-powerful ruler slipped out of the hall.
    The whole audience seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Everyone began talking and movingabout. The guards stepped forward to escort the ambassadors through the door at the back of the hall.
    “Come on, let’s get out of here!” Jack whispered to Annie. He pulled her away from the other ambassadors, and they joined the stream of court nobles heading toward the doors at the front of the hall.
    “Mission accomplished!” Annie exclaimed. She handed Jack the emerald rose.
    Jack stared at the delicately cut stone. It had five tiny rose petals that curled back at the edges. “Great work,” he said to Annie. He carefully put the jewel in his bag and buckled it. “I was wrong. You were right.”
    “I won’t rub it in,” said Annie with a grin.
    “That’s okay, I deserve it,” Jack said. “I shouldn’t have worried so much. Now we just have to get back to the tree house. Keep your head down. Move quickly.”
    Jack and Annie wound their way through thecrowd, heading for the front doors. Just as they were about to step into the sunlight, another guard blocked their way.
    “Excuse us,” said Jack. He tried to step around the guard who towered over them.
    But the guard put out his large hand. “I will escort you now to the palace,” he said, “to the private balcony of the Great Mogul.”
    “Uh … why?” Jack asked.
    “All the ambassadors are to view a parade in their honor,” said the guard.
    “Parade?” said Annie. “I love parades.”
    “Uh … but we’re kind of in a hurry. Do we have a choice?” Jack asked.
    “No,” said the guard.
    “Oh,” said Jack. “Okay.”
    “This way,” said the guard.
    Jack and Annie walked after him back through the empty hall.
    “Don’t worry,” Annie whispered to Jack. “What could possibly go wrong at a parade?”

T he tall guard escorted Jack and Annie out the back door of the hall and into a walled courtyard. The other ambassadors were already entering the palace quarters on the far side.
    Jack was so frustrated he barely noticed the crimson and purple flowers, the bubbling fountains, and the dazzling water pools in the courtyard. All he wanted to do was get back to the tree house. Their mission was done. He tried to think of an excuse to get away.
    “Annie!” he whispered.
    By now Annie was walking ahead and chatting with the guard. “Where do the royal women and children live?” she asked.
    The guard pointed to the palace quarters on the left side of the courtyard. Jack noticed veiled women peeping out from behind the arched windows. Annie waved at them, but the women moved out of sight.
    The guard escorted Jack and Annie out of the courtyard and through a quiet passageway. The passageway led to a chamber lit with brass lanterns hanging from the wall. The guard handed them each a silk coat, a sash, a pair of pointy shoes, and a jeweled turban.
    “Um … what’s this?” asked Jack.
    “Gifts from the Great Mogul. You may change in here,” the guard said.
    “Oh. Thanks,” said Jack.
    The guard pulled aside a curtain to reveal a small space like a dressing room. Jack and Annie stepped inside, and the guard pulled the curtain shut.
    Jack whirled around to Annie. “This is awful!”he whispered. “We have to get out of here!”
    “Calm down,” said Annie. “We don’t have a choice.” She rubbed her hand over her purple silk coat. “I love these clothes.”
    “Oh, brother,” said Jack, sighing. But he took off his hot jacket and pulled on his orange coat and tied the sash. He definitely felt cooler in the soft silk coat, but the puffy pants made the coat balloon out around his waist. “I really hate this,” he groaned.
    “Don’t worry, we’ll leave right after the parade,” said