Blizzard of the Blue Moon: A Merlin Mission

and the glowing unicorn that had just come in fromthe garden. Her mouth opened, and then closed.
    Dianthus stepped lightly over the wooden floor. Jack and Annie followed him.
    The museum lady never blinked. As Dianthus walked gracefully past her desk, she reached out and touched him. She gasped and quickly drew back her hand.
    “Thanks for keeping the museum open today,” said Annie. “And thank Mr. Rockefeller for his gifts.”
    The museum lady opened and closed her mouth again, still unable to speak.
    Jack opened the door that led to the street. Jack and Annie followed Dianthus out of the museum and down the stone steps. The blizzard had gotten much worse. Snow was coming down harder than ever. The wind was wailing. The unicorn shook his head and knelt down.
    “He wants us to get on his back!” said Annie. “Quick! Climb on behind me!” Annie climbed onto the unicorn’s back. Jack climbed on behind her.
    Dianthus stood up to his full height.
    Grinda and Balor burst out the door of the museum. “Stop!” screamed Grinda.
    Dianthus looked back at them. Then he leapt nimbly over a snowdrift and headed into the darkening storm.

J ack clung to Annie. Dianthus cleared the driveway of the Cloisters and began to run with ease down the street. His long strides were so light and graceful, Jack could hardly feel the movement.
    As the unicorn ran, he held his head high. His long, spiraled horn pierced the raging storm, seeming to calm the winds and snow. Jack realized he could feel his fingers and toes again. His whole body began to feel warm.
    Dianthus headed down a deserted parkway along the waterfront, past an empty bridge. Thebridge’s towers and cables formed a silver arc over a wide river. Whitecaps swept across the water’s surface. As the unicorn trotted past the river, the water became still.
    Dianthus left the riverside and headed down a city street. The wind whistled between tall buildings, blowing the snow into great drifts. But the unicorn’s horn turned the howling wind into a soft breeze. The wild blowing snow became floating, star-shaped flakes, like the snowflakes on Christmas cards.
    As the unicorn trotted down the street, snow-bound taxis and streetcars started moving again. Lights came on in cafés and jazz clubs. Jack heard happy music coming from inside.
    With a calm, steady trot, the unicorn pranced on through the city. As he moved past old mansions, broken-down tenements, and shabby hotels, people peeked out of doorways and windows to see why the sounds of the storm had died away. When they caught sight of Dianthus, with his horn shining in the windless air, they brokeinto joyful smiles. Church bells started ringing through the white silence.
    Finally Dianthus came to a stone wall bordering Central Park. He jumped over the wall and landed knee-deep in a heap of snow. The unicorn leapt effortlessly out of the drift and cantered over a field and down a slope.
    Slowly the clouds parted, and light from the setting sun poured down.
    “Hot corn!” a peddler shouted, plowing his pushcart through the snow.
    “Roasted chestnuts!” shouted another.
    The good smells of the corn and nuts filled thecrisp golden air of the park. The unicorn trotted past Belvedere Castle. Bill Perkins stood outside, staring up at the clear blue sky.

    “Hey, Mr. Perkins, the monster storm’s not coming!” shouted Annie.
    The weatherman saw Jack and Annie on the back of the white unicorn. His jaw dropped. Then he smiled and waved.
    Jack and Annie rode on. When they passed the statue of the winged angel, Jack thought he saw her move her great wings. “Did you see that?” he cried.
    “Yes!” said Annie.
    When they passed the statue of Balto, Jack heard the sled dog bark.
    When they rode past the merry-go-round, Jack heard a chorus of neighs and whinnies accompanied by lively carousel music.
    Dianthus pranced down a shimmering pathway. He leapt over a stone wall and cantered over another field.
    The unicorn’s horn glistened, and the snowy field reflected gold and copper light. Not until the unicorn came to the tree that held the tree house did he stop.
    Annie hugged the unicorn’s long, graceful neck. “Thank you, thank you!” she whispered, and kissed him.
    “Yeah, wow,” breathed Jack.
    Annie looked at Jack over her shoulder. “What now?” she asked.
    “I guess we climb off,” said Jack.
    “But then what?” Annie asked sadly. “Where does he go?”
    “That’s a good question,” said Jack.
    “He