Carnival at Candlelight

wind picked up. The waves grew taller.
    Jack and Annie held on to the sides of the boat. Jack heard a faint rumble of faraway thunder. He saw a zigzag flash of lightning in the distant sky.
Is a storm coming?
he wondered nervously.
Is the storm part of the disaster that’s going to happen to the Grand Lady of the Lagoon?
    “This is going to be fun, isn’t it?” said Annie cheerfully.
    “Sure,” said Jack. He tried to shake off his worries as the wind and tide helped push the gondola toward the twinkling candles of Carnival.

T he gondola glided toward a landing at the edge of the canal. As the gondolier tied up the boat, water was sloshing from the canal onto a wide walkway filled with Carnival-goers.
    The gondolier reached a gloved hand toward Annie and helped her out of the boat. He then held out a hand to Jack. When Jack grabbed it, he was surprised that the gondolier’s hand felt small under the white glove, like a kid’s hand.
    As soon as Jack had stepped out of the boat, the gondolier untied the rope, pushed off fromthe landing, and began rowing away.
    “Bye! Thanks!” called Annie.
    The two strangers in the white bird masks waved.
    Jack and Annie watched the gondola disappear over the choppy waters. Then they looked back at the shore. The Carnival crowd was parading up and down the wide walkway along the canal.
    “Hey look,” said Annie. “There’s a bunch of people dressed like us! And like the two people in our gondola!”
    Jack saw lots of black cloaks, bird masks, funny hats, and ruffled collars. He also saw people dressed as chickens, pirates, and knights. None of the costumed people seemed to mind the water spilling over the edge of the canal, soaking their boots and slippers.
    As Jack and Annie stared at the crowd, a distant bell began to ring. The bell rang nine times. “I guess that means it’s nine o’clock,” said Jack.
    Just then another bell began to chime. Jack counted again. This time,
ten
chimes rang out. “Ten?” said Jack, puzzled. “So what time is it? Nine o’clock or ten o’clock?”
    “Don’t worry about that now,” said Annie. “I think I see the Grand Lady of the Lagoon!”
    “Where?” said Jack.
    Annie pointed to a tall woman at the edge of the parade. She was wearing a black mask. She wore piles of jewelry, a white wig, and a wide hoop skirt.
    Jack and Annie moved toward the lady. “Excuse me,” said Annie. “Hi.”
    The lady looked at Annie. “Hello,” she said in a deep man’s voice.
    “Whoa,” said Jack, stepping back.
    Annie laughed. “You’re a man!” she said.
    “Of course,” said the man. “But for Carnival, I am a very beautiful lady, no?”
    “We’re looking for someone called the Grand Lady of—” started Annie. But before she couldfinish, a giant chicken grabbed the man’s hand and pulled him away into the crowd.
    “Oh, brother,” said Jack, looking around. Lots of people were dressed as grand ladies! “How are we supposed to know who to visit?”
    “Maybe it’s time to use one of Kathleen and Teddy’s rhymes,” said Annie.
    “No, we should save our rhymes,” said Jack.
    “Then let’s just skip visiting the Grand Lady of the Lagoon for now,” said Annie. “What’s the
next
thing Merlin tells us to do?”
    Jack looked at Merlin’s directions and read aloud:
    To find out where you need to go
,
    Seek out a painter named Tiepolo.
    “Good, that’s clear,” said Jack. “Let’s see if Tiepolo is in our research book.”
    As the noisy crowd celebrated around them, Jack pulled out the book. He stood near a lantern and looked in the index. “He’s here!” said Jack. He turned to the right page and read:
    Tiepolo (say tee-EP-uh-lo) was one of the greatest painters of Venice in the 1700s. He painted bright, beautiful oil paintings for palaces and villas.
    “If the guy’s so famous, people must know where he lives,” said Annie. “Excuse me!” she called to a clown walking by. “Can you tell us where the painter Tiepolo lives?”
    “Near the Church of San Felice,” the clown said.
    “Thanks!” said Annie.
    “But you won’t find him home now,” the clown called over his shoulder. “He’s in Milan, painting.”
    “Where’s that?” shouted Jack.
    “Over a day’s ride on horseback,” said the clown. Then he disappeared into the crowd.
    “Hmmm …,” said Annie. “Do you think Merlin wants us to go to Milan?”
    “We don’t have time,” said Jack. “I think we have to skip Tiepolo,