Chapter 10: Joy
"Go, go!" said Lincoln. Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran through the Great Rosa Room, through the next three rooms, and into the room off the back terrace. Then they turned and hurried to the huge party room, where a thousand candles had nearly burned out. They ran to the door that led out to the front entrance.
"We have to leave," said Lori. "Good night!" Luan said to the guard. "Like thanks for everything!" said Leni. The guard opened the door, and they ran outside. "Keep going!" said Lincoln.
They hurried down the sweeping, curved stairway that led to the giant square. A line of coaches was parked below, waiting to pick up guests. Lincoln and his sisters saw Josef standing by his coach. The moonlight shone on his two milk-white horses.
"Josef!" shouted Lori. Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran over to the coachman. "Ah, my young friends!" he said. "How was your evening?" he asked. "Great," said Luan. "But we have to go home now," said Lynn. "Do you have time to take us back to the gate?" asked Lori. "Indeed, it is early," said Josef. "I can take you now and then return for my employer and his family," he said.
One by one, Josef gave Lincoln's 10 sisters his hand to help them into the coach. Then he helped Lincoln. Josef climbed up onto his bench and snapped the reins, and the two horses clomped over the cobblestones.
"So tell me now, young ladies," said Josef. "Did you have a good time at the party?" he asked. "What did you see and what did you do?" asked Josef.
"We had a great time!" said Lori. "I was like received by Her Imperial Majesty," said Leni. "I saw a room lit with a thousand candles," said Lola. "I made good friends, met some zoo animals, heard a great concert, and saw a silly clown," said Lana.
"Excellent," said Josef. "And you, young man?" he asked. "I did all those things, too," said Lincoln. "But the clown was the best part," he said. He knew how to make great use of his wits and his talents.
The sisters laughed. Josef drove the coach through the palace gate and stopped on the cobblestone street.
"Where do you need to go?" asked Josef. "Oh, this is perfect," said Lori. "We can get out right here," said Lynn. Lincoln and his 10 sisters climbed out of the coach and looked up at Josef. "Thank you, Josef," said the sisters. "Yeah, thanks a lot for the ride," said Lincoln.
"You two are very mysterious," said Josef. "You appeared out of the twilight and now you disappear into the moonlight," he said. "We're magicians," said Lola. "It would seem so," said Josef, smiling. He tipped his hat. "Well, I had better return now," said Josef. "Good night, my young friends," he said. "Good night, Josef," said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. Josef flicked the reins, and the milk-white horses clomped back toward the palace gates. "Nice guy," said Luna. "Let's go," said Lincoln.
Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran to the trees that lined the cobblestone street. "There!" said Lana. She grabbed the rope ladder. One by one, Lincoln and his 10 sisters climbed the rope ladder and started up to the tree house. When they got inside, they looked out the window at the full moon shining over Vienna, Austria.
"Good-bye, Wolfie," said the sisters. "Good luck, kid," said Lincoln. Then Lincoln picked up the envelope from their invitation. He pointed to the words, Royal Woods. "I wish we could go there!" he said.
The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.
Lincoln and his sisters opened their eyes. Lucy sighed with relief. They were back in the Royal Woods woods. They were wearing their own clothes again. Lincoln was holding the magic flute.
"Ready?" asked Lynn. "Totally," said Lincoln. Lincoln carefully laid the flute in a corner of the tree house. Then he and his 10 sisters climbed down the rope ladder one by one started for home.
Lincoln was such in a good mood, he nearly bounced through the woods. The sun was going down, dappling the ground with lovely light. The air was soft and smelled like new leaves. Lincoln knew a good dinner was waiting for them at home.
When Lincoln and his 10 sisters came out of the woods, they took off running down the street. They crossed their yard, scrambled onto the porch, and banged through the front door.
"We're back!" called Lori. "Just in time," their dad said from the kitchen. "Dinner's in a few minutes," their dad said. "Quick, before we eat . . . ," Lincoln said to his 10 sisters. He led them over to the computer. He sat down and typed in one word: Mozart. There were 48,400,207 entries.
"Whoa!" said Lincoln. He clicked the first one. He read aloud:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the most famous child musician in history. He performed all over Europe for many years. As Mozart grew up, he composed more than six hundred pieces of music. For over two hundred years, his music has brought joy to the world.
"Yes!" said Lisa.
As Lincoln scrolled down, three words leaped out at him. He gasped. "Listen to this!" he said. And then he read to his sisters:
Mozart's last great opera was called The Magic Flute.
The sisters smiled at Lincoln. "Wolfie kept his promise," said Lynn. "He never forgot us," said Lola. "Alright then," said Lincoln. "Let's eat dinner now," he said. So he and his 10 sisters went to eat dinner with their mom and dad.