“Wow,” said Jack and Annie together.

Inside the crowded fairgrounds, below the looming Eiffel Tower, a band played a lively march. Fountains shot colored water high into the sky. A small train chugged through the crowd, blowing its whistle.

People of all ages from many different countries bustled about in the twilight. Everyone seemed to be having fun, reading from guide books, strolling from one exhibit to another, or buying refreshments and souvenirs.

“We can’t see much from here,” said Annie. “It’s hard to know what’s going on.”

“What about that little train?” said Jack. “Maybe we could ride on it and get a good look at everything.”

“Great idea,” said Annie.

The train whistle blew again.

“Over there,” said Jack. He pointed to a clear space where passengers were getting off the train and other passengers were boarding.

“Hurry!” said Jack.

They raced to the train and jumped on. Annie dug into her pocket and took out some coins. She held them out to the conductor. He took a few, and Jack and Annie squeezed into seats on a wooden bench. The whistle blew, steam sputtered out of the smokestack, and the small train began to move.

“Look for anything about magic or magicians,” said Jack.

As the train slowly chugged through the World’s Fair, a tour guide’s voice blared from a megaphone: “Welcome to the World’s Fair Sightseeing Train! On your ride, you will witness the astounding history of human structures as seen nowhere else! In every age, buildings had style and beauty.”

The train chugged by cave dwellings, canvas tents, and huts made of mud.

Magic? Magicians? Jack thought as he looked at the different structures. No, no, no.

The train passed a thatched cottage, a mansion with columns, and a palace with a huge golden dome.

No, no, no, Jack thought.

“Now we will visit the many lands of the world,” said the tour guide. “First, Egypt!”

The train chugged past an outdoor café. Smells of grilled meat and rich coffee filled the air. Three women with veils over their faces danced to flute music.

No magicians there, thought Jack.

“Next we have an African village on the beautiful Serengeti Plain,” said the tour guide. They passed a cluster of huts surrounded by tall grass. People played drums and shook gourd rattles. Still no magicians, thought Jack.

“And now we visit a New Year’s festival in faraway China,” said the guide. The train chugged by Chinese acrobats and a huge dancing red dragon.

“Dragons are sort of magic, aren’t they?” said Annie, looking back.

“It’s just a couple of guys in a costume,” said Jack. “That doesn’t count.”

“On our left is a Muslim mosque,” the tour guide said. “On the right, a Buddhist temple. Here is an exquisite Japanese garden….”

“No, no, no,” murmured Jack.

The train passed by a show with dolls dressed in outfits from all around the world. It rolled by a giant brown statue of a woman. “This amazing creation is the Roman goddess Venus,” said the tour guide, “made entirely of chocolate.”

“That is amazing!” said Annie.

“It is, but it’s not magic,” said Jack.

The train rode by a globe of the world at least three stories high. The globe was turning slowly. “See the lovely mountains, deserts, rivers, and oceans of Earth,” said the tour guide.

“This fair really is a living encyclopedia!” Annie said.

“But the encyclopedia doesn’t have what we need to find,” said Jack. He sighed and started thumbing through the guide book.

“Ahh, fantastic!” a train passenger said.

“Shocking!” said another.

“Magical!” exclaimed another.

Jack looked up. “Did someone just say magical?” he asked Annie.

“False alarm,” said Annie. “They’re talking about the Eiffel Tower.”

The train came to a stop. All the passengers were gazing up. Pink lights lit the huge arches at the base of the tower.

“The Eiffel Tower was built especially for this World’s Fair,” said the tour guide. “The tower is nearly one thousand feet high, making it the tallest structure in the world today. Some of you may want to leave us here to get a closer look at Paris’s newest miracle.”

People began climbing off the train. “Maybe we should get off here, too,” said Jack. “This train isn’t much help.”

Jack and Annie jumped off the train just before its whistle blew and it started moving again.

“That’s a tall tower,” said Jack, looking up.

“Really tall,” breathed Annie.

Iron rods rose in crisscross patterns high into the sky. Large elevators clanked up through the tower’s lacy ironwork. Powerful spotlights beamed from the top of the tower, sweeping long fingers of light over the city.

“It would be fun to ride to the top in one of those elevators,” said Annie.

“I know, but we don’t have time,” said Jack. “We have to find the four new magicians before the evil sorcerer finds them.”

“I wonder if he’s here yet,” said Annie.

Jack and Annie looked around at all the people busily moving about the fairgrounds, going from one exhibit to another. Parents were holding their children’s hands and pointing to the tower. Couples were strolling arm in arm. Everyone seemed happy and excited.

No one looks like an evil sorcerer, thought Jack. No one looks like a Magician of Sound, or a Magician of Light, or a Magician of the Invisible, or a Magician of Iron, either.

Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by a young girl’s voice—“You see, Papa? It is magic!”

“Magic?” said Jack. He and Annie looked at each other.

“Over there,” said Annie. She pointed to a nearby exhibit. A little girl was laughing as her father pressed a pair of earpieces against his ears.

Jack and Annie walked closer to the exhibit. “It is positively unbelievable, Mimi!” the man said, shaking his head.

“It’s magic, isn’t it, Papa?” said the girl. “It can send a voice a thousand miles!”

Annie grabbed Jack’s arm. “Did you hear what she just said?” she whispered. “Send a voice a thousand miles—that’s what the Magician of Sound does!”

“Right!” said Jack. He and Annie looked at the sign above the exhibit. It said:

Telephone:
A New Invention by Alexander Graham Bell

“She’s talking about a telephone!” said Jack. “I guess it’s just been invented!”

“So Alexander Graham Bell must be the Magician of Sound!” said Annie.

“Oh, man, do you think Alexander Graham Bell is here in person?” said Jack.

“I’ll ask,” said Annie. She walked to a gray-haired woman helping with the exhibit. “Excuse me, but do you know where we can find Alexander Graham Bell?”

“I’m afraid he just left,” said the woman.

“Where did he go?” asked Annie.

“I do not know,” said the woman. “A strange man gave me an invitation to give to Mr. Bell. When Mr. Bell read it, he left at once. That is all I know. Excuse me.” The woman turned away to answer someone else’s question.

“Alexander Graham Bell!” Jack said to Annie. “He’s a famous inventor, not a magician!”

“The evil sorcerer must’ve heard about the telephone and thought it was magic,” said Annie.

“I wonder what that invitation said,” said Jack. “And why did that lady say the messenger was strange?”

“Let’s ask,” said Annie.

Annie tapped the gray-haired woman on the arm. “Excuse me, we have two more questions,” she said. “Do you know what was on the invitation? And why did you say the messenger was strange?”

“I do not know what the invitation said,” replied the woman, “but the man who delivered it was dressed in a long, dark cloak. He wore a hood that hid most of his face, and he spoke in a deep, whispery voice.”

Jack felt a chill go down his spine. So that’s what the evil sorcerer looks like, he thought. Just like you’d expect!

“Sounds like the sorcerer,” Annie whispered to Jack.

“I know, I know,” Jack said, looking around.

“Do you have any idea where the strange man in the cloak went?” Annie asked the woman.

“He asked for directions to the Hall of Machines,” said the woman.

“Where’s that?” asked Jack. “Is that here at the fair?”

“Yes, of course. It is the gigantic building made of glass. Can you see the roof?” The woman pointed to an arched glass rooftop looming above other fair buildings in the distance.

“I see it,” said Annie.

“Good,” said the woman. “Excuse me now. I must help some other people.”

“Sure, thanks,” said Annie. “Let’s go,” she said to Jack. She started walking quickly across the fairgrounds.

“Wait, wait, wait,” said Jack, hurrying after her.

“The messenger is the sorcerer, I just know it!” said Annie.

“Of course he is,” said Jack. “But what do we do when we find him?”

“I don’t know yet,” said Annie.

“He could be dangerous,” said Jack. “We need to make a plan.”

“We need to find him first,” said Annie, “before he gets away! Hurry!” She broke into a run and dashed toward the Hall of Machines.