Abe Lincoln at Last!: A Merlin Mission (3 page)

“Cut it out,” said Jack, waving him away.

“Tad!” Willie shouted from below.

The boy just laughed like a maniac and danced around the tree house, trying to box with Jack. “This is my ship now, matey!”

“Quit it!” said Jack.

“Tad!” his brother yelled again.

“Your brother’s calling you,” Annie said firmly to Tad. “Go! Now!”

“Who are you to boss me, missy?” Tad said, jutting out his chin.

Annie laughed. “I’m not a
missy
, shrimp,” she said. “I’m Annie. And this is my brother, Jack.”

Tad lowered his fists. “Oh! Hello, Annie, I’m Tad.” He put out his hand, and Annie shook it. “Pleased to meet you,” said Tad, completely dropping his role as pirate captain. “What are you and Jack doing today?”

“Actually, we’re hoping to meet with President Lincoln,” Annie said.

“Really?” said Tad. “Me and Willie know a
secret.…” He gave them a sly grin. “If you come with us, we’ll take you straight to the president. I give you my word.”

“Thanks, but we can handle it ourselves,” said Jack. The last thing he wanted was for this kid to get in their way.

“But I
want
to help you. Come with me,” said Tad. He started down the ladder.

“Should we go with him?” Annie whispered.

“No, he’s just making stuff up,” said Jack.

“Are you coming down?” called Tad. “Or should I come back up so we can play?”

“Darn,” said Jack under his breath. “Let’s go, just to get him away from the tree house.” Jack grabbed his bag.

Suddenly Tad poked his head back into the tree house. “Are you coming or not?” he said.

“Yes! Go!” said Annie.

“What’s in your bag?” asked Tad.

“Nothing,” said Jack. “Go back down!” He didn’t want Tad to see their Lincoln book.

“Let me see,” said Tad, climbing into the tree house again. “What’s inside?”

“Nothing, he told you nothing,” said Annie.

“Then why is he bringing it with him?” Tad asked her.

“Fine, I’ll leave it!” Jack said crossly. He dropped the leather bag to the floor. “Happy? Let’s go!”

“Yes! Let’s go!” said Tad, and he disappeared down the ladder again.

Jack reached into his bag, grabbed his small notebook and pencil, and stuck them into the back pocket of his pants. “I’ll come back later and get the book,” Jack whispered, “after we get rid of this kid.”

Annie smiled. “If we can,” she said. Then she and Jack started down the rope ladder.

CHAPTER THREE
Hide! Hide!

W
illie was waiting at the bottom of the ladder. “Hello,” he said.

“Willie, this is Jack and Annie,” said Tad. “I told them that you and I have a secret.” He gave Willie a meaningful look. “I told them we’d take them to meet the president. I gave them my word.”

“Oh, you did, did you?” said Willie. “Hello, Jack and Annie.” He shook hands with them. “I apologize for Tad,” he added. “My brother is very high-spirited.”

“And Willie’s sweet as pie,” said Tad, making a face. “Come on, you all! To the White House!” He saluted, then took huge marching steps across the lawn.

“So does Tad really know the president?” Annie asked as she and Jack walked with Willie.

“He does,” said Willie with a smile, “and so do I.”

“Oh. Cool,” said Jack. He liked Willie’s kind, mature manner. He wouldn’t mind if
Willie
introduced them to the president. “Do you think you could introduce us?”

“If Tad doesn’t introduce you first,” said Willie, “then I’d be happy to.”

“That would be great,” said Jack.

As Tad marched ahead of them, Jack, Annie, and Willie walked through the sun-dappled grove of trees. The air was chilly, but it smelled like spring. It looked like spring, too. Tiny buds sprouted from bare branches. Birds flitted from tree to tree, and robins hunted for worms in the green grass.

“Are your parents visiting the White House today?” Annie asked Willie.

“You could say that,” said Willie.

“Look at me!” Tad called. He was running backward up the carriageway.

“Watch out, Tad!” shouted Willie.

Tad jumped out of the path of a horse-drawn carriage just in time. The carriage stopped in front of the president’s house. The crowd was huge now. As people tried to squeeze through the front doors, some waved pieces of paper at the guard.

“Everyone wants to meet the new president!” said Tad. “They all want something from him.”

“Don’t talk that way, Tad,” said Willie. He turned to Jack and Annie. “They’re mostly looking for jobs in the government. They have to take care of their families.”

Tad led the way past the carriages and between the columns to the crowd at the door. “Allow us to enter!” he shouted to the guard at the door. “Jack and Annie are here! Important friends of the president!”

To Jack’s amazement, the guard did as Tad
commanded. The man moved people aside and let Tad, Willie, Annie, and Jack walk right into the White House!

Jack trailed behind as they all passed through the entranceway. From there, they went around a bronze screen and into a wide hall filled with grown-ups.

“Make way!” shouted Tad as he squeezed through the crowd. A few women squealed. Their hoopskirts rocked and swirled.

“Stop, Tad!” said Willie, grabbing his brother. “Calm yourself!”

No kidding!
thought Jack. He liked Willie a lot, but Tad was too wild and unpredictable.

Tad laughed and broke loose from his big brother. He ran into a room off the hallway. Willie and Annie hurried after him. A moment later, Jack heard someone banging on a piano.

Jack followed cautiously. He went through a door into a huge parlor filled with women and girls sipping tea from china cups.

The room had furniture covered in red satin. There was a large portrait of George Washington on the wall by the tall windows. No one was paying any attention to Tad as he pounded away on the piano keys. Even Willie was ignoring him. He was busy introducing Annie to a plump, dark-haired woman sitting on a sofa.

Why don’t the grown-ups stop this bratty kid?
Jack wondered.
Where are his parents? The White House guards? The Secret Service?

Tad turned his head and caught Jack frowning at him. He jumped up from the piano bench, rushed over, and grabbed Jack’s hand. “Sorry, mate! I almost forgot! I gave you my word!” he said. “Come along!”

Jack tried to free himself from Tad as the boy pulled him out of the parlor.

“Stop! Let me go! I have to wait for my sister,” said Jack. He looked back and saw Willie and Annie still talking with the woman on the sofa.

“They’ll catch up to us,” said Tad. “Come along! I have a secret that you won’t believe!”

“Please! Leave me alone!” said Jack.

“No! Come with me, or I’ll start screaming,” said Tad. “And I can scream very, very loud.” He had a wild look in his eye.

Oh, no!
Jack thought. This kid was totally insane. “Don’t scream, don’t scream, just hold on a second.” He called out, “Annie! Willie!” But neither of them looked up.

“C’mon! It’s now or never!” said Tad. He pulled Jack down the carpeted hallway, toward a wide staircase.

“Let go! Let go of me! I’m serious!” Jack said.

Tad let go of him. “Please, please, come up the stairs with me,” he begged. “If you don’t, I’ll …” He opened his mouth wide.

“Fine! I’ll come!” Jack said through his teeth. He let Tad pull him through a group of grown-ups climbing the stairs.
When we get to the top, I’ll run back down
, Jack thought.
Then he can scream as loud as he wants
.

As soon as they reached the hallway on the second floor, Jack turned around to run. But the stairway was packed with too many people to escape!

Tad grabbed Jack by the arm and pulled him to a door off the hall. “The president is right in there, I promise,” he whispered. “Do you want to meet him? Or not?”

“Not,” said Jack.
At least not with you
, he thought.

“But you said you did!” said Tad. He threw open the door and pulled Jack inside, then closed the door behind them.

Jack looked around. The room was empty of people. It had a huge wooden bed with purple drapes. Flying birds were carved into the black wood.

This must be the president’s bedroom!
Jack thought with awe and horror. He whirled around, but Tad gripped the door handle.

“We can’t stay here, Tad,” Jack whispered furiously. “We’ll get in terrible trouble!”

“But President Lincoln is there, in his dressing room!” said Tad. He grinned, pointing to a closed door off the bedroom. “I told you I’d take you to him!”

“You are crazy,” Jack whispered. “Move! I’m leaving! Before we get caught!”

Suddenly Tad groaned and fell to the floor.

“Tad?” said Jack. He bent down to check on him. “Tad, are you—”

Tad grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled him to the floor, just as the dressing room door opened!

“Hide! Hide!” Tad whispered. He scrambled under the big wooden bed. Jack frantically crawled after him.

Jack held his breath as they lay on their stomachs under the bed. His heart was beating so hard
that he thought he was going to have a heart attack! Tad covered his mouth and shook with silent laughter.

Two large feet in black socks stopped beside the bed. Jack felt the bed sink down. A pair of hands put a pair of large leather shoes down on the floor. The feet slipped into the shoes. Then the weight lifted off the bed, and the shoes stepped forward.

Tad crawled silently out from under the bed. Then he tackled the person wearing the shoes! The man yelled and fell to the floor. Tad sat on top of him and beat him with his small fists.

From his hiding place, Jack could see a dark-haired man lying on his side, groaning and moaning. Tad was attacking the president of the United States!

CHAPTER FOUR
Willie!

J
ack was horrified. Would the Secret Service arrest him along with Tad? Jack had to stop him!

Suddenly the president burst out laughing. He wrapped his hands around Tad’s fists. “You little tadpole,” he said. “You didn’t scare me one bit!” Then he started to tickle Tad.