Jordan and Scarlet were screaming at the top of their lungs.
"TV! TV! We want to watch TV!"
Vinnie and Mandy's parents had gone shopping with Uncle Wilson and Aunt Leah.
Before leaving, Aunt Leah had said:
"No TV for Jordan and Scarlet."
"You're not allowed," began Vinnie.
The twins started screaming again.
"How about some ice cream!"
Mandy said, clapping her hands.
"Ice cream?" cried Scarlet.
"We have chocolate and strawberry,"
said Mandy, walking toward the kitchen.
The twins followed quietly.
Vinnie wiped his forehead.
"Babysitting is hard.
I need a break," he said to himself.
Vinnie started for his bedroom, and then changed his mind.
He walked up to the attic.
"I wonder if I should . . . " thought Vinnie.
"No, I can't.
Mandy will be mad.
But she's downstairs having ice cream . . . "
Vinnie found the album.
"I'm only going to take a peek," he said to himself.
"I'll close it if I see a glowing picture."
He sat down and opened the album.
At the same time, Mandy burst into the attic.
"I knew it!" she shouted.
"I knew you would try to go without me!"
"But I . . . well . . . I . . . ," Vinnie stammered.
Mandy snatched the album from his hands.
A photo was glowing.
"Oh, how strange!" she gasped.
Vinnie got up and looked over her shoulder.
The old man stood between two statues of scary-looking animals.
They had big eyes and huge mouths with many sharp teeth.
Behind the statues was a tall structure.
It was glowing brightly.
"It looks like rooftops stacked on top of each other," remarked Vinnie.
"I wonder where this could be?" said Mandy.
"I don't know, but . . . ," Vinnie paused.
"Where are the twins?"
Just as Vinnie asked that question, Jordan and Scarlet appeared at the door.
And at that exact moment, Vinnie and Mandy fell down the dark tunnel.
"Hey!" cried Mandy.
"Whoa!" cried Vinnie.
"Hooray!" shouted people as they clapped loudly.
"Huh?" Vinnie opened his eyes.
He was lying on a stage in front of lots of people.
Mandy was next to him.
"What's going on?" she whispered to her brother.
"Wasn't that amazing?"
A man stood in front of them.
He was waving to the crowd.
"Come back for our next show!"
The crowd moved away.
Then the man turned and looked down at them.
"Who are you?" he said, stunned.
"How did you do that?"
"Do what?" asked Vinnie.
"It looked as if you fell from the sky," he said, pointing up.
"I am Samir the great magician.
And yet, I cannot explain how you did that."
The children got up and looked around.
"Where are we?" asked Mandy.
They were in a large square.
Mandy could hear music and the sounds of animals.
Samir laughed.
"You are at a celebration for Master Yuan—an important government official."
"Which government?" asked Vinnie.
Samir looked at him in surprise.
"Why, the Tang Dynasty of China, of course," he replied.