After the art gallery, Mom wanted some answers.
"What's going on in the attic?" she demanded.
The children looked at each other.
"What was that light?" asked Mom.
"And that book?"
"We found some old books and a photo album,"
Mandy started to explain, but Vinnie glared at her.
"Hmmm," said Mom, suspiciously.
"Well, that attic does have to be cleaned out."
"We can do it,"
said Vinnie, hoping to change the subject.
"Okay, put everything into boxes," said Mom.
"Who knows? Something valuable might be up there."
Mom went into the kitchen.
"That was close!" Mandy sighed.
"Why did you tell her about the album?" Vinnie asked, annoyed.
"I wasn't going to lie," protested Mandy.
Vinnie shrugged.
"Well, let's start cleaning the attic."
The children took some empty boxes upstairs.
But the minute they got to the attic, they forgot about packing.
Vinnie picked up the album and opened it.
"It's beautiful," gasped Mandy at the photo.
The old man was sitting in a room.
There was only a low table in the center of the floor.
A vase of flowers was glowing on top of the table.
"It looks like . . . ," said Mandy.
Before she could finish her sentence, the children fell down the dark tunnel.
They landed inside a box of some kind.
Red silk curtains covered the openings on either side.
Whatever they were in, it was moving.
"Ouch!" Mandy slid and bumped against one side.
Vinnie slammed into her.
Then they both slid to the other side.
Vinnie tried to stand up, but he banged his head against the low ceiling.
"We're trapped in a moving box," cried Vinnie.
He poked his head between the silk curtains.
"Whoa!" he gasped.
Mandy looked too. "Wow!" she cried.
"No wonder we're bouncing around!"
The children were in a kind of little house on long poles.
Two men were carrying them.
Fancier and bigger houses on poles were behind and in front of them.
Men with swords rode on horses everywhere.
"We're in some kind of parade," cried Vinnie.
"Look at that, Mandy!"
Vinnie pointed to two horsemen.
They carried a flag with a symbol of two birds on it.
People in the street bowed their heads as they passed.
Mandy ducked her head back inside and noticed their clothes.
"Look at what we're wearing!" she cried.
They wore robes with wide belts around their waists.
"What's this backpack thing?"
Vinnie pointed to some folded fabric on Mandy's back.
"I don't know.
But my legs feel crushed," complained Mandy.
"I can't move them around."
Mandy tried to kick her legs, but her skirt was too tight.
"These look like Japanese kimono," said Vinnie.
"That's it! We're in Japan!" she exclaimed excitedly.