“That’s brilliant,” declares Win, and together we roll the snowball around and around until we’ve got a great fat ball.

I look at the sloping bed of the cart. “If we make it any bigger, we won’t be able to push it into place.”

Win peers over the wall and through the thinning smoke. “We need to get it up there right now,” he whispers. “They’re close.”

I look toward the shore: still no rainbow. “Let’s do it.”

We push the giant snowball up onto the cart. It’s gigantic, massive, but there’s just one problem: now we’ve got it up on the cart, we can’t move. As we struggle to hold it in position, Win looks at me with a grin. “I know this is scary, Arthur, and that Rose has gone, and that something bad might be waiting for you in the Box, but I can’t wait to see this baby fly. It’s going to be like bowling scarecrows!”

“That’s the plan,” I say, keeping my eyes glued on the figures moving toward us. We can see them, but I don’t think they can see us. The smoke has cleared now, but our onesies are white and it’s begun to snow. We’re camouflaged. Even so, I feel exposed as we stand by the cart, our arms quivering under the weight of the snowball.

“They’re nearly here,” I whisper, and Win gets out his wand, ready to do the hanky paws spell.

Crowky is at the head of the pack. He’s leaping forward, half running, half flying. The only thing slowing him down is the Box. It’s big and it slips and slides in his hands. His scarecrow army jog behind him, trying to keep up.

Snow sticks to my eyelashes and face, but I don’t move. When Crowky reaches the signpost to the village, he stops and looks around. His button eyes move slowly from left to right, then they settle on us . . . I hold my breath.

“Now?” whispers Win, wand ready.

I shake my head because Crowky’s eyes are moving again. The snow and our fur onesies have made us invisible. He hoists the Box in front of his face, and strides straight toward us. He’s in the perfect position.

“Now?” asks Win.

“No,” I whisper. “We need him to be close so he can’t jump out of the way.”

Win’s eyes widen. “Got it! But I’ll do the spell now so the snowball is rock hard and ready to go.”

“No, Win, the smoke!”

But already he’s tapping his wand and hissing, “Hanky paws!”

A puff of bright purple smoke billows around our faces and the snowball trembles. Crowky looks up and a smile creeps over his face. He puts the Box on the ground. “I spy Arthur Trout!” he cries.

Win gasps. “I’m sorry, Arthur!”