“That’s not going to do anything, Ahmad!”

“We don’t know that!” Ahmad flung out a soggy pita over the water. It sank. He tossed another.

“Ahmad. Ahmad, stop.”

Winnie grasped his arm, and then her jaw hung as she saw why Ahmad had actually stopped. The bread was growing, spreading out over the water like a flotation device—or maybe a very brown, very soggy piece of paper towel. As the water receded, there was something silvery and round and very large in its depths.

“The marble,” Ahmad whispered. “It is magnetic.”

The Machi Men clung to it, and Ahmad and Winnie watched as metallic lips turned upward and unhinged jaws clacked together happily.

“It’s working, it’s working!” Winnie squealed, tapping Ahmad’s arm excitedly.

As soon as the last Machi Man was attached to the marble, it started rolling toward the boat. Ahmad’s and Winnie’s joy died quickly.

“That thing is going to crash into the side of the boat, Titanic-style!” Winnie shrieked.

Ahmad was already drawing down his hoodie, letting the water spatter against his bare head.

“Ahmad, what are you doing?” Winnie demanded.

“Winnie, I need you to grab hold of my legs and pull me back into the boat once I’ve been able to touch the marble and make it shrink back again,” Ahmad said calmly, rolling up his sleeves.

“Are you serious? Ahmad, that water is churning! It’ll just sweep you away!”

“It’s that or we pull the marble aboard and let the boat sink with the weight of it,” Ahmad pointed out. “I’ll be fine. Can I trust you to keep a firm grip?”

“I’ll hold on to the oars,” Vijay Bhai added from behind them. “Along with your”—he peered at T.T. and the mouse gave him an anxious look—“other friend.”

Winnie stared hard at Ahmad and then sighed.

“Of course I won’t let go of you.”

“I know you won’t. So we’re both good,” Ahmad said, smiling.

He took a deep breath and leaned over the side of the boat, waiting until he could feel Winnie get a grip on his legs. He reached out, farther and farther. He could see the reflection of his face in the marble’s shiny surface. If he could just stretch out his fingers . . .

“Thank you for your service,” he grunted, reaching out, “but I’m going to need you to . . . shrink!”

His fingers connected. Beneath them, the marble shrank, tumbling for the water. He made a final lunge and caught it between his hands, complete with the mini Machi Men attached to its sides.

“I’ve got it!” he crowed. His joy was short-lived as he realized he was teetering for balance.