“That’s not what I told you to do!” Magdalena yelled.

The grindle ignored her. Eleni, back to fighting with Six, dodged out of the way of its claws. Seamus, watching the beast approach, seemed to forget all about controlling the flies and bees, which Sam now swatted away easily.

The grindle was growing angrier as its injured body was forced to move. It lurched to the side, falling on one shoulder as its organic muscles failed. But Sam told the hydraulic parts to take over, and they did. The monster stood again. It turned its yellow eyes on Magdalena.

To Sam’s surprise, she walked towards it, shaking her good hand angrily as she repeatedly pressed something on her phone. She was acting as if it was a dog disobeying her commands, and not some giant beast capable of tearing her to shreds with one swipe of its claws.

Now she was right underneath it, screaming at it to do as she said. She turned and pointed at Sam.

Sam told the grindle what to do. It bent down and picked Magdalena up in its mouth. She kicked and punched at it as it rose into the sky, standing up on its rear legs until it towered over everyone watching. Then it kept going, tumbling backwards over the edge of the roof. Sam closed his eyes as it disappeared, hating that he’d had to do it. But both Magdalena and her creations were too dangerous. He’d made the right choice.

When he opened his eyes again, Seamus was staring at him. But for some reason the defiant look was gone from his face and he looked frightened instead. “You did that,” he said. “You made it take her.”

Sam nodded. “I did,” he said.

Seamus turned and ran, heading for the open door to the stairways. Sam started to go after him, but stopped when Six called his name. He turned around.

“Let him go!” she shouted. “Nemo and Ghost are on the statue, and they’re hurt. Help them.”

Sam didn’t understand what she meant at first. Then he realized she meant the statue of Saturn. But he couldn’t see where Nemo and Ghost might be. His eyes scanned the enormous structure, still finding nothing.

“The ring!” Six yelled.

Now he understood. He ran over to the base of the statue and started to climb the ladder affixed to its side. Eleni threw fireballs at him, which Six pushed aside. Then he was inside the giant sphere, and all he could hear was the sounds of Six and Eleni continuing to fight. The lights inside the planet were dazzling, almost blinding as they twinkled merrily, oblivious to the battle raging around it.

He found the little door that opened to the ring and pushed himself through it. Then he inched onto the ring itself, staying on his hands and knees as he circled Saturn, looking for the girls. He found them a quarter of the way around, huddled against one another.