Randall smiled coolly. “The kid’s got some backbone.” Then he suddenly grimaced in pain. “Gotta go now. Good luck, everyone.”

The hedgehog wobbled, struggling to remain upright before falling forward on her nose. “What … who … ” Brianna’s words slurred.

Lois picked her up and cradled her like a newborn child. “It’s okay, baby. You just helped us in a huge way.”

Brianna rubbed her face furiously with her paws. “Good … I guess. But why do I feel all yucky?”

Henry laughed. “Because Randall was using you to talk to Coralis!”

“Oh, gross! Mega-cooties!” And she rubbed her face viciously against her mother.

“Thanks to Randall, we know what Dai She is planning to do,” Coralis said gravely. “But I fear that knowledge may have come too late. The instruments he has at his disposal have power far beyond anything we can counteract. I know of these crystals. It was big news when they were discovered. The media referred to the cave as Superman’s Ice Palace—though I’m at a loss to explain the meaning.”

“It’s a reference to the Fortress of Solitude,” Henry explained. “It’s Superman’s secret home somewhere in the Arctic, and it’s made of enormous ice crystals.”

Coralis stared blankly at him, and Serena stifled a giggle.

Brianna rolled her eyes. “Geek.”

He blushed. “Just trying to help.”

“He can leap tall buildings in a single bound,” said Joseph. “Did you know that in the original comic, Superman could not fly? Only later did he exhibit powers like flight and X-ray vision.” He smiled widely at the perplexed faces of the group. “What? Did you think an old chief could not enjoy a good comic book?” And into Henry’s mind he said, “Later I will show you my collection.”

Henry was immediately pumped. He felt like he, too, had superpowers. “Let’s beat this guy! C’mon, Coralis, look at us! We’re the underdogs, but we’re a force to be reckoned with. All we need is a plan.”

“Henry.” Coralis sighed. “All cultural references aside, we are talking about the ultimate lethal combination.” He ticked off on his fingers. “The greatest natural powers of the Earth, energy from the most evil moon in centuries, the resurrection of the vilest Wand Master in history, and the Corsini Mappaemundi—one of the most powerful instruments ever, created by a Wand Master of the original Council of Aratta.” His voice had risen in volume with each point.

“Ah,” said Joseph. “But we also have a secret weapon.” And he smiled like a cat that had just swallowed a canary.

Chapter Thirty-Three

“I told you earlier that the tunnel leading to this room was an old mine shaft, which we had closed,” said Joseph. “The mining activity encroached on the sacred room, and we couldn’t allow that. But another reason we stopped it was that the miners were approaching the richest and most pure layer of uranium known to man.”