He walked over to the picnic blanket where the aunts were sitting. They watched him bend down and show the Shobbling aunt the button around his neck.
A few minutes later he was back with a big grin on his face.
"So?" said Nicola.
"It lets you unbutton your mistakes," he said.
"What do you mean?"
"She said if you make a mistake that you can't fix any other way, you just hold the button between your fingertips and say, 'Let that moment retake, so I can unbutton my mistake.' You'll get a second chance to fix things. Nobody else except you will ever remember you made the mistake."
"Gosh." Katie carefully held up her button and looked at it with awe.
"I bet it doesn't work," said Greta. "It seems very unlikely to me."
"I wonder what technology it uses," said Tyler.
"Well, I'm always making mistakes," said Shimlara. "It should come in very handy."
"That's the other thing," said Sean."She said you can only use it once. That's why it's called a limited edition. She said to make sure you only use it for a really serious mistake."
CHAPTER 34
"So this is your army, Nicola?" said Georgio doubtfully.
It was later that afternoon. Nicola looked at the huge crowd of Whimsians gathered in front of the prison camp. They had all responded to Henry Sweet's "Call to Arms" the night before. Not surprisingly, there was no electronic means of communication on Whimsy. Instead, messages were sent on miniature scrolls of parchment, carried by white doves in their beaks.
"At least everyone seems very busy," said one of the United Aunts.
This was true. Artists feverishly painted huge canvases. Sculptors were up to their elbows in wet clay.
"They might not look like an army--" said Nicola to Georgio.
"You've got that right!"
Before Nicola could say any more, Henry Sweet hurried up to her, wringing his hands. "The artists are arguing over color schemes. This is unexpectedly stressful. I might need to lie down."
"You can lie down once we've won the war, Henry," said Nicola. She looked up at the sky. Whimsy's giant sun had begun to slide toward the horizon. "We haven't got long before sunset."
"Maybe you could take us through your strategy one more time, Nicola?" said Georgio.
"She doesn't have time," said Mully. "We're going to have to trust the Space Brigade. They've proven themselves before. I think their plan is very . . . creative."
"That's one word for it," said Georgio grimly.
"Do you have any other ideas, Dad?" asked Shimlara impatiently.
"Not exactly," admitted Georgio.
"Then instead of complaining, maybe you could be asking how you could help!"
"Putting aside your rather undaughterly tone, you make a good point," said Georgio. He turned to Nicola. "How can we help?"
"Everyone has been assigned to a platoon," said Nicola."So I suggest you report to your platoon leader and await orders."
"Aye, aye, sir!" Georgio saluted Nicola as if she were a ship's admiral. "Who is my platoon captain?"
Shimlara smiled. "That would be me, Dad."