Mully's voice changed back to her ordinary mom voice. "Maybe I could tell you that later, honey, once we've actually won the battle?"
"Oh yes, of course! Thanks, Mully! Over and out."
Nicola picked up her binoculars. She could see the Volcomanians slamming frustrated fists against the sides of the tanks.
Shimlara's voice came over the radio.
"They're freaking out! They don't know what to do!"
Her voice changed abruptly. "Bad news! Dad just read one of the Volcomanian captain's minds. He's starting to suspect it's a trick. He's noticed the soldiers on horseback aren't getting closer."
Nicola felt a shot of adrenaline. It was time for their final move.
"Come in, Sean," she said.
"Yeah, Nic?"
"We need Mrs. Mania right now."
"Gotcha."
Nicola hung up the radio and bit her lip.
Shimlara's voice came over the radio again, filled with trepidation. "Nicola! The suspicious captain is about to order his men to charge up the mountain!"
At that moment, a familiar voice rang out across the valley.
"Soldiers of Volcomania! This is Mrs. Mania, your commander in chief! I order you to lay down your weapons!"
"Why is she saying that?" asked the princess.
"It's not really Mrs. Mania. It's Poppy the waitress," explained Nicola. "She's an actress. Of course, we had to make it look like they were losing the battle first before we used her. Otherwise it would have looked too suspicious."
"She sounds exactly like her," said the princess. "I approve!"
Shimlara's voice crackled over the radio again. "They're falling for it!"
Nicola looked through the binoculars and saw the soldiers carefully placing their weapons on the ground with confused expressions on their faces.
"Now put your fists in your armpits and flap your arms like chickens! "
That was obviously Sean's idea. Was it going too far? Nicola grinned as she saw the Volcomanian soldiers obediently flapping their arms.
"Now say cluck cluck--"
"STOP RIGHT THERE! "
Another voice boomed across the valley.
Nicola clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Have you got two actresses playing Mrs. Mania?" asked Princess Petronella.
"No," said Nicola frantically. "That's the real Mrs. Mania!"
Mrs. Mania and her son had been taken to observe the battle from a convenient tower overlooking the valley (normally used as a poet's retreat) under the guard of the released prisoners. How had she escaped? There had been at least fifty prisoners keeping watch over her!
Nicola's radio crackled with worried cries from the other members of the Space Brigade.