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also a parked hovership that Diana recognized—the
Condor
, George Lane’s personal vessel.
    The hovership the Winterpole agents were aboard started to descend.
Guess that’s where we’re headed
, Diana thought, plunging her head back into the oversized helmet.
    â€œGo, go, go!” Mister Snow ordered as the hoverships landed and the doors slid open. Winterpole soldiers spilled out of the ships like plastic army men from overturned toy chests, piling up on top of each other. Diana carefully followed Mister Snow out of the ship as he stepped over the fallen agents, who looked quite comical in their iceberg helmets and three-piece suits.
    Diana took a breath of the salty sea breeze. The wind was quite pronounced, which she supposed made sense. After all, the continent was moving speedily toward Australia. Despite the impending danger, Diana found the air quite pleasant.
    George Lane approached, wiping his hands on a grease-stained rag. He wore a sweatband high on his forehead so his poofy auburn hair went straight up like a volcanic eruption. At the inventor’s side was the seven-foot-tall crow, 2-Tor.
    â€œDid you forget that Winterpole has no jurisdiction over the eighth continent?” George asked without a trace of fear.
    Mister Snow showed his best sneer to his adversary. “Actually, that’s no longer an issue.”
    â€œCome again?” George Lane blinked.
    â€œWinterpole may intervene if one landmass threatens another; and, as I’m sure you’re aware, this ‘continent,’ as you like to call it, is currently barreling toward Australia.”
    â€œThat’s one of the kinks I’m working out.”
    â€œYou call the imminent demise of twenty-three million people ‘a kink’? I’m not sure if it was your negligence, incompetence, or propensity for evil, Mister Lane, but you’ve managed to cause quite a bit of havoc. And so, I’m delighted to inform you that you, George Lane, are under arrest.” Mister Snow whipped a thick piece of cyber paper out of his jacket and showed it to George. The text glowed.
    â€œNegative! Negative!” squawked 2-Tor. “You may not take him.”
    â€œAh, but we will!” Mister Snow snapped in response.
    â€œI say, over my feathered body!”
    Mister Snow signaled his agents. Diana flinched as two dozen ice cannons opened on 2-Tor simultaneously. When the mist cleared, the formerly robotic crow was barely visible through the thick block of ice that now encased him.
    Furious, George snatched the cyber paper from Mister Snow’s hand and moved to tear it. He grimaced and strained, hunching over to get leverage, but the cyber paper just stretched and creaked like old leather. It wouldn’t rip.
    Mister Snow and the other agents laughed at George’s frustration. Diana was the only one who didn’t.
    George threw the cyber paper on the ground in disgust. “You shouldn’t have frozen my bird.”
    â€œAh, yes, get angry.” Mister Snow licked his lips with more relish than a jumbo hot dog. “Poor Georgey. No more excuses. No more escape plans. Now, at long last, you are coming with us.”
    â€œDidn’t we do this once already?”
    â€œYes, but last time I could only place you under house arrest. This time I have the authority to take you to the Prison at the Pole.”
    Defiantly, George said, “I’m not afraid of the Prison at the Pole.”
    Mister Snow snorted. “Give it time to convince you.”
    The agents laughed uproariously. George Lane looked shattered as they bound his wrists behind his back with a squid-cuff and dragged him onto one of the hoverships.
    As Mister Snow watched the agents carry his adversary away, Diana approached. “Mister Snow, I’d like to take a squad and inspect the compound. My guess is that the Lanes were working on a way to stop the continental collision. Maybe we can find their research and use