After them!” Sarah shouted.

Jacob watched the space monkey ship swerve erratically as it headed for the exit of the space kapow detour. He wasn’t sure whether their swerving was a strategy to keep Lucy off the trail or whether the monkeys just weren’t very good drivers.

“Children,” Lucy said. “The monkeys have sent us a message.”

“What do they want?!” Sarah asked.

“It’s the word ‘banana’ repeated seven hundred times.”

The end of the detour was looming, and when they exited Jacob knew the monkeys’ ship could go in any direction. Lucy didn’t have any nets or weapons, and there was no way to catch them. They would be forced to follow the monkey ship wherever it was going, and Jacob would surely miss the deadline to announce his candidacy.

“Do we have any bananas?” Sarah asked.

There was no way to get Dexter back that didn’t involve giving in to the monkeys’ demands. And Jacob knew that wasn’t an option. “We can’t,” he said quietly.

“We can’t what?” Sarah asked.

Jacob stared at the floor. “We can’t give them what they want. I can’t show weakness.”

“Weakness?!” Sarah shrieked.

“We can’t negotiate with space monkeys,” Jacob said, seeing things with sudden clarity. He would soon be making decisions that would impact the entire universe, and it meant he had to think about more than just himself and his friends. “Word will get out in space that all you have to do to intimidate me is to kidnap my friends. I can’t take that risk.”

Sarah’s jaw jutted out and her face flushed. She stood in front of Jacob and stared down at him. “Jacob Wonderbar,” she said quietly. “Do you remember how you felt when you found out I had gone chasing after the diamond instead of rescuing you on Numonia? Do you remember how mad you were? Are you seriously telling me you are not going to go and rescue your best friend after he’s been kidnapped by space monkeys?!”

Jacob turned his chair away and faced the control panel. “Lucy, please call Officers Bosendorfer and Erard.”

“Fine,” Lucy said.

“What are you doing?” Sarah asked.

After a few rings, someone picked up the intercom with a very loud and very long yawn. “Space officers,” Officer Bosendorfer said finally. “I hope this isn’t an emergency.”

“Officer Bosendorfer, this is Jacob Wonderbar. I’d like to report a kidnapping. My friend Dexter has been taken by space monkeys, and…”

“Oh, this is ridiculous,” Sarah said. “What are they going to do?”

“I agree with the girl,” Officer Bosendorfer said. “What are we going to do? I hate space monkeys.”

“Space monkeys?” Officer Erard said in the background. “Ugh. Tell them we’re cracking a very important case.”

“We’re cracking a very important case,” Officer Bosendorfer said. “It’s terribly urgent. It’s the Case of the Cracked… um, Case. Crime of the century.”

Jacob’s voice had an edge. “Are you space officers aware that I’m running for president of the universe?”

“Absolutely, Future President Wonderbar! I would vote for you twice if I could. Three times! It’s just that these space monkeys are—”

“And are you aware that if I’m elected I will be able to pass laws about space officers and what happens to them when they refuse their responsibilities?”

“But—” Officer Bosendorfer said.

“And that I will be sure to remember which space officers were helpful to me before I was elected?”

There was a very long silence on the other end of the line. “Understood, Future President Wonderbar, Your, uh, Eminence. We will certainly find your friend.”

“Good,” Jacob said.

“And might I add,” Officer Bosendorfer continued, “that your wisdom is a beautiful pearl that beacons in the stars of, um, space. May your reign be filled with the…”

Jacob switched off the intercom.

“They’re not going to find him,” Sarah said. “We have to do it ourselves.”

Jacob stiffened in his chair. “I’m announcing my candidacy on Planet Headline in a few hours. That’s my job, the space officers will do theirs, and if they don’t, I’ll replace them. I can’t go chasing after space monkeys. Dexter will be okay.”

Sarah slapped the wall. “I want no part of this. You hear me? None.” She stormed down the stairs and Jacob heard the door to her stateroom slam shut.

Jacob stared out at the starry canopy of space. “Presidents have to make tough choices,” he said to himself.