“NOOOO! Let go!” I shrieked.

He tugged hard, and I cried out in pain. I tried to grab his hands and pull them away. But I wasn’t strong enough.

Jackson started to windmill his arms again.

Cranium made a gulping sound. Again, he began to gasp and struggle for breath.

Red-faced, he locked his eyes on Jackson. Jackson uttered a cry — and toppled onto his back on the floor. He tried to get up, but Inspector Cranium’s powers held him down.

He tightened his grip on my hair and pulled with all his strength.

Pain shot down my head … down the back of my neck. He almost lifted me off the floor!

Then I saw Nina standing very stiff and still. Her eyes were narrowed at Cranium’s hand. Nina gritted her teeth … concentrating hard.

I heard a sick popping sound. Then the crackle of bones breaking.

Cranium opened his mouth in a shriek of pain.

I felt his fingers fall away from my hair. I ducked hard and dropped to my knees.

Cranium was screaming and holding his hand in front of him. The hand looked as if it had exploded. His fingers were bent and broken and twisted in all angles.

“Too bad! Did you hurt your hand?” Nina shouted.

My head still throbbed. I brushed down my hair and scrambled across the room to Nina. “Thank you,” I said breathlessly.

“Let me down — now!” Cranium insisted. “You can’t do this to the Thought Police. You’ll never get away with it.” He waved his broken hand.

“Enough,” Nina murmured. She turned to her brother. “We have to lose this guy. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Artie nodded in agreement. “Yes. STAND BACK, everyone!”

“Finney knows that I’m here!” Inspector Cranium shouted from the ceiling. “He’ll bring other officers. You won’t get away from the Thought Police. I promise you! Your brains will all be drained!”

Artie turned to Jackson and me. “Stand out of the way! I’m going to use MY powers now!”

He waved us back. “My powers are a little different from yours,” he said.

“Like how?” I asked.

“Well … I can move time.”

Jackson and I both gasped. “You mean …”

“Let me DOWN!” Inspector Cranium boomed. “Let me down now, and I promise I’ll drain your brains quickly and painlessly.”

I realized Jackson was concentrating on something across the room. I followed his gaze. He was staring at what was left of the birthday cake. Just a big glob of chocolate on the cake plate.

The three of us watched as the hunk of cake floated off the plate … flew across the room … shot up fast … and smashed into Inspector Cranium’s angry face.

He sputtered and cursed, rubbing chocolate from his eyes.

Nina, Jackson, and I laughed. But Artie didn’t join us.

“Stand back,” he said. “Let’s see what I can do to solve the Cranium problem.”