Page 92 of Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes

“See?” said Rudy. “Told ya.”

“Could we ask your parents?” asked Aiden.

“No way,” said Rudy. “They don’t want anyone down here.”

“What about your brothers?” asked Brynne.

Rudy made a face.

“I think I might have an idea—” started Mini, but Rudy interrupted as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Maybe there’s a button on it?” tried Rudy.

Mini cleared her throat and said in a near-whisper: “I, um, I said I had an idea—”

“Aru?” said Rudy. “Any ideas?”

Hurt flashed across Mini’s face.

Aru looked pointedly at her sister and said through their mind link,You are the daughter of the god of death.

Let him know, added Brynne.

Mini’s expression changed to one of cold determination. A flash of violet light burst around her.

“IsaidI had an idea,” said Mini, holding up her Death Danda.

Rudy looked up, stunned. The purple glow highlighted the straight, glossy black strands of Mini’s hair and her wide chocolate-brown eyes. He blinked.

“Gimme the key,” she said, holding out her hand.

Rudy, still struck dumb, nodded and handed it over.

Mini examined the prism in her palm. “The reason no one knows what to do with this is that it demands human ingenuity,” she said. “Notmagic.”

“Human ingenuity?” scoffed Rudy.

“Humanscience,” said Mini, walking past him. “You said the key can turn into three states: ice, liquid, and gas. That meanswateris the answer.”

Mini seemed to know instinctively what to do. She twirled the prism, and water rushed out from one end in a stream, as if it were a hose. Mini sprayed down the entire structure, then flipped the key in her hand, concentrating as she mouthed the wordice. Frost climbed up the Anywhere Elevator, until it looked like it was laced over in silver.

“My great-great-great-grandfather was a historian and my great-great-great-grandmother was an engineer, and there’s this story in my family about how they worked together to break open a safe by pouring water over the metal cracks and then freezing it,” said Mini. “When the whole thing froze over”—loud crackling sounds started popping in the air—“the expansion of the water molecules made it burst open.”

The Anywhere Elevator fractured, the metal panes clattering to the ground and revealing a glass elevator within, complete with six huge armchairs and matching pillows. The top of the elevator seemed to dissolve into the air, so that it looked like a half-finished crystal cube that could end up, well,anywhere.

The Potatoes stared at Mini in silence. Mini held herself utterly still, then stepped forward and dropped the key in Rudy’s hand.

YES, blasted Brynne through the mind link.

Aru started clapping.

“One, that was awesome,” said Brynne. “But two…Why would your great-great-great-grandparents need to break into a safe?”

Mini shrugged. “I havenoidea.”

Aru wanted to ask more about Mini’s interesting ancestors, but the Anywhere Elevator beckoned. Brynne and Aiden entered first, with an unconscious Kara floating beside them. Rudy went to the elevator and blocked Mini and Aru from entering.

“I…I was hoping I could come and help out?” said Rudy, looking straight at Mini. “Seriously. Tell me what to do!”