"But don't you miss the excitement?" "It is the Kraken!" "We are going to die!" "The Kraken!" "{s:42}A T L A N T I S {s:34}MILO'S RETURN" "Eight thousand years ago, Atlantis sank beneath the ocean." "The great crystal, the source of its power, was hidden beneath the city." "Robbed of the heart of Atlantis, my people seemed doomed to slow extinction." "But now we are reborn." "Obby, hurry." "We must get back to the throne room." "Hold on." "Once again the heart of Atlantis shines upon us... healing us, making us strong." "We are using the power of the crystal to rebuild our city... and to restore our culture to greatness." "Under the light of the great crystal, my people are thriving again." "We have uncovered secrets lost for thousands of years." "The city is once again a centre of knowledge and learning... instead of a place of ignorance and fear." " Good day, Queen Kida." " Good day and be careful." "My father thought it better to hide the crystal... rather than risk the misuse of its power." "As queen, I can only hope I am doing the right thing." "How fitting." "The old king need never shed tears again." "Obby." "Obby." "All-All right." "Come on." "Show a little respect here." "I never thought the rebuilding of Atlantis would move so quickly." "I think we only understand a fraction of what the crystal can teach us." "Well, I know that none of it would be possible without you." "Okay, one rock." "You know, you're getting to look like one chubby lava dog." "What is it, Obby?" "What is wrong?" "Queen Kida." "There are intruders approaching the city." "Oh, my God." "This way, quick." "They're coming through the lava tubes." "Where is the patrol captain?" "I want them met with fliers." "Wait." "They're not intruders." "They're friends." "Oh, it is beautiful." "Yeah." "It's amazing what a little paint and spackle will do." "Audrey, what are you guys doing here?" "Just making sure you aren't making a mess of things down here." " Come here." " Hey." "Ah, two for flinching." "Why, thank you." "I hope my hay fever doesn't kick up." "Hello." " So, who wants to show me around the city?" " Oh, let me." " I will do it." " No, I saw her first." " No, no." " Me, me." " Me, me." " Boys, boys, you're both pretty." "We'll all go." "Mesdemoiselles." "Jeez, I missed you guys." "But why are you here?" " Is Mr Whitmore okay?" " Why don't you ask him yourself?" " Milo." " Mr Whitmore!" "Not only am I okay, but this crystal of yours makes me feel 20 years younger." "Of course, that still leaves me pretty old." "And this must be Princess Kida, although I guess it would be Queen Kida now." "And you must be Mr Whitmore." "Thank you." "You brought Milo to me and made all this possible." "Come." "Let us go inside where you can have something to eat." "I guess your decision to stay here wasn't as hard as I thought." "Save my life!" " You must try some of this." " Delicious." " N-Now, it's great to see you all again." " Magnifique." " Trust me, this is great." " Hm, not bad." "Pepper sauce." "Never leave home without it." "Puts a little giddy-up in every meal." "Also makes a fine paint remover." "Uh, Sweet, I think this food just moved." "Then you better eat it quick before it gets away." "Besides, when it's alive, you don't have to swallow so hard." "Just point them head first so they know which way to crawl." "Your grandfather would be proud of you, Milo." "You not only discovered a lost empire... you probably saved the world from Rourke's plans for the crystal." "And now you're helping restore Atlantis to its former glory." "That's quite a résumé for a cartographer." "I just wish he could be here to see all this... and to meet Kida." "Uh, yeah, well, it's great to see everybody together again... but something tells me it's not just for a little reunion." "Uh, I'm afraid you're right." "There's trouble on the surface." "I already had my doctor, digger, demolition expert, mechanic." "Each the top of their field." "But I came here for the one expert I didn't have... an expert on Atlantis." " But why would you need a..." " Several cargo ships have gone down in the north Atlantic." "The survivors say it was a sea monster." "We thought it might be the watchdog at your front door." " The leviathan?" " Right." "That's one big sea monster." "In the water, that's the last thing you wanna see." "Except maybe my Aunt Rose in a swimsuit." "Sweet woman, but very large-boned." "I'm glad it knew we were friends this time." "But there could be others out there." "My father had many such machines created." "He used the magic and science of the crystal to expand the borders of Atlantis." "That war nearly destroyed the world." "Well, it looks like his war may not be over." "Then Milo and I will go with you to the surface and end it." "Kida, you can't." "l-I mean, you're the queen." "The city repairs are well under way." "The counsellors can handle the everyday matters." "And I..." "I feel responsible for what my father did." "I want to understand his decision... and I am afraid the answers are not in Atlantis." "I feel bad." "You finally get to the surface... and it's so cloudy, there's nothing to see." "Everything in your world is new to me." "The sky, the clouds, everything on the ship." " What is this?" " That's a life preserver." "So you wear it and it preserves your life, like our crystals?" "No, no." "You throw it to someone in the water." "Oh, so it is a game?" "No." "You only throw it if someone is drowning." "Does that not make it hard for them to play the game?" "Two weeks we crisscross the North Sea and get nothing." "No squids, no jellyfish and no lobster from Atlantis." "We have to be sure, Vinny." "What if raising the crystal brought this leviathan to life?" "This could all be the fault of Atlantis." "I'd worry more about how we fight it than who's to blame." "Last time we shot at the leviathan, these things didn't even tickle it." "Eh, Audrey, if you keep hitting that thing... we're gonna be "tickled" all over these walls." "Yeah, yeah." "Like I don't know that." "Well, careful." "Doc Sweet's not here to glue us back together." "This time it's my special blend." "I start with a batter of gelatinous nitroglycerine... dribble it on a shaped charge of TNT... and top it with just a dusting of black powder... and oregano." "You can't make a bomb without oregano." "It makes a very nice "boom."" "Let the lobster chew on that." "Y-You know, I really don't think it is a leviathan." "The survivor called it the Kraken... a legendary Norwegian sea monster with arms a quarter mile long." "Nothing like what we saw in Atlantis." "But Atlantean inventors always base their designs on real animals, like the giant squid." "It may not be a leviathan, but it could still be an Atlantean war machine." "She's right." "No creature of flesh and blood... can bring down a steel cargo ship." "Something's got the ship!" "It's ripping open the launch doors." "My cheese!" "You can have it." "Get to the sub pods." "Vinny, we're gonna need that thing out of the way." "Coming up, extra oregano." "Launch when ready." "Next time, chilli powder." "Uh-oh." "That doesn't sound good." "It's pulling them down on the starboard side." "Where's Milo and Kida?" "I didn't see them launch." "Milo, are you there?" "Kida?" "Come on, come on." "Back-up batteries." "Time to back-up." " ...thing off my back while I look for Milo." " This is Milo." "We're on back-up batteries, sinking fast, no propulsion." " We have a major leak..." " Leaks." "Leaks." "And the view port is cracking." "If the ballast valves aren't blocked, you can flush the water by rerouting the pressure tubes and..." "Audrey, we are up to our rear ends in water." "It's no time for how-to books." "Okay, okay." "We're coming." " Jeez." " Well, you'd better hurry 'cause... we're about to hit an undersea mountain." "That is not a mountain." " Audrey!" " Got you covered, Milo." " Watch your right dive plane." " No problem." " Uh, where's the Kraken?" " It has disappeared." "At least it was not Atlantean." "Somehow, that doesn't make me feel any safer." "The creature buckled hull plates fore and aft." "We'll be lucky to get to the port for repairs." " I'll send a launch for you." " Don't worry about us, Captain." "Just take care of the Atlantean." "There's a fishing village to the northeast." "We'll be there when you finish repairs." "Whoa." "That's your sub pod." "That's not coming out of my pay cheque." "Okay, let's get to shore as soon as we can." "What's the matter, Vinny, afraid to play patty-cake with the sea monster, ooh?" "No." "I don't mind a little patty-cake... but I really don't wanna be here when the bombs on that sub pod hit bottom." "I guess fishing hasn't been too good lately, huh?" "That is not surprising." "No doubt that tentacled demon... devoured the local fish stocks long ago." " Then why is it still here?" " Because it doesn't eat fish any more." "Maybe that's why they built the village on the cliffs." "You don't want that thing showing up for dinner." " Not real friendly, are they?" " Ew, what is that smell?" "It's like rotting fish." "Why do you accuse such a thing?" "I have bathed." "Recently." "Hmph." "No appreciation for fine cologne." "Easy, Mole." "She's upwind of you." "I'd say it's more likely we're smelling all this mildew." "Everything is wet from the fog." "But you do need a bath." "Look at that." "Interesting way of attracting tourists." "Milo, we got company." "I am Edgar Volgud, the magistrate of this town." " What is your business here?" " Nice to meet you." " My name is Milo Thatch." " I doubt there is anything in Krakenstadt that concerns you." "And what about your town pet that nearly sank our ship?" "Your ship will be repaired at the shipyards of Tronheim." "You should leave soon." "The roads are treacherous after dark." "I'm sure they can start repairs without us." "We thought we'd stick around a while and enjoy the scenery." " Tronheim has excellent views." " All the same, we'll stay." "Miss Allyson is the innkeeper here." "She'll give you rooms for the night." "A driver will take you to Tronheim tomorrow." "I've seen that fellow before someplace..." "I think under a rock." "Reminds me of a leech, a worm." "A kind of, uh, salamanderish..." "Obby, no!" " He was born in molten rock." " Wasn't Volgud that statue guy?" "That would make him even older than he looks... which I gotta say is pretty darn old." "They say he made a deal with the devil to live forever... but forgot to ask for eternal youth." "This will drive the fog from your bones." " Thank you." " Merci, mademoiselle." "Thank you, Miss Allyson?" "Inger." "There is a darkness around Edgar Volgud... and that shadow has dimmed all that was happy here." "We would leave, but this inn is all we have." "It is no place for me to raise my little one." "Things will not change here until its power is broken." " Its?" "You mean Volgud's?" " Or the sea monster's?" "I will prepare rooms for you." "But do not cross Edgar Volgud... and leave as soon as you can." "They gotta work on their tourist industry." "Come on." "Just follow his lantern." " Where is that coming from?" " What is it?" "It is not of this Earth." "No." "That's a bird." "A very big gooney bird." "Or a, uh, puffin... with a very upset stomach." "Uh, no, it's voices." "I can't make out what they're..." " Where's Volgud?" " His light is gone." "We could be walking in circles." "We'd better head back to the village." "And which way would that be?" "Oh, over there." "Head for the lights before the fog closes in again." "Just a moment." "Listen to the gravel." " Not now, Mole." " But this is decomposed granite... which would mean we are headed for the cliff..." "Audrey!" "I'm okay." "For now." " Be careful, Milo." " I'm climbing down to you, Audrey." " Stay where you are." " Here I was, all set to take a walk." "Audrey, keep talking to me." "I said thank you very much for leading us off a cliff." "Hey, I was heading toward the village... lights." "Uh, I guess there's more going on here than sea monsters." "Oh, great." "Somebody's doin' hocus-pocus." "I hate hocus-pocus." "I..." "I can't reach." " I'll have to jump." " Uh, don't jump." " I'll climb down." " There's no room." "I have to jump." "Audrey, I'm the team leader, and I order you not to jump." "Oh, that's it!" " See?" " Audrey!" "You see, you cannot live without me." "Gather the possessions of the strangers... and burn them." "What's the matter, Volgud?" "You think we've got fleas?" "Gee." "You seem surprised to see us." "Definitely worm or leech." "Salamanders are too cute." "We'd like to hear more about Volgud's deal with the devil." "It is an old wives' story, a folk tale, nothing more." "Inger, we want to help." "Lives have been taken at sea, and I suspect in this town." "I would love to let my little one play outside again." "Long ago, the fish left the sea." "The town was in danger of dying." "A bargain was struck." "The souls of the people for the life of the town." " The Kraken?" " Sometimes known as the "devil fish."" "The town is provided for, but no one can leave." "And the sun has not shone since." "Folklore or not, there is a connection between the Kraken and this town." "Volgud hands out food and supplies from somewhere." "Maybe a hidden cave?" "I could search." "Would make a very nice boom." "Ha." "The answer is staring at you right in the face." "Regard." "How an igneous boulder... has been futilely disguised as sedimentary rock." "They might as well paint a road sign." "They look exactly the same to me." "Yeah, but you weren't raised by naked mole rats." "That would explain so much." "This is all from the sunken freighter." "There's Volgud." " Volgud is controlling the Kraken." " How?" " Table scraps and a rolled-up newspaper?" " He's not using table scraps." "It's some sort of mental power." "Look at the workers." "They look hypnotized." "I think he uses that power to enslave the creature... telling it what ships to attack." "If we can rattle Volgud's concentration, he'll lose control over the Kraken." "Tickling will be good." "Nobody can concentrate when they're being tickled." "Or, uh, a bomb." "A bomb is a very good distraction." "Shh!" "Wait." "Where's Audrey?" "Sacrebleu!" "Get Audrey." "I'll distract him." "What?" "But he's unconscious." "It should go away." "Audrey!" "Okay, now we try Plan B..." "Plan Bomb." "No." "Not at the creature." "At the ceiling." "How about picking the target before I light the dynamite, huh?" "Get to the sub pods." "We have to stop the Kraken from getting out." "Out of our way, barbarians!" "Talk to me, Mole." "We got to find that cave exit." "Our best chance to trap the Kraken is to seal him inside." "Audrey, you doing all right?" "Yeah." "Now." "Eww!" "It was creepy." "All cold and slimy." "Everything faded away like I was drowning." "Hey, pay attention!" "It is too dark to see." "Fire the magnesium flares." "What are you doing?" "We want to sneak up on..." "Jiminy Christmas!" "It's already out!" " Oh, stay clear of the tentacles." " No kidding." "I'm gonna take a shot." "It's no good." "I can't line up a decent shot." "We're on him." "Open wide." "It's chow time." "What are you waiting for?" "Fire the..." "Jeez!" "Tell him to watch his aim." "He almost hit Aud..." "Look out!" "Shoot at the squid, not us!" "Vincent has gone mad!" " His mind is a blank." " But Volgud..." "It's not Volgud." "It's the Kraken." "Of course." "The Kraken is the one with the mind powers." "It is okay." "I have distracted him." "Watch out!" "Monster on the move!" "Oh." "That was really strange." " I'm down to my last shot." " As am I." "Head back to the beach." "We've got to get on dry land." "No." "Are you crazy?" "You're heading right at it!" "I will distract him again." " Aah!" "I am blinded!" " It's Milo's sub pod." "It's got a full load of torpedoes." "We can blow them all at once." "Let's do it!" "You know, I think Mr Squid was a little bit hocus-pocus himself." "Oh, yeah, you won't find the Kraken in any biology book." "The curse is lifted, the fish are back... and the mildew has been scrubbed away." "So if something stinks now, uh..." "What?" "Why you do this with your hand?" "It is the fish." "For 8,000 years, I have lived with the same faces." "It is strange to meet new people." "And each new person has new thoughts, new ideas." "Your world has much to offer." "I hope one day my people, the people of Atlantis, can offer as much." "Well, there's no reason they can't." "Your people can make a difference to the world, like we did here." "Now that there's no Kraken, it's left to people like Inger Allyson... to raise their little ones in peace." "We can never thank them enough." "Now you can grow big and strong... and someday be the most important person in town." "Now give Mama a big hug." "Please tell me that's not the same stuff you fed us on the way to Atlantis." "Bet your sweet eyes it is." "Now I told you... it would keep and keep and keep." "And now it's yours to eat and eat and eat." "That's right, Margie." "They showed me all around the city." "Yeah." "It broke their hearts, but I need my space." "Kemot was too clingy." "Careful, Mole." "Obidalbedsugs aren't used to such a variety in their diet." "It's only a few assorted silicates I've been meaning to get rid of." "Oh." "It's good for the gums." "Hey, where's Kida?" "It's even more beautiful when the snow melts." "This time there was no leviathan." "But how do we know there are not other Atlantean weapons out there?" "Uh, not looking at the scenery, huh?" "Maybe the crystal's too powerful." "Maybe it should remain buried." "But your people, they've regained so much." "Could you put them in darkness again?" "What are the chances of another gas leak in a Chinese laundry?" "So that's my last flower shop." "But I'm thinking about buying a laundry." "So, I guess now that we know there's no leviathan on the loose..." " Excuse me." " You two will be heading back home to Atlantis." " Excuse me." " It's a laundry-slash-fireworks..." "But don't be in such a rush." "Take some time to see the world." "Plane fare is on me." " That's very generous, Mr Whitmore." " May I have your attention, please?" "Hmm, that's better." "It's Dr Sweet." "There's trouble in the Southwest." "Sam's a long-time field agent of Mr Whitmore's." "He's best at digging up hard-to-find objects." "Only this time, I think something found him." "And you say he mentioned killer coyotes in a sandstorm?" "Mm, no, not exactly." "More like a sandstorm made up of killer coyotes who were made up of sand." "And this is unusual in your world?" "Oh, yes." "More than a little bit." "But I do not understand why you wanted me here." "Because of this." "Milo, it is Atlantean." " Uh, where did you find this?" " You'll have to ask Sam." " I can't tell if he's breathing." " Eh, perhaps he is dead." "Oh, he's just sleeping." "After what he's been through, I'm sure he can use the rest." "Hey." "Aah!" "Get away, you furry carcass rats!" "It's all right, Mr McKeane." "You're safe now." "Mr Whitmore sent us." "Oh, good old Preston." "Best man I ever scavenged for." "Er, say, young fella, could you fluff up my pillow?" "Now, uh, how about a sip of water?" "My gullet's awful dry." " Ohh!" "Ow!" "Ow!" "Ow!" " What's wrong?" "Got a little sleepy in the foot." "And you say coyotes did this to you?" "No. 'Twernt no ordinary coyotes." "These was cantankerous sand coyotes." "'Twernt a lick of wind all day... but I sure heard it howlin' up on the mesas that night." "I thought I was loco when I saw them dust devils materializing in moonlight." "Their red eyes like to burn a hole right through my soul." "Came screamin' off that ridge like a pack of ghosts." "I ran back to my shack and bolted the door." "I figured I'd be safe if I stayed inside." "I was wrong." "Scratched me up like a two-sizes-too-small wool sweater on a hot afternoon." "Luckily, I had plenty of bacon grease to rub all over my hide... to ease the chaffing'." " Dinnertime." "Mr McKeane, what have we told you about the bacon grease?" "Works better than any of your darn fool fix-'em-ups." "I stood a better chance with them coyotes." " Is he going to be all right?" " Oh, yes." "We're moving him to the hospital in Scottsdale where he'll be their problem." "So where did you find this?" " In a pot." " What pot?" " In the crate." " What crate?" " In my shack." " What shack?" "Hmm." "I'm not surprised this is where he lives." "You saw the man eat, right?" "Lives like he eats... sloppy." "Maid's day off, huh?" "Quartz, uh, silicate, mixed with local clay." "Mm, uh, slightly nutty to the taste." "Nothing unusual." "Sand isn't the only thing here that's nutty." "Everything seems to have been rubbed smooth." "Even the windows are etched." "From the sand?" "McKeane said they were sand coyotes." "I see lots of sand, no coyotes." "No paw prints either." " Looks like the crate's..." " Missin'?" "Dang blame it!" "I know just what varmint done took it too." "It'd be that shifty-eyed, back-stabbin' rattlesnake Ashton Carnaby." "He runs a trading' post outside of town." "You best be careful." "He's slicker than a sweaty toad in a rainstorm." "Let's look around a little first." "We don't know for certain that this Carnaby guy took Sam's crate." "No, Obby!" "Stay!" "Stay!" "He's, uh, a Brazilian iguana." "Eats just about anything." "Trust me." "There are pieces here that are hundreds of years old." "Oh, look, an antique." "How are people to use these things if they're locked behind glass?" " It's for protection." " I know what the spear is for." "But why is it in a glass case?" "No, the glass case is for protection." "Wouldn't the spear be better protection than a glass case?" "Yes..." "No!" "It's there to protect from someone who might want to steal it." "Why would someone want to steal a glass case?" "Calcified limestone more than 25 million years old... from the Cenozoic Era." "Hydrated aluminium silicates with basalt... found primarily in the southern Colorado River Basin." "Plastic!" "Bleeck!" "Milo, it's just like an Atlantean guardian." "Well, not exactly." "It's been modified by Noshoni design." "Either way, I am buying it." "Ho ho." "That's what I like to hear." "Because I want to sell it." "The name's Carnaby." "Now, that painting's of Crystal Guardian... who crawled from the earth with weapons of blue fire." "He was a great teacher and healer of the sick." " Or so the legend goes." " How much is it?" "Well, that's a museum-class piece." "I'll bet there's a museum-class price to go with it too." " It is rare, and I've had offers." " Is this enough?" " Kida, that-that's a lot..." " Sold!" "One Crystal Guardian." "So, Mr Carnaby, where exactly do you get all of your artefacts?" "Well, uh, here and there." "But the older pieces are 100% authentic, I assure you." " Oh, I don't doubt that." " Well, we're looking for a crate... that may have been taken from Sam McKeane." "Who are you people?" "We're associates of Sam McKeane, and he's asked us to help locate the missing crate." "Uh, can't help you." "McKeane has a tendency to tell stories." "I think he gets lonely out there in the desert." "So you don't know anything about it?" "If McKeane lost a crate of pottery, that's not my problem." "What in the Red Rock River Valley are you doin'?" "Sampling the bowl." "It is very nice." "Would you like some?" "Well, that could have gone better." "Does it strike anybody as odd that Carnaby knows the missing crate contains pottery?" " Because I never mentioned what was in it." " You are right." "I don't trust that Carnaby." "Don't like him one bit." "Didn't like his attitude." "Didn't like his shifty little eyes." "Eyes are the windows to the soul, you know?" "How would you like to gaze into the windows of my soul?" "Hey, didn't we just pass that guy?" "Perhaps they are brothers?" "Twice is a coincidence." "But three times?" "I think someone's trying to tell us something." "Uh, hello." "Can we offer you a ride?" "It's a long walk to anywhere." "My name is Chakashi." "And, yes, a ride would be welcome." "Oh, he's, uh, Brazilian." "I'm familiar with all nature's creatures." "This one is also known to me." "You wouldn't happen to have a twin or two, would you?" "There are many Noshoni men who walk alone in the desert." "And we look all the same to the eyes of outsiders." "Ah, Crystal Guardian, our great teacher and protector." "He revealed many secrets to the Noshoni." "The path of the stars, the time to plant, how to heal themselves." "And like Crystal Guardian... we will also protect our sacred beliefs from outsiders." "Those who would plunder our lands to betray our secrets... will answer to the ancient forces of the desert." "A sandstorm?" "Where did that come from?" "We are followed." "There are ancient powers that will make certain our secrets are kept... and you, more than anyone, should understand this." "They're trying to drive us off the road." "I just put in that windshield." " He's gone!" " How?" "Where could he go?" "People, we got bigger problems." "They're in here with us." "No." "Dust doggies, go away!" "Ohh!" "This is just great!" "The intake's got a thirty-torque tolerance that's been blown... and the combustion valves need a new ring slip!" " I didn't quite get all that." " I build these engines from scratch." "I fend off lava dogs who eat the distributor caps." "And nobody told me I would have to deal with dust storm coyotes." "If they got sand in the manifold, I quit!" " Did you get it all that time?" " Every word." " We have returned." " We are back at the trading post." "Chakashi said there were ancient forces at work." "Uh, make a note to stay on their good side." "Better yet, no more picking up hitchhikers." "Hey, uh, I told you people to leave." " We have a couple of questions." " I've already answered your questions." "Pet iguana." "Eats anything..." "meaning you might be on the menu." "How do you know that the missing crate contains pottery?" "Uh, I don't." "Uh, I, uh..." "And what do you know about an old man who calls himself Chakashi?" "I know I got a shelf full of painted rocks of him inside." "Of course." "Chakashi." " The Noshoni wind spirit." " We gave a ride to a spirit?" "You can't really believe in that superstition." "Well, we were just attacked by a pack of phantom coyotes in a sandstorm." "The same restless spirits that came after Sam McKeane." "And whoever has that crate of pottery." "Save it." "I'm not superstitious." "Oh, I smell old pottery." " You had the crate all along." " Voilà!" "It's rubbed smooth.Just like the inside of McKeane's shack." " Well, there's no way you could prove it." " Sandstone, heavy red oxides, basalt... encrusted with the same silicate found in McKeane's shack." "Well, so what?" "McKeane found it in the desert... and then while he was in the hospital, I found it in his shack." "That is called stealing." "That's called commerce, honey." "Besides, McKeane's the only one who knows the location of where the pot came from." "Judging from the high alkaline content..." "I would say it came from a cave on the south face of the Mogollon Rim... fifteen miles north of here." "Mm-hmm." "He's good." "Dirty, but good." "Well, you know, maybe I didn't take things seriously enough." "There are a lot of old tales and mysteries out here in the desert... and the coyotes you encountered are a good example." "I thought you didn't believe." "Well, I sure don't want to end up like McKeane." "So maybe if the pot's returned, that'll settle these restless spirits." "I, Gaetan Moliere, have done it." "I have found the subterranean gateway... that is the very threshold to the unknown!" " Ah." "It's just a hole." " A hole?" "Blaah!" "Look at the lines in the basalt." "The beauty of the erosion." "The poetry of the clay." " This is not a hole." "It is a tunnel." " Huh." "I don't care what you call it." "Just tell me it's big enough to hide in." "'Cause we got company!" "Inside!" "Quick!" "I will save us!" "Milo." "Holy cats!" "None of this should exist." "Not in the same place." "It's a blending of every culture from Idaho to Peru." "Noshoni, Aztec, Mayan, Olmec." "My people were here." "Ohh!" "Crystal Guardian was an Atlantean." "His teaching influenced all these cultures." "A little bit of Atlantis goes a long way." "Carnaby, that old pot can fit on any of those ledges." "Carnaby?" " What is that?" " Sorry." "It was me." "Hold on." "That was not me!" " Carnaby!" " Oh, about the pot." "It looks like I'm going to be keeping it along with everything else in here." "That home-made prairie grass mixture makes a good sleeping gas... wouldn't you agree?" "Carnaby, you snake!" "Naturally, I can't let you go free to tell the world about my discovery." "I mean, where's the profit in that?" "What?" "Carnaby!" "Nice nap?" "Hope the rocks weren't too uncomfortable." "Oh, no." "This particular aggregate is very nice." "One of my favourites." " You will not get away with this." " Mm, let's see." "I trap you and your friends in this cave... and then I take all the treasure for myself... but I think I'll get away with it." "I knew there was something shifty about you." "Didn't I say so?" "I said, "I don't trust that Carnaby." "Don't like him one bit." "Don't like this attitude." "Don't like his shifty little eyes."" "And don't forget." "The eyes are the windows to the soul." "Mm-hmm." "That's right." "I said that too." "Well, you and your friends will have a long time... to discuss how you feel about me while I'm gettin' rich." "We have found evidence of my people here." "We cannot let him destroy it." "Mr Carnaby, obviously we've had some sort of miscommunication here." "I don't see any reason why we can't work something out." "Save your breath, junior." "You're gonna need it." "Happy trails." "It's no use." "If there was only some way to cut these ropes." " Obby!" " Obby, come on, boy." "Wake up." "Wake up!" "That's it." "Okay." "Enough!" "No!" "No!" "Get the ropes!" "The ropes!" " Good boy." " No!" "Take care of the dynamite first!" "Oh, uh, yeah, yeah." "Right, right." "Kida!" "You've managed to be more trouble than I expected." "I'll just take care of you myself..." "Ohh!" "Oh, now you done it." "Gone and made us mad." " Uh, what is this?" " Retribution." "Anyone out here got a doggy bone?" " What happened to Carnaby?" " He is with us now." "You seem like good people." "I'm sorry." "The secrets of the ancient ancestors must remain a secret." "You will not be allowed to leave." "Chakashi, we also carry a great secret." "Thus, we can keep yours as well." "What is this secret?" "Prove to me that it is as great as what you see around you." " We can't." " Very well." "You have decided your fate." "If you had told me your secret..." "I would have known I couldn't trust you with mine." " Hmph." "It was a trick question." " Must be the coyote in me." "Kida of Atlantis, you and I are not so different." "Your people touched the corners of the globe, teaching and healing." " Doing great good." " But they also did great harm... almost destroying the world and themselves." "My father feared the temptation to abuse our power would be too great." "So he hid it away." "The secret you carry is neither good nor bad." "A strong leader must have the wisdom to know when to share that knowledge." "It would be wonderful if my people did not need to remain hidden... to have them walk the surface of the world again." "It is your choice." "Whoa!" "That was impressive." "I would have been more impressed if Chakashi had dropped us off on the ground." "A winter thunder storm?" "!" "It's strange, all right." "Started early this morning." "But I guess you had your share of weird weather in the southwest." "It was okay." "Except for how I keep finding sand everywhere." "I could go for some warm weather about now." "Maybe get a tan." " Sorry I missed it." " Oh, no, you are not." "There were dust doggies everywhere." "But I did find this very tasty bowl." "Well, Mr Whitmore, Kida and I had better be going because..." "Atlantis is waiting." " I know." "Just as well." " What?" " Ah, we had break-in last night." " Are you okay?" "Yes, I'm fine." "But it burns me that someone could waltz right in here... and steal something right off my wall..." "an ancient Norwegian spear." "Kind of a fancy old letter opener." "What you needed was a glass case to protect it." "He must have come in the middle of the night." "By the tracks I found, he had some kind of dog with him." "The real strange thing is, near as I can tell, there's no sign of forced entry." "Whoever it was knew exactly what they were looking for and helped themselves." "With this Spear of Destiny... shall I, Odin, king of the northern gods... end this world." "Why would someone take an old spear... when there's so much other junk around?" "Don't get me wrong." "It's, uh, all good junk." "I'm more interested in these scorch marks on the floor." "Like lightning struck here." "Obby!" "It cannot be the lightning." "See for yourself." "There's no hole in the roof." "No black powder." "Not explosives." "Fire did not fall from the sky in Atlantis like it does here." " I do not like it." " Yeah, me neither." "Mr Whitmore..." "I'm thinking that wasn't any ordinary spear, was it?" "Do I own anything that's ordinary?" "Regardless, I do have a good idea who took it." "The man's name is Erik Hellstrom." "Son of a gun was a fierce competitor of mine." "Built a shipping empire with cruise liners." "When he bought the biggest dang castle in the old country... and named it Asgard... the press dubbed him "The Modern Odin."" "Yeah, he liked being treated as a god, and he lived like one... until the stock market crash sank his company." "He lost his money, his power and, I think, his mind." "Hadn't heard from him till he phoned last week... desperately trying to convince me to sell the spear to him." "Raving about Ragnarok." "What is Ragnarok?" "Doomsday in the old Norse myths." "But why did Mr Hellstrom want the spear?" "Seems to me I remember something about a spear in the Shepherd's Journal." " I found it." "Gunokneer." " Gesundheit." "No, no." "Gunokneer was the name of an Atlantean spear." "The spear Hellstrom stole from Whitmore was the same spear... an Atlantean spear." "Weapons of Atlantis contain untold power." "If the myths are right, that's an understatement." "At Ragnarok, the final night of the world..." "Odin will use the spear to summon the forces of chaos and destruction." "He's going to use the spear to bring about Ragnarok." " Armageddon." " Judgement Day." " The end of the world." "The end of Atlantis." "Of everything." " My father foresaw this." " Your father was trying to save his empire, Kida." "This guy's just frosted 'cause he's in the poor house." "F-F-Frosted." "It-It's Iceland, you see?" "So if Hellstrom is going to be stopped... it looks like you're going to Iceland." "Why can't Ragnarok be in Miami?" "You know, a nice, warm place." "I'm never gonna get a tan." " Kida?" " Milo... my father knew the power of Atlantis would be abused like this." "As king, it was his responsibility to do as he saw fit." "Perhaps it is the same with Hellstrom." "Yeah, but Hellstrom gave himself this crown... and he isn't trying to save anybody." "And that's a big difference." "We ought to be nearing Iceland." "And that name ain't just for show." "With any luck, this weather will lighten up." "We should not be flying in such a storm." "We'll crash." "We are too high above the dirt." "You know, the weather hasn't let up since Hellstrom stole that spear." " I wonder if..." " Coincidence, Milo." "Take over, Vinny." "I mean, come on." "The old gods affecting the weather?" "Well, there was that Indian wind god, spirit, whatever, Kraken." "Yeah, the Kraken might have been a god." "Maybe not." "Oh, Vinny!" "And that big Atlantis crystal... that was kind of like a god." "All I'm saying, we see a lot of strange stuff." "I'm, uh, just being open-minded." "Well, you let go of my plane that way... and I'll toss your open mind right into that soup." "But we are over land now." "Good solid land." "Yes." "Relax, Mole." "We've been over Iceland for minutes." "The land's as solid as..." "Uh, you're gonna want to take a look at this." "Hellstrom's castle?" "What did you call it?" "Asgard." "Home of the gods." "This is the power of the spear." "That's what I call "home improvement."" " Look out!" "We'll crash!" "We'll crash!" " Relax." "We're not going to crash into any mountain." "Unless it stands up." "You missed us." "That thing could have been a god." "Buckle up!" "We're going down!" "Piece of cake." "Oh, my beautiful land." " Mm!" "My lips!" " I am sorry for your flying machine, Audrey." "Easy come, easy go." "Uh, oh, look at the bright side." "Uh, w-we're alive." "But we're not exactly getting a warm welcome." "Maybe I'll give him a present." "Oh, great." "More hocus-pocus." "I bid you welcome... to the Hall of Odin." "Uh, listen, Mr Hellstrom, you've caught some bad breaks... but there's no reason to take it out on the world." " I know you." " It's the spear." "Its power is one of destruction." "It will destroy you, uh, all of us." "Ha!" "I know you." "You're the trickster..." "Loki." " You seek the power of my spear." " No." "You'll not trick me." "Stop, Mr Hellstrom." "Mm, my lord, Odin." "I know the power of your spear." "The same power almost destroyed my father." "Father?" "Of course." "Brunhilde, my daughter." "My Valkyrie." "You've come to rule the new world at my side." "No." "I am not your daughter... but I do care about you." "Kida!" "Neither man nor god will stop Ragnarok." "I cast thee out of Asgard... to your doom." " Do not drop me." " You could lay off the eclairs, you know." "I cannot help it." "It's the creme filling." " Mole, we need you up here." " Go away." "I am praying." "Mole, we got one chance." "We need you to dig." " Mole stays." " Mole!" "Oh, fine." "I will come." "It is always Mole that must save the day." "Hey, watch it." "Don't make me sorry I saved you." "A good thing that you are not any skinnier, Milo." "Perhaps you should eat more eclairs." "Get on with it." "You know, I'm not used to this going up." "As a digger, I dig down, deep into the earth." "See, of course you may have noticed I am rather afraid of heights and..." "Dig!" "You see?" "You are a warrior born... my Brunhilde, my daughter." "I am not your daughter." "I am Kiyadacash, queen of Atlantis." "What have you done with my friends?" "I cast them out, Brunhilde, into the abyss below." "No!" "It could not be helped." "We must go, daughter." "The chaos lord of fire must be awoken before sundown." "Today must be Ragnarok." "Yes." "Let us leave." "Quickly." "What do you see?" "He's using the spear to carry them to the volcano." " What else is out there?" " His hundred-foot bodyguard." "And I see our only way out..." "this big wooden door." "If we can find a way to open it..." "Just call me the doorman." "So we can get out, but we still can't go anywhere." "Heh." "We are trapped." "What are we to do, ride this door down the stairs like a ski jump?" "Oh, no." "No, no, no." "No!" "Whoa!" "I believe that we should all lean." "Whoa!" "Move over, Mole." "I'll pilot this thing." " Move over where?" " Everybody lean left." "Mole, your other left." "Roadblock!" "Pull me up!" "No, Milo." "We could use you like a rudder." "Yeah, he's gonna have a limp after that one." "Hellstrom, you must listen to me." " My father..." " Yes?" "No." "My real father." "He hid away this power so it could not be used for destruction." "It was to be used for love, for life, for all that is good." "Hellstrom, stop this madness." "I beg you." "Use this power to heal the world." "Brunhilde, that's exactly what I intend to do." "I, alone, am destined to remake it and rule over it anew." "To begin again, I must destroy what is." "No." "You cannot." "Kida!" "You'll not stop me, Loki." "Lo!" "Ragnarok!" "Say your goodbyes to this world... and herald in my new order." "Even at the end, the forces of darkness would thwart the king of the gods." "You're not the king of anything, Hellstrom." "You're a boat builder." "Shoo, birds." "Shoo." "No!" "There now." "Ragnarok approaches." "It is I, Odin, who shall stand triumphant." "You really think you're still in charge?" "Those two are done taking orders." "And the fire lord will set the sky ablaze." "And the earth will become as ice as a new age dawns." "So, Milo, you got a plan?" "Eh, just thought I'd ask." "Wait a second." "l-I do have a plan." "Now a little heat." " It's working." " Oh, now they're ticked." " The spear!" " I will get it!" " Vinny, we need another bomb." " I'm fresh out." " Kida!" " I'm all right, Milo." "My Asgard!" "My kingdom!" "No!" "Give him a while." "Let him mourn his kingdom." "Then we'll get him to a hospital where maybe he can be helped." "And as for that thing, I'm thinking you should put it in a safe." "Like now." "Maybe with some chains, and locks... big ones." "I have a better place for this spear." "I learned many things from your world." "Most of all, I think I now know my father better." "My father was only protecting us and the world above... when he hid the heart of Atlantis." "I understand that now." "Uh, Kida, you can't hide the crystal again." "I mean, it would..." "Oh." "Sorry." "Sort of ruining the moment there." " But..." " But my father was wrong." "He thought mankind would use the power of the crystal for destruction." "But look around you." "The Heart of Atlantis has let us rebuild our city." "And I saw how the knowledge of Atlantis touched a tribe of surface people... and made them great healers and teachers." "The brightest light is worth nothing if hidden in a cave." "I do not want the legacy of Atlantis... to be the destruction of its civilization." "Let us share our light with the world." "Huh?" "What is that light, Queen Kida?" "Is it a crystal?" "No, child." "It is the sun." "I think I swallowed my gum." "The world was never the same after that day." "It was much, much better." "THE END" "SUB BY ..."