"Omigosh!" exclaimed Francine. "I can't believe her parents would do that to their own daughter!"

"There were three votes in her favor," Arthur noted. "So maybe her parents..."

As he spoke, the same mists that had transported the group to Unicornix Zero began to rise from the marble floor of the assembly hall and surround them.

"No! We can't leave Greta!" cried Francine.

"Unus chili con carne-o!" yelled D.W., her eyes tearing up. "Unus corny con cheerios!"

Arthur grabbed his sister and put his hand over her mouth. "Stop it! They'll turn you into a zombie, too! OW!"

Having bitten Arthur's finger, D.W. found that her mouth was free again. "UNUS CORNU CONCILIO!" she cried exultantly.

The mists that enveloped them suddenly vanished.

Arthur, D.W., Francine, and Mr. Baker were once again standing in the assembly hall of the Unicorn Council. The councilors were seated in front of them, and the judge stood behind the podium. Several councilors displayed expressions of annoyance, or muttered, "Not again."

Arthur and Francine stared at D.W. in wordless shock, recognizing the terrible significance of what she had just done. Mr. Baker grumbled impatiently.

The judge pounded the podium with his gavel. "This emergency convocation of the Unicorn Council will now come to order," he bellowed. "Dora Winifred Read, you have one minute to state your case before the Council."

Rather than approach the podium, D.W. remained standing where she was. "Let Greta go!" she shouted with determination.

A hush fell over the assembly hall. A few of the robed councilors whispered to each other.

"Is that all?" asked the judge.

"That's all I have to say, Your Honor."

"The Council will now decide," said the judge, banging the podium with his gavel.

Arthur and Francine expected the worst as the councilors proceeded to debate among themselves. This time the conversation was even more lively than when Greta stood before them.

"She hasn't been a unicorn long enough," said one councilor. "She'd be of no use in the mines."

"We can't commute a sentence just because a little girl asks us to," said another. "It would be disrespectful of the law."

"She's so cute!" gushed another.

Several minutes went by, and then the judge hit the podium with his gavel again. "I have received only five votes," he informed them.

Greta's father spoke up hesitantly. "If it please the court, Your Honor, I would like to abstain."

"I as well, Your Honor," said Greta's mother.

"But you must vote," the judge responded. "It is the law."

"Begging your pardon, Your Honor," said Greta's father, "but the rule that every councilor must vote is, in reality, nothing more than a guideline."

The judge looked at him with dismay. "Then how can we arrive at a decision?" he asked.

Another unicorn councilor spoke. "I think we should just send the girl back where she came from."

"Not without Greta!" D.W. roared.

"If we send her away without punishment, she'll just come back," Greta's mother commented. "Therefore, I propose that we change her back into her non-unicorn self, and then send her away." A buzz of approval swept through the Council.

"No!" cried D.W. in despair. "I want to stay a unicorn! I want to live two thousand years!"

"The Council will now decide whether to make Dora Winifred Read a non-unicorn," announced the judge.

All of the councilors pressed their voting buttons at once.

"One hundred votes in favor, zero votes opposed," said the judge. "So let it be written, so let it be done."

D.W. opened her mouth to protest, when a wave of pain spread through her face. She yelped and grimaced. As Arthur, Francine, and Mr. Baker watched curiously, the little girl's nose deflated like a balloon until it reverted to its pre-unicorn size. The white horse hair that had sprouted from her skin faded and disappeared.

She rubbed her hands over her nose, touched her forehead and ears, and started to cry. Arthur embraced her, and felt her warm tears moistening his sweater.

"Now that there are no unicorns remaining among you," proclaimed the judge, "you will be returned to your place of origin."

"Just a minute!" cried Francine, glaring at him. "You never voted on freeing Greta."

Several gasps were heard from the seated councilors.

"Greta von Horstein's punishment was just," said the judge with disdain.

"The girl has a point, Your Honor," said Greta's mother.

"But Dora Winifred is no longer a unicorn," the judge noted. "Only a unicorn may petition the Council."

"Then we'll change her back!" one of the councilors blurted out.

"That's too much trouble," another councilor retorted.

"Look at the poor girl," remarked another. "She's suffering enough as it is."

"We must ignore our feelings and respect the law," said yet another.

Arthur and Francine watched with amusement as the debate between the unicorn councilors turned into an all-out shouting match. D.W., wondering what the fuss was about, ceased from wiping her nose on Arthur's sweater.

Finally the judge pounded his gavel loudly three times, restoring order to the Council. "We will let the girl decide," he proclaimed, then turned to face D.W. "Dora Winifred Read, we offer you a choice. Either we change you back into a unicorn, or we set Greta free and allow her to return with you."

----

Moments later, Arthur, D.W., Francine, Greta, and Mr. Baker reappeared in the hotel room at the Tripletree Inn, and the mists surrounding them faded away. D.W. had been restored to her former aardvark self, and Greta's face once again showed emotion--specifically, gratitude.

She grabbed D.W. and pulled the girl to her waist. "Thank you, D.W. Thank you so much for setting me free."

"You owe me big time," D.W. replied.

When she saw Mr. Baker walking towards the still-open door of the hotel room, Greta looked at him sternly. "I warn you, Mr. Baker, if you wish carelessly, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

The hippo man turned and smiled at her condescendingly. "What makes you think I want anything for myself? I'm happy with my life as it is. I'm going to turn the horn over to the scientific community."

"No! You mustn't!" Greta appeared more terrified than ever.

Without a word, Mr. Baker sped out the door, followed by Greta. She watched him run down the hotel hallway toward the elevator, at a speed she could not hope to match. Arthur, Francine, and D.W. gathered around her, looking confused and concerned.

"You got what you wanted," Greta said to them. "Now how about helping me save the world?"

(To be continued...)