"I wish all you invaders would become statues until I said otherwise."
As I found myself compelled to look away, I couldn't help but smile. Sure enough, when I looked back, all the baddies in my room were now nothing but man (and woman) shaped piles of rock, holding useless granite and marble weapons. The guy who'd been shadowing me still had the sneer frozen on his ugly face.
"Okay," I said, surveying the mess they'd left in my room, "Now I wish my stuff was fixed and back to normal." Another glance, and my bed, PC, books, tapes, action figures and everything else was whole again.
"Jon! My God!" I whirled around and gulped. I'd been so busy patting myself on the back for outwitting the gunmen that I hadn't heard mom, dad and the twins make their way into the room = where they'd seen me make my wish.
"Is that - is that what they were after?" asked Mindy.
I nodded dumbly. "It's what Grandpa sent me just before he died."
Dad inhaled and said, "Jon, maybe you better explain all this to us - in detail."
It took over an hour, but finally I told them all I knew - the rock, the wishes, the restrictions, the test I'd done with Karyn (just yesterday, but it seemed like a century ago).
"Oh, Jon, why didn't you tell us?" Mom asked, clasping my hand in her own.
I shrugged. "I dunno - I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then when it actually worked, I was too shocked to think straight."
Dad nodded. "I understand, Jon. And it's all right." He paused for a second. "Listen, these people referred to it as an idol, right?"
"I think so - or maybe they just thought I had something else of Grandpa's. It sure doesn't look like an idol." I handed the rock over to him to look at. "Oh, be careful, don't say anything that -"
"Believe me, I'll be careful. I've seen what this thing can - wait a second. It looks like there's an inscription on this."
"There is?" I looked, and sure enough, there was some kind of writing on one side I'd overlooked.
"Well, what does it say, Walt?" Mom asked. "It looks like gibberish to me."
Dad smiled grimly. "Since it's in ancient Incan, I'm not too surprised. Fortunately, Pop taught me some of the language, so it shouldn't be too hard to decipher." He stared at it for a moment, mumbling something under his breath - then suddenly he stopped, his face turning pale. "I don't belive this! It - it can't be true!"
"What, dad?" Wendy asked, looking a bit fearful herself. "What's it say?!"
