 Listening Library presents Nicola Berry and the Wicked War on the Planet of Whimsy, Book Three, by Leanne Moriarty. Read for you by Saskia Marleveld. Prologue, an extremely tall man and woman huddled together in a small, damp, dark cell. Their nostrils were filled with the scent of roses, their mouths were dry from thirst and fear. A little boy lay asleep on the woman's lap, his thumb in his mouth. We should never have done it, whispered the woman. She brushed away a leftover teardrop from the little boy's face. Maybe not, sighed the man. What do you think she'll do? This time the man smiled, his teeth a sudden flash of white in the darkness. She'll call Nicola, of course. Chapter one. Nicola, phone call. Nicola Berry was startled. Who would be calling her here at this time of night? For me? Really? It was past midnight, and she was at her great grandmother's 100th birthday party. The music was thumping, and Grammy was tapping her feet and jiggling her hips, leaning on a walking stick in each hand. Nicola and her cousins were all hiding yawns as they danced in a circle around their tiny, white-haired grandmother, who might have been the oldest one at the party, but seemed to have the most energy. The littler cousins were asleep, curled up in corners. Even Nicola's dad had collapsed on a sofa, his head tipped back, twitching violently each time he snored. She said it's Shimlara, yelled Nicola's crazy great aunt Annie over the music, handing the phone over to her. I said it was a bit late to be calling. She said it was lunchtime on her planet, her planet, what a jokester. Nicola took the phone from great aunt Annie, who marched off, muttering and shaking her head. When will they start believing that I actually do know people from other planets? She wondered. After all, it had been international news when Nicola and her friends saved Earth from being destroyed by a spoiled princess from the planet of Globogascar. Why would Shimlara be calling Nicola now? It had only been a matter of hours since they had dropped her back home after their last mission. Nicola's older brother, Sean, appeared by Nicola's side. Why is Shimlara calling you? How would I know? Said Nicola irritably because she was worried. They went down Grammy's hallway toward her bedroom where it was quiet. Hello? Shimlara? Sample complete. Ready to continue?