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of Time,
where Santa Claus fights a zombie invasion of the North Pole to save the holiday season.”
    â€œOkay,” said Oliver. “Now that is nuts.”
    â€œI think it’s based on a book,” said Corey.
    â€œYou know,” Qui said, leaning on the back of Celia’s seat, “maybe the man you saw is Santa Claus and also not Santa Claus.”
    â€œDon’t you start getting all mysterious too,” Oliver grumbled.
    â€œI think Qui understands this perfectly,” said Claire Navel. “In America we call Saint Nicholas by the name Santa Claus. He is based on the fourth-century Greek Saint Nicholas from the island of Myra, a worker of miracles and giver of gifts. In the Dutch tradition, he’s called Sinterklaas, and in some legends, he’s also been known as the Lord of the Sea.”
    â€œLike Poseidon,” said Oliver. “The ancient Greek god of the sea.”
    â€œAnd the patron of Atlantis,” added Celia.
    â€œOkay,” their father called back to them. “How did you guys know that?”
    â€œEducational programming,” the twins answered together.
    â€œYou know there are also those who believe in the Norse tradition,” said Professor Rasmali-Greenberg, turning around in his seat. “You see, some believe that Santa Claus is related to the ancient Norse god Odin, the All-Father, who lived in the great city of Asgard, who drank from the well of wisdom, and who watched the universe from the Tree of the World.”
    â€œThere were a lot of trees in the explorer’s journal,” said Oliver.
    â€œYou all realize how crazy this is, right?” said Celia, who did not think anyone was reacting to this theory the way they should have. “I mean, Santa Claus and Poseidon?”
    â€œAnd Odin, the All-Father,” added Oliver.
    â€œRight,” said Celia. “It can’t possibly have anything to do with Atlantis. There’s not even such a thing as Santa Claus!”
    â€œIs too,” said Oliver.
    â€œIs not!” said Celia.
    â€œIs too,” said Oliver.
    â€œIt’s not crazy at all,” their mother said, stopping their argument. “In 1679, Count Olof Rudbeck in Sweden proposed the same theory about Atlantis in the Arctic as the home of all the ancient Norse gods and monsters. Asgard, city of the gods, could be Atlantis. Odin could be Santa Claus. Count Olof never made that connection, but you just did. You might have completed the chain of knowledge started long, long ago. Isn’t that exciting?”
    â€œNo,” the twins said in unison.
    â€œPeople have said Atlantis was in a lot of places throughout history,” the professor told them. “Everywhere from the Amazonian rainforest to the coast of Spain, and yet it has never yet been found.”
    â€œBecause nobody looked to the north.” Dr. Navel smiled. “Everyone was looking for Poseidon’s great civilization under the water, but no one looked under ice. No one was looking for Santa Claus.”
    â€œYou know the old saying about finding things?” their mother asked. “How they’re always in the last place you look? Well, we’ve looked everywhere else for Atlantis, so why not the North Pole?”
    â€œLost things are always in the last place you look,” said Celia, “because you wouldn’t keep looking for them after you found them.” Celia glanced at Oliver. He nodded. “And that’s why, we think, like, just this once, we want to go with you.”
    â€œWhat?” said their father.
    â€œWhat?” said their mother.
    â€œBwak,” said Dennis the chicken.
    â€œWell, like everyone’s always telling us”—Oliver nodded at Qui—“there’s a prophecy. Visions and greatest explorers and all that.”
    â€œAnd we figured you’d never find Atlantis without us,” added Celia. “And this way, we can be done. This can be the