Justin is in a terrible mood the second we get out of the dream with the mecha suits battle. 

“Dad, let’s try that dream!” Joy points to a Shroom to her immediate left. 

Justin’s lips are closed tight, and he shakes his head. “We’re going home,” he manages to say. 

I have only seen him this angry when he was a kid, and during those times he wouldn’t say more than a few syllables in hours. 

Joy tries to argue, but Justin ignores her. “Master Mind, Dad, let’s go!” He activates his jetpack and flies off the Shroom. 

Master Mind looks at Joy, who is miffed at being ignored. Then he follows Justin upwards. 

“Come on, Joy, let’s go,” I tell her.

She crosses her arms. 

“Come on, Dad! Let’s go!” 

I see what he’s doing. I shake my head at Joy and activate my jetpack. It makes me nervous, but Master Mind has left me alone this time. 

I fly up and do my best to follow Justin between the Shrooms. 

“Charlie are you coming?” Justin yells back without landing.

Justin lands on his own dream’s Shroom and Master Mind right next to him. Master Mind stretches out his hands to catch me, and I aim for him. The landing is kind’a soft and I land in his arms. 

I look up and see Joy and Charlie flying towards us together with their own jetpacks. 

“Let’s go,” Justin doesn’t wait for them to land and goes into the tunnel. 

We go through the tunnel, walk the plank, and are back on the deck on Bonny’s Revenge. 

When we’re all there, Justin whirls around and aims an accusing finger at Master Mind. “What you did endangered Joy! Do you get that?” 

“Pirate, I felt it was--”

“I don’t care what your paper heart makes you feel! You don’t do unpredictable things! You don’t play pranks! You don’t put us in the crosshairs of dreamers who could be dangerous! You don’t!” 

“I understand what you mean, Pirate, but--” 

“No buts! Step on that plank! And stay there until you’ve learned your lesson!” 

I open my eyes wide. Charlie and Joy both stare at Justin. 

Is he serious? Is he telling Master Mind, the killer robot, to ‘stand in the corner’ until he learns his lesson? 

“But--” 

“Go! Now!” Justin yells. 

“Dad, he didn’t mean anything.” 

“Do you want to join him?” Justin snaps at Joy as Master Mind climbs the plank again. 

Anger flashes in Joy’s eyes. And now I see that Justin is doing to Master Mind what he’s unable to do to Joy. 

Joy’s angry, but she looks away. I don’t think she likes to see her father this angry. 

Master Mind stands on the plank and waits. 

“Good. When you’ve learned your lesson, you can come down!” 

“Pirate, my brain is faster than any Dreamer brain. I have learned my lesson fifty times over, devised five new ways to kill you, and have explored the depths of these new emotions. I know now not to do it again.” 

Justin nods, as if he is about to say something. Then he looks aside, thinks, then turns his back. “Okay. You’ve learned your lesson. You can come down now.” 

Master Mind joins us on the deck. I wonder if Joy has learned the lesson that he had. 

—Told by Grampa Walt