 They convert Emma into a makeshift ship and sail off the island in the night, eventually arriving at the coast of Mandala (a fictional country inspired by China).When they arrive in Ping, the capital, they win the friendship of a tiny great-grandchild named Ping Pong, who tells them the Emperor is in mourning.His daughter, Li Si (a pun on the German variant of "Lizzy"), has been kidnapped and is being held in the Dragon City.