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“A bird, yes,” said the mouse. “Now I know this must seem strange to you, that a mouse would be friends with a bird. After all, most birds would only be too happy to eat me with hide and hair, but Francis isn’t like that. He’s one of those rare birds who says live and let live. In other words, he doesn’t feel the urge to eat a fella just because he happens to be a mouse. In fact Francis very sensibly prefers to snack on seeds and nuts and such for his daily nourishment.”

“That’s very kind of Francis,” I murmured, wondering what this was all about. “So what is it I can for you, um…”

“Jack,” said the mouse. “My name is Jack.” He held out a tiny paw, and I gave him an awkward sort of fist bump, since I couldn’t very well shake his paw now could I? I might have crushed him if I had. For even for a mouse, a tiny creature in and of itself, he was very small. Which is why it had taken me a while to spot him.

“Now look here, Max,” said Jack, prepared to finally get down to brass tacks. “I’m in a kind of pickle here, and I hope you can get me out of it.”

“Do you mind if my friends join us, Jack?” I asked. “Only, it’s probably easier if you only have to tell your tale once, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Friends?” he asked with a sudden touch of alarm. “What friends?”

“Even the greatest detectives on the planet can’t do everything themselves,” I explained. “I have friends who assist me, and they’re right over there, waiting for me to give them a sign that it’s safe to come on over and join us.”

“Oh, I see what you mean,” said Jack, nodding. “Your sidekicks.”

“Absolutely,” I said, and waved to my friends, still lurking in the bushes. Only no matter how much I waved or even raised my voice and shouted that the coast was clear, there was no response from my contingent of ‘assistants.’

Finally I could see Dooley’s head pop up, and excitedly wave back at me.

I made a gesture with my paw that they should come over, and eventually the trio came trotting up.

“So it was a bust, huh?” said Brutus. “I thought as much. That bird must have been a joker. Pulling your paw just for fun and giggles.”

“Oh, no,” I said. “That bird was for real. Look here, you guys. This is Jack, and he’s engaging our services for a most important assignment.”

Brutus now looked down in the direction I was pointing, and when he spotted Jack, did a quick double take.“Is that… a mouse?” he said.

“Yep, I’m a mouse,” said Jack. “Excellent powers of observation, cat.” Then he frowned uncertainly. “You’re… not going to eat me, are you?”

“Of course Brutus isn’t going to eat you,” I said laughingly. “What do you take us for?”

“Well, cats have been known to eat the likes of me,” Jack said, not incorrectly.

“We’re not the mouse-eating type of cats. In the sense that we’re very much like your friend Francis and prefer to get our nourishment elsewhere.”

“Walmart, mainly,” said Dooley, studying the mouse intently. “You’re very small for a mouse, Jack,” he said finally.

“I know,” said Jack sadly. “I’ve always been small for my age, and as I grow older I seem to be getting even smaller. Though that could be because my brothers and sisters keep getting bigger, so in comparison I seem to be shrinking.”

“They’re… not around, are they, your brothers and sisters?” asked Harriet, glancing around nervously.

“Oh, no,” said Jack.

“Good,” said Harriet with a sigh of relief. Once upon a time Harriet and Brutus had a close encounter with a family of mice who had taken up residence in our basement. They even managed to trap her and Brutus in said basement, and ever since Harriet has developed a sort of aversion to the species.

“Jack was just about to explain to me why he wants to engage my services as a detective,” I said.

“The greatest detective that ever lived,” Jack specified, much to my embarrassment, for Brutus quirked an amused whisker and Harriet even went so far as to give me a frown in wonder at this strange conceit.

The only one who didn’t appear shocked by Jack’s bold statement was Dooley. He just sat there nodding earnestly. “Maxis the greatest detective who ever lived,” my friend proudly confirmed. “And that’s all because of his big head.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said, starting to blush beneath my fur.

“Oh, no, but it’s true,” said Dooley. “The bigger the head, the bigger the brain, and you have a very big brain, Max. The biggest brain of anyone I know. Perhaps the biggest brain in all of history.”

“And the fattest head,” said Brutus with a smirk.

“Okay, Jack, so go ahead,” I said, interrupting this stream of dubious praise. “Tell us your story, please.”

“Well,” said Jack, taking a deep breath, “once upon a time there was a princess, and she was locked up in a castle, put under lock and key by a mighty sorceress.”

“You’re not seriously going to tell us some fairytale, are you?” said Harriet.

“Not a fairytale,” said Jack, fixing us with a serious look. “Sadly enough it’s all true.”

CHAPTER 5

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