08-MICE WITH SPICE!

MICE WITH SPICE! Just then, the doors of the kitchen FLEW OPEN. A big cat wearing a cook's hat decorated with a skull and crossbones bounded in. "Your Meowing Majesty, weren't the stuffed snails to your liking? I wish I could do more for Your Whiskered Excellency, but I—" he began. But the Bandit held up his paw. "Enough jabbering!" he ordered. "Tell me, what do you think of these rodents?" "Mice!" screeched Slobbertooth, nearly jumping out of his fur. "My favorite meal to prepare! What an honor, your Royal Purrfection! What a privilege! What a—"

The Black Bandit clawed the air. "Silence!" he shrieked. "Tell me their breed and the best way to cook them." Slobbertooth pulled out a magnifying glass and studied us. Thea patted her head modestly. "Oh, Mr. Tooth, dear," she said with a wink. "Don't be too cruel. I'm having a bad fur day." For a minute, Slobbertooth smiled, confused. Leave it to my sister to charm the claws off a cat!

"Yes, well, these mice are healthy specimens," said the chef, pulling himself together. "It wouldn't be a bad idea to fatten them up, though. We could feed them for a week before eating them." "How many servings can you dish out?" asked the Bandit. Slobbertooth twirled his whiskers, deep in thought. "I'd say about twenty," he finally answered. He picked up a thick cookbook. I peeked at the cover. It was the latest edition of Cooking for Cats: From Rodents to Sweet Rolls by Kitty Carver. "Let's see, I could bake them in a stew with some juicy vegetables," he suggested. "Or a squeaky mouse dip is

always delicious. Then again, there's the classic: roast mouse. And, of course, nothing beats my mouse bone steak with pepper and lemon." Licking his lips, the Black Bandit nodded. "Yes, the last recipe will be just purrfect," he decided. "But don't use too much garlic. We don't want to hide the sweet taste of rodent meat!" "Of course, Your Highness. You couldn't have made a better choice," crooned Slobbertooth. "Yes siree, you are clearly an expert on the subject of food."

The Black Bandit ignored the compliments. He waved the cook back toward the kitchen. "Out of my sight!" he growled, giving him a boot. "AT YOUR ORDERS, Your Most High and Excellent Claws!" muttered Slobbertooth, bowing low. I waited for him to kiss the Bandit's boots. But he didn't. I guess even Slobbertooth wasn't up to that much slobbering. He raced out of the room. The Black Bandit turned to the cat who had captured us. He threw him the ring he wore on his little finger. "Take this, you idiot. This is my reward for your brave deed!" he said. "Thank you, Excellency. You are more than generous," STAMMERED the cat. He bowed so low his whiskers brushed the floor. Then he slunk away.

The Bandit jumped onto the table. "Take the rodents to their cells, and woe to the cat who lets them escape!" he meowed fiercely. He slashed the air with his sword. All the pirates disappeared under the table to avoid having their whiskers chopped off. Four big, ugly cats sprang into action. They looked like they had been pro wrestlers in one of their nine lives. They pushed us up a stairway leading to the Cat's Ear, a very tall silver tower. "Check this one out! He's plump enough to eat raw!" roared a striped cat, feeling Trap's tail.