Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9 'Finally, I get to avenge my great-great-great-great great-great...' (once again this was repeated for thirty seconds, to the point where everyone was getting a little embarrassed) '...great-grandfather, and wipe Tom's heir from the face of the earth. Then nothing will stop me from mobilising every rat and pigeon in the country to rise up and take back what is rightfully theirs!' 'Coo, coo, excuse me, do you think we could we chip in?'

The tension was momentarily dampened as everyone looked around to where two pigeons were nesting in the rock face above the viaduct. 'COO-EE, YES, UP HERE, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU- the name's Cora. This is my husband, Michael.' Michael simply nodded his head in a pigeon-like way. 'Now, we just couldn't help overhearing you mentioned pigeons, and as MEMBERS OF THE

PIGEON EQUALITY PARTY, we thought we should let you know that WE ALL REJECTED THE LEGEND OF OLD TOM'S COLLAR YEARS AGO. We're quite happy as we are, thank you very much, all getting on nicely. So, if you'd be so kind, PLEASE LEAVE ALL THE PIGEONS OUT OF IT. Now, I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Come on now, Michael, I've got a seed risotto on the hob... ta ra, everyone!' Cora disappeared back into the nest and, after nodding a couple of times, Michael followed suit. All the animals below didn't quite know what to do or where to look! Toto piped up first. 'Err, right, OK, so back to it. Let's say the plan worked, what then?' she asked, knowing that if he opened up, she might find a way to get to Roderick. I have to be honest, I haven't really given the next stage of the plan an awful lot of thought. He sighed,

still distracted by the pigeons' interruption, and momentarily letting his guard down. 'I don't know. Get a nice castle, start a family... But never mind that!' he yelled, shaking his head. 'All that matters is this!' He pointed to the collar he was proudly wearing. 'ALL THESE STUPID RATS WILL FOLLOW ME AND DO WHAT I TELL THEM TO DO SO LONG AS I HAVE OLD TOM'S COLLAR IN MY POSSESSION. 'Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about that.' Toto desperately tried to think of something else to ask the mighty rat. 'We, err, umm, all understand the promise of revenge your ancestor made, but why has it taken six hundred years for your family to come back?' 'It's all down to that idiot,' he said, pointing to Catface. 'Oh dear, I had a feeling this might be the case. Meow culpa.' Catface grimaced. 'For years I have been plotting how to get close

to Old Tom's Collar, but like my forefathers, I found every option was hopeless. THE SAPPHIRES AND THE RIDDLE WERE SO WELL GUARDED, they were impossible to get to. So, I've been masquerading as the French Ambassador for the last year, biding my time, seeing where and when I could make my move. And all the while seeing relations between cats and rats improve every day, thanks to you, Toto, Catface, and your merry band of friends. I knew I had to act soon, or it would be too late. Everyone is getting on so well, it's sickening! Then I went to see Catface play in Paris, and over a baked Camembert he told me that, as ambassador, I should request to see the collar when I visited. A request from a diplomat couldn't be turned down...' 'Sorrrrryyyy again,' groaned Catface. 'And that's when my plan was hatched. From there it was easy: I sent Cyril drugged blood biscuits

anonymously. The fool couldn't resist them. I waited for him to pass out, then I broke into his bedroom, stole the key, retrieved MY collar, put the key back, and waited for the perfect crime to be pinned on Cyril and Larry. That buffoon Fluffypaws has been looking for an excuse to get rid of the ninjas and the ravens, when they are the only thing 'keeping animals and humans alike safe and sound. His idiocy has served my purpose. With Larry out of the way I could break into his safe, and voila! The perfect crime was committed!' Larry was seething with rage, but it was Catface who spoke next. 'HANG ON, YOU MEAN TO SAY YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR?' Catface looked aghast. 'Of course not- I kidnapped him ages ago, sent him to Corsica (to be fair he's having a great life, chargrilled tuna every day), and since then I've taken