GMD 2: Chapter 3, Part 1

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE 2: A NEW BEGINNING
A "Great Mouse Detective" Fanfiction By The Mouse Avenger

Chapter 3:
Hard Times

Part 1

Tuesday, September 22, 1897

(CUE MUSIC: "Neptune", from Gustav Holst's "The Planets")

The Mouse Gypsy Caravan at Trafalgar Square was more busy & bustling than ever before, especially after the success of Madame Ratburn & Anya's experiment!  In addition to dealing with the usual psychic & otherworldly affairs, the elderly sage was helping Anya make new inventions at the New Technology Factory, & otherwise assisting her in implementing modern notions & novelties (like shopping malls or emergency phone numbers)...not to mention she was also getting technology requests & suggestions from rodents around the world, when she wasn't receiving visits from her usual clients & customers.  And Madame Ratburn & Anya were kept even more occupied with all the banquets & dinner parties they were invited to every week!  Sometimes, Madame Ratburn would literally be exhausted after all the activity, & in order to give the clairvoyant the time she needed to regain her lost energy, Pias & the other Mouse Gypsies would often offer to work as Anya's helpers.  To be honest, Madame Ratburn didn't know how much longer she could keep up with the frenetic pace of her new life—at least, not with her usual routines.  If she was going to be able to continue to fulfill her fursonal duties, there would have to be some changes made in her daily schedule, some alterations in her lifestyle...but Madame Ratburn was sure that she could successfully make those sacrifices, &—since she believed the benefits ultimately outweighed the risks—she was quite willing to do so.  In the meantime, Madame Ratburn was perfectly content to sit with Anya & Pias at her table, where the 3 rodents were sharing a late lunch.  As they all helped themselves to their delicious midday meal, the friends engaged in several conversations with one another, chatting over various topics.

At one point, while she was pouring some tea for Pias, Madame Ratburn asked the gardener, "So, tell me, Pias, have you noticed the changes that have been occurring in Mouse London?"

Pias nodded his head, then took his newly-filled teacup into his clawed paws, as he replied, "Well, the answer to that question should be fairly obvious to you, Madame Ratburn..." He paused to take a sip of his drink, before continuing, "The city—not to mention the entire mouse world—has undergone a complete revolution, & technology & society have improved greatly in the last several weeks...just as you predicted."

"Yes," Madame Ratburn uttered in response, as she telekinetically spread some butter on a slice of bread with a knife.  After taking the snack into her mouth, & eating it, the psychic added, "But do you realize that there are even more changes to occur?"

"I have no doubt in my mind that you are correct," Pias answered pleasantly. "If we rodents were able to gain a new technology, adopt the ways of modern life, & overcome our social, racial, & other differences over the past month, then who knows what else we could accomplish in the years to come?"

Upon hearing the Gypsy gardener's response to her question, Madame Ratburn couldn't help but smile & chuckle a little, before telling her pal in a playful manner, "That's not exactly what I'm talking about, Pias." With a wave of her paw, Madame Ratburn caused one of the tomes on her big bookcase to disappear off the shelf...before reappearing above the table, & floating over the heads of the medium & her friends.  Telekinetically opening the levitating book to reveal the illustrations painted on its pages, Madame Ratburn said in her "mystical" voice (which she often adopted in these situations), "Otherworldly sources are telling me that a prophecy from the days of long ago is bound to come true very, very soon." ^[1]

Looking at the book's illustrations with Madame Ratburn & Anya, Pias remarked, "Ah, I see...But what is the prophecy?"

Flipping each page to reveal a new picture that seemed to perfectly accompany the words she spoke, Madame Ratburn explained, "Well, many of the ancient mouse sorcerers of Medieval England predicted that shortly before the dawn of the last century of the second millennium—er, that would probably be around this time—a super-terrible force of evil would rise to power, & begin spreading its wicked influence over the United Mouse Kingdom."

"So Mouse London is to succumb to a reign of unholy terror?" Anya asked anxiously, not entirely sure what to make of what Madame Ratburn had just told her & Pias.

"I didn't say that, Anya," Madame Ratburn responded. "Please let me finish."

"Yes, of course, sorry," Anya apologized, &, with that, Madame Ratburn continued her explanation (complete with illustrations): "However, as I was saying earlier...according to the prophecy, there will be another force to stop the 'Legion'—er, 'League Of Villains'...a force of goodness & righteousness.  But this force is not like anything you've ever seen...or ever will see again."

"What do you mean?" Pias questioned quizzically.

"Well, Pias," Madame Ratburn answered, "I mean that an unlikely group of rodents will band together to form the ultimate crime-fighting family, & save the mouse world from the forces of evil."

"But who are these rodents?" Pias asked, as his curiosity became even stronger. "What are their names?"

"And where do they come from?" Anya wondered aloud.

Madame Ratburn just smiled, her expression taking on that playful quality once again.  "That, I'm afraid, you'll just have to find out for yourself," the sage replied teasingly, before closing the book shut, & "mind-moving" it back over to her bookcase.  Then, Madame Ratburn turned back to face Pias & Anya at the table...but before the 3 rodents could continue their conversations while they finished their lunch, Pias & Anya both looked concerned when they saw Madame Ratburn begin to shiver & shudder violently, as if she felt a cold draft blowing through the wagon.

Reaching for a nearby blanket, which she proceeded to drape around Madame Ratburn in the hopes of warding off her chills, Anya asked worriedly, "Are you all right, Elizabella? Is something wrong?"

It took a few minutes to pass, before Madame Ratburn stopped shaking, & finally made her answer in a grave tone-of-voice: "I'm getting a strong sense of negative energy...Something dreadful is happening, somewhere...in Mouse London..." Then, she began to receive little flashes of visions in her mind that gave her a somewhat-clearer picture of the situation: "Yes, it's happening on Walnut Avenue...Lower 3314...Poor Hiram Flaversham & his family are struggling...with their business...No, not just that...They're at the poverty level..."

"Who are the Flavershams?" asked Anya, having never heard of them before.

"A Scottish mouse toymaker & his young daughter," Madame Ratburn replied in that still-somber tone. "They have another mouseling, a relative, with them...He happens to be Mr. Flaversham's nephew, & his daughter's cousin...He's been living with them for the past few weeks...&, unfortunately, he, too, is sharing in his family's suffering...That's all I can tell you right now." As she wrapped her blanket more tightly around herself, Madame Ratburn's expression grew melancholy, & the psychic said with a sorrowful shake of her head, "Poor Mr. Flaversham...poor little mouselings!  I only wish there was something I could do to help them somehow..."

* * *

Sometimes, the weather in Mouse London could be very unpredictable.  One moment, it would be sunny & clear, & the next, it would be overcast.  Such was the case for this particular afternoon, for the sun had suddenly disappeared behind the blanket of nimbostratus clouds that were now appearing in the skies, covering Mouse London in their canopy of gloomy gray & silver hues.  Occasionally, stray leaves & bits of garbage flew about in the September wind, which now carried a sharp, biting sting in its chilly caresses.  On the pavement outside Walnut Avenue, hardly any rodents were to be seen...except for a tomboyish-looking newspaper mousette who walked down the sidewalk, waving her wares in the air, as she announced the headlines of the afternoon editions of certain gazettes: "Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!  Flaversham's Toy Shop is losing in the struggle with competing rivals!  Small business is suffering in the shadows of super-companies in the New Industrial Revolution!  Read all about it!" As the newspaper mousette said this, she did not realize that she was standing right outside Flaversham's Toy Shop...which had really gone to Hades since Hiram reopened it.

(CUE MUSIC: 1st movement of Giaochino Rossini's "William Tell Overture" [abridged version from the "Clockwork Orange" soundtrack]) ^[2]

If one were to have stepped inside the main room of the building at Lower 3314 Walnut Avenue, one would have been shocked to see how much it had changed in the last month!  The toy shop now looked deteriorated & dilapidated from days of neglect.  Dust & filth & cobwebs were now starting to gather everywhere, & on everything.  The bulb in the lamp over the worktable was now burnt out...& had been for quite some time, along with the lights in the rest of the building, for Hiram could no longer afford to pay his electric bill; as a result, all the rooms were void of any illumination, & were continually left in a state of deep, dismal darkness.  The steel box & cash register that Hiram kept on his desk were void of any money, & not a single toy had been taken off the shelves.  In short, the place was an absolute, miserable wreck—far from the image the Flavershams had once had of their business blossoming & flourishing in the month since it was reopened!  And, already, Olivia, Hiram, & Cousin Timmy were starting to feel the effects of the poverty that was afflicting them.  Their clothes were worn, ragged, & dirty, but they had no money to buy new outfits.  They had been rendered thin & frail from excessive hunger, & had grown sickly & pale from malnutrition, but they had no money to buy food.  Their expressions were sad & melancholy...& even Olivia could not seem to find a reason to smile anymore.  Staring at her father with wide, sunken eyes, Olivia said in a throaty, raspy voice, "Daddy...I'm hungry."

"I know, dear," Hiram replied sadly, petting his daughter's fur-hair.

"Hey...what about me, Uncle Hiram?" Cousin Timmy asked in a hoarse, haggard voice. "I'm hungry, too."

"Well, I'm hungrier than you are, Timmy!" Olivia retorted, putting up a weak argument.  After coughing into her tiny hand, the mouseling added, "I don't think I've eaten in over a day..." She placed her paw on her empty belly, & said, "My tummy hurts."

"Yeah, mine, too," Cousin Timmy assented. "And my head hurts...& my tail hurts...&, well...everything hurts."

"I'm sure it does, Timmy," Hiram said empathetically, nodding his head in agreement. "I'm hurting a little, too, now that you mention it."

By this point, Olivia was being driven closer & closer to the point of despair, & all sorts of horrible fears & worries were beginning to consume her soul.  "What do we do, Daddy?" Olivia asked Hiram, unable to hide the growing desperation she was feeling in her family's dire situation. "If we don't eat something soon, we'll all get sick, &...&...die." Tears sprang to her blue eyes, & the Glaswegian girl hugged her father tightly, whimpering sadly, "I don't want to die, Daddy..."

Hiram held Olivia close, & tried to comfort his daughter.  "It'll be all right, dear," he told her gently, yet with firm determination. "I promise you, we'll get through this.  The Flaversham family always makes it through the best of times..."

"...& the worst of times," Olivia finished her father's favorite saying, her voice cracking tearfully, as she shivered with a sob.  After coughing a bit, Olivia began to cry softly, hiding her tears in Hiram's shirtfront.  Still, the toymaker continued to console Olivia, trying to ease her fears & sorrows as best as he could.

Then, a few minutes later, the heartrending scene was interrupted when Olivia, Hiram, & Cousin Timmy all reacted to the sound of approaching footsteps.  Putting Olivia down on the floor, Hiram gasped, & cried, "Customers!" Without wasting another second, Hiram quickly ran to the door of the toy shop, & opened it, stepping out onto the pavement.  Olivia & Cousin Timmy both made a dash for the display window, still filled with numerous toys that were all covered in dust, before crawling up onto the ledge, & gazing through the filthy windowpanes to get a better look at the action going on outside.  The two mouselings watched Hiram approaching various rodents in the massive crowd that was gathering on the sidewalk of Walnut Avenue.  As he made his way through the mob, Hiram vainly tried to get passersby to come into his building, pleading with each furson he spoke to in absolute desperation: "Madame, are you interested in buying toys? How about you, sir? Are you interested in buying any toys today? Excuse me..."

At one point, Hiram approached a well-dressed gentlemouse, asking him, "My good mouse...By any chance, are you interested in buying toys?" When the gentlemouse began walking away, Hiram clung to his jacket-tails, begging with the fellow to show some compassion for him & his loved ones. "Please, sir, have pity on a poor, starving family!" the toymaker pleaded.  The irritated gentlemouse managed to free himself from Hiram's grasp, however, & Hiram fell flat on his face...but no one came to his aid.  No one came over to ask if he was all right, let alone help him back up onto his feet.  No one offered to assist him in his time of need...

Hiram could almost-literally feel himself becoming lost in the crowd, alienated by his overwhelming sense of despair & helplessness.  Didn't anyone care about him? Didn't anyone care about what he & his family were going through? Whatever happened to the basic Mousetorian values of love, generosity, kindness, compassion, & charity? Had they disappeared with the dawning of the Neo-Mousetorian Age? Were the principles of the new society so different from those of the previous decades, that all the old virtues had been completely forgotten? Hiram didn't know...&, quite frankly, he didn't even want to think about what the answers to those questions might be.  As he rose to his feet, swept the dust off his clothing, went back to his sidewalk search, & continued to plead with passersby, trying to bring their attention to his toy shop, the only thing that Hiram could think was that this new technology (& everything having to do with it) was not a godsend for small-business owners like him; in fact, it was the very cause of all their latest problems...

* * *

Wednesday, September 23, 1897

Much to the Flavershams' dismay, the rest of Tuesday had ended up in no arrival of customers, no sales, & no money, which made the evening a very miserable one for Hiram, Olivia, & Cousin Timmy.  Hiram had to go to Sophie's Flower Shop on the corner to ask his neighbor & friend for some cash to buy dinner; Sophie, being the kind & generous furson she was, was all-too-happy to help Hiram, & she gave him 10 pounds, with which the toymaker bought meals for himself, his daughter, & his nephew. ^[3] The Flavershams ended up going to bed with full stomachs, & they managed to sleep soundly through the night, but Hiram—always an early riser—woke up an hour sooner than he normally liked to do.  Having nothing else to do with the extra time on his paws, Hiram decided to get dressed in his work outfit, & ever since 6:30 AM, he had been sitting at his table in the main room, working on new sets of toys for potential customers.  The events of the previous day, though disheartening, did not leave the Scotsmouse discouraged; he continued to work at his craft with never-wavering determination & perseverance, certain that today would be a better day for business.  With each passing second, his spirits seemed to lift just a little more, especially as the toy shop became filled with the first rays of early-morning sunlight...All the while, Hiram worked on making the new toys in serene silence—a silence only pierced by the melodies of songbirds, the hum of vehicle motors, & the occasional footsteps of pedestrians.

One would hardly think that Hiram would have any reason to feel cheerful, especially after yesterday's unsuccessful attempts to attract customers to the toy shop.  But Hiram simply couldn't give up hope—to do so would be going against his very nature as an optimist & an idealist!  Yes, there were bad times that came about in one's life; there were sometimes storms to weather, rough roads to travel, obstacles to overcome...but all of those feats could successfully be undertaken!  As long as one kept hope in his or her heart, there was no mountain that couldn't be climbed, no star that couldn't be reached, no river that couldn't be crossed, no adversity or adversary that couldn't be defeated!  To lose hope was to lose sight of all possibilities for the future, & that was the first step on the road to fursonal defeat.  No matter how grim things seemed, no matter how dire or desperate a situation looked, Hiram could not—would not—let himself give up hope in any way, shape, or form; he needed to hold onto that hope, & he needed to keep faith in his heart, to never let it waver for one second...Otherwise, things wouldn't even have a chance of getting better.

And, yet, there were certain facts that Hiram had to face.  His business was failing, & his family had now unofficially reached the poverty level.  He wasn't getting any customers, &, therefore, he had no money to even buy basic necessities.  He needed to find a way to keep his family afloat, but he didn't want to keep asking his neighbors for money all the time...Oh, Hiram knew there just had to be a way to bring him & his loved ones out of their financial straits, but what was it? What could Hiram do to remedy those problems while he tried to get his business going again? After thinking about it for a while, the toymaker finally got an idea: why not listen to the radio for some inspiration? With that in mind, Hiram reached underneath his worktable, & took out a portable radio that he had bought a couple of weeks ago.  Once he had placed said radio on the surface of his desk, Hiram turned it on, adjusted the volume so that only he could hear it, & began fiddling with the dials, hoping to find a good station to listen to.

As he manipulated the radio, Hiram started to reflect on his thoughts about the new technology—every opinion he had formed of it since that first night in Mouse London.  Ultimately, he believed it did have certain drawbacks, & there were some negative effects that the technology had on fursons who owned small businesses...fursons like the Flavershams.  And in those aspects, the new technology was partially to blame for these businessrodents' entrepreneurial / financial difficulties, so it did play a role in the Flavershams' crisis.  But it was not the only factor, & it was most certainly not an entirely-bad thing—far from it!  In all his life, Hiram could never have imagined that they would make fast food, microwaves, radios, GPS tracking devices, mobile phones, computers, airplanes, or any of the other inventions that had been produced in the last two months!  So many wonderful things had been created, helping to improve the lives of rodents around the world, & Hiram dared not even consider denouncing Madame Ratburn & Anya for making them!  In short, the new technology was a mixed blessing, with pros & cons, with upsides & downsides...like many other things in the mouse world.  Hiram just wished that the downsides didn't have such a big impact on folks who practiced simpler trades...

Although, to be honest, Hiram did have to admit that he didn't understand some things about the new technology, & there were certain issues related to particular aspects of it that bothered him.  The main thing that troubled him was the formation of super-companies—powerful business corporations that had an unfortunate tendency to leave smaller enterprises in the proverbial dust, unless they somehow managed to keep up in the ever-quickening pace of the industrial race.  That, in itself, was disconcerting enough, but there was something else, too...While Hiram normally made it a fursonal rule to always see the best in rodents, he couldn't help but sometimes question the characters of the super-company owners.  He (along with several other rodents in Mouse London) had heard rumors about corruption, embezzlement, fraud, environmental damage, & other awful acts on the part of the "big business" bosses—the rumors about child labor & exploitation, in particular, were the worst of all!  Hiram wasn't one to instantly buy into rumors, & he never thought it was wise to do so—especially when said rumors eerily resembled the ones that were circulating just a few months ago, before the Month Of Change...Hiram hoped the rumors about child labor weren't true.  He prayed they weren't true!  And, yet, what if they were? He couldn't stomach the thought of poor, impoverished mouselings being forced to work in factories from sunrise to sunset, toiling under cruel treatment from overseers, with hardly any breaks for food, relaxation, or rest? Those kinds of practices were supposed to be a thing of the past, especially after Queen Mousetoria put certain laws into effect several years ago... ^[4]

Additionally, there was one other issue that really worried Hiram.  The toy companies that had formed in the wake of the technology boost were producing playthings of modern function & design—most of these were made of plastic, polyester, & PVC, but some were made of metal materials, too.  Some of the new toys had buttons, some of them had switches, some of them had lights, some of them talked, some of them walked, some of them sang & danced...but no matter what their purpose was, or what functions they performed, all the toys came in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, & appearances.  In some ways, they weren't so much different from the traditional toys that folks like Hiram liked to make...but they seemed to be catching rodentlings' interest a lot more these days.  Hiram had to admit, the craftsmouseship used in making the new toys was impressive—in fact, it almost rivaled his own!  But, still, not much love or care went into the process of producing these modern playthings; for all their glitz & glamour, they couldn't seem to convey that warm, fuzzy feeling one got when (s)he played with a pawmade choo-choo train, or snuggled a smiling dolly...

Hiram was not one to wish ill will on any business rival (except a particular one he knew), even the rodents who worked in these new toy companies. ^[5] He was a staunch supporter of the idea of free enterprise; business was a game in which all participants should have a fair turn, & no one "player" should have an unfair advantage over another.  The game would have its winners & its losers...but, in the end, what mattered most was that everyone played honestly, & at least had a reasonable chance of winning, if nothing more.  And Hiram was not going to be one of the cheaters or sore losers that ruined the game for everyone; he never had any intention of doing so.  But, still, he couldn't help but wonder if those new toy companies were gaining an unfair advantage over smaller businesses...Maybe, that was the reason why traditional toys seemed to be dying out? Why Hiram wasn't getting the support of any customers? Why Hiram's toy shop was struggling just to remain open? It certainly seemed to be the case...but, hopefully, Hiram could find a way to keep up in the industrial race, to overcome the problems he was facing now.  And if, somehow, he couldn't, he could still support himself as a regular inventor; he had plenty of skill in that field, too. ^[6] But, still, it would be very hard for him to close up the toy shop he had run for several years, ever since he first moved to Mouse London...

But enough worrying about that, Hiram thought, as he finally switched to the KBIZ radio station—the very station where he hoped to find ideas & inspiration for a way to deal with his trials & tribulations.  The early-morning show was on, & Hiram listened carefully to every word the announcer said, while trying to calm his excited nerves by working on his new batch of toys.  "Good morning, morning, morning, Mouse London!" the announcer chirped cheerfully. "And a big 'hello' to all you early birds who are listening in now!  It's a bright, beautiful Wednesday morning, as sunny & clear as any dawn you'll see in our lovely city, & have we got great news for you!  Mainly about the toy industry...but, seriously, who hasn't been talking about that the last few weeks?" The announcer let out a chuckle, before continuing, "Anyway, let's start off the news with the latest toy releases, shall we? OK, first, Jingo Toys just put out the latest set of Hot Rods miniature vehicles..." ^[7]

On & on, the announcer went, as he talked about all the newest & hottest toys on the market, from Miss Molly Cuddles' baby sister, to the Mr. Cheese Head toy (complete with accessories)...It was a while before he finally got to the part of the news that Hiram had really wanted to listen to: the latest developments in the toy industry!  "Well, the new companies are moving right along in the toymaking race," said the announcer, "& we're seeing more & more signs of it every day.  The Big Rainbow Toy Company, Jingo Toys, Funtime Toys, & Childhood Wonders are the Top 4 companies right now, & I have no doubt that we'll find out what other corporations are taking the lead...just as soon as we get more word from our reporters.  But, in any case, business appears to be booming for our big super-companies!  I swear, every time one of them releases new toys on the market, the customers start lining up, as soon as word reaches their ears!  And let me tell you, once the doors to the toy stores open, all those playthings start selling like hotcakes!"

As he listened to these reports, Hiram began to get increasingly angry.  It was almost as if that malicious radio announcer was mocking him, taunting him with his reports of children who were "happily" buying toys from companies who probably made them in sweatshops, on the backs of thousands of poor, miserable orphans!  It was enough to make him sick.  Hoping to distract himself from the dark thoughts brewing inside his head, Hiram went back to working on his toys, as he listened to the rest of the announcer's speech: "Well, anyway, let's wrap up the news with one final announcement.  A brand-new toy store has just opened at the London Mouse Mini-Mall!  So, if you're into playthings as much as I am, come on down to Toyland for some of the coolest toys ever invented!"

That did it.  Hiram, no longer able to contain his inner rage, banged his fist against the radio, shutting it off; then, he promptly slammed his tools down on the surface of his worktable, got up out of his seat, & went over to open the front door, hoping a few deep breaths of fresh morning air would help him calm down.  As he walked out onto the pavement of Walnut Avenue, bathed in the pale glow of the early-morning sunlight, Hiram could feel a little bit of his stress leaving him each time he inhaled & exhaled...but he still couldn't help but worry about his family's future, or be upset that he didn't get the inspiration or ideas he was looking for.  The radio show did not give him the answers he needed so desperately to those questions rolling around inside his head, & that announcer didn't really help matters, either, rambling on about every topic except how to keep your small toy shop from going out of business.  I guess I'll have to look for help from other sources, Hiram thought wearily, hoping that he would, indeed, be able to find it...

Then, on a whim, Hiram looked down at the sidewalk beneath him...& his thick red eyebrows flew up in surprise!  A large supply of food was laid out neatly in a pile at his feet, with a small piece of paper on top of it.  Hiram couldn't believe his luck—he & his family would have enough food to last them until the start of next week!  But who had given the provisions to the Flavershams in the first place? Hoping the piece of paper would provide him with some answers, Hiram picked it up in his paw, & read aloud from the text written upon it: "To the Flavershams...This should suffice as a good meal for the next few days, yes? Whenever you run out of food, just place a black piece of construction paper in your window, & I'll gladly give you some more, yes? If you need anything else, just give me a little whistle, yes? Sincerely, Mr. P.R. Altoid." ^[8]

When he read this message, Hiram couldn't help but burst into a wide, broad smile...a smile that never left his face for one second, even as he bent down to pick up the food, & brought it into his house.  As he was making his way through the main room, & into the kitchen, Hiram couldn't wait to prepare breakfast for himself, Olivia, & Cousin Timmy!  And when Hiram began laying out the food & drinks on the counter, he was delighted with all the wonderful goodies that Mr. Altoid had provided...He quickly got to work making the morning meal, his taste buds tingling in absolute anticipation of the treats he planned to eat during the Flavershams' upcoming breakfast.  Then, when Hiram was finally done, he set the table, before leaving the kitchen / dining room to enter Olivia's room.  Quickly, quietly, the toymaker went over to the bed where Olivia & Cousin Timmy were still sleeping, & proceeded to gently shake the mouselings to rouse them from their slumber.  "Children...Children, wake up!" Hiram said excitedly to his daughter & nephew, as he watched them stir from their sommeil, & rub the sleepiness out of their eyes. "Guess what we're having for breakfast?"

Olivia & Cousin Timmy both burst into wide smiles when they heard this.  "Breakfast?" Olivia echoed delightedly, unable to contain her inner exhilaration.

"Really, Uncle Hiram?" Cousin Timmy questioned excitedly. "What'd you get?"

"Follow me!  You'll see!" Hiram told Olivia & Timmy, making his way out of the bedroom, as the Flaversham cousins (still dressed in their fuschia nightgown & light-blue pajamas) both crawled out of bed, & followed him into the kitchen / dining room.  Upon entering, Hiram displayed to Olivia & Cousin Timmy all the delicious food & drinks that were now laid out on the table: small pieces of cheese, apple juice in glasses, yogurt in bowls, toast with butter & jam, & cheese pancakes dripping with butter & maple syrup...Before they even knew it, Olivia & Cousin Timmy could feel their mouths watering!  They couldn't wait to sink their teeth into the veritable smorgasbord that was their breakfast!

As she gave Hiram a great big hug, & rushed over to the dining table, Olivia cried out ecstatically, "Oh, thank you so much, Daddy!  We'll have a real banquet today!" ^[9]

"Yeah, Uncle Hiram, you seriously rock!" Cousin Timmy exclaimed joyfully, rushing over to join Olivia at the table.  Happy that the morning had turned out a lot more pleasantly than he originally expected, Hiram couldn't help but continue to smile, as he went off to take his seat by the two mouselings...but there was one thing about Cousin Timmy's compliment that puzzled him—his unusual choice of words.  Rock? ^[10]

* * *

For the next half-hour, Olivia, Cousin Timmy, & Hiram sat together at the table, happily eating their breakfast.  Despite their hunger, the 3 mice made sure not to rush, & ate their food slowly, so that they could fully savor the delectable flavors of their cheese pancakes, apple juice, yogurt, toast, & pieces of cheese.  As they tucked into their morning meal, none of the Flavershams engaged in the family's usual practice of sharing conversations; instead, they were concentrating on getting as much food into their stomachs as they could, for they wanted to make their new provisions hold out for as long as possible—& that meant no snacking in between meals.  Hopefully, that will only be a temporary measure, Hiram thought optimistically, until we can get the toy shop back on its feet again.

After a while, the Flavershams were nearly finished with their breakfast...& Olivia & Cousin Timmy both looked down, eyeing the last piece of cheese that was on the table.  It was a big chunk of cheddar, colored in a lush golden hue, with a smooth texture.  How delectable it looked...but Olivia didn't know if there would be enough of it for two mouselings to share.  Looking up at Hiram in the hopes that he could satisfactorily settle the situation, Olivia asked, "Ummm...who do you think should get the last piece of cheese, Daddy?" When her father (who was continuing to eat the last of his morning meal) didn't answer, Olivia looked at Cousin Timmy...& saw how wide his eyes were becoming at the sight of that yummy hunk of cheddar.  Feeling sorry & sympathetic for her kinsmouse, Olivia said, "I guess...maybe, you could have it, Timmy, if you want it."

With that, Olivia pushed the plate with the piece of cheese in Cousin Timmy's direction.  Timmy paused for a moment or two, wondering whether or not he should take it.  On one hand (paw?), he was still a little hungry, & Olivia had been so generous to offer him the last of the food...It would be foolish for him not to take it!  But on the other hand, he wasn't that hungry, after all he had eaten for breakfast...& he thought that, maybe, Olivia would like the piece of cheese, instead.  After thinking it over for a few moments, Cousin Timmy finally decided to push the piece of cheese back to Olivia, & replied, "Thanks a bunch, Livvy, but I'm full.  You can have it."

Stunned by her cousin's reciprocal display of generosity, Olivia said hesitantly, "OK..." Slowly, she reached for the piece of cheese...but just as she was about to grab it, Cousin Timmy suddenly changed his mind, & he snatched the cheddar away from her at the last minute.  As he took the dairy-based snack into his paws, Cousin Timmy said with hungry desperation in his voice, "On second thought, Livvy, I think I could use a little more food to fill my stomach..."

It wasn't long before Olivia & Cousin Timmy ended up fumbling & grappling for the piece of cheese, arguing & fighting loudly with one another, as they tumbled out of their seats, & landed on the floor.  In the midst of the argument, Olivia tugged on that coveted morsel of food, trying to pry it away from Cousin Timmy, as she told him angrily, "No, Timmy, you said I could have that last piece of cheese!" The ensuing scuffle between the Flaversham cousins continued, as they took their fight out of the kitchen, down the hallway, & all the way into the main room of the toy shop.  When they got there, not noticing the change in their surroundings, Olivia & Cousin Timmy kept on squabbling & playing "tug-of-war" with the piece of cheese...until Hiram finally came in, & snatched the chunk of cheddar away from both mouselings.

(CUE MUSIC: "Valse Triste", by Jean Sibelius)

"Now, that's enough, both of you!" Hiram shouted irritatedly, as he took the piece of cheese, & brought it up towards himself.  Holding the food up before his daughter & nephew, Hiram glared down sternly at Olivia & Cousin Timmy, as he said scoldingly, "I don't want you two rugrats fighting!  In these dark & dismal times, we all have to get along, & stick together!"

As they stood before Hiram on the toy shop floor, Olivia & Cousin Timmy became filled with feelings of shame & remorse for their earlier behavior, & the two mouselings both cast downcast gazes to the ground, sporting guilty
frowns.  Wringing his paws nervously, Cousin Timmy apologized, "Sorry, Uncle Hiram..."

"Sorry, Daddy," Olivia said repentantly. "We were just both still hungry, &..."

"That's no excuse for you to be squabbling & arguing with each other," Hiram told Olivia & Cousin Timmy, continuing to look down at the children (although, by this point, his glare had softened a little). "Right now, the only thing that matters is that we should work together, & try to find a way out of this terrible situation that we face now.  Do you understand, wee ones?"

"Yes, sir," Olivia & Cousin Timmy replied in unison, nodding their heads in affirmation.

"Good," Hiram remarked in satisfaction.  Then, he broke the piece of cheese into two halves, & handed each one to Olivia & Cousin Timmy.  As he did this, the toymaker added, "Sometimes, when we can't agree on an issue, we need to learn how to make a compromise." The Flaversham cousins both looked up at Hiram, giving him their complete & undivided attention while they listened to his words...before finally gazing down at the pieces of cheese they held in their paws.  The two mouselings slowly began eating the cheddar in savory nibbles, making sure to get their fill of every bite they took into their mouths, for it would be a few hours until they could eat again at lunchtime.  All the while, Olivia & Cousin Timmy kept Hiram's advice in mind, determined to never let it leave their heads.  Who knew when they would be called upon to follow that advice, & put Hiram's words of guidance into practice?

* * *

Later that day, the Flavershams were all together in the main room, dressed in their day clothes (& looking a lot healthier, now that they'd eaten breakfast & lunch).  The 3 mice were seated at the worktable, where Olivia & Timmy were helping Hiram make toys, as they often liked to do on quiet afternoons like this one.  Even though their business had been failing, father, daughter, & cousin continued to work diligently at their trade, hoping that they (& their toy shop) would be blessed with another stroke of good fortune, as they were on that day in August, when Mr. Altoid came to visit...As he & his loved ones worked on making the new toys that they planned to sell to their potential customers, Hiram tried to keep Olivia & Cousin Timmy's spirits up with cheerful conversations & festive sing-alongs, which the family eagerly engaged in throughout their long, leisurely labor.  The time seemed to fly by for the Flavershams, & before they even knew it, their work was nearly finished!  Soon, all they would have left to do, was to wait for customers to come around...

At one point, Hiram's ears perked up to the sound of footsteps walking down the pavement.  Turning to face Olivia (who was seated on his right), Hiram pointed yonder, & asked his daughter, "Dear, could you go over to the window, & see who's outside?"

With that, Olivia got out of her chair, & scampered over to the big front window, before climbing onto the ledge, & looking outside.  At first, the mouseling could only hear the footsteps echoing on the empty street of Walnut Avenue...until, a few seconds later, she began to see a figure approaching the toy shop.  Said figure's appearance was made hazy & unclear by the dirty, fogged-up glass of the shop's front window, but Olivia could just make out the outline of a tall mouse with a prominent nose...& a deerstalker cap on his head!  As she gazed outside the window with her paws & nose pressed against the pane, Olivia gaped in open-mouthed shock when she recognized the identity of the visitor...She barely managed to overcome her stunned silence with a single squeak of disbelief: "Basil?!" Olivia's surprise grew when she saw her friend's ears perking up in response to the sound of her calling his name...& only increased even more when Basil turned around to face her!  For a moment, the Great Mouse Detective seemed to return Olivia's shocked look, complete with a gaping mouth...Then, just as soon as the mice's gazes had met, Basil turned away from the window, & hurriedly began walking down the pavement, going further & further away from the toy shop...until he finally turned the corner, & disappeared down the Crown Street offshoot.

As she watched Basil make his hasty exit, Olivia's earlier expression of shock gradually turned into a sad frown, as her face fell, & her ears drooped miserably.  In the span of a few short seconds, so many thoughts & emotions had gone through the mouseling's mind...Never mind that Olivia was surprised to see Basil in the first place!  What was he doing on Walnut Avenue? Why was he walking by the toy shop? Had he got wind of her family's situation? Had he come to check on her? Or did he just want to stop by, & say "hello"? But why did he leave when she called his name? Did he not want to help her & her family? Or, maybe, he was just feeling scared, & didn't know what to do? Had he gone to get help, or to find a way to remedy her situation? Or did he choose to ignore her? Or—oh, horror of horrors!—had he forgotten about her? Had he done the very thing that he swore he'd never do?!

Such a vast range of different possibilities was too difficult for Olivia to handle, & she began to feel greatly discouraged; she wasn't really sure what to make of Basil's disappearance, but she had a deep, sinking feeling that it wasn't going to lead to any changes in the lives of her & her loved ones...unless the detective came back.  But would he come back? Olivia didn't know...& she dreaded to think about the answer.  It was all too much for her to bear...

"Who was it, dear?" Hiram asked, bringing Olivia out of her gloomy reverie...but not out of her state of sadness.

Closing her eyes, Olivia shook her head sorrowfully, as she made her melancholy reply: "Nobody, Daddy." With that, she pulled away from the window, made her way down off the ledge, & went back over to join Hiram & Cousin Timmy at the worktable, now having lost sight of that one glimmer of hope that had appeared to her so briefly...

To be continued...

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^[1] The prophecy is also a featured theme / plot device in the film version of GMD 2. (BTW, my script for the movie version of the sequel will soon be finished.  If you're interested in looking at it, feel free to ask me for a copy, & I'll be happy to E-mail it to you!)

^[2] Those of you who are familiar with a certain director's films will notice that I have taken a Kubrickian route with selecting pieces of classical music as score for the fanfiction & film versions of GMD 2.  My inspiration for that largely came from the soundtracks for "A Clockwork Orange", "The Shining", & "Barry Lyndon", along with a bit of "2001: A Space Odyssey" & "Eyes Wide Shut".

^[3] Sophie will make fursonal appearances in Chapters 7 & 9 of the fanfic.

^[4] In the late 1880's & early 1890's, Queen Mousetoria passed a series of child-labor laws & other mandates meant to induce industrial reform in the United Mouse Kingdom. (The child-labor laws are also referenced to by Fidget in the updated version of his autobiography, "What I Am".)

^[5] The only toymaker that Hiram bears any ill will toward is Martin Loveless.  He has yet to appear in any of my GMD fanfics, but when he does, you'll understand why Hiram dislikes him so much.

^[6] And the Mechanical Monarch is living proof of that!

^[7] The name of that toy company is supposed to be a Victorian joke...&, if you are familiar with (our version of) the history of that era, it's a satirical joke, at that.

^[8] After receiving that visit from Hiram on Tuesday evening, Sophie called Mr. Altoid, & told him of the crises that her neighbor & his family were facing, as a result of the failure of their toy shop.  Being the town benefactor (& a very generous furson at heart), Mr. Altoid was all-too-willing to help the Flavershams out in their time of need.

^[9] I will admit, I was thinking of "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" when I wrote that line.

^[10] Guess Hiram's going to have to get used to all those new slang terms, too... XD