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"If I would like what?" she asked in a tense voice
"Perhaps you'd like ive instructions? You seem somewhat uncertain" Lucretia had a sly, arde stared at her coldly "I am never uncertain," she replied "And at the moment, I am very certain that I would like you to return to your nest and wait there until I give the signal to gather"
Lucretia smirked "Your wish is my command, Mouse Mistress," she said sarcastically Then she turned and flounced away, her tail contearde said, "I really don't know quite what to tell theers to face We can describe the poison, assu it will be there--"
"It will be there We can be sure of it"
"And order theular fare Cookie crus"
"Candles and crayons"
"Oh, lord, yes--some of them like that waxy stuff"
"Splenda packets Those are safe"
"And guh I think I'm the only one who knohere he hides the
"You do?" She looked at him in surprise
He nodded "It h
"Well, soap's safe, at least Shall I just tell the?"
"Yes And mothers "
"All right I'll give that order But what on earth are we to do about the glue traps, Ignatious? If the Great X has used those? In the dark, when the churchabout food--"
"I shudder to think of it, Hildegarde"
"I can just hear the cries, Ignatious! All of lued--"
"Sometimes," he said ominously, "lued!"
Hildegarde shuddered "How do they breathe, then?"
"That's the point, Hildegarde They can't"
She gasped in horror
"There is a way of getting thenatious said "But it's very, very difficult and tie to release one--but if dozens are caught, well"
She sighed, and glanced at the sky The natious They must prepare I'll just have to--"
She was interrupted by a noisy rustle in the nearby shrubbery Roderick pushed his way through, dragging so, as usual "Nobody toldfor food!"
"Shhh" Hildegarde ordered the little mouse to be quiet "What's this, Roderick?"
Roderick dropped what he'd been carrying clenched in his big teeth Then he huffed and puffed, catching his breath, and finally turned to the to sulking little !"
He looked at Hildegarde and Ignatious "Harvey here noticed that the sexton put the trash out for tomorrow's collection--"
"Yes, it's Friday He always puts it out on Friday evenings"
"So Harvey scaled, waved his tail, and squeaked, "I know you told us not to leave the cemetery! But I just went for a ood stuff in the trash! And I was going to share! I pro to share!"
"Hush, Harvey, we're not upset with you," Hildegarde said ied the torn paper--apparently Harvey had already shredded one corner--over to where she and Ignatious were crouched side by side "The light's terrible," he said, "but can you read it?"
Hildegarde squinted at the paper Mouse vision was poor; they relied on noses and ears, mostly She went closer and said, "Move aside, Roderick You're blocking the ht of the risen moon illuminated the paper
"Pest-B-Gone," she read aloud, and natious came to stand beside her and looked down as well at the paper "Invoice," he read
"What's invoice?" asked Harvey "I don't knohat invoice ing! Listen!" He warbled briefly, "Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in theeeee
"Am I in voice? Huh? Huh?"
"Quiet, Harvey It just means 'bill' It's what Father Murphy had to pay the Great X" Ignatious looked at the ae, after "total" "Yikes!" he said in astonish forward over the paper "We don't care what he paid They collect that offering every Sunday They're rich But look here, Ignatious! Here's the information we needed!" With one paw she pointed to the lines of text above the total anatious said "He's listed the kind of poison I knohat that looks like So we can give specific instructions about what not to nibble But what's that written lower down? I have difficulty seeing even in the best light Getting old! Can you read that, Hildegarde?"
"Yes It's e feared He calls thelue boards? Like snow boards? Like skateboards? I knohat those are!" Harvey arranged his rear paws as if he were on a skateboard, and stood erect, pretending to balance with his front paws "Look! Watch hty ollie! I'm really cool!"