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| Joseph here, alive and well. Finally back on the mainland. I did not have access to write for almost a year. Finally, Finn concocted a brilliant plan to deal with our rat captors. It took some time to put into action. First we had to lull them into a false sense of security. During that time Finn searched for his two swords which had been taken from him. It so happens that the stupid rats threw them overboard into the shallows. The continual washing of the tide brought them into a large tidepool which Finn discovered on the beach one morning while we were being forced to net shrimp. He did not say anything about finding his weapons, only continued fishing. But he planned it all out then. Once a week we had to go get shrimp for the rats' dinners. Digory came along too most of the time. After many weeks the rats sent to watch us grew bored and paid little heed to us. They almost forgot they had to keep an eye on us. Finn told me and Digs that when he gave us a certain signal -- throwing the net into a certain tide pool that had been allocated to me -- we were to run for the ship. He gave the signal and we took off running. I heard a lot of shouting, roaring and growling behind us. Finny never did say what happened to the rats. But Digory and I made it to the ship which was not under guard save by one searat. We had to sneak along the small jetty the searats built very quietly to avoid being seen. We snuck up on the watching searat who, as it turned out was straining his eyes to see what had happened on the beach. I suspect he thought a toad had got his buddies, or a big lizard, or a bird. Anyway, we threw him into the water. I am certain he swam to shore. We cut the ropes and got the ship out into the harbor. Finny had told me we had to do that even if he was not there. Lucky for him he's a sea otter. He swam aboard not long after we started out of the cove where we were anchored.
Finny decided he wanted to live inland for a while so he gave up the ship building business and got a new job renting canoes on a lake. Now we are in the middle of the country having a good old time. We live in a nice, large town where Finny can indulge his caffeine addiction regularly.
The other day we were out photographing our area. It's a lovely town with some very picturesque buildings. We found one in particular that we wanted to take photos of. We had been there for about thirty seconds when a security guard came out waving his arms and shouting at us. Apparently he had never seen a sea otter with a camera and tripod before. Finn faced him down as best he could. He is rather short you know. He does not carry his weapons in public so he had only his commanding, corsair-like voice to stop the guy from trampling us. The guard said we could not take photos of that building.
"Why don't ye have any signs up?" asked Finn. "Or some landlubber t' come out and tell us all nice-like that we can't be takin' pictures?"
The man was totally stumped. I started laughing and the guy got mad as a hornet. He started chasing us again. Finny picked up his camera equipment and we bolted. After about fifty yards the man stopped chasing us.
Unfortunately Finn is very easy to identify. All the man had to do was look up sea otters in the area and he found Finny right off. He sent the police round to Finn's business. Finn, naturally, threw a fit railing about warrants and such. Apparently, the guard told the cops that Finn bit him and refused to explain why he was trespassing on the property.
I guess we're going to have a judge trial for assault and I am the star witness. I am a wee bit nervous. Finn is out on bail, but he's under some restrictions. I keep asking myself why Finn always gets into trouble with the law. I think it is the pirate voice, or maybe something having to do with a prejudice against saucy sea otters. People are strange.
~Joesph, the totally polite little mouse with a house full of boxes to unpack.
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| If you are reading this note it means that someone found the message Finn and I managed to sneak into a bottle and let float off. Remember those rats I told you about? Yes, they've taken us captive on a small desert island. Trouble is, they left a guard to keep an eye on us while they sent some of their number to shore with a ransom note.
Any help would be good. Digory, Finn and I are trying to come up with an escape plan, but we sure could use a paw or two. If you meet a bunch of searats asking for money and if they tell you that they've captured a mouse, a sea otter and a human, please, believe them!
Finn keeps saying that I get all my ideas from movies. He thinks I watch The Rescuers too often, and that bottles with notes will do no good. I suppose I should stop taking up your time. Our coordinates -- lucky that Finn was taking them just before the mutiny -- are on the back of this note.
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| Finny insisted on waiting for spring to come before we took our trip down the coast. We managed to get those rats we met on our last trip to pay their debt to Finny by joining on as members of the crew. I must admit, Finn does not trust the rats at all and it might have been better without them. He's constantly telling me how untrustworthy they are and how he knows they're up to something. Usually, he thinks they're up to mutiny. But yesterday he was sure they were trying to steal all the ingredients for skilly n'duff. Ah, the trials of having such friends as Finny! All the same, what would I do without him? He is fearless and I am afraid of everything. He is always the one to stand up for us and make sure that those around us do their jobs all right. Without Finn I'd be on welfare or homeless because I'm just too nice (as he always tells me). So I should stop complaining. He's just doing his job. Besides, if he did not have somebody to get angry at he would be in a foul temper all the time!
We picked up our old friend Digory along the way. He came to a small port. I must say it's good to have Digory around. He's very reliable and always has an insightful thing to say.
Thus far our journey has passed without incident. I suspect, however, that as we move into the less populated areas things will begin to happen. | | |
| It's a miracle I managed to sneak the computer away from Finny for a
few minutes to write. He's had a major mishap with one of his
building commissions and he's been online and on the phone for almost a
week straight. Of course, I am always having to spell words for
him and explain that business emails should not include growls or cuss
words. Sometimes I have to talk on the phone as well for
diplomacy issues. I do not mind all that much, I just wish
sometimes that Finny could trouble himself to be a little more polite
and conscientious. But then he would not be Finn would he?
Finn and I started a Blogring for former VNers. If you happen to
know anyone who used to be a regular at VN please tell them about the
Blogring because we would be delighted to include them. You could
also post their xanga name in comment form and I would send out another
invitation. Thanks!
Let's see, it's been a while since either Finn or I posted. We
went on a small quest that lasted for more than a month. Since
then Finn has been catching up on work and I have been doing all the
paperwork for his business. Things have been busy, busy,
busy. It looks like I will get to stop doing paperwork within a
few days though, because we are nearly all caught up.
We traveled down south a little ways in one of Finn's more recently
built ships to take it to a tall ship show. It was a lot of fun
until I discovered a contingent of rats on board. They had hidden
out in the recesses of the ship's hold and were discussing mutinous
subjects. If I had not been so quiet they would have seen me and
held me hostage, I have no doubt. Naturally this occurred while
the ship was docked for visitor viewing. Finn was upset because
he could not slaughter the vermin, someone might complain about us if
they discovered dead rats on board. In the end Finn managed to
find a cat who agreed to pester the rats and leave me alone. I
hid in the captain's cabin with the door locked just in case.
Never trust a feline, I always say. She did do her job as
advertised and the journey back included no rats. Interestingly
enough, however, the rats left behind what appears to be a treasure
map. Finn and I will go after the treasure on our next vacation I
think. Although Finny believes the map to be a trap. He
says there's no reason that the rats would leave something like that
behind if it was of value, thus he wants to find an actual crew to go
with us this time. Furthermore, he does not like any of my
friends. He says that Remus the hare is too unreliable and eats
too much. None of my guinea pig buddies will do either.
Speaking of guinea pigs I must report a very sad event. Gipper
passed away last month. We missed the funeral due to our
trip. Poor Gipper. He led a good, long life, and he will be
missed.
That's all I have for an update at the moment. I certainly hope
that one of us finds time to post before another three months pass us
by.
Joseph, the totally polite little mouse with a pen behind his ear.
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| Well, it's been some time since I put anythin' on this here blog
thingy. Joe keeps tellin' me I got ter stop bein' so busy and
keep up with some'at o' arr friends. I says to Joe, "Me hearty,
if'n yer keeps postin' fer me, everybeast'll know what I'm a doin' an'
they won't care to keep up wid me. Anyways, I can't spell."
Joe doesn't think spellin' is important fer landlubbers, but he can
spell, so he must think it's a good thing.
Yisterday, Joe's friend Remus th' rabbit, scuse me, hare came by fer a
visit. He's a stayin' wid us a week er so. I'm a liddle
worried 'bout this 'cuz Remus is known fer his appetite. He must
have some sorta disease er somethin' 'cuz he eats every other hour or
so. An' he eats tons a viddles when he do eat. I do be
thinkin' we'll be overspendin' arr budget this week and I'll be a
havin' t' build two er three extra commissions within the next two
weeks to get back on track. Where does the liddle mouse pick up
these friends? I know, Joe's a lot more sociable than the likes a
me, but he do be findin' friends everywhere he goes and then he keeps
in touch wid all o' em.
Anyways, business is good. I got hit up fer a fine three weeks
ago 'cuz I hadn't got me buildin' license yet. The one off'cer
wanted t' jail me, but his cap'n kept sayin' that a liddle sea otter
would just slip out'n through the bars. I was a liddle
worried. There was talk about puttin me in the dog pound. I
got a bit enraged and almost drew me blade when that idjit came up wid
that idea'r. Nobody do be puttin' me behind bars, that's fer
certain. They finally decided to jest fine me and make me get a
license within the next few days. Everythin' do be fine
now. Reg'lations, reg'lations! Bunch a stoopid
lubbers. I don't understand why I can't run things my way 'round
my own home an' business.
'Til next time,
The Galedeep
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