When Jerrix reached the lift entrance, he noticed an intercom. He pressed the send button and asked, “Captain, what’s the problem?”

A rather flustered voice quickly responded.

“Yoland found a body on deck 50. She will be waiting for you there.”
The cat disconnected before stepping into the lift. When he arrived, he saw the security officer standing lamely outside one of the apartment doors.

“Do you have a suspect?” he asked rapidly.

“Larchee the damn mouse.”

“What happened to the usual cheese diet?” he asked promptly.

“We don’t have any on board,” she replied.

He was about to enter the apartment when she stopped him.

“You really don’t want to see that. The woman is badly chewed up.”

“Well, we had better find him. There is one thing I know about mice,” he said. “They are pretty ravenous and there is certainly more than enough food here.”

“Where do we start?” Yoland asked. “There are one hundred decks?”

“We must put ourselves in his shoes. If you wanted easy prey. Where would you go?”

“Oh that’s easy,” she replied. “Lovers Lake.”

“We had better go now then,” the cat insisted. “We have a bloodbath to stop.”

The security officer drew her laser weapon and followed Jerrix to the lift. She punched in the floor number and moments later, he found himself stepping onto a veritable sea of grass.

“Very nice indeed,” he muttered.

“We think so,” she replied.

They left the lift and walked rapidly towards the distant lake, which was surrounded by a small forest. They both hoped it was not too late.

When they arrived, their jaws dropped. On the water’s edge lay two badly eaten bodies. Jerrix scanned the immediate area as Yoland called it in.

“I spot him,” the cat shouted bounding after the quarry.

Yoland followed as best she could across the flat terrain until they saw a deep chasm ahead.

“He must have gone down there,” Jerrix suggested.

“He must be mad,” the officer replied.

They looked down and sure enough, Larchee was climbing down the rock face, a river running far below. Yoland let off a shot, which scorched a rock but nothing more.

“I’ll have to go after him,” the cat said preparing to climb down.

“You will both be killed.”

“Where does that river go to?” Jerrix asked out of curiosity.

“Downstream to the falls. He won’t survive that.”

“Then stay here my girl. I’ll persuade him that the games up.”

Jerrix started down, carefully negotiating the rocky outcrop as Yoland looked on. As he did so, his blue cloak blew in the light
breeze.

The mouse had quite a long start and seeing the cat descend, moved down quicker. However, he quickly realised there was no way out of his predicament.

“If I cannot go down,” he muttered. “I’ll just have to go up.”

From above, the voice of Jerrix drifted down.

“Surrender Larchee. It is over.”

“You must be joking,” the mouse replied. “For a start I’m taller than you.”

Jerrix had to agree but continued down anyway.

As they moved closer, Yoland continued to aim but found it virtually impossible now. To open fire would risk hitting the wrong animal.

“Think you can take me?” the mouse boasted. “I’ll have you for breakfast.”

“You can try,” Jerrix said before stopping.

They were now just one foot hold apart. Jerrix lashed out but failed to strike. As he did so, Larchee grabbed his foot.

“Hah. One pull and it’s over,” he boasted.

Jerrix shook the foot violently and broke free as the mouse tried again. Jerrix saw an open opportunity and lashed with his foot. This time he caught the mouse squarely in the face.

The animal shook, lost his hold and plunged screaming to the depths below. The cat watched him hit the raging torrent and sighed with obvious relief.

From the top, he heard Yoland shout, “You need a hand down there?”

“Not really my dear. Up in a mo.”

He carefully made his way to her side and had a last look at the river below.

“I think that wraps it up,” he muttered. “You can tell the captain I told the engineer how to fix your air leak. Your people are safe now.”

She watched him saunter off before making her report. Then Yoland ran after him.

Jerrix was just about to enter his ship when she called out, “You really can’t leave you know.”

He turned to see her bounding to his side.

“Oh yes my dear. Who will stop me?”

Yoland smiled.

“I could. You know Jerrix; you are fun to be with.”

He smiled.

“Do I take it you want to join me?”

The security guard nodded.

“What about your own people?”

“The captain has plenty of guards to choose from.”

“I warn you now,” Jerrix said sternly. “My life is no picnic.”

“Oh I can handle that.”

He stepped to one side and pointed to the interior.

“In you go then my dear.”

Smiling bravely, Yoland stepped on board.