Sebastian Silverstone and the Thea Sisters-The Ghost of the Shipwreck:
Spring break had just ended and the students were returning to Mouseford Academy. The campus paths were dotted with brightly colored T-shirts and backpacks as students scurried around, greeting one another eagerly.
Professor Octavius de Mousus, the headmaster, stood at the academy's main entrance. He noticed some mouselings and a familiar human gathering in a corner of the campus garden. What was going on down there?
Just then, Colette scampered up to him, a big smile on her snout. "Hi, Professor! Would you like to join us in the garden? We are having a little snack of special Australian cheese! We have just returned from visiting Nicky at her family's sheep ranch."
Professor de Mousus followed Colette into the garden, where there was a table covered in food. The students and teachers were mingling, chatting and snacking.
"These cheddar crackers are delicious!"
"Did you try the feta Nicky's grandmother made?"
"Mmm...it's amazing!"
Colette, Nicky, Pamela and Paulina were busy telling all their friend about their recent adventures in Australia. The only ones who were off by themselves were Violet and Seba. Violet was chewing on a cheese stick and checking her watch while Seba was keeping her company.
Finally, she whispered to him. "I'm going to save some seats in the auditorium."
"Oh?" he muttered before deciding to tease her. "Excited to see HIM, are we?"
Violet blushed and slapped him on the arm before she hurried away.
Paulina noticed Violet leaving as before looking at the human. "Where is she going?"
Seba smirked at her. "Going to the auditorium."
She knew why Violet was going. "But why now?" she asked. "Professor Ian van Kraken's lecture doesn't start until eleven!"
His smirk grows even wider. "You'll see when we get there."
Professor Ian van Kraken was responsible for Tide House, the marine biology laboaratory that was an unofficial part of Mouseford Academy. Students loved attending his lectures because he was a fascinating speaker.
When Colette, Nicky, Pamela, Paulina and Seba arrived, the auditorium was full. Luckily, Violet had saved five seats in the front row.
"Thanks, Vi!" said Nicky, slipping into the seat next to her.
Colette winked at Violet. She suspected her quiet friend had a spot as soft as Brie for their professor. "How long have you been waiting? Have you started growing roots?"
Violet didn't seem to hear her. She was completely focused on the bright blue eyes of Professor van Kraken, who was striding onstage. He was a tall, handsome mouse with a tuft of blond fur. Unfortunately for the mouselings crushing on him, his one true love was the sea.
"Today, I'm going to talk to you about one of Whale Island's most famouse legends," the professor began, "One day, toward the beginning of the sixteenth century, a terrible storm broke out in the waters off the island's western coast. A galleon named the Queen Mousy was heading toward India. Marius von Opul was on board, carrying a priceless treasure: Jasmine's Heart, an enormouse diamond shaped like a heart. This precious stone was a gift for Jasmine, his future wife."
"Legend has it that the storm pushed the galleon onto the cormorant rocks. The ship went down, and its treasure was never seen again! Today, there are rumors that the ghost of Marius von Opul still haunts those waters, searching for Jasmine's Heart."
Two hours had passed as Professor van Kraken was finishing up his lecture. "So every year at Turtle Beach, we are lucky enough to assist in the hatching of the sea turtle eggs. If my calculations are correct, the hatching will take place the day after tomorrow. I invite all interested students to accompany me to Turtle Beach to welcome the new babies. Afterwards, we can take a dip in the water!"
The thought of helping baby sea turtles make their way to the sea got everyone excited. The students broke into applause.
"What do you say, sisters? Let's go get our underwater equipment ready and put it in Pamela's SUV." Violet suggested as she and her friends filed out of the auditorium.
Nicky stared at her in disbelief. "NOW?! Violet, the thing with the professor isn't until the day after tomorrow!"
"You're right, but Professor Stilton always says it's good to prepare in advance!" Violet replied.
"Ugh..." Seba sighed. "I think it's..." He noticed Violet's glare. "...a swell idea!"
Professor van Kraken walked out of the auditorium. Violet turned so pale that Pamela was afraid that she was going to faint.
"Vi, are you okay?" she asked.
Before Violet could answer, Colette squeaked. "No, she is not. She has a crush on the professor!"
"Oooh, so that's what Seba meant." Paulina wondered.
A sigh was not exactly an answer, but Violet's was so long and deep that her friends understood immediately. Violet didn't have a crush.
To the Thea Sisters, a mega-crush!
To Seba, however, an obsession.
The human eventually decided to stop by at the Olde Cheddar Shop to pick up some snacks. Upon arriving there, he noticed the two oldest families of Whale Island, the Squids and the Whales, gossiping about something.
"Hey, what's the ruckus?" Seba asked as he approached them.
"Hello, Seba? How've you been?" Sardinia Squid, one of the sisters of the Squid family and a fishermouse, greeted him. She was also called Dinah for short by most mice here. Every Saturday, Seba would tutor her for the entrance exams for Mouseford Academy so that she can enroll. Like the Thea Sisters, she learned the hard way when she found out that the "All-Knowing" human was a strict teacher. "We were just talking about the new arrival on this island!"
"New arrival? Now I'm curious." Seba remarked as he sat with the families.
Apparently the new mouse in topic was Captain Coral, a charming seamouse who'd recently moved to the island. The minute his brand-new superfast hydrofoil ferry docked at the port, word got out that he was planning to open a new boating company, Whale Island Waterways.
Captain Coral was offering new routes with low prices for his hydrofoil ferry service, to the great excitement of the residents on the island. Previously, anyone who wanted to go to Mouse Island had to go through Vince Guymouse, captain and sole owner of Maritime Mouseportation. Everyone on the island liked Vince, but no one ever objected to a little friendly competition.
From behind the shop's counter, Oilskin Whale, also known as Smudge, said "The new hydrofoil ferry is much bigger and more powerful than Vince's. Think of all the tourists it could bring to the island!" Smudge was the owner of the Olde Cheddar Shop. He licked his whiskers in anticipation of new customers.
"It is bigger than a hydroplane, that's for sure." Seba muttered. "Plus Whale Island could use a bit more profit. The buildings could use more renovations and decorating."
"Captain Coral sure knows a lot about the sea!" commented Smudge's brother Leopold, who was a fishermouse.
The human shook his head. "Debatable, since Professor van Kraken's is a genius at everything about the sea."
"He's a very nice-looking rodent, too." said Dinah. Her sisters, Mary and Lavender nodded in agreement.
He raised an eyebrow. There were other good-looking mice around the island. Besides, wasn't he older than them?
From the darkest corner of the room, an unexpected voice shrilled that startled Seba. "A big loudsnout! That's what your Captain Coral is! A big loudsnout and nothing more!" It was the voice of Devon Whale, the father of the Whale clan. "He's been on the island just a few days and already he's sticking his snout into everything. Questions, questions, always questions! I don't like rodents who ask too many questions! Plus, when he smiles you can't see his teeth. He's hiding something or I'll be a sea monkey's uncle."
Seba was now interested. "Mr. Whale? What questions did he exactly ask?"
"And now you're askin' me questions?! Bah! And I thought that you were a smart one!" he grumbled. "Since you're a genuine lad, fine! Here's what he was askin'..."
Violet had to wait for a full two days before joining her fellow students at the beach to help Professor van Kraken with the hatching sea turtles. But when the time came at last, the professor was nowhere to be found! The students waited and waited, but eventually decided to return to the academy, feeling very disappointed.
Violet was more than disappointed, she was worried. "Something's wrong. It's not like the professor to just not show up. Something must have happened to him!"
"Violet, I am tempted to tease you, but I think that you might be right." said Colette.
Nicky nodded in agreement. "Professor van Kraken is usually as punctual as a cat at feeding time."
"And helping aquatic animals is like a delicious dish to him." Seba added.
"Let's tell Professor de Mousus," suggested Pam.
The headmaster didn't seem particularly worried. He dialed the number for Tide House, but there was no answer.
" I'm sure there's nothing to worry about," the headmaster told the six students. "The professor is probably wandering around the island's seabeds, lost in the wonders of scientific discovery. Ever since he got himself a deep submergence vehicle (DSV) for his research, he practically lives underwater!"
Colette, Pamela and Nicky nodded. But Paulina and Seba took one look at Violet's worried snout and the Peruvian mouselet piped up, "Professor, would you mind if we went down to Tide House to check on him?"
"If he is sick, we should also inform him about the turtles since he was looking forward to it." Seba added. Violet smiled gratefully at her friends.
The headmaster beamed at them. "Ah, you six are such good citizens!" he said proudly. "Always looking out for others. Of course you may go."
The six friends thanked the professor and headed straight for the marine biology lab.
The six of them hopped back into Pam's SUV and headed to Tide House. It sat in a lovely natural harbor, Butterfly Bay. The place was secluded, protected by Nightingale Woods on one side and by the sea on the other.
"What a gorgeous spot!" Nicky exclaimed.
"I could go for a picnic here." Seba muttered.
"Look!" said Pam. "There's Professor van Kraken's car."
Paulina nodded. "Maybe he's been here the whole time."
They rang the bell for a long time, but no one answered.
"Maybe the headmaster was right!" Pam said. "The professor must have gone underwater in his DSV." She pointed to the dock, which stood empty.
"But how long has he been gone for?" Seba wondered. "He couldn't possibly be down there for two days."
"Do you hear that?" Violet asked suddenly. A strange noise was coming from the window. "It sounds like an alarm! The professor could be in serious trouble. We should go in and check."
"But we cannot just knock down the door." Colette objected.
"Look!" Paulina said as she pointed in a direction. "There's an open window."
"I don't know if we should go into the lab without permission." said Pamela, looking worried. "On the other paw, we can't leave without making sure the professor is all right."
"So we go in!" Seba declared as he leaped onto the car before jumping to reach the window, climbing in. The mouselings looked in awe, but Nicky looked impressed.
"Not bad. Let me try!" Nicky exclaimed as she scrambled right up the wall and climbed through the window as well. The rest were still amazed and bewildered.
"Holey cheese, you could not pay me to do that." squeaked Colette.
A moment later, Nicky opened the front door with Seba behind her. "There's no one here," she said. "But all the computers and lab equipment are on."
"One thing's for sure, the professor's got some really cool stuff here." Seba said. "C'mon. It's a matter of life and death.
Paulina, Violet, Colette and Pamela followed them in and began looking around. What had happened to Professor van Kraken?
Shades were drawn to protect the ultrasensitive equipment from the light of the sun. Air-conditioning kept the temperature nice and cool. There was a soft buzzing sound and red and green lights were blinking, indicating that the computers were working. One green light drew the mouselings and human's attention. It was a line moving rapidly up and down.
Suddenly, a low whistle came from the loudspeaker and the green line went crazy
"What's that?" asked Pamela, covering her ears.
"It must be the song of the whales!" exclaimed Nicky. "We learned about it in marine biology class. That's how whales communicate underwater. I think this computer is connected to the bottom of the ocean!"
Pamela twisted her ear. "They're just a little out of tune!"
"Wait a minute," Paulina interrupted. She was gazing at the line on the computer screen. "This noise is not natural. The rhythm is too regular! It can't be a whale. Something else is making the sounds!"
Colette's fur turned as white as mozzarella. "Maybe it is the ghost Professor van Kraken was telling us about! The ghost of Marius von Opul!"
Nicky looked at her doubtfully while Seba had a deadpanned expression. "Oh, and this ghost is going to leave behind the professor's hair, is he?!"
"That was your conclusion!" Colette shot back, referring to the Dragon's Code mystery.
"Ghosts, monsters, they're all the same!" Seba retorted.
Before she could answer, Violet cried out. "Look! Here's something else!" She picked up a long spool of paper that was coming out of the printer under the table.
A jagged black line ran across the whole strip of paper. It was identical to the green line going across the screen.
Violet ran the printout through her paws. "Paulina's right! It's way too regular! It seems almost like..."
Her eyes lit up in realization. "But of course! It's a signal! It repeats the same pattern over and over!"
"Do you think it's Morse code?" asked Paulina.
"It certainly isn't Braille." Seba sarcastically replied.
Nicky took a piece of paper and a pen to write down the pattern. "It seems to be made up of dots and lines! Dot, dot, dot. Line, line, line. Dot, dot, dot."
"Wait, could you repeat that?" the human asked, looking confused.
"Dot, dot, dot. Line, line, line. Dot, dot, dot." she repeated.
"So it's...'VGI'?" he asked.
Everyone facepawed. He knew Morse code, but didn't really seem to catch up with the wording.
Nicky shook her head. "No. Three dots correspond with the letter S. After that, three lines with the letter O..."
Violet understood immediately. "SOS! This is a cry for help!"
Colette's eyes widened. "You mean someone is intentionally transmitting these sounds from the bottom of the ocean?"
The Chinese mouselet nodded. "And there's only one rodent it could be!"
"The ghost of Marius von Opul!" cried Colette.
"Professor van Kraken!" said Paulina at the same time.
Nicky, Pam and Violet gave Colette a funny look while Seba was trying to stifle his laughter. She looked embarrassed. "Oh, Paulina is right. The must be Professor van Kraken!"
"Nice save." Seba snorted.
Colette gave him a slap on the arm.
Pamela shushed the others, pointing to Paulina. "Don't disturb her. I think she's on to something."
Paulina was scampering from one computer to the next, speaking to herself. Her friends didn't understand what she was doing, but they could tell she knew what she was doing.
"I've got it!" exclaimed Paulina triumphantly. "I've figured out where the signal's coming from!"
On the biggest computer screen was a map of the western coast of Whale Island. A red dot was blinking, revealing the source of the signal.
"Windy Grotto!" said Paulina.
Violet scurried out of the laboratory as if she were running the last hundred yards at the New Mouse City marathon. The others looked at one another, then followed her.
Once they got outside, the six friends clambered into Pamela's SUV. The shortest road to Windy Grotto was an old path that cut through the woods. When they reached the coast, they had to leave the car and scamper down a staircase carved out of a rock. They reached a tiny beach and looked around in confusion.
"Where did all the sand go?" asked Nicky.
"And where is the entrance to the cave?" Colette added, bewildered.
"It's high tide," explained Paulina. "When we came here last month, it was low tide, so the beach was a lot bigger. Now is the time when the tide is at its highest, so the water has covered the entrance to the cave."
"So that means..." Pam said slowly.
Seba answered. "If we wanna go in, we need to go underwater."
"Uh-oh." gulped Nicky, She was not at all enthusiastic about the idea. She suffered from claustrophobia, which makes her not being able to stand being in tight spaces. One of that included going underwater.
But Professor van Kraken was trapped in Windy Grotto, and he'd been sending those strange SOS signals. He needed help fast! There was only one thing to do.
Seba and the Thea Sisters went back to the SUV to get their underwater equipment. Then they put on their wet suits and jumped into the water. Pamela led the way since she had often gone diving in Windy Grotto, so she knew it like the back of her paw. She swam confidently through the opening in the cave, glancing over her shoulder occasionally to make sure her friends were following.
At first, they couldn't see anything because of the darkness inside the cave. So Pam reached for her flashlight. The beam of light startled a colony of tiny fish, making them swim away. They looked like a silver cloud. Pam turned the flashlight upward, illuminating a vast metallic surface.
It was the DSV!
In response to the flashlight, it turned on its high beams, making the water and the cave walls shimmer. The mouselings and human squinted. All around them, the walls were covered with coral and brightly colored sponges. Seba and the Thea Sisters were speechless with wonder. It was one of the most fabulous sights they'd ever seen!
Suddenly, the DSV's engine started up. The six friends swam toward it. As they drew closer, they noticed it looked a little banged up. Violet pressed her snout up to a porthole. Inside she saw Professor van Kraken!
He smiled hopefully and waved hello with his paw.
They were determined to get to Professor van Kraken. Violet was the first to come out of the water and climb onto the DSV. She scampered all the way to the emergency hatch.
Colette, Paulina and Seba followed her while Pamela and Nicky swam around it, checking for damage. There were only dents and scratches along the sides. The mouselings were puzzled. Why hadn't the professor come out of the cave?
Pamela found the answer: A giant rock had gotten stuck between the DSV's propeller and its protective grate, stopping it from spinning. The duo carefully tried to dislodge it.
Meanwhile, Violet tried with all her might to open the access hatch, but it was blocked too!
She was frustrated, but then she remembered what her Grandpa Chen used to say: where two paws fail, four can succeed! and there were Paulina, Colette and Seba right behind her, ready to help.
Even six paws and two hands didn't do trick. This was a task for eight paws: six and one that pulled from outside (Violet's, Colette's, Paulina's and Seba's) and two that pushed form inside (Professor van Kraken's).
The hatch suddenly gave way and the three mouselings and human almost toppled over the side!
"How are you, professor?" Violet ask anxiously as she got up.
'I've seen better days," he replied, poking his snout out of the DSV. He looked a bit bruised. "But now that you six are here, I feel like I've discovered the chemical compound of blue cheese! How did you find me?"
"We heard your signal." answered Paulina.
"Pretty genius of you to use Morse code." Seba commented.
Professor van Kraken smiled. "So you figured it out! Thank goodness, you realized I was the one sending those signals. I had no idea if anyone would hear me."
"Why don't you tell us what happened, Professor van Kraken?" Colette interrupted.
"Yes, of course," the professor obliged. "Well, I always go out early wtth the DSV and explore the sea around the cormorant rocks. I follow the whale movements in this part of the bay before checking on the sea turtle eggs at Turtle Beach. Then one day, when I was going underwater, I noticed a shipwreck near the rocks!"
"The Queen Mousy!" Violet exclaimed. "You told us about it during your lecture."
"That's right, Violet!" confirmed the professor. "This was big news, but I decided not to reveal it to anyone."
Colette couldn't contain herself. "Sauter thon, why not?" she asked. "An announcement like that would have attracted attention from all around the world!"
"Exactly!" replied the professor, nodding. "That's exactly what I was afraid of. That's exactly what I was afraid of. That wreck at the bottom of the ocean has become home to many species of plants and sea creatures. Salvaging it would mean destroying entire colonies of fish. So I decided that before revealing my discovery, I should figure out a way to retrieve the treasure without doing any harm to the environment. Then once I'd pawed the treasure over to the port authorities, there would be no damage to the ocean life because no one would care about the shipwreck anymore."
"That's pretty smart." Seba said, looking impressed.
"Thank you, Seba," Professor van Kraken. "Unfortunately, before I could put my plan into action, someone else discovered the ship! When I arrived this morning, a fishing boat was scraping the bottom of the sea with a hydraulic dredger! The rodents must have known about the treasure. I tried to stop them, but they attacked me! I was forced to flee and hide out in this cave. During my escape, the DSV banged against the side of the cave opening and the propeller was damaged."
"What about you?" asked Violet, looking concerned. "You look like you got hurt."
"Hurt is an understatement. He looked like he was hazed like a new kid." Seba remarked.
The professor nodded. "Yes, when the DSV hit the grotto walls, I hit my snout against the instruments. I'm okay, but I was trapped so I tried sending the signals using the whale-o-phone?"
"The whale-o-phone?" asked Paulina.
"It's an instrument that I invented," the professor explained. "It emits sounds that are similar to whale sounds. I made it in hopes of communicating with the whales!"
"Not to be a critic though, but you might need to practice more on the song of the whales." Seba remarked.
The professor chuckled. "I will." His expression turned into anger. "It makes me so mad to think that those looters are still destroying the ocean floor!" They could hear his voice cracking with exasperation.
"Are you sure they're still here?" asked Paulina.
The professor nodded. "I can hear the noise of the dredger with my equipment. I've been listening for the Coast Guard''s motorboat, but no such luck. The only thing I've heard is that terrible machine!"
"That means there's no time to lose! We need to stop them immediately!" cried Paulina.
"I'm way ahead of you there." Seba added, cracking his knuckles. They were ready to jump back into the water.
Before she could, Nicky and Pamela popped through the hatch.
"We did it!" exclaimed Pam with satisfaction. "We freed the propeller from the rock that was blocking it! Now the DSV should be able to start back up!"
"Amazing!" cried the professor. "You mouselings are phenomenal!"
Paulina meant business. "Those treasure hunters better not mess with us!"
"Treasure hunters?" Pam interrupted. "Am I missing something?"
Colette quickly filled them in. Nicky and Pam were indignant when they heard the whole story.
"We've got to warn the Coast Guard," said the professor. "But the radio's still broken and I don't have any scuba equipment."
"But we do," said Violet. "We'll swim you to the surface. You can share our oxygen tanks."
Pam nodded. "Then you can drive my SUV to the Coast Guard office at the harbor."
"And we'll stay with the DSV and try to distract the looters from getting to the treasure." concluded Nicky.
"If the last one fails, I'll settle this with my fists." Seba added.
"I'm sure I can steer it to the cormorant rocks," said Pam.
"What will we do once we get there?" asked Colette.
"We'll think of something," said Paulina. "We've go to!"
"The ecosystem is on the line here." Seba added.
"Let's do it!" declared Violet.
Faster than a catfish with a shark on its tail, Violet and Nicky swam Professor van Kraken up to the surface. Then they hurried back to the DSV to put the second part of their plan into action.
Space was tight in the DSV. Seba and the Thea Sisters had to scrunch themselves in.
"If I make myself any smaller, I will disappear!" Colette joked.
Pamela squeezed herself behind the wheel. "It isn't exactly like driving an SUV, but I'll manage."
"How are you doing, Nicky?" Seba asked.
The Aussie mouselet shuddered. "I feel a bit dizzy, but I'm fine with you all here."
Their exit wasn't the cleanest: Pamela had some trouble figuring out the cave's dimensions, much to Seba's annoyance. After a few pirouettes and one U-turn, she finally steered the DSV through the cave's opening. Once it had emerged, the DSV ran smoothly, so Pamela pushed the motors to the max. She didn't want the looters to escape right under their snouts.
Cormorant rocks appeared on the horizon. Right next to them was the fishing boat!
"Let's go under!" suggested Paulina. "That way, we'll catch them by surprise."
"Great idea!" cheered Colette.
"Uh-oh, the DSV isn't responding to the commands!" shouted Pamela.
Nicky shot her a look of panic. "You're kidding, right?"
Pamela frantically moved her paws from one lever to another. "It won't move! The rudder won't move! All the controls are stuck!"
Seba looked around to see the dents inside the cabin. "Professor van Kraken's collision back at the cave must have caused a malfunction to its controls!"
Pam pointed toward the looters' fishing boat, which was growing closer every moment. "We're at full speed and we're heading right for them!"
Colette, Nicky, Pam and Seba wrapped their paws around the rudder and together, all of them pulled as hard as they could but it wouldn't budge an inch!
Violet was the only one who remained calm. "Sound the alarm to warn them, Pam! Then we'll have to jump into the water!"
Pam pressed the red button, causing the sound of the siren to make the cabin vibrate.
Nicky pushed the escape hatch open. One after another, the mouselings and human leaped into the water. The last one to jump was Pamela. She made it out just in time to see the fishing boat maneuvering to avoid impact.
Then she went under.
As Seba and the Thea Sister swam away, they saw the fishing boat swerve abruptly. Luckily, it didn't capsize. The DSV, on the other hand, bounced of the boat and crashed up against the rocks.
Pamela breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the fishing boat had sprung a leak, nothing worse. It would be enough to stop the looters without putting them in serious danger.
Suddenly, her fur stood on end: Four figures in black wet suits swam through the water. They were headed straight for the mouselings!
So the looters weren't all on the boat. Some had been working on the ocean floor to try and get the treasure!
"Look out, Seba and sisters!" cried Pam. "They're coming after us!"
The mouselings and human swam as quickly as they could, but they hadn't gotten far before the four divers seized them, dragging them underwater once more. Only Seba was the one to make it out. Unfortunately, he was unaware of what happened to them.
When he got far, he turned around to see the Thea Sisters missing. Frantically, he looked around to see where they had gone. However in the corner of his eye was a hydrofoil ferry. The Neptune.
His eyes dangerously narrowed. He did not trust Captain Coral one bit thanks to Devon Whale's description of him. Putting two and two together, he realized that Captain Coral and the looters were working together!
Gritting his teeth him anger, he swam towards the Neptune, but he decided to go behind it.
When he reached there, the first thing he did was lunge himself up high in the air to reach onto the railings. It worked as he climbed himself up and over onto the boat. Browsing around, he sneaked down to find something. When he slowly opened the door, he realized that he was in the captain's office. Slowly, he made his way to the desk and browsed through the papers. There was a picture of a Chinese mouse and a couple of letters. He read one of them. With each word he passed, he realized that Captain Coral was sent here!
Leaving the office, he heard pawsteps on the wooden floor. He hid around the corner and peeked out to see Captain Coral and his goons throwing the captured Thea Sisters into an empty cabin. They had left while one of them stood guard. Taking a deep breath, he decided to take a risk.
The guard heard a couple of steps heard on the floor. He turned around to see an unfamiliar creature running towards him. "What the-?"
WHAM!
The guard was knocked unconscious by Seba's flying roundhouse kick. Landing on one knee, he slowly got up. Seba couldn't waste any time. He opened the cabin door as the Thea Sisters's eyes lit up in joy.
"I've got you." he said as he tried to undo their binds. However, he heard a voice outside the cabin.
"Who's there?!" one of the guards yelled as he ran in to find the human trying to free them.
The guards ran to find one of their comrade's shout. They made their way down the cabin storage, only to find one of their own flying out of the room and landing on the railing. Frantic, they ran in to see an unexpected sight.
A creature they've never seen before with his fist out.
"Kidnapping my friends is punishable by flogging." Seba muttered as he got into a fighting stance.
One of them ran at him, but Seba delivered a roundhouse to the snout. Another came towards him, but was hit with a powerful one-two punch. However, more looters came in and surrounded the human. Seba prepared himself in a fighting stance.
He was outnumbered, but never outgunned.
Meanwhile Violet was finishing untying Nicky's binds, having done for the others. However, she had noticed a box of flares. Looking outside the window, she had noticed a Coast Guard boat was passing by. She knew that the Coast Guard wouldn't ignore an emergency! Stealthily, she grabbed a hold onto the flare and opened the window.
With it, she fired into the sky!
"HELP!" she called out to the Coast Guard.
One of the looters noticed her. "Someone shut her up!"
However, he was punched in the face by Seba. "You're not touching them!"
A looter grabbed him from behind, but was elbowed hard twice before being thrown overhead. Another tried to emulate a kung-fu movie flying kick, but ended up getting punched below the belt.
Noticing Colette getting caught, Seba carefully delivered a swift high kick to her captor's head. Violet was also caught from behind, but continued to shout for help. The looter had no choice but to let go when Seba delivered a painful double chop to both sides of his neck. The human proceeded to grab him by the mouth with his fingers and fling him over.
The last one had a knife and was about to lunge it behind Seba. Fortunately, Pamela had noticed.
"Seba!" she exclaimed as she trapped the ambusher with a lifesaver from behind him.
The human turned around and delivered an elbow to his temple, knocking him out.
"What is going on here?!" a voice called out. Everyone turned to see Captain Coral at the door.
Seba was the first to respond as he ran towards him and grabbed him by the throat.
"You've got some nerve trying to destroy the ecosystem." the human muttered as he gave him a stern frown.
"W-we just wanted the treasure! That's all!" the captain whimpered.
"That treasure doesn't belong to you!" Violet exclaimed angrily.
"And that's another thing. I'm going to have a lot of questions for you." Seba added as he twisted the captain's arm. "Girls, could you be kind enough to explain the coast guard as to what's going on here while I have a chat with this scumbag?"
They nodded without question and scurried out of the cabin while Seba dragged Captain Coral to the office.
"Now, I want you to tell me who Madame Hu is and why she wants you to take the Queen Mousy's treasure for her." Seba ordered.
Out of the fear for his life, the captain told him everything.
Later, Captain Coral and his minions had been arrested by the Coast Guard and the treasure was recovered. The chest was filled with jewels and the famous Jasmine's Heart!
As Chief Seadog of the guard opened the treasure chest, Seba and the Thea Sisters gazed at the enormous jewel in awe.
"Voler les batonnets de poisson, that has got to be the most amazing thing I have ever seen." breathed Colette.
"Thanks to Seba and the Thea Sisters, it's safe!" said the chief.
News of the Queen Mousy's discovery and of the six friends' doings spread across Whale Island faster than the smell of melting cheese. By the time Chief Seadog's patrol boat pulled into the harbor, a crowd had gathered to meet it. Seba and the Thea Sisters were greeted as heroes and everyone was eager to see the treasure!
When the mouselings and human returned to Whale Island, there was a serious discussion about the future of the treasure. Chief Seadog, Professor van Kraken and he headmaster decided that it would remain on display in Mouseford Academy's Trophy Room. After all that excitement, Seba and the Thea Sisters were ready to settle back into their studies.
But it seemed that they were destined never to have a moment's peace and quiet!
A few days later, Violet burst into the room she shared with her friends. "You'll never believe this, sisters and Seba! My dad is conducting an opera in a new theater and my mom is the star. They've invited us to come to Beijing after our exams to see it!"
"All of us?!" Colette, Paulina, Nicky and Pamela asked in unison. Seba lowered his magazine in curiosity.
"Yes, all of us!" Violet confirmed. "There's more. Along with the e-mail from my parents, there was a note from my old friend Xiao. He has a problem and he needs our help."
"Our help?" asked Pam in surprise. "Really?"
Violet turned to Pam. "Last time I was home, I told Xiao how we solved the Dragon's Code," she said. "Now he says we're the only ones who can help his family. I just can't let down an old friend like Xiao. And here's the most interesting part: it has to do with a treasure!"
"Another treasure?" Colette asked.
"We just did a treasure hunt and we're going into it again?" Seba muttered.
"Treasure hunting is starting to become our specialty!" exclaimed Nicky.
"Beijing!" said Paulina, who loved traveling. "I can't wait!"
"But it's China, the birthplace of kung-fu." Seba mused as he lounged back on the beanbag chair. This was going to be an interesting trip.
And so a few weeks later, Seba and the Thea Sisters left Mouseford Academy again.
Exams were finally over and the Thea Sisters thought they'd done well. However, they knew that Seba scored full marks on each test. No wonder he calls himself "All-Knowing". They bid a fond farewell to all their friends and professors, promising to keep in touch over the summer.
The six friends took a ride on Vince Guymouse's boat to get to Mouse Island and from there they caught a direct flight to Beijing. By this time, the mouselings and human were expert intercontinental travelers. They knew the best way to pass the time on the long, twelve-hour was to relax and try to sleep. So they all curled up their tails and closed their eyes.
Everyone, that is, expect Violet and Seba. Violet was too excited about showing her friends around her home country. Plus, she was incredibly curious about the mystery Xiao had mentioned in his e-mail.
Seba, on the other hand, was cautious. Considering that they were going to Beijing, there was a chance that they could encounter Madame Hu. He had been doing some research over the internet and found out that she was a leader of a Chinese triad. Surprising, considering that most triads were in Hong Kong.
He had to stay on guard.
When they got off the plane in Beijing, Violet could hardly stand up. She was tired! But that didn't matter because she was home!
When Seba and the Thea Sisters stepped off the plane, they found a limousine waiting for them. The driver was none other than Xiao himself!
"Welcome to Beijing!" he called, waving at them. "Hi, Zi Iuolan!" he said to Violet.
"Xiao!" cried Violet. "You're a sight for sore eyes!" The two friends hugged each other tightly.
Violet quickly introduced Xiao to her friends.
"Violet, you never told me that Xiao was a pretty rat." Seba muttered, looking amused.
Xiao rolled his eyes. "I'm not just a pretty rat. I can show you a move or two."
The human smirked. "You do martial arts too?"
The rat gave him a smirk of his own. "Jeet Kun Do."
"Nice. Kickboxing right here."
The Thea Sisters rolled their eyes at the two martial artists. Xiao ushered the six friends into the car, loaded up the luggage and drove off confidently through the chaotic city traffic. Next to the cars and trucks, there were endless bicycles darting through the traffic.
"What was that Xiao called you?" Colette asked Violet.
"Zi Iuolan," Violet answered. "It's my Chinese name. It means 'violet'. Grandpa Chen chose it because the day I was born, a violet bloomed in his greenhouse, even though they were out of season."
"That's a beautiful story and a beautiful name," Paulina said. "Zi Iuolan!"
"We can use that as a codename as well." Seba muttered. "To confuse bad guys that come in our way."
Violet rolled her eyes, but smile. "I might consider it."
Outside the windows, very tall, modern skyscrapers whizzed by.
"Look up there!" cried Nicky, pointing to the top of a glass building. "They're skyscrapers, sure, but they have pagoda roofs!"
"Fromage suisse gluante, what is that?" asked Colette, her snout plastered to the window. She was pointing at an enormous glass dome that seemed to emerge from a small lake. It was glinting in the sunlight.
"That's the new National Center for the Performing Arts!" explained Violet, yet she was also fascinated by it as well.
"Fabumouse!" exclaimed Pam. "It looks like a gigantic water bubble!"
"More like a spaceship!" Nicky put it.
"I can compare it to half the Death Star." Seba chimed in.
Xiao slowed down to give them a better look. "The National Center for the Performing Arts is one of the marvels of world architecture!" he told them. "Violet's parents are there rehearsing right now."
"I can't wait to see them!" said Violet. "But first, let's get to the hotel so we can have something to eat."
Pamela nodded eagerly. "Vi, you took the words right out of my snout!"
When the six friends entered the suite at their hotel, they got more excited than a hamster with a brand-new treadmill.
"Jumping gerbil babies!" cried Pamela. "This place is amazing!"
Colette sand into the red silk couch and said "It is absolutely fabumouse."
Nicky entered the first bedroom and dove onto the bed. "There's even a waterbed."
Paulina turned to Violet. "An entire suite just for us?! Violet, it's too much!"
"Squeak for yourself!" exclaimed Colette. She was bewitched by all that she saw.
At the center of the room. there was an enormous bucket of roses.
Violet picked up the card. "It's from my parents, with lots of love."
Suddenly, Nicky felt a little uncomfortable in such a luxurious room. "Are you sure we couldn't have stayed at your house?"
"Sure...if my house wasn't in Hangzhou, thousands of miles from here," Violet answered. "China is a really big country!"
"Yikes, so we don't get to visit the Liuhe Pagoda?" Seba asked.
She shook her head and smiled. "Maybe next time."
Paulina looked at Seba quizzically. "Why are you interested the Liuhe Pagoda?"
He shrugged. "The tower reminds me of Game of Death."
Xiao entered the suite with the bellmice who were carrying the luggage. "Okay, my friends. Get some rest, because tomorrow I'm going to take you to the famouse Panjiayuan Market. It's a great place to sightsee and it's also the place where our mystery begins."
"Can't you tell us about it now?" Violet begged. "We're so curious!"
Xiao just laughed. "No way! I need my six expert detectives rested and ready for anything!" He looked at Seba. "Especially you, Mr. Kickboxer. You should rest instead of train now."
Seba pouted. "Such a tease."
"Xiao is right, though," said Nicky. "The trip was long. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to take a ratnap on this waterbed!"
"Way ahead of you, Nic." replied Seba as he entered his own room and landed on his bed with a thud. "Goodnight!"
The next morning, Xiao and the six friends made an early start. They ate a quick breakfast of dumplings and tea in the suite, then scurried out to the Panjiayuan Market. The market is the biggest, most famous and most chaotic market in all of Beijing. It's an enormous stretch of stalls and stands where you can find all kinds of arts and crafts.
Violet's friends didn't know what to look at first. There was so much to see! There was porcelain, furniture, carpets, clothes, jewelry, fans, stamps, paintings on rice paper and silk, brushes and colored inks. There were statues of jade, wood, bronze, iron and terra-cotta everywhere!
Colette fluttered like a butterfly between stands filled with gorgeous silks and cashmere sweaters.
Nicky and Seba visited a stall with the latest martial arts magazines. A Muk Yan Jong, a Chinese wooden dummy, had caught the human's attention immediately.
Violet and Xiao caught up on all the news from Hangzhou and had fun being the group's tour guides.
As for Paulina, she had made a very special find. She beckoned for all her friends and Xiao to come into a small booth in the corner of the market. She was clutching a small silk bag in her paws.
"What do you have in there?" Colette asked curiously.
"Something that will help us remember this trip and our friendship!" exclaimed Paulina. She opened the sack and six small sparkling stones tumbled out. Her friends stared in awe at the sight of them.
"There's one for each of us," she explained. "Each one is beautiful on its own, but when they're all together, they are even more special! Just like us! The pink quartz is for Colette, the amber is for Nicky, the amethyst is for Violet, the turquoise is for Pam, the garnet is for Seba and the moonstone is for me!"
Nicky hugged her. "Thanks so much, Paulina! They're gorgeous."
Pamela gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, thanks! You're the best!"
Seba walked up to her, rubbing his elbow. "I really don't know how much I can thank you..."
Paulina cut him off with a hug, a bright smile on her snout. "No need! We're friends, aren't we?"
A soft smile graced on his lips and he gently returned the hug.
Violet was so moved, she lost her voice. She gazed at the stones in wonder before remembering her other good friend Xiao and why they were here: to help!
"Xiao, you still haven't told us why we're here," she said.
"Not that we're not enjoying ourselves," said Colette, who loved to shop.
"Violet's right. We came here to help you," said Paulina as she let go of the hug. "What can we do?"
Xiao nodded. "Yes, the time has come. I knew your friends would love the market, Violet. That's one reason we're here. But there is another. About a month ago, my mother was shopping here when she found a beautiful lacquer box. She purchased it at once and brought it home. That evening, Madame Hu came to our house and insisted on buying it from her."
"Madame Hu?" Violet repeated, sounding alarmed.
"You mean the leader of one of Beijing's triads?" Seba clarified, looking on guard.
"Yes," answered Xiao, eyes narrowed. "She is a mysterious and intimidating figure in Beijing," he explained to the mouselings and human. "No one knows exactly what sort of business she's involved in, but apparently it's very dangerous to get in her way! She has a thousand eyes in the city. Thousands of mice work for her."
"Why would she want the box?" Violet asked. "I'm sure it's beautiful, but there are many beautiful lacquer boxes for sale at the Panjiayuan Market."
He shook his head. "I don't know why, but my mother thinks it might have something to do with a treasure," As he was speaking, he looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching them. "I have it here. Take a loot."
Violet took it carefully and looked at the design on the cover. "I've seen this image before. We had a print of the same thing at home."
As she continued to look at it, her eyes slowly widened. "But of course! Now I remember! It's the Jade Princess!"
"The Jade Princess?" asked Pam. "Who's that?"
"She's a princess from a mythical Chinese fairy tale. It's as popular as the Butterfly Lovers." Seba explained.
"You know what it is?" Violet asked.
The human shrugged. "I do my research before doing a commission for illustrations."
Xiao smiled. "I knew you could help me!"
Xiao had been sure that they were alone. But as he finished speaking, a jeweled paw with nails as long as claws grabbed Violet's shoulder.
"What a beautiful lacquer box, mouseling! But I'm sorry to tell you that it belongs to me!"
Violet was stunned. When she turned around, she found a beautiful but intimidating rodent staring at her with eyes of ice. She gasped. It was Madame Hu! Violet had seen pictures of the woman in the newspaper, and she would have recognized her anywhere
She was wearing a black silk dress that shone like her fur, which was held together by a gold dragon-shaped hairpin. A chill ran down Violet's tail.
Before she could speak, Colette piped up. "I am sorry, you must be mistaken. This box belongs to my friend's family." She took the box out of Violet's paw.
"I will pay you very well!" said the mysterious rodent, with a decisive tone that rubbed Colette's fur the wrong way.
"I am sorry, but it is not for sale!" declared Colette.
Seba stepped in. "Besides, don't you have enough dirty money for your collection?"
"Collection? What do you mean?" Madame Hu asked innocently.
"I know that you collect treasures from all over the world," Seba stated, a stern tone in his voice. "It's too bad that your guinea pig, Captain Coral is in the slammer to continue doing that."
The Thea Sisters gasped. Was this true?
The mysterious rodent's eyes darkened. "You really did your research, boy. No wonder I don't have the Queen Mousy's treasure in my grasp. It seems that I'll have to take that box by force."
Suddenly, the friends realized that two of Madame Hu's henchmice were about to grab them.
"Paws off, cheddarface!" cried Colette.
Before they could reach her, Seba delivered a double punch to their stomach before pushing them away.
He turned to Xiao. "Xiao, take them back to the hotel! I'll hold these scumbags off!"
Xiao nodded and grabbed Colette's paw, dragging her away into the large crowd in a hurry. Violet, Nicky, Pam and Paulina scurried after them.
"Stop them!" demanded the woman.
"You'll have to go through me first!" declared Seba as he went into his kickboxing stance.
One bodyguard tried to tackle him, but Seba delivered a punch. However, his opponent caught his fist with his neck. Using his smarts, the human slapped his snout before delivering several punches, ending it with a knockout punch.
The second bodyguard had grabbed him from behind with a headlock. Seba delivered a couple of elbows to the stomach before executing an uppercut to the bodyguard.
With both bodyguards down, Seba looked at the shocked Madame Hu.
"You better take your goons with you. Because they're already canned cheese." Seba smirked.
Madame Hu glared at him. "Do you know who you're dealing with?!"
"I'm dealing with a treasure thief who hides herself behind a group of scumbags. Now get outta here before I smack that hairpin off your head.
She growled. "This isn't over yet. I will have that box!" With that, she stormed off as her bodyguard was following her, grabbing onto his partner.
"I'd like to see you try!" Seba yelled before looking at the martial arts stall. He wanted that wooden dummy. Walking towards the stall, he began to bargain with the owner.
Seba had returned to the suite with the wooden dummy in his arm. The trishaw ride was a breezy one, yet was very cooling. When he got into the room, he was greeted with five worried Thea Sisters.
"Seba!" Paulina exclaimed, a concerned look on her snout. "Are you alright?"
"Is there anywhere that you're hurt?" Colette asked, worry in her tone.
"I'm fine. Those mooks are pretty much fodder." he said as he placed the wooden dummy by the corner.
"Still, what was that back there?" Pamela asked.
"You never told us that Madame Hu sent Captain Coral to steal the Jasmine's Heart!" Nicky exclaimed.
"Girls, I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you for the exams. And I didn't know that we would confront the witch soon." Seba said. "I'll put my body on the line to protect you all."
Violet had slowly walked up to him. He had shut his eyes to brace himself for a slap. However, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Opening his eyes, he looked down to see her hugging him.
"Just...tell us important things like this next time." she muttered.
He sighed as he returned the hug. "You can be quite a sensitive mouse, Violet."
"I'm serious. As best friends, we need to look out for each other. So information like this would be helpful." She looked up and tried to give a stern look, which came of as an angry and cute pout.
Seba laughed softly. "Alright then. I promise."
"Now we're all okay, we need to know why Madame Hu wants the box so badly?" Paulina asked. "Perhaps Xiao's mother is right about the treasure. And who is this Jade Princess you mentioned?"
"That's a long story," said Violet. "Let me make us some tea, to calm us all down and I'll tell you."
Once upon a time, there lived a very beautiful yet spoiled princess. Her name was Yu, which means 'jade' in Chinese. She was very proud of her name and decided that she must have the most beautiful and most precious jade necklace in the world.
Merchants from every corner of the empire arrived with beautiful stones to show her. But the princess was impossible to please. No jade was beautiful enough for her. She rejected stone after stone and forced the merchants to throw them into the river.
One day, a mouseling dressed in rags arrived at the palace. She brought her the most perfect jade that any mouse had ever seen. The mouseling said that it was the Jade of Truth. The stone was so extraordinarily smooth, it could have been a mirror. The image that it reflected was special: it showed the true snout of anyone who looked into it.
The princess took the jade and looked into it and saw a lonely, selfish rodent. Six tears fell from her eyes. As they fell, they transformed into six precious stones. The princess gave these stones to the poor mouseling who had revealed her true self.
From that day on, Princess Yu was never the same. She became kind and generous. She didn't think about the most beautiful jade anymore. And she often squeaked of all the beautiful stones that she had rejected, which remained at the bottom of the river.
"What a beautiful story!" said Paulina with a sigh. She took the box and opened it. "Moldy mozzarella, there's another in here!" she exclaimed as she took out more boxes. "And another! And another! And then another still!"
Xiao nodded. "Yes, six in all."
"Six boxes, one inside the next," reflected Violet. "Six...just like the six tears of the Jade Princess!"
"Six...like us!" exclaimed Nicky.
"It is a sign that we were meant to protect this box!" declared Colette.
"Sounds rather farfetched, but I'll make sure Madame Hu doesn't take this box." Seba affirmed.
"We can figure out what it mean. I know we can." said Paulina.
"Thank you!" said Xiao. "My mother has grown very attached to this lacquer box. And she's like you. She doesn't like giving into bullies! But I don't want to end up in trouble because of the box. We must be very careful."
Seba smashed his fist into his palm. "We're already in trouble, but that won't stop us!"
Everyone else agreed. They sat and examined the box for a while longer, each with their own theory about what the box meant. But nothing seemed right.
"I'm just saying that my theory could be correct!" Seba exclaimed.
"Your theory is a rehash of the plot to Star Wars!" Pamela shot back.
He raised his hands in surrender. "It could happen!"
After an hour or two, Xiao left and Seba and the Thea Sisters realized that they were really tired. It had been a busy day, especially with Seba from fighting of those henchmice. They decided to order room service and go straight to bed.
Violet was a real sleepysnout. She always needed a good night's sleep. But that night, she kept tossing and turning. She was having the strangest dream.
She dreamed that she was really small and the six boxes had become enormous.
When the boxes were stacked on to of one another, they formed a staircase as tall as a mountain!
In her dream, Violet tried to climb the mountain while Seba was fighting off an enemy. The rest of her friends were at the top and she knew they needed her help. They were being held prisoner by an enormous dragon like the one she'd seen on the pin in Madame Hu's hair!
Her friends had looked into a direction, eyes widening like saucers. Violet turned up to see their expressions. Confused, she turned around to see what they were looking at, only to give a horrified expression.
"SEBA!"
Her human friend was lying motionless on the ground, eyes glazed and lifeless with a pool of red underneath. Standing tall above him was a golden armored dragon warrior holding a podao, looking like it was about to finish him off.
Before she could do anything, the dragon holding the sisters hostage had suddenly moved and tried to snap at her! It was alive!
Violet woke up with a jolt. Her fur was matted with sweat. Looking outside the window, she was greeted with the dawn sky.
She scurried into the suite's living room, but not before peeking into Seba's room. She sighed in relief as she was greeted with the sight of Seba sleeping peacefully on his bed. Though, peaceful in the human's definition included being sprawled all over the mattress.
Closing the door gently, she walked towards the six lacquer boxes, which were still on the table. She looked at them for a long time, then started to put them one on top of the next, just like they had been in her dream.
It seemed like a silly thing to do, but it wasn't! The decorations looked simple, but they lined up perfectly with one another. In fact, when all the six boxes were on top of each other and were turned at the right angle, Violet saw they made a picture: The Great Wall!
And there was more!
Next to the picture of the wall, Violet noticed three symbols.
Just then, Nicky returned from her morning run. She looked at the boxes and asked, "What are you building there? Do you want to have a cup of tea?"
Yes, Violet definitely needed a cup of tea!
"You have such shadows under your eyes, Violet!" exclaimed Paulina, emerging from her room. "You look more like a racoon than a mouse! Did you sleep at all last night?"
"She probably read too much." Seba remarked as he walked out, while stretching his arms. "Seriously, cut back on the books now and then."
She shot him a glare. "I don't read that much!" Her expression had softened. "Besides, I had a nightmare," explained Violet as she looked at Seba. "But it gave me an idea. Look!"
She pointed to the design that ran across the six boxes and added, "This is the Great Wall and these three symbols mean Simatai!"
The name Simatai didn't mean anything to Nicky and Paulina. In fact, this left them more questions!
"You mean the section with the towers?" Seba asked.
She nodded. "Simatai is a section of the Great Wall," explained Violet. "It's famouse because it's very beautiful and very hard to cross. It's not too far from Beijing, but tourists don't visit it much."
"So what you're saying is that these boxes form a sort of map!" said Paulina.
At that moment, Pam came out of her bedroom. "Did you say map? Every map leads to a treasure!"
Violet jumped up. "Crispy cheese rolls! Maybe it's Princess Yu's lost treasure. The jade stones that were thrown into the river!"
Pamela ran to knock at Colette's door. "Wake up, Colette! There's news! Violet found the princess's treasure map!"
Her fur disheveled, Colette scampered into the living room. When she saw the boxes stacked on top of each other, she understood immediately. "So that is why Madame Hu wants it so badly!"
"What are we waiting for?" cried Nicky. "It's time for a trip to the Great Wall!"
Immediately, the six friends had changed into their clothes and started scurrying around.
Suddenly, Paulina stopped. "Wait. What about Xiao?"
Violet shook her snout. "I don't want to get him and his family mixed up in any trouble. He asked for our help and now we're going to deliver it!"
"Besides, we can just send him a message to tell him what we're up to." Seba added. "Pretty rat needs to protect his family."
Nicky nodded in agreement. "We've had lots of adventures together. If anyone knows how to get out of a mess, it's us!"
Colette carefully put the lacquer boxes back inside one another. As she did, she noticed the insides of the box covers were covered in teeny tiny pictures. "Look!"
The inside of the box had a picture of two lotus flowers entwined together.
"The Fairy Tower!" Violet cried. "There are many towers along the Great Wall, but the Fairy Tower is the only one with a decorated stone archway. Just like the lotus flowers on this design!"
"Good work, Vi!" cheered Pam. "Now we know where to start!"
Half an hour later, Seba and the Thea Sisters hurried out of their hotel. Their destination: Simatai, on the Great Wall. The forecast for the day was splendiid: The sky was clear and the sun was shining.
A bus took the mouselings and human to the train station a few miles outside Beijing. The mountains looked majestic, with the Great Wall an enormous crown sparkling along the crest. Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina and Seba gazed at the wall in awe.
"Crepes au fromage moelleux, that has got to be the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen," Colette remarked with a sigh.
As for Paulina and Pamela, they were speechless.
Nicky dragged them toward the cable car, Seba's arm in tow. "Let's go up, quick! I can't wait to see the view from up there!"
The higher the tram went, the more magnificent the scenery became around them. A few minutes later, the mouselings and human scrambled off the cable car at White Cloud Tower.
"From here, we go by paw," warned Violet. "It's steep!"
"Hooray!" exclaimed Nicky. "I could use a little exercise."
The six friends began their hike cheerfully. They chattered away, pointing out sights to one another. However, Seba had a nagging feeling that they were being watched. He remembered Xiao telling them that Madame Hu had a thousand eyes. There could be spies working for her. However, even if there were, it was hard to detect them since they seemed to blend in with the normal crowd of citizens
The walk along the section of the wall that to the Fairy Tower was exhausting but exhilarating. The six friends had brought drinks and cheese sandwiches with them and a beautiful view made their journey even more delightful.
"Walking along the Great Wall is like walking along a snake's back," said Nicky.
"More like walking along the back of an enormous sleeping dragon!" said Pam.
"I can assume that this is the road to destiny." added Seba.
"It's as if we're walking along a Chinese scroll and our pawprints are the words that are inscribed on it," said Paulina.
Colette looked at her in admiration. "You are a true poet, Paulina!"
The six friends hiked until they finally reached the Fairy Tower. Their paws (or in Seba's case, feet) were aching from their long trek, but their spirits were soaring!
The mice sat for a while to catch their breath. Pamela took sandwiches out of her backpack and shared them with her friends while Seba took off his shoes to massage his own toes.
Violet looked at the lotus flowers etched into the stone archway. They were exactly the same as the flowers inside the cover of the lacquer box. She pulled out the boxes and examined their covers, hoping to find some new clues.
Inside the second cover was a picture of a staircase. Where had she seen one like that before? Violet looked down from the Great Wall and spotted a very steep staircase that descended into the woods below. In the guidebook, it was called the Stairway to Heaven.
Violet turned to her friends, who were munching on their sandwiches cheerfully. "Let's go! We need to use that stairway!"
Seba sighed in annoyance. "More steps? Will this ever end?"
The five mouselings rolled their eyes as they leaped to their paws and carefully made their way down the stairs.
"Look over there!" cried Pam. "There's a small cottage between those trees!"
Violet jumped up. "A cottage! On the third cover, there's a picture of the roof of a house!" She gazed at the spot Pam had indicated and noticed a path that led from the wall into the woods.
At that moment, a helicopter flew over them.
Seba and the Thea Sisters didn't know it, but Madame Hu was in that helicopter! The six friends kept scampering along until they reached the cottage. Its stone walls looked old, but the red tiled roof was new and there was even a satellite dish.
Seba and the Thea Sisters looked at one another, unsure what to do next. Finally, Pam took action. She boldly knocked on the door. It was immediately opened by an old rodent. Seba greeted her with a polite bow.
"Hello," she greeted them "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable! I'm always so happy when I have guests!"
They began to file in, but Seba was stopped by the old rodent.
"You look like a strange creature." she mused as she placed her paw on his hand. "Tell me, are you a human?"
Seba blinked in shock, but nodded.
She smiled. "It's been so long since I've seen one like you. Brings me back memories."
No sooner had the old rodent closed the door behind her, a push from the outside had burst it open again! The old rodent almost toppled over. Both Violet and Seba reached out and steadied her with one paw and hand.
Madame Hu appeared at the doorstep, followed by her two henchmice, who were noticeably bandaged. She turned to the five mouselings and one human.
"We meet again," she said with a mocking smile. Then, looking around, she said "So this is where the treasure is hidden."
"I guess you didn't heed my warning, snake woman." Seba growled, cracking his knuckles. "Maybe Tweedledouche or Tweedledumbass would like another beating."
Seba stepped forward, making the bodyguards stepped on their own in return. The Thea Sisters were speechless.
The old rodent, on the other paw, didn't seem surprised. "Ah, Princess Jade's treasure! So that's the reason for all the visitors! Good, good! Then I imagine you have the lacquer box?"
Violet stared at her, astounded. The shock of Madame Hu's appearance was nothing compared to what she felt at the old rodent's words and acceptance.
"Out with the box!" ordered Madame Hu. Her two henchmice moved threateningly toward the youngsters. Seba moved forward to defend his friends. However, Violet placed a paw on his shoulder, silently begging him not to get hurt. He sighed before dropping his fighting stance. Violet opened her bag and showed them the box, but she did not take it out.
The old rodent seemed satisfied. "Yes, I recognize it! It is definitely the one. But the last piece is missing. I possess the last box, the smallest one. The one that leads to the treasure."
As she squeaked, she opened a drawer and took something out. Before the six friends could see what it was, one of Madame Hu's henchmice snatched it from the old woman and pawed it to his boss.
"Mine at last!" cackled Madame Hu. "Finally, my quest is complete! I have followed the princess's box through all the markets in China. Now at long last, the treasure is mine!"
With that, Madame Hu spun around and scurried out of the cottage, with her henchmice on her paws.
"Come on! Let's go!" cried Pamela. "We've got to find out where they're going!"
Nicky put a paw on her shoulder. "It's useless! We don't have any proof against those rat burglars."
"Then what next?" asked Colette.
"I don't know," answered Paulina sadly. "The trail has gone cold."
Seba clenched his fist in anger. He was angry at himself for not doing anything.
Violet turned to the old rodent and helped her sit down. "Are you alright, ma'am?"
A smile lit up the old rodent's snout. "Never been better in all my life, child. Now let's get back to our treasure!"
When she noticed the surprise in Violet's eyes, the old rodent seemed amused. "Hee-hee! You didn't think that I would let that witch get away with such a precious treasure, did you? My family has guarded it for generations. I am a descendant of the little mouse who gave Princess Yu the Jade of Truth!"
Everyone was stunned by this revelation There was a moment of silence.
Paulina was the one who broke it. "Then what did you give Madame Hu?"
The old rodent giggled. "Only what she deserved. I will also give you what you deserve, if you can answer the riddle that the princess entrusted to my ancestor, the guardian of the box, so many centuries ago," explained the old woman solemnly.
"The riddle is this: What is the name of the most precious stone?"
Seba and the Thea Sisters looked at one another thoughtfully.
"I think the most precious stone is a diamond," mused Colette. "It must be the Millennium Diamond! It is the largest diamond in the world!"
"That can't be the answer to the riddle," said Nicky. "During the princess's time, it hadn't been discovered yet."
Violet agreed. "Plus, jade has always been the most precious stone for the Chinese people. But I don't think that's the right answer either."
"Jade is so obvious that it's definitely wrong." Seba agreed.
The six friends discussed the riddle at length. They came up with many answers, but none of them seemed right. The old rodent seemed to appreciate the effort they were making. She brought them some tea.
Paulina took out the bag with the stones that she had bought for her friends and pawed them to Violet. "For me, the most precious stones in the world are these," she said.
"Yeah, for us too!" agreed Pam, Nicky and Colette. Seba was nodding with a ghost of a smile.
Violet smiled at her friends. Then she turned to the old rodent and showed her the six small stones. "We don't know the name of the most precious tone. But for us, the stones that are worth the most are these six. They represent our friendship!"
The old rodent looked at them in the eye one by one. They held firmness and truth.
Finally, she spoke. "Yes, I can tell that you six are bound together by sincere feelings of affection. I can trust you." She paused, then smiled. "There is no other clue to the treasure. I gave Madame Hu a fake clue to throw her off track. Princess Yu ordered that her treasure go to someone who was worthy. It needed to be someone who was pure of heart, generous and honorable. She wanted it to be someone who is able to appreciate the most important thing in life: friendship. Like you six, who are such close friends. So let's go! I'll show you the way to the treasure!"
The old rodent led them out the back door of her cottage. "Follow this path," she instructed. "It will take you to the river. A little downstream, you will see a forest of weeping willows. Stop when you get there."
Without further ado, the old woman bid Seba and the Thea Sisters farewell.
The six friends started down the path. About fifteen minutes later, they reached the river. The sun glinted off the water, and the branches from the weeping willows whispered in the gentle wind. It almost seemed as though the trees were trying to get their attention.
The mouselings and human pushed past the long branches and discovered a pool of water. It was a marvelous natural aquarium, with fish flashing between the water lilies.
"It's enchanting!" breathed Paulina.
"Yes, it is." began Violet. Then she stopped abruptly, for she saw something shining in the middle of the pool. She leaned forward, gazing at the water.
Colette, Nicky, Pam, Paulina and Seba had noticed it too. They crowded in close to one another to get a better look.
A mountain of small jade stones shimmered beneath the water's surface! The flow of the river had smoothed the stones over time. Now the sun, reflecting against the water, made them glitter with all the colors of the rainbow!
"So that's why Princess Yu spoke of the jades." Seba muttered.
For a moment, everyone was too stunned to speak. Then they looked at one another.
"Should we remove the treasure?" asked Colette hesitantly. "It seems wrong somehow."
"It is wrong." Seba affirmed.
Nicky nodded in agreement. "This is its place. It belongs here."
"Yes," said Violet. "This is the place where legends become reality."
The sun was starting to set. It was time to turn back. Dusk was falling over the woods. They all had not imagined they would be out so long.
Violet frowned. "I lost track of time! The last bus has probably returned to Beijing by now."
"How will we get home?" Colette asked anxiously.
"All the trishaws are probably gone by now." Seba said as he looked up at the sky.
"Let's go back to the old rodent," Nicky proposed. "Maybe she knows another way to get back to Beijing."
When Seba and the Thea Sisters returned to the cottage, they saw police officers taking Madame Hu and her henchmice away in pawcuffs!
Violet scampered up to the old rodent. "Rancid rat hairs, what happened? Are you okay? Did they come back to get revenge?"
The old woman smiled. She seemed to be enjoying herself more than ever. "My dear, I am just fine! I knew it was only a matter of time before that evil rodent realize that I'd tricked her. So while you and your friends were at the river, I called the police!"
"Good for you!" cheered Pamela.
"With her behind bars, this will put an end to her syndicate." added Seba.
"What about the treasure?" the old rodent asked. "Did you find it?"
Violet nodded. "Yes. And we left it right where it belongs."
The old rodent beamed at her. Then she opened a drawer and took out a small bundle wrapped in a tissue. She unwrapped it slowly and revealed...
The Jade of Truth!
The one that had belonged to Princess Yu!
The youngsters had gazed at it in wonder.
"This stone is the true treasure," the old rodent explained. "I have kept it safe my whole life. Now it must pass into your paws, because you have proved your souls are noble. This is what Princess Jade would have wanted!"
Seba was the first to speak, giving her a bow. "We are honored by this, elder."
She smiled. "Now young one, keep your head up. You earned this."
Everyone else smiled.
The next evening, it was finally time to go to the opera in the new National Center for the Performing Arts. The six friends were practically jumping out of their fur and hair with excitement. As they settled into their seats with Xiao, they filled him in on their adventures from the previous day. He was speechless with surprise and awe.
"Now I know I did the right thing when I asked you for help, Vi." said Xiao, causing said girl to blush.
Colette pulled the lacquer boxes out of her pawbag. "Here, Xiao. We brought these back safe and sound. We know that your mother would want them back."
Xiao smiled. "Thanks, Colette. I think she'll like the story I have for her even better than the boxes!"
Nicky shushed them "The opera is beginning!"
The five mouselings, Xiao and Seba fell silent as the curtain went up. Violet's heart swelled with pride when she saw her mother onstage. She looked at her friends and realized how lucky she was to have such wonderful rodents (and human) in her life.
After their adventure in China, Seba and the Thea Sisters had said their goodbyes to Xiao and Violet's parents as they decided to make their next stop.
New Mouse City.
They wanted to give their mentor and friend, Thea Stilton, a surprise visit since they were still on holiday. Seba pressed the button on the intercom.
"Hello? Who is it?" asked a voice that belonged to Thea.
"Surprise!" All six friends yelled into the intercom.
"Holey cheese!" I shrieked in delight. "Come on up, mouselings and human!"
Going up to her apartment, they were greeted with a hug by Thea. "Why aren't you all at Mouseford Academy? What brings you to New Mouse City?"
"A new adventure," Pam announced in her mysterious voice.
"And we got a free ferry ride from Vince Guymouse!" added Paulina, enjoying Thea's look of astonishment.
Violet came to her rescue. "Don't confuse her! Tell her everything in order while I go make us some tea."
They all sat down as they took turns speaking. Thea felt like she had been to China, despite having stayed in New Mouse City the entire time. There were a lot of twists and turns in their incredible adventure. Suddenly, she had a great idea for her next book to write about.
"What an amazing journey!" Thea squeaked as she looked through some photos from their trip. First was Violet's reunion with her parents, another was Xiao hugging a shocked Violet and a notable one was a group shot of Seba and the Thea Sisters.
"There's one last thing we have to show you." said Violet shyly.
"It's a surprise for you." Nicky put in.
"You'll definitely love it." Seba chimed in.
Pam pawed Thea the lacquer box. Carefully, she had opened it, which revealed the Jade of Truth! There was a note attached to it.
"For Thea, the keeper of our friendship! Love, Seba, Pamela, Nicky, Colette, Paulina and Violet."
Seba was standing by the balcony as he watched the night sky. Everyone else was having quite a fun time. He heard pawsteps, but didn't turn his head.
"So this is where you've been."
He didn't turn as he kept on looking. Violet walked right beside him to join him in the night session.
"The night looks beautiful in New Mouse City." she remarked.
"Yeah. Who would've thought?" he muttered.
The silence was there, though they could hear the noise inside Thea's apartment.
"So what was that nightmare about?" Seba asked.
"Hm?" Violet looked at him.
"You said that a nightmare helped you solve the puzzle of the lacquer box. Care to tell me?" he inquired.
She looked at him, contemplating this. She didn't want to trouble him, but she did tell him that they would share info with each other that might be important. Making an internal decision, she chose to tell him everything.
As she told him about the dragon, her friends tied up, the mountain of boxes and his death, his face managed to keep a neutral expression. When she finished, she looked worried as to how he would respond. Her worries increased as she noted the neutral expression.
What she didn't expect was that he flicked her snout.
"Ow!" she cried before glaring at him.
"You're so sensitive." Seba teased.
She huffed. "Well excuse me for worrying for a friend!"
He smiled and ruffled her hair. "I'm never going away permanently. That's for sure."
Violet looked annoyed from the hair ruffle, but gave a small smile as soon as she heard that declaration.
"In fact, I'm actually glad that you're all in my life." Seba said as he looked out through the sky. "Without you, I don't know what to do. At first, I thought that I was alone in this mouse city when my parents went missing. Until I met you five." He gave a small smile. "That's real magic that I'm going to treasure."
Seba slowly walked back into the apartment. "We better get back in. They're gonna wonder where we are."
Violet looked at him, startled by his statement. Glancing at his hand, it was balled into a fist. However when she took a closer look, he was holding onto the garnet that they got from China.
She couldn't remember when she gave her biggest and most genuine smile until now.