"What do you mean we'll be here-"
"Why I never!"
"You son of a-"
The protests came from everyone at once. The guards strengthened their grip on the prisoners while the hamster stood calmly. When the shouting died down, he continued.
"My name is Hammie Wheeler. When you address me you call me Mr. Wheeler. You will wear the green jumpsuits all prisoners are required to wear. You will be given two suits, one for work, one for relaxation. Every few days your workclothes will be washed. You are required to dig one hole each day, five feet deep, five feet in diameter. Your shovel is your measuring stick. All bugs and other small creatures are allowed to work together to dig one hole."
"This is bogus!" Finny cut in, Rodentia starting to whimper, "You kidnapped us! What the heck for!?"
"This land belongs to Warden Owlson." Further protests were silenced by the guards, who ushered the prisoners into two different buildings to change their clothes. The girls were taken to a house with two trees in front of it, a hammock strung between them. The men were taken to a sort of storage building. After everyone got their jumpsuits, they were shown to the tents where they would be sleeping. Other prisoners began entering the camp.
Two ducks, one white and one black, a newt, a skunk, and to the Americans' astonishment, a blue-bottomed booby. It was a slender female with red hair. BirdBrain stared at her, not so much in admiration, but as though trying to remember something. The older prisoners took no notice of the new people.
Later that day all the prisoners were ushered into a large building; the mess hall. The Americans were allowed to get in line first, and they tried to sit together. The skunk sat next to Josie, "Hey newbie, you didn' do no diggin' today, so you wouldn' mind given up your bread to someone who did now wouldja." She reached for the slice of bread on Josie's plate. Josie gasped, covered her mouth and nose with both hands, turned green, and passed out. The skunk had the same kind of smirk as Josie as she introduced herself, "Name's Blackout." The new prisoners believed it; her stench was so bad it could knock someone out.
"Hey BirdBrain!" The booby whipped around as the female approached the table.
The guards seemed to be astonished, "Hey Blank just spoke!"
"What else can you do, Blank?" The girl looked expressionlessly at the guards.
"Her name is Stefania," BirdBrain said softly as he recognized her. Stefania smiled at him, probably glad to see a familiar face. BirdBrain slid over on the bench to allow Stefania to sit next to him.
"Never expected to see you here," she opened.
"I never really expected to see you ever!" BirdBrain chuckled nervously, "California's so far away from Petropolis!"
Stefania held out her hand for him to shake. As soon as her fingers curled around his, he begged to be released. "Don't know my own strength sometimes, sorry."
"Or maybe you're just being a showoff again, just like when we were children," he pouted.
Any friendly feelings were destroyed and an old rivalry restored with that remark. Stefania glared at BirdBrain, "I was tryin' to show you there are advantages to exercising, but you were too addicted to loafing around!"
Snaptrap and Chameleon laughed, knowing firsthand that BirdBrain is not the best athlete.
"Is that you, Herbert?" The Chief turned to a cockroach lady standing next to him.
"Vicky?!" the Chief gasped, then both their faces lit up in smiles. The two bugs jumped up and hugged, shouting and laughing. "Agents, this is agent Vicky Roach. She was my partner and mentor when I was a rookie!" Vicky did not look all that impressive. She seemed to be about the Chief's age, but she looked in better condition. The Chameleon flicked his tongue at her ("Ooh, cockroach!"), which she grabbed and yanked so that he went flying halfway across the room.
Vicky sighed as they watched the Chameleon regain his feet, "Retiring was the worst mistake I ever made."
Several new friends were made that night. There were a few Americans: Summer Honey the bee, Brooke Webster and Jackie Black the ducks, Crick Newt, Maxine Mooserton, Robby Racoon, Tiff Mouse, and Mack Sparrow, and two Africans, a meerkat named Geli Brown and Ahadi Moutoussamy the water buffalo. The two Africans, Crick, Max, and Robby had been on a plane heading for America that crashed near the camp. Geli was enrolled in a college in Petropolis, Ahadi was visiting his daughter who had become an American citizen, Max and her two friends were returning from a vacation.
Stefania, Blackout (real name Anahareo), and Mack had been in ATV races when they were captured. The rest of the prisoners were going to clean water or do missionary work in Africa.