After the feast, the Mousecateers gather at the cave entrance. Brango is busy looking after the rest of the party inside. They look around disconsolately. Although dark inside the cave, it is still light outside. The situation may be more dire than they thought at first.
Lucinda says, ‘As you know, Nero, I have spent a good deal of time in the library researching the island and its history. It had a long history of occupation, although humans have gone for now. Some of them explored deep inside the mountains, using automatic vehicles to navigate the tunnels and robots to carve them out. They were seeking precious minerals, though they eventually abandoned the search, having stripped out what they could find.’
‘That is interesting, Lucinda,’ says Nero. He can’t see that this is relevant to their situation. Then he meows, and his tail twitches in excitement. ‘So you think if we go further back in those tunnels, there may be a way out?’
‘I have copies of all the old maps they drew,’ says Lucinda, placing the plastic-sealed sheet carefully on a rock. ‘I think we will find a way out elsewhere in the mountain.’
Although they venture through the tunnels for a short way, the cats return to the cave entrance. This will be best left for tomorrow, when they have restored their energy.
The images and videos were generated by AI from the author’s prompts.
