Captain Rathoug Kidnaps Tanya

Meanwhile, Norman and Olivia watched the mermaids playing in the lake.

The first mermaid was an 11-year-old mouse with light brown fur, a dark red nose, curvy pink ears, small whiskers, blue eyes and a purple mertail with clear lavender fins, wearing a pink bow in her hair and a purple top. Her name is Teresa Brisby.

The second mermaid was an 8-year-old Native American mouse with peach fur, black hair tied in two braids, brown eyes, a dark red nose, curvy pink ears, a small bucktooth and a yellow mertail with clear brown fins, wearing a yellow tank top. Her name is Cholena.

The third mermaid was a 14-year-old mouse with creamy fur, long, flowing, golden-blonde hair, long, thin arms, a pink nose, curvy pink ears and a purple mertail, wearing a lavender shell bra. Her name is Gadget Hackwrench.

The fourth mermaid was a 4-year-old light yellow mouse with a brown nose, brown eyes, curvy pink ears and an light green mertail with clear light green fins, wearing a light green top. Her name is Cynthia Brisby.

The fifth mermaid was a light brown mouse with a small bucktooth, small whiskers, a black nose, brown eyes, curvy pink ears, and a pink mertail with clear pink fins, wearing round glasses with yellow lenses, a purple bow on her head and a matching shell bra. Her name is Peepers.

The sixth and last mermaid was a tan mouse with a light peach face and underbelly, pink lips, a dark brown nose, green eyes, curvy pink ears and a teal mertail with clear aqua fins, wearing a blue shell bra. Her name is Nellie Brie.

"Just imagine!" Olivia gasped in a dreamy way, "Real mermaids!"

"Would you like to meet them?" Norman asked.

"Yes, I'd love to!" Olivia said.

"All right, come on." said Norman, as he jumped from one rock to another towards the mermaids, playing his panpipes. Teresa noticed him.

"It's Norman!" she gasped.

"Oh! Hello, Norman!" Cholena and Gadget called.

"Hello, Norman!" Cynthia and Peepers called.

"Hi, Norman!" Nellie called.

Norman stood on the resting place in the middle of the mermaids. "Hi, girls."

As Olivia tried to get over to where they were, the mermaids talked to Norman.

"I'm so glad you made it!" Teresa said.

"Why did you stay away so long?" asked Cholena.

"Did you miss me?" Gadget asked.

"Tell us one of your adventures." asked Peepers.

"Yes, something exciting!" Nellie said.

"Want to hear about the time I cut off Rathoug's hand and fed it to Felicia?" Norman asked.

"Oh, I always liked that one!" Gadget said.

"Me too." Cholena said.

"Well, there I was on Marooners' Rock surrounded by 40 or 50 rats…" Norman began telling his story.

"Oh, Norman!" Olivia called to him.

"Who's that?" asked Cynthia as she spotted her.

Norman noticed Cynthia was looking at something else. "Huh? Her?" He turned and saw Olivia. "Oh, that's Olivia."

"Friend of yours?" asked Gadget.

"You brought her here?" asked Peepers.

"And her sailor suit, too." Nellie said, looking at Olivia's clothes that seemed to resemble those of a sailor.

Soon, the mermaids came over to Olivia to talk to her.

"Come on, dear. Let's be friends." Gadget said.

"Oh, please! I would, but…" She began as they began to surround her.

"Oh, but you still can." Cholena said.

"We insist." Teresa said.

"But I..." Olivia pleaded.

"Too good for us, eh?" asked Cholena.

"Norman!" Olivia called Norman for help, but Norman just floated in the air, laughing. The mermaids took her hand one by one and kissed it, making her blush and giggle. They backed away from her, giving her space. She picked a shell from the rock for self-defense. "Just don't come too close, okay?"

"Olivia!" Norman took the shell from her hand. "They were just playing. Were you, girls?"

"That is all." Cholena said.

"We were just having fun." Teresa added.

"You see?" Norman said.

"All right, that's okay then. I was just..." Olivia began before Norman covered her mouth.

"Shh!" He just said that because he realized the sun in the sky had set, and he heard something. He went over a rock with a hole in and saw a rowing boat, with a rat captain on it. "Yep, it's Rathoug."

"Rathoug!" The mermaids shrieked, hiding beneath the sea.

"Hide!" said Norman, as he took her to the rock. Sure enough, it was Captain Rathoug with Fidget. They had someone else. It was a young Russian-Jewish mouse with brown fur, a peach muzzle, underbelly, and uper face, blue eyes, a brown nose, curvy pink ears and a small bucktooth, wearing white frilly, ankle-length pantalettes, a yellow dress with long light blue sleeves and a navy blue bodice, and an orange-red babushka on her head tied up at the back of the boat. Her name was Tanya Mousekewitz, Papa's daughter. "They captured Tanya." Norman whispered. And of course, Felicia followed them. Norman took a good look on where they went. "Look's like they're headed for Skull Rock. Come on. Let's go see what they're up to."

Norman and Olivia flew off after them.