“Wait your turn, mouse!” The guard at the door, a large, armored rat, blocked his way.

Not wanting to provoke a confrontation, Phil waited impatiently. His news was urgent! Craning past the guard, he could see the Thimble King in the distance, crowned by his namesake, lording over an aquarium on a wooden throne. Lackeys, made up of field mice and rats, gathered on either side of him. Underneath, filthy water exploded in sudden bursts of movement that never quite revealed the creatures therein. It was a mark of prestige- everyone knew of the Thimble King’s sea monsters.

“What’s going on there?” Phil asked.

“Criminal. Sentencing and likely execution.”

A moment later there was a squeak of terror followed by a splash. The water in the tank churned violently and for a brief second, revealed horrible tentacles and a baleful eye.

A red dot blinked into existence on the wall next to him. Upon seeing it, the rat ushered him inside.

Phil gulped.

This message would be the death of him yet, he just knew it.