CHAPTER 9
"THE MESSENGER"

PREVIOUSLY:
Lizy went to work helping put a stop to a water main break.

"It's not fair!" cried Lizy, pounding his fist on the table. "I'm the Guardian of Lizard Valley, so why's that mercenary getting all the attention? He hasn't done anything since I hired him besides eat, sign autographs, and burn a hole in my checkbook!"

"Lizy Line Lizard!" scolded Sandy, though Lizy pretended not to hear. "I'm surprised at you!"

She and Lizy had gone out to eat at a nice restaurant (owned by a friend of Lizy's family) like they did every week around this time. It had been nearly a week since Lizy's "misadventure" with the water main burst. After the dust had cleared, three buildings, a hot dog stand, and a third of City Park had been burned down by the gas pipe explosion he had ended up causing. Ever since then, most of the citizens called on Rex to do what would normally be the Guardian’s job. The King had even given Rex a certificate of appreciation! Lizy was rarely jealous of anyone, but somehow Rex had managed to get on his nerves.

"Just get your mind off Rex," advised Sandy. "Things will be set right in time. And here comes Bob! Are you ready to order?"

"Hi, Lizy!" Bob the waiter greeted his customer. "Do you know what you want? Hopefully something that doesn't bite, scratch, pinch, sting, gnaw, claw, or preside at the top of a food chain."

"The food's usually dead by the time you get it, Bob," Sandy noted.

"I'm not hungry," was all Lizy replied as his set his menu down.

"Egad, Lizy!" commented Bob, "I've never seen you quite this down before!"

"Hey!" Sandy interrupted, "Isn't that one of Rex's mice at the next table!?"

Lizy (appalled at the mention of Rex) turned around to see that, indeed, it was.

"Hey, you!" called Lizy, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hi Lizy," the mouse smiled, "They wouldn't let me in without ordering a table."

"What's your name?" asked Sandy, "And what are you up to?"

"Rex calls me Number Two," replied the mouse, "That's not my real name, of course, but somebody as important as Rex can't be bothered with such little things as remembering names. I'm here to give you this." Number Two handed a sheet of folded paper to Lizy.

"By the way, Mr. Two," Bob began while Lizy read the note, "What would you like?"

"Nothing, if you don't mind," answered the mouse. Everyone else in the restaurant fell silent and began to stare.

"Are you sure?" asked Bob, acting rather nervous (which was not very out of the ordinary, by the way).

"Yes, I just ate," Number two replied. "I'm not hungry right now."

Everyone gasped.

"Very well," Bob sighed. He returned to the kitchen. There was a short pause before the cook, "Goody-Goody" (a cousin of Lizy, no less), burst out of the kitchen in a rage with Bob slowly following not far behind.

"What's the meaning of this!" demanded Goody-Goody of the now shocked mouse, "Is my food not good enough for you? Are you saying that I can't cook! Why, of all the rotten, low-down, no-good, nasty, revolting..." Bob just rolled his eyes, and wished he could be somewhere else at the moment.

Lizy, on the other, took no notice of the spectacle. He had just finished the letter from Rex, and knew that trouble was on the way...

NEXT TIME: "Cruel Returns"
Lizard City is attacked!