3
Alfie paused. His fingers twitched inches from the rot.
"I will do it, I swear," said the Lumprotter. "Touch it and you will die."
The gibbering mouse stopped mid-shred. It bunched up its tiny paws and shrieked at the Lumprotter.
Alfie sat back on his heels and watched the interaction with curiosity. The mouse roared in a language neither brother could understand, but the Lumprotter did. It gasped more than once and shook its head. It lifted a finger and opened its mouth to say speak, but the mouse interrupted before it could. It was a good five minutes before the mouse calmed down. It crossed its arms in front of its chest and turned to the brothers. It squeaked something unintelligible.
The Pinkstone brothers shrugged their shoulders and shook their heads. The gibbering mouse roll
