Mickey Mouse in the Public Domain

Chapter 9

Mickey searched his hand, looking for a move, any move to give him any sort of leverage over his opponents.

"Nine of Spades," Oswald announced proudly, laying down said card.

Felix glanced at him, then a second later, laid down an even better card. Oswald looked down on Felix's card gaping.

"Your turn," Minnie said, nudging Mickey sweetly. He laid down his card, hoping for the best. He wasn't sure how the cat had bamboozled them into a game like this, but he was determined to give it his best hand.

"My turn," Minnie said, laying down a card.

The three of them looked at it a moment, then Felix looked up at her, "Not bad," he said.

Minnie looked proud.

As they continued their game, Felix finally got down to business, "What you have is a rodent problem," he said, "but fortunately, you came to the right place." Felix looked up, staring straight at Mickey, "And there is no one better to deal with a rodent than a cat." Felix licked his lips.

Mickey backed up a step, bumping into the chair behind him, uncomfortable under the cat's gaze, "This does have to do with other Mickey, right?"

Mickey could see Felix creeping up, almost crawling up onto the table, "There needn't be an other Mickey if we take the problem at the source."

Mickey turned to flee, just as Felix pounced!

The two of them went tumbling forward, straight into Mickey's deck of cards.

Mickey regathered himself quickly, as Felix came rushing at him, Mickey panicked and took a two of spades, digging a hole for himself just as Felix dived over him.

Mickey tunneled his way out behind Felix, and threw the two spades at the cat, costing him a couple of his Nine Lives.

Felix turned around to look at Mickey, impressed, and then he grabbed a 9 of Hearts and restored his HP.

Mickey's eyes popped out of his head, Felix was dashing at him again. Mickey grabbed an Ace of Clubs and Clubbed that cat over the head.

Felix went skidding, and turned his head back to Mickey. This mouse was showing promise.

But it was time to wrap this up. Felix grabbed a Four of Diamonds and hurled them at Mickey like Shurikens. In seconds, Mickey was pinned to the walls of the Tavern, a diamond holding out each limb. He struggled to pull free, but he was stuck hard and tight.

Felix stepped toward Mickey hungerly, Mickey trembled in his Mouse body in horror.

"HELP!" Mickey cried, trying to pull away, "HELP!" But in this tavern, it was just another one of those businesses.

Felix stood in front of Mickey, face to face by only inches, looking at him intently, an understanding seemed to pass between them, but an understanding of what, Mickey did not know.

"Like my trap?" Felix asked.

Mickey shook his head profusely.

And then Felix started laughing.

Felix flicked his card, and the Four of Diamonds jumped back into place, leaving Mickey crumpling down to the floor.

"Hey, no take backs!" Oswald said indignantly as Mickey quietly slunk away. Minnie gave the rabbit a startled look, "Okay, this time we can make an exception," Oswald receded quickly.

Felix offered Mickey a hand to help him up, which Mickey should not have taken, but if we're questioning the judgment of cartoon characters here, we'd as well be here all day.