That evening Hazel bade a slightly worried farewell to Fiddler and Delta as they left the offices and set off to the humans’ village once more to spend the night at Hebe’s. Fiddler explained that he wanted to be up early ready for the grand finale but still wouldn’t explain to either Hazel or Delta what he had planned.

“Just make sure you’re careful,” Hazel begged him.

Fiddler flashed her one of his most charming smiles and assured her that nothing would go wrong. Then, with a cheery wave, he and Delta were on their way. It wasn't long before they arrived at one of Hebe’s mouse holes.

“I’ll give him a shout,” said Fiddler, going into the hole and calling for the ancient house mouse. “Hebe! Heeeeebeeeeeeee!”

Hebe appeared from a crack in the house’s brick work and glared at Fiddler. “Oh. It’s you again. I thought you’d ‘ave learnt by now to keep your voice down.”

Delta chuckled at the idea of Fiddler keeping his voice down and said, “He can’t help it. Fiddler always gets loud when he’s excited.”

Hebe peered at Fiddler and wrinkled his nose curiously. “What’s he got to be excited about, eh?”

Fiddler squeezed passed the old one into the hole. “Forgotten already, Heeb? We’re filming the grand finale tomorrow. Y’know we talked about it last night?”

Hebe nodded. "I remember. You’ll be wanting to kip here for the night then? Come on in.”

Once they were safely inside Hebe’s comfortable home and were both treated to a mug of cocoa, they settled down for a chat.

“You wouldn’t be able to tell me more about the grand finale would you, Hebe sir?” asked Delta hopefully.

Hebe looked uncertainly at Fiddler. It was obvious that the old mouse had been sworn to secrecy. Fiddler blew on his cocoa and put his feet up. “Ah well, I s’pose it’s all right to tell you now. I’ve kept it secret in case Marley found out and tried to stop me. He’s already tried to break our camera and have me kidnaped.”

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“I might try and stop you yet, Fiddler,” said Delta. “Remember what the Boss told me, ‘you must make sure he knows his limits.’"

Fiddler grinned. “But you’re my mate! You wouldn’t stop me from achieving my dream, would you? To win the National Wildlife Film Award you need a grand finale.”

Delta sighed, defeated. “Okay, tell me what you have planned.”

Fiddler sat forward, he was grinning from ear to ear in anticipation at his idea. “So far we’ve only filmed our family by themselves or interacting with each other. We have yet to see how they behave towards other humans.”

With alarm Delta realised what Fiddler was hinting at. “You want to film our humans with other humans?”

Fiddler nodded.

Delta frowned. “You mean with more than one human?”

Fiddler nodded again and clapped his paws. “Yes! Our family with lots and lots of other humans. It’ll be fantastic, the best footage ever. We’ll show everyone how humans behave in a herd! Or maybe that should be flock? A flock of humans? A pride of humans maybe? Delta, which one’s right?”

Delta shook his head. “Does it matter? Let me get this right, you want us, that’s you and me, to film our humans together with others of the most dangerous species of animal of all time, right?”

Fiddler jumped up from the chair and paraded round the room. “Imagine, Delta! A gathering of humans, communicating and responding to one another like intelligent creatures. We’ll show them socialising and, and . . .”

Delta hung his head in his paws and groaned, muttering to himself as Fiddler continued with his musings. “Why oh why did I have to get paired with the mouse who not only attracts danger but who actively seeks it too? Mother was right when she told me never to become a camera-rat.”

Fiddler sat down next to the rat, sipped at his cocoa and smiled. “Cheer up, Delta! You want to win the ultimate prize too, don’t you?”

“Well--”

“Course you do! Anyway, listen to this, Hebe told me that once a month our family journey to this big building at the centre of the village called the Village Hall, he said that other humans go there too. They have some sort of gathering. You went there once didn’t you, Heeb?”

The ancient house mouse nodded. “Aye, when I was an enquiring youngster like yourself.”

“What do they do there?” asked Delta, not being able to help but be a bit curious.

Hebe shrugged. “It’s all beyond me, young ‘un. You’ll find out for yourselves tomorrow, no doubt.”

Fiddler sighed happily. “Brilliant! I’d like to see Marley beat that. We’d best get some rest now, Delta, we’ve an early start in the morning.”