A ray of morning light accompanied by a gentle flow of fresh air streamed through the discarded drainpipe that lay wedged between a large stone and the bank of a small stream. The pipe, partially concealed by a small honeysuckle bush was of no significance to the residents of Deep Rock, but it was home to Victor a very special degu.

The stream sprung from the hill that rose above Deep Rock and trickled or flowed according to the rainfall. The stream wound its way through the hillside gardens , over rocks and through culverts until it reached the cove. The water gave life to many plants, quenched the thirst of birds and squirrels and was Victor's favorite place, just to be.

Victor opened his dark brown eyes and clasped his hands behind his head. On any other day when the breeze wafted through his home and ruffled his fur he would have curled his tail, twitched his whiskers and sank deeper into his nest. However, to-day was no ordinary day. To-day the 1stof September, 2007 was graduation day. This was the day that appeared in all his dreams, the day when he would become a fully fledged member of the Department of Special Services, Unit 3 in the district of Deep Rock with the rank of Constable.

Victor scurried down the pipe, grabbed his toilet bag, jumped into the stream and gave himself a good scrub. Granted he had plenty time before the ceremony, but after all, he must be well groomed and worthy of the uniform that depicted his profession.

Back inside, combed and dry, Victor forced himself to eat. Munching a slice of pear Victor's eyes wandered around his home. He lived alone and he liked it that way; the drainpipe was quite delightful, very neat and clean divided into living and sleeping quarters with a well-stocked pantry. At either end of the pipe Victor had manage to assemble flaps, the mechanics of which were known only to him and effectively kept uninvited guests at bay.

Giving his whiskers a final brush and ensuring that every remnant of pear was gone Victor began the exciting task of donning his uniform.

First there was the purple waistcoat with a pocket over the left breast. The pocket bore the motto of Unit 3 Justice for All written in gold script and also held a pen and small black notebook.

"My" whispered Victor to himself "The purple looks so royal and the gold writing is positively inspiring"

Next, the brown belt came with its many attachments. Victor fastened the belt around his waist and began attaching the tools of his trade to the clips. Flashlight, magnifying glass and string to the right, truncheon and handcuffs to the left.

A quick look in the mirror and Victor was off to a very secret rendezvous where he would take his oath of allegiance to protect and defend all creatures from tempest and pestilence.

Victor ran along the bank of the stream, but avoiding the mud and other such gooey substances was no easy task. In fact, he had no choice but to slow down if he wished to arrive for his graduation suitably attired.

Victor navigated along the stream but came to a full stop at the point where the stream curved and disappeared into a culvert. He knew his route under the culvert, but he also knew that occasionally Bruno the Mighty hid in the culvert and waited to accost all unsuspecting travelers. Although Victor was prepared to challenge Bruno, his instinct told him to leave that task to the time when he would officially represent the law and after all that was only an hour away.

Victor climbed up the bank, ran very quickly through Mrs. Swanson's garden, desperately hoping not to be seen. Breathless he ran around the side of the house, over the front lawn to the edge of the sidewalk.

"Phew" whispered Victor

"Now, all I have to do is cross the road and I am in the park and the site of my graduation." Victor thought. Before Victor could blink he was in the park and standing before Superintendent Green with three other graduates.

The ceremony was most impressive with cheese, biscuits and cream served for refreshments.

Victor was too excited to eat. He kept thinking of his schedule for the coming week and the list of tasks assigned to him; to say nothing of the new piece of equipment called a Blackberry. It looked nothing like the blackberries he loved to eat, but he would do his best to learn how to use it, although he certainly felt more at ease with his notepad and pen. Superintendent Green had assured the three new graduates that learning to use the Blackberry would eventually leave them more time to be active on patrol, so also would the computer and camera that would be delivered to each of then directly.

Victor had one day before he began active duty. Taking his leave of the Superintendent in a very polite fashion Victor left for home to peruse the tasks assigned to him. He was not feeling too confidant that he would be able to develop a successful strategy, but he would try. He was worried about using a computer, but determined that he would learn and if it assisted him in his pursuit of justice then it would be a very worthwhile piece of equipment.

to be continued....