DoN: The Case of the Missing Books

Defender of Neopia Headquarters 14th day of Gathering Y9

Lightning Lenny comes panting into the headquarters.

Lightning Lenny: Judge Hog, I think we might have a problem...

Judge Hog: What kind of problem?

Lightning Lenny: Well, there seems to be a lot of dimwitted Neopets going around and cases of disappearing books.

Judge Hog: Hmm, you do realise that when you read a book to a Neopet, it disappears in a cloud of coloured smoke, right?

Lightning Lenny: Yeah, I'm not one of those dimwitted Neopets I was talking about! By disappearing books, I mean books being announced in the news and then never making their way to the shops.

Judge Hog: Well, that does sound weird; is it a case with all of the bookshops?

Lightning Lenny: Well, yes, it has affected the Neopia Central Bookstore as well as Brightvale Books and Booktastic Books. There even seem to be some books missing from Sutek's Scrolls.

Judge Hog: This surely is a serious problem – how long has this been going on exactly?

Lightning Lenny: Well, there has been a consistent problem since midway through the Month of Swimming, only one batch of books announced in the period since then have actually made it too the shops. But the books missing from Sutek's Scrolls was actually announced all the way back in the Month of Storing in Y8.

Judge Hog: You've got to be kidding me! And how many books are we talking about?

Lightning Lenny: Well, not counting the four desert scrolls from last year, there are currently four booktastic books missing and 40 missing books from the other stores.

Judge Hog: I smell a conspiracy here! Give me some time to look into this, Lightning Lenny, and we can get to solve this problem once and for all. And until I come back you might ponder who could possibly have anything to gain from Neopets staying dimwit. Oh, and when you're done with that, please make me a list of the release date of all those missing books. Of course I expect to be all done by the time I get back.

***

Neopia Central Bookstore

Lightning Lenny walks into the bookstore and heads right to the counter.

Bookshop Nimmo: You know, before you bother me, you could try looking for whatever book you need yourself!

Lightning Lenny: I'm not here to buy a book, I'...

Bookstore Nimmo: If you don't want to buy, don't bother me. I have enough troubles these days.

Lightning Lenny: You don't understand, I'm here because of the missing books. Defenders of Neopia are looking into the matter.

Bookstore Nimmo: Well, it's about time! This problem has been going on for months! I haven't been getting any of the new books – well, that's not true; for some reason I did get all of the Altador Cup Books, but almost every other book announced since the Month of Swimming have gone poof! My suppliers claim that they've sent them, but they've gone missing without a trace before they reached my store.

Lightning Lenny: Could you supply me with a list of the books you are missing?

Bookstore Nimmo: Of course, if it can help solve the matter, here you go.

Lightning Lenny: Thank you! I will go see some of the other bookstore owners in Neopia and then I'll bring your list to my boss.

***

Brightvale Books

A bespectacled Ixi sits reading in a corner of the shop. He looks up as the doorbell announces what he presumes is a customer.

Bespectacled Ixi: Well, hello there, you're the first customer I've seen in a while. Come on in, how may I help you?

Lightning Lenny: Well, actually I'm not a customer.

Bespectacled Ixi: You're not? Oh, I should have guessed. Nobody ever comes in here since that Wheel of Knowledge keeps flinging books at visitors. People think my prices are too high when they can get it free from that wheel. But I have to make a living too you know!

Lightning Lenny: Oh, sorry about that. Actually I'm here to find out if you are missing any books?

Bespectacled Ixi: Missing Books? Oh you mean books that were announced but which never reached the shop? Yes, actually I am missing a batch of books from last month. If I had gotten them I would have had plenty of customers. I love new books 'cause the value has not been deflated by the Wheel of Knowledge yet.

Lightning Lenny: Could you give the exact date they were announced? I'll give it to my boss after I've gone to visit some other bookstores; it should help us in the investigation of what happened to the books.

***

Outside Booktastic Books, Kreludor

Lightning Lenny floats towards the Booktastic Bookstore, hanging on the buildings on the way – Lennies really aren't built for life on Kreludor. Outside the shop he notices a sad-looking blue Zafara.

Lightning Lenny: What's the matter, young friend?

Skarvat: My biggest dream is to make it to the top at the Booktastic Book Club, but now I've read so many booktastic books that the remainders are quite pricy, and it's getting hard to afford. So I was so happy when they announced four new booktastic books in the news. But it's been almost a month since they announced them and still no sightings. I've talked to many of my friends about it and NOBODY has seen them. So I'm camping out here until they are released.

Lightning Lenny: Do you have any idea why they haven't been released yet?

Skarvat: No. I wish I knew so I could do something about it, though.

Lightning Lenny: Well, thanks anyway, you've been a great help, and I promise Defenders of Neopia will look into the matter!

Skarvat: Wow, cool. Thank you, Lightning Lenny!

***

Inside Booktastic Books, Kreludor

Bernard the Orange Grundo is reading a book behind the counter as he sees Lightning Lenny floating into the store.

Lightning Lenny: Hello, I'll get straight to the case as my boss is waiting for me. I understand you are missing a batch of books released last month. Could you please give me the details on them?

Bernard: Yes of course, master Lenny, here they are. I hope Defenders of Neopia can help us find out what happened.

***

Defenders of Neopia Headquarters, several hours later

Judge Hog comes walking back into the Headquarters, an air of importance about him. Lightning Lenny is at the computer updating the list of missing books.

Judge Hog: Well, I think I just might have figured out who's behind this. But first, have you made that list of books for me?

Lightning Lenny: Yes, I have the list right here; as you can see I've listed the date, the number of books announced and which bookstore they were supposed to go to. I've been to the Neopia Central Bookstore, Brightvale Books and Booktastic Books to confirm the list. We already had an old record of the books missing from Sutek's Scrolls.

Date	No. of books	Bookstore
10th Month of Storing, Y8	4	Sutek's Scrolls
18th Month of Swimming, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
20th Month of Swimming, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
26th Month of Swimming, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
27th Month of Swimming, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
1st Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
11th Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Brightvale Books
14th Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
22nd Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
24th Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Booktastic Books
31st Month of Hiding, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store
14th Month of Gathering, Y9	4	Neopia Central Book Store

Judge Hog: Excellent job, Lightning Lenny, this confirms my suspicion!

Lightning Lenny: So you know who's behind this?

Judge Hog: Yes, of course! It's all very clear. You see there is a clear correlation between the announcement dates of the missing books and several reported sightings of... MEEPITS! Almost all of the Meepit sightings were in or near Neopia Central and only on two occasions they were spotted on other locations: in Brightvale on the 11th Month of Hiding and on Kreludor on the 24th Month of Hiding. The four missing books from Sutek's Scrolls are unexplainable though; there were no reported sightings of Meepits in the Month of Storing in Y8 at all... But then again our Meepit warning system was not fully operational back in Y8, so it might just have been a malfunction in the system.

Lightning Lenny: But why would the Meepits prevent the books from reaching the stores?

Judge Hog: Elementary, my dear Lightning Lenny! By keeping the Neopets dimwitted, they will not be able to figure out what the Meepits are up to and warn their owners.

Lightning Lenny: And what exactly are the Meepits up to?

Judge Hog: Well, that we actually don't know... we just know that they're up to something, and that it can't be anything good.

Lightning Lenny: So what do we do now?

Judge Hog: What do we do now? Tell me again, how long have you been with us? Nevermind, don't bother answering that. Now, it's time to get the help of the Neopian public!

Turns to face the countless Neopians waiting in suspense.

Judge Hog: Once again we need the help of the rest of Neopia. To prevent the Meepits to take over Neopia with their evil plan of making all Neopets dimwitted we need YOUR help. So go find those nasty petpets and challenge them to a fight in the Battledome. But I must warn you! It will not be an easy task, it might actually be our hardest task yet!

The End