Mouse watchmaker Hermux Tantamoq returns in this sequel to  Time Stops for No Mouse (Putnam, 2002). He teams up with a chipmunk to  investigate an ancient Cat Kingdom, and the friends uncover evidence  suggesting that felines once kept mice as slaves. Their work pits them  against a highly regarded scholar with evil designs, a greedy but  beautiful cosmetics tycoon, and a "mouse supremacist group." With hidden  tombs, dynamite traps, and last-second escapes, the plot moves quickly.  The melodramatic moments are nicely tempered by a lighthearted tone and  subtle wit, and the "racism" of mice and the notion that the past  should be studied even if it's unpleasant are thought provoking. The  mouse-ruled world is easy and fun to slip into, with charming details  about food, pets, and fashion, and other assorted topics revealed with  dry humor. The tentative romance between Hermux and Linka, the daring  mouse aviatrix, progresses significantly by the time this tale  concludes. The watchmaker is an endearing hero. His modest, unassuming  manner doesn't quite hide his courage and cleverness