Part 1. The Fitzgibbon farm.
Chapter 1 Mrs. Frisby discovers May in June.
The early summer sun was warm where streamers of butter-colored light filtered through the leaves, illuminating the sandy stream bank with dappled patches of light and shadow. The occasional welcome stirrings of a breeze made the still surface of the pool ripple with light and sent the boatmen scurrying to stay in the shadowed shallows where they wouldn't become a meal for the minnows that lived in this quiet section of the stream. From where I sat with Timothy, I could just hear the water passing the tiny waterfall a few feet downstream over the distant rumbling of a tractor. Beneath us the moss was cool and comfortable.
A shriek drew our attention to my three other children. Martin was threatening Cynthia with a tadpole he'd just caught in the shallows, while Teresa watched giggling behind her paws. Now that he was older, Martin looked so much like his father with his light-colored fur and dark spots that it brought a lump to my throat at times, and like his father he was developing a stubborn streak. I was just starting to call him down, when Cynthia put a halt to his games by scooping up a paw full of mud and hitting him square in the face with it.
Sputtering, Martin dropped the tadpole and as he was distracted wiping at his eyes; it flipped and flopped back to the water, darting away to freedom in the depths.
Timothy's chuckle was more felt than heard before he said "Serves him right. He knows how much she hates slimy things."
Turning, I asked "How do you feel Timmy?" as I touched his ears to see if they were warm.
He gave a long suffering sigh before answering "Better. The sun's helped a lot Mom. Can I go down and play now?" he asked trying not to whine.
Finding his temperature normal, I smiled and replied "OK, but don't get into the mud or water. And remember that Mr. Ages said you would wear-out easily till your lungs are fully healed."
With a "Yes Mother!" he got quickly to his feet and scurried down to where Martin was washing the last of the mud from his face and promising mayhem to his laughing sisters.
Timmy still looked thin, his brown fur still a bit dry and patchy, and he had problems getting started in the mornings till his lungs cleared, but he was undeniably getting better. Mr. Ages had warned that he would always be small with the hard start he'd had in life, but he was looking so much better than he had when we finally moved to the summer house it brought my mind some peace. His tail was again a healthy pink and his quick intelligent brown eyes were once again bright.
I watched our children playing and sighed, wishing again that Jonathan could have told me about himself and why our family was so different. Why when the children of other families born at the same time as Martin were now great great grandparents, he was just beginning to look like an adult. Why our children tended to spend so much more time walking on two legs rather than four. Why when my friends were having six or more children at a time, I had only one, and that with great difficulty.
On the day I went to the rats for their help Nicodemus had told me much of NIMH, and after the rats were gone I'd learned much more from Mr. Ages. I must admit with a bit of shame and pleasure that I'd leaned on him a bit for some of those answers while he recovered from his broken ankle. This was something that I would never have done before the desperate events of this spring, and just another in the list of things that had changed in me since Jonathan's death.
Many of the things that I learned were not comforting, and a few even made me rethink some of the things Nicodemus had told me. The most alarming of the things he had told me and one that I had begun to suspect in my darker moments was that I would most likely die of old age before Cynthia became an adult! The gray hairs that were invading my fur in greater and greater numbers like the leaves turning in the fall proved the truth in what he had told me.
Another thing that worried me was the constant problem with my children's friends. Other children would outgrow them in a few weeks, and the strangeness of this would drive away the other mice. There was also the double edged sword of how dreadfully smart they were. Other children both looked up to and feared them for they had answers to many problems from experience their friends had never encountered before. They also were able to think about and see answers to problems in ways that were just not normal to mice.
Perhaps NIMH had changed me too, but indirectly. I certainly spent more time thinking than most mice. It had started back when Jonathan would tell me stories. They were so fantastic that I'd thought he made them up to pass the time during that first long cold winter, but now I knew better. They'd been the stories of his travels and his extraordinary life, and I wish with all my heart that I'd paid more attention to his words at the time. Now I would sit and struggle to bring them back to mind; and with what I had learned I could unlock and open a door on a bit more of that part of his life that his honor, and perhaps a bit of fear, had kept him from sharing with me.
My time spent in thought had brought me loneliness in a way as well. Many of the other mice thought me as strange as my children and shied away from me because of all the time I spent just thinking. I gave a grim chuckle because they would only stay away till they had a problem they couldn't solve. I'd lost count of the times others that would normally shun me would bring me their problems, and it looked like my children would inherit my lonely cloak of oracle.
Looking back to my lovely children as they played, I had to smile at one thing. I had noticed recently that Teresa had taken the mantel of storyteller from Timothy while he was ill. In the evenings she would be surrounded by a small crowd of young mice, gofers, chipmunks, and voles gathered to listen to the stories she would spin for them, like the one she told last night about the blind mockingbird and the ghosts. At least she of all my children would not want for company in her timeless future.
From the corner of my eye I became aware of movement and turning, found Janice cautiously approaching the door to our summerhouse. She was one of the few mice that didn't shy away from my family and myself and would come over just to talk when the mood struck her.
I called "Janice! Here!"
She jumped a bit at the sound, and after turning a full circle to be sure my voice hadn't alerted a predator, she came over. When she arrived she asked sociably while looking around for danger "How are you and your family today Elizabeth?"
I smiled and answered "We're all doing well. How are you and yours?"
Settling next to me after sniffing the air, she smiled and replied "I'm happy to say I now have an empty summer house. I just saw off my youngest and helped her move into the old stump up near the pine thicket."
"Any prospects?" I asked as she settled to grooming her ears and whiskers.
She chuckled "Three so far, but she thinks she can do better, and I agree."
For a moment she was silent as we watched some bugs flittering in a shaft of sunlight while the children piled up pebbles in some sort of game they seemed to be making up as they played, then she said, "Oh, I almost forgot what I came here to tell you. While I was up helping my daughter, I saw Blackberry, one of the rabbits that live up that way. Well, I stopped her and asked if she had seen Dragon. She said she hadn't, but she did tell me something that I thought I should pass on to you, you being his friend and all."
I waited for a few moments for her to continue, then when she didn't I asked "Who did Blackberry tell you about Janice?"
She blinked "Oh, I thought I told you. She was talking about the rats" and she fell silent again as a bird flying over caught her attention.
I sighed knowing that if I pushed, Janice would become flustered and not be able to remember what she was going to tell me, but finally I prompted "Rats? I thought they were all gone now with the rosebush dug up."
She turned her attention back to me and gathered her thoughts. Finally she said, "Yes, rats. I was talking to Blackberry the rabbit and she said she saw a bunch of them in the woods the other day, near the old farm. She said they were strange and carrying strange things." Lowering her voice she somewhat fearfully added, "She said they had Mr. Ages with them and were being none to gentle with him, and there was the smell of blood on the air."
Most of the mice and many other animals held great respect for Mr. Ages and his healing ability, also more than a bit of fear. After all, power that can do great good can sometimes do great harm as well.
Becoming somewhat concerned I asked "Was she sure it was Mr. Ages and not just some young white rat, and did she say what they were carrying, or how they were strange?"
Janice nodded "She was sure it was him. She'd gone to Mr. Ages for medicine for one of her children's eyes, so she knew him by sight."
Looking proud she continued "I knew you'd ask about the strange thing they carried, so since she didn't have a name for what she saw; I got her to tell me what they looked like. When she did they sounded like the carrying things you make. Satchels, I think was the word you used, and she said that a few of them were walking on their back legs and carrying sticks with shiny bits on them."
She sighed and continued, "If the rats took him, I doubt we'll see Ages again. You know how rats are to mice" she finished with a shiver.
Janice had my full attention now as I asked, "When did she see this?"
"About two days ago" Janice answered. Checking the tall grass behind us for danger she continued "I know he saved your youngest son twice, so I thought you would want to know."
Getting to my feet I said, "Thank you Janice, and I hate to run off on you, but I need to look into this."
Cupping my paws in front of my mouth I called "Children! Come here!"
They looked up from their play, then came pelting our direction as Janice said slowly and sadly "I don't understand you Elizabeth. No one in their right mind would choose to go into danger and I know you are not sick or mad, but….." With a slight smile she touched my shoulder saying, "Be safe Elizabeth" before bounding away into the grass.
The children were laughing and poking at each other as they stopped before me, and Martin asked, "What's up Mom?"
I smiled as reassuringly as I could and said "I've got to go and check on Mr. Ages so I need you all to be on your best behavior. I want you to watch after each other and I want you to stay near the house. I should be back before dark, but if I'm not, there's enough to eat for tonight and in the morning."
"Is something wrong with Mr. Ages?" asked Timothy, his brown eyes narrowing as if he could see my thoughts.
I shrugged saying "I'm not sure. It's just that Janice said a few things that make me think I should go and check on him, but I doubt that he's in any trouble."
The four looked at each other as though carrying on an unspoken conversation. They did this often now, and to be honest it sometimes frightened me. I knew they were far smarter and had a quicker wit than I. Now that they were getting some age on them it was growing harder to mislead them, so in most things I didn't try but could still get an occasional omission past them. Thankfully, they still seemed to respect me and would still bow to my authority when I pressed it, though I feared that that could end any day.
It was Martin that asked "What did Janice say Mother? I doubt you'd be dropping everything and running off this late in the day to see him if it was just he had the sniffles. Has he broken his leg again?"
Coming to a quick decision I said "She told me that a rabbit had seen Mr. Ages with a group of rats. If they are still there I'm hoping to find out if it," I choked for a moment, and then continued, "if it really was Justin that I thought I saw the humans pull from the nest."
They became gloomy at my words having all liked the easygoing rat with the roguish smile, and Teresa, her dark eyes shyly downcast asked, "Can I come Mother? I liked Justin too. He was very nice when he came to help us."
I shook my head "I don't know if it is them or if they are still there, and it's the time of the year for snakes to be out around the old farm."
Seeing the disappointed look on her thin delicate-featured face, I held up a paw saying "If it wasn't him I saw pulled from the nest and he is with the rats, I'll ask if he can come by for a visit on their way back to the mountains. Good enough?"
Teresa scuffed her foot in the moss but finally nodded saying "I guess" as Martin chuckled and said, "I think you're sweet on him."
The chocolate-brown fur on her face puffed out and her whiskers bristled in anger as Martin batted his eyes, grasped his paws next to his cheek, and said in a falsetto voice "Oh Justin, I want to have your pups!"
That was when she jumped on him and they started rolling around scratching and snarling at each other.
With a sigh I turned to Timmy and said "Watch out for them will you?"
He sighed in a long suffering way as Cynthia giggled and backpedaled from the two wrestlers.
XXXX
By the time I'd gone to the house and collected my comfortable old red cape, a satchel made of folded green leaves, and packed it with the cape and a few seeds for lunch, the battle was over and the two combatants were engaged with their siblings in harassing a carpenter ant. Seeing them all together I could see how much Cynthia had grown this spring. She was almost as tall at Timothy now and starting to lose some of that baby roundness as she began to cross the line from child to young adult.
Shaking my head, I closed the satchel by tucking the top of the leaf into the body. It was a smaller copy of the one that I'd admired when I saw Nicodemus using his in the rosebush. It seemed such a good idea, when things in my life calmed a bit, I had set out to make one for myself. After several false starts I had built something that was both serviceable but also a bit different as well. I'd added a second strap I could slip over my other arm as well to make a pack that I could carry on my back allowing me to go on all four when needed. It helped me carry a great deal more, so it made the job of feeding my family much easier.
I guessed it was something like this Blackberry had seen, and I knew of only one group of rats that would have such. The ones I had learned it from.
Stepping outside, I smiled at my four children as I slipped the straps over my shoulders and settled the bag against my back before calling "I'll be back as soon as I can children!"
Turning away as they called their goodbyes, I dropped to all fours and started toward the abandoned farm at an easy lope.
It was still hard for me to leave them on their own, but they had become more responsible on the whole after the events of the spring. Looking at the fur on my arm and its peppering of gray, I knew I would have to force them to grow up even more soon. It was sad to think that this would be my last summer, but such is the life of a mouse. That is unless you were from NIMH, or the child of a NIMH survivor it seemed.
That was another reason I had to check on Mr. Ages. After some serious arm-twisting, he had agreed to check in on the children when I was gone and to provide the adult guidance they could require if they didn't mature enough over the next few months. He wasn't thrilled with the idea, but had caved in when I put pressure on him. His motto was "Growing children are something for other people to deal with. I just heal and birth em!"
XXXX
It took me about an hour to travel to the storm drain under the Fitzgibbon driveway. It was a corrugated metal tube that stretched about ten feet under the drive near the gate to the farm. Unless it was raining, the drain was normally dry and half full of sandy soil. To my left the hilly land opened out wide where it had been cleared and planted by the Fitzgibbons. That huge stretch of well tended fields was only broken by the gray of the winding gravel drive. To my right the forest closed in around the old blacktopped road that ended at the drive, cloaking it in a green gloom. About thirty yards down on the other side of the road, an overgrown drive that had once offered access to the other farm could just be made out. In a few more years it, like the old farm's fields, would be altogether hidden in the overgrowth.
The pipe was the most inviting way to cross the road, and I intended to take it, but I hadn't lived as long as I had by being foolish. I checked the direction of the wind to make sure it was taking my scent away from the pipe, then paused at the entrance listening and testing the warm air. This time of the summer snakes would sometimes take up residence in the pipe and would make a quick meal of anyone foolish enough to enter without checking.
As I stood motionless listening for the telltale hiss of scales moving or breathing over the razzing of bugs in the weed-choked ditch, I noticed in the distance some dark specks flitting about above the fields; and had to smile. Crows are carefree creatures and, having grown close to Jeremy over the spring, I felt warmth for them now that I had never felt before. He'd not only proved himself a true friend, but brave as well.
My revelry was broken as I heard the papery rasp of scale against scale, and moved away from the entrance to the pipe with a shiver. Of all the creatures that prey on us, snakes had to be one of the worst. Most predators would make an attack, but break off if they failed on that first try. Some would attack and make an attempt to dig you out if you went to ground, but a snake could and would follow you wherever you could go. If one of them set their mind on eating you, there was really little you could do to save yourself but run; and poison is not a pleasant way to die.
Realizing that I had to cross the road above ground and would be in the open anyway, I had a thought. If one of those crows up there playing was Jeremy, perhaps he had seen something, if I could get the information out of him.
Hoping for the best, I pulled out my cloak and held it so that the red cloth would catch the light and show up well against the green background. Birds and mice could see red, but to most of the things that would love to eat me, my cloak would be just another patch of gray.
After a few minutes, one of the black specks broke off from its play and came my direction. In a few moments I was able to recognize my friend and repacked my cape. He landed with considerably more grace than he had earlier in the year and burst out with an earsplitting "MRS. FRISBY! It's good to see you!"
I felt a smile cross my face and asked "And how are you and your family, Jeremy?" as I admired how much he had grown.
He cocked his head and laughed "As wonderful as this warm sunny day dear lady. Is that boy of yours still doing OK?"
"Timothy's doing fine" I assured him "but I have a question for you. Have you seen any of the rats around?"
Jeremy cocked his head again and his bright eyes regarded me for a moment before he said somewhat softly "As a matter of fact I have. Back in the woods near that big blackberry bramble where they had their backdoor before the humans dug it up. They've been doing a lot of digging themselves from the big pile of fresh dirt there."
He asked in concern "Are you needing their help again?"
I shook my head feeling a bit more concerned by his words, but determined not to let him know. From what Nicodemus had said, I hadn't expected them to ever return, much less this quickly, and why would they be mistreating Mr. Ages unless something very strange was going on. There had to be something wrong, and leaving a pile of dirt that could easily be seen didn't fit what I thought I knew of them ether. Finally I said "No, I don't need their help, but I am a bit worried for one of my friends. Do you remember Mr. Ages?"
Jeremy preened at his left wing for a moment as he thought, then brightened "Oh yea, he's the white mouse that lives over there in the old basement, isn't he? I've seen him a time or two, and people talk about him all the time you know."
"Have you seen him lately" I asked.
The crow closed one eye and stuck out his tongue in deep thought for about thirty seconds, then shook his head "Na, it's been a few weeks since the last time I saw him."
I smiled "Do you think you could look over the bramble and see if you see him there and if there are rats there; what they are doing? One of my friends seems to think he may be in some sort of trouble."
He brightened and gave an earsplitting squawk before asking "You want me to land and talk to him if he's there?"
I shook my head "That may not be a good idea. Those rats… they may not be friendly and they may be keeping him there against his will. Just fly over and see if he's there and what he's doing if he is. I'm going on over to his house and see if this could all just be a misunderstanding and he's actually home safe.
"Do you mind doing this for me?" I asked worried that I could be taking advantage of our friendship.
He looked down and shook his head saying "Gosh no. If it wasn't for you, Dragon would've had me for sure. I owe you my life and I don't mind helping you at all. I consider you my best friend!" and with that he was off in a blast of air and a loose black feather that slowly settled to the ground.
XXXX
The abandoned lawn had badly overgrown since the farmhouse burned, so there were plenty of places to take cover as I moved carefully toward the old house site. The problem was cover after I arrived. The socket in the basement wall where the floor beam had once sat and Mr. Ages made his home was in the open, as were the broken bricks that you had to go down like a stairway to get there.
I was using more care than normal as I approaching the old cellar. I didn't want to show myself in that open space till I had no choice, so I'd decided to look over Mr. Ages' home from the opposite side of the old basement first. That way I could see if there were any sign of trouble before crossing that open ground.
Peering from under the cover of a large milkweed, I felt my heart hit my feet. I could see that the bit of old shingle Mr. Ages used as a door was twisted and hanging by only one hinge, but that was all I could see. The gloom inside the old socket was too deep to make out more than a few vague shapes, but otherwise the place seemed deserted. The small clearing above where Mr. Ages saw his larger guests seemed empty too.
For a long time I watched for any sign of movement, but finally seeing nothing, I worked my way around to the clearing. After checking the sky and the surrounding greenery as best I could, I dashed to the stairway of broken bricks, staying low and under every scrap of cover I could find, then down to the broken door.
Inside, I found the once orderly piles of herbs were scattered, and the bit of brick Mr. Ages used as a grinding stone was overturned and littered with the papers he normally wrapped his remedies in. I also saw something I had never seen before when I visited Mr. Ages. There was a section of brick at the back of the socket that hinged open like a door, and behind it was a study, much like the one where I had spoken to Nicodemus the previous spring and behind that a bedroom. In the gloom I could see that all the furniture had been made for someone the size of Mr. Ages or myself, but it was tumbled about and some smashed. The study walls had at onetime been lined with shelves that likely had been filled to overflowing with stacks of paper, but now most of that paper littered the floor to a depth almost up to my knee where it had been flung about!
The room had the appearance of someone hurriedly looking for something and caring nothing for the destruction they caused in the process. Seeing the wanton devastation, I suddenly felt the need to get out of there! With a last sad look over my shoulder, I headed back up the steps wondering what I would do if Timothy got sick again.
I was just getting ready to poke my head over the edge of the brickwork to see if it was safe when a shadow lunged over the edge above me and suddenly I felt myself lifted bodily from the steps by sharp teeth on both sides of my neck!
It happened so fast I had no time to feel fear or surprise as I found myself suddenly face to face with a rat and realized another bigger rat had me by the neck!
Rolling my eyes, all I could see of the one that held me was an out of focus set of great yellow teeth and a body dressed in tattered blue rags that seemed to go on forever.
The first rat I could now see was a female dressed in a neat blue tunic like Justin had worn said "It's just another stupid mouse, but it does have something on its back. Put her down Alex and let's see what we have here."
I felt the pressure of the teeth vanish and a rather dull voice said, "I told you I saw somethen movin over here."
Pawing at me, the rat apparently named Alex continued, "It has pack. Is it smart like white mouse?"
Now that I had the chance to take their measure I could see the first rat was a sleek female with that strange indeterminable mixture of age and self-assurance that the Rats of NIMH displayed as adults. She said sharply to me "Don't try to run or I'll have Alex pop your head like a blueberry! Quickly now, what are you doing here?"
Trying to sound a bit dull, I said, "I'm here to check on Mr. Ages. Sometimes he has me bring him food or plants, and he gives me things."
Her eyes narrowed and she asked sharply "Things, what sort of things?"
Slowly and carefully I took my pack from my back and opened it saying "Things like this. Isn't it beautiful?" I asked as I pulled out my old cloak and unfurled it.
While she examined the cloak I asked, "Where is Mr. Ages? He didn't say he would be gone."
The female looked my cape over and sighed in disgust as she finally tossed it back into my face saying, "Just one of Ages go-fors."
Alex made a grumble and said, "She is mouse, not gofer."
The female snapped "I said go-for not….. ah, forget it!
Turning and walking away, she growled over her shoulder "She's worthless. You can kill her whenever you want."
I felt my heart slam into my ribs and I know I gasped as I franticly waved my cloak and said "NO no, please. I'm a good worker! I would work for you if you let me!"
The rat Alex paid no heed to my words as he said in a gruesomely lighthearted voice "May has learned me to count. I show you how good I can count. I let you run while I count to five, then I come kill you. OK?"
Looking up into the brutish face as it grinned back at me with huge yellow teeth; I suddenly turned, clamped my teeth on my cloak, and ran for all I was worth!
As the distance opened I heard the female say in a bored voice "Play if you want Alex, but don't let her get away. And bring back the body when you are done. A bit of meat would be welcome with dinner."
Not that I needed any more encouragement, but that made me run all the faster! I pelted in a straight line back through the overgrown yard while behind me I heard a fading voice calling "One. Two. Four."
"Three is after two Alex."
" Thanks May. Three. Four. Five, here I come!"
Heart hammering with my fear and exertion, I broke into the thinner undergrowth at the edge of the yard trying to hold the gap between the rat and myself. I dashed along as quickly as my legs would take me, hopefully through passages that would prove too small for my pursuer. Alex wasn't as big a Brutus, but I knew he was more than a match for me! If only I could make it to the drive!
The crackling and scrabbling of something large behind breaking through the undergrowth I was dodging through got slowly louder and louder as my lungs and muscles burned with my effort! Suddenly, almost to the drive, something slammed into me and I found myself on my back with the weight of Alex pressing down on me like a stone! He was panting as he growled "Good… run…. little… mouse. I…. end it quick…. when… I catch my breath."
I could only gasp, cry, and claw at that huge mouth as it open and descend toward my throat! Then we were both tumbling as a fury of black feathers and angry screeching slammed into Alex and bodily tore him from me!
Scrabbling to my feet and snatching up my cloak, I again ran while behind me I heard squealing and furious cawing cries.
I knew Jeremy wouldn't be able to distract Alex for long, but hopefully it would be long enough! I was just glad he'd seen the cloak and the trouble I was in! Sooner than I expected, I found the drainage ditch and ran along it to the pipe under the driveway. Climbing up a saw brier growing near the entrance, I shoved my cloak into the head of a stalk of grass growing there, and then grabbed the stalk a bit further down with both paws and shoved away from the saw brier with my feet. Slowly the stalk started bending under my weight. As it picked up speed I slid down, trying to guide the stalk as it fell. It would soon break under my weight, but I didn't want it to break too soon! I guided the head of the grass stalk into the pipe opening, and felt it snap at its base just as I hit the ground! Picking myself up, I ran for the other side of the ditch and jumped into a tuft of tall grass and hid.
There was another loud angry squawk and I saw Jeremy take to wing calling "RUN MRS. FRISBY, RUN!"
I hunkered down and did my best to get my breathing under control as I watched Jeremy swoop down on something that was drawing steadily closer once, then again.
In moments Alex's head poked from the grass. One of his eyes was shut and his ears were bloody and tattered, but he was still on the hunt!
Looking around, he spotted my cloak where it lay almost inside the pipe just as Jeremy made another attack from behind. The impact sent the rat sprawling head over heels into the sand at the mouth of the pipe. Cursing, he got to his feet spitting sand and then dashed into the supposed safety of the pipe where he expected to find me!
In moments there was a horrible scream that seemed to go on and on! I folded my ears down with my paws to try to keep the hideous sound out, but it only muffled the gurgling cries that would likely haunt me for the rest of my life!
Then finally there was silence again, only broken by the razzing of the bugs in the grass and Jeremy's angry calls from overhead.
Getting to my feet, I made my way to my cloak on legs that felt made of string rather than blood and bone. The snake would be busy with Alex for some time, so I felt relatively safe, but the shadows I could see down in the pipe as I picked up my cloak sickened me.
Scurrying as best I could out of the ditch I laid out my cloak again and sprawled in the sand next to it panting. In moments Jeremy made a none too graceful landing next to me. He had cuts and bite marks, and a long bloody scratch on the side of his face, but he was oh so beautiful to me!
Getting to my feet, I wrapped my arms as far around his neck as I could and hugged him asking in a shaking voice "Are you OK!?"
Jeremy chuckled "I'm OK, but you should see the other guy!"
I shivered saying softly "I did."
He swallowed and glanced back to the pipe before saying "Oh, I heard him, but didn't see. Sorry."
Stepping back I swallowed hard again saying "I guess we're even Jeremy. You just save my life! Thank you ever so much!"
He grinned and blinked in embarrassment "Yea, I guess we are at that. Never thought I'd be a hero" he said with a squawking laugh before he sobered saying "I didn't see Mr. Ages, but the rats over there have been building a new nest. There's a new hole under the old overhang with a big pile of dirt next to it and rats coming and going."
I nodded saying "Thanks Jeremy. Meet me at the summer house and I'll see what I can do for those scratches and bites, then I've got to figure out what I'm going to do, but we need to clear out before Dragon or that May come to see what all the yelling was about."
"May?" he asked cocking his head.
I shivered a bit and said "I'll tell you about her when we get you seen to."
End Chapter 1
