Chapter 25
"You'll have to excuse the council," said Justin as he led Abigail by the hand down a winding, crystal-encrusted tunnel lit with a string of small electric lights along the walls the size of Christmas lights, "We tend to take ourselves a little too seriously around here."
Abigail still felt heartbroken by the harsh decision of the council. She and her friends were going to be stuck in Thorn Valley for the rest of their lives, while her daddy, Cornelius, and the others would suffer and die at NIMH.
"I may be the leader here but we're still a democracy, my opinion only holds so much weight," Justin said with regret, "If it were up to me we would send soldiers to try and rescue your family and friends. But you can't blame them for being afraid to do that. After all, we've been there before."
Abigail stayed silent. She did understand why they voted not to help her, but it didn't make her feel any happier about it.
They reached a round stone door. Justin closed his eyes and held his hand out. Abigail looked at him with curiosity, her eyes widening when the door opened on its own.
"This way," Justin said.
He let go of her hand and walked in, but Abigail stayed put. He turned around.
"Well?"
Abigail frowned, "What about my friends? Why did you take me here alone?"
Justin got down on one knee, to bring himself to her level.
"There's something special about you, Abigail," he said, "You'll know why by the time this little meeting is over. Your friends are going to be well taken care of while they're here in Thorn Valley. Which, I promise, won't be forever. Not if I can help it."
He lightly stroked her cheek and lifted her chin up.
"Now come on in," he said with a comforting smile.
She couldn't help but feel a bit flustered at this. She blushed lightly, and nodded. Justin got to his feet and walked through the door, and Abigail followed, the door shutting behind them. His chamber was relatively humble. With its shelves of books, a wooden table, a modest bed and a desk with papers scattered about it reminded her of Cornelius' home. Of note however was a strange contraption at one end of the room made up of a series of brass or gold rings. Abigail couldn't explain it, as she'd never seen such a thing before. But soon Abigail was taken by surprise, as a fly zipped across the room and hugged her chest.
"Zipper!" she exclaimed, patting his head.
"Teresa found him flying about the town square," Justin explained, "When she brought him here, I knew you'd arrived. He's been in my visions too, and from what I've seen he's quite the little hero. Anyway, sorry for the mess in here. Have a seat."
Abigail nodded, and pulled up a chair at the table as Zipper sat on the table in front of her. Justin strolled around the room, walking up to the ringed device.
"I suppose you're wondering how I knew you and your friends were coming," he began, spinning one of the rings.
"I was wondering that, actually" she said, glad to finally receive some explanation.
"Well you see, it all starts with the serum that each of us were injected with at NIMH. Every rat you see here has it in them. The Brisby kids, who you met, retained some of its effects because their father was injected with it. For some of us, our mental abilities increased ten-fold. We use more of our brains than humans do. For others, it was strength and aggression that increased. Brutus is the worst case of that."
Abigail shuttered, "Why does he hate me so much? I didn't hurt him when I could have."
"You'll have to forgive him," Justin answered, "Being bested by you must have been pretty hard for him to swallow. And the things that he went through at NIMH were unspeakable. The serum turned him into what he is today. But despite that, he is loyal. Maybe too loyal, considering his misguided attempt to kill a harmless little girl while in his mind protecting Thorn Valley."
Abigail nodded, starting to understand things from Brutus' perspective, "So, it's all because of that stuff the humans put in your bodies. And that's how you can tell the future?"
Justin nodded, "Exactly. And that's not all. You saw how I opened the door earlier, right? Some of us can move things just by thinking really hard about it. It all comes from tapping into inactive parts of the brain. I'm not exactly sure how much anatomy your teacher taught you, but are you following me so far?"
"I think so…" Abigail tilted her head.
"Good, now then," Justin continued, "What to explain to you first? I'm sure you're curious about how Thorn Valley came to be. Perhaps I'll start with what happened to us, because what happened to us directly caused what came to happen to you. Pray, stare into the rings. You should have a vision."
Justin spun one of the rings again, and a bright orb flickered into existence. Abigail shielded her eyes from its brilliance, but then stared at it as a picture came into focus. She saw rats and mice being gathered up by scientists, taken to a dim, terrifying place she knew could only be NIMH, a place where animals suffered. Seeing this place filled her with horror. Was this where her loved ones were now? She then bore witness to the injections of the rats and the mice.
"It was originally some kind of drug used to re-grow brain matter," Justin explained, "But when they tested it on us, they had no idea what it would do. None of us could read before, but we picked it up quick just from watching the scientists, and figured out how to open our cages. And we were home free."
Abigail watched in awe. She briefly glanced back to see if there was a projector like at the movie theater, but there was none. Justin continued, telling how after escaping by hitching rides on cars and trucks the rats eventually came to the Fitzgibbon's farm, to make a settlement. But one so close to humans could never be permanent. A few years later, during what Justin called the "Brisby Affair" it was found that NIMH was coming to exterminate them, and they moved instead to Thorn Valley.
"We had been debating moving a lot at that point anyway," said Justin, explaining the images Abigail was seeing, "We couldn't live with stealing electricity from the humans anymore. Everything you see here is powered by electricity we make ourselves using hydro power with the river, enhanced by crystals."
"Oh, Gadget has talked about electricity before. We didn't have it in Dapplewood."
"Mice living among humans often have access to that kind of technology," Justin said, "Well anyway, enough about our history. You can see why the council is hesitant to do anything that has the remote chance of ruining what we have here, right?"
Abigail nodded unhappily.
"But I'm still going to help you. And I know just how I'm going to do it."
Justin walked toward his desk, opening a book, glancing through its pages. Abigail got up, looking over his shoulder, and Zipper hovered over them both.
"You see Abigail, you and your friends aren't the only group of mice out there bound for NIMH."
"We aren't?" she asked.
Justin got up, walking toward the glowing orb once again. Abigail followed him. "No, you aren't. In my visions I've been monitoring two others. The day after you left another catastrophe befell the mice of the Rescue Aid Society, in New York."
Abigail blinked as the image of mice choking to death in a cloud of deadly gas flickered onto the orb. She gasped.
"The Rescue Aid Society…I think I heard my friends from the city mention them! Oh no…"
"Six were captured by NIMH, but two escaped. The fate of these two are tied with someone else," Justin said, reading through the notes he'd taken during his visions.
The images changed, showing a human woman curled up in bed, crying into her pillow. Abigail's eyes widened with surprise.
"A human?"
"Yes, her name is Penny Stacy. She was saved by the Rescue Aid Society once, but after a hard life of ridicule and brainwashing she came to work for NIMH. I believe you even saw her the day NIMH came to Dapplewood."
"The blonde lady," Abigail breathed, remembering her, the first human she'd seen without a mask on.
"She isn't a bad person. She was only misguided. And with a little convincing she could take your side, and be your way into NIMH. Those two members of the Rescue Aid Society who escaped are the key to getting her on our side. They rescued her as a child."
"How do we meet her?" Abigail asked.
"Fate is conspiring to converge all of your paths, eventually. But without the help of the rats of Thorn Valley, even with a human on your side your chances are slim, for she has her own hurdles to overcome. For instance, the evil Dr. Nimnul."
Dr. Nimnul appeared in the orb, giving a mad cackle.
"His influence over NIMH is already having dire consequences, and he sees Penny as a threat, so he is now plotting against her. She may need your help first before she can help you. So you see, you all have enormous challenges to overcome. But, I'm willing to loan you something that might just tip the scales in your favor."
"Hm? What could you loan me that would help against someone like that?"
"Come here," Justin said as he walked toward his desk.
Abigail followed, watching as he sat down, and picked up a little box sitting on the edge of the desk, placing it on the desk in front of her.
"Go ahead, open it." he said.
Cautiously, Abigail lifted the lid. A golden light escaped the box, fading after a few seconds of brilliance. Abigail reached in, and picked up a magnificent ruby-like amulet on a golden necklace. She was breathtaken by its beauty.
"What is this for?" Abigail asked.
"Read the back," Justin said, smiling as she beheld it.
Abigail turned it over, and began to read, "'You can open any door, if you only have the key.' Um, what's that mean?"
"You'll know, Abigail," Justin said, getting up from his chair and folding his arms behind his back as he stared at his book shelf, "Courage of the heart is very rare. The stone has a power when it's there."
Abigail held the amulet in her hands and looked at Justin, gazing down at it again.
"The Great Owl said I had courage of the heart. And this is supposed to help me against NIMH?"
"Don't underestimate its power," said Justin, "I've seen it myself. Wear it with pride and bravery, and its energy will protect you and those you love."
"Well, it's a little girly but…I guess I could wear it…"
Justin chuckled, looking back at her "Girly?"
"I don't like dresses and jewelry and all that princessy stuff," Abigail said firmly.
"Don't worry about it. That amulet can be worn by anyone with courage of the heart. Even tomboys."
"You mean it?"
"I wouldn't lie about such a serious matter."
Abigail held the amulet up for a few moments and looked at it, before carefully sliding the necklace over her head and letting the amulet hang against her chest. She had to admit, she did like wearing it. Somehow she did feel safer.
"So…is that it then? Your backup plan?"
"I'll try to arrange something else to help you all out," said Justin, "I also need to get you out of Thorn Valley, even if it means sneaking you out. It could get me into a lot of trouble though, going behind the council's back. Give me some time to think it through. Maybe you ought to go find your friends. They should be out of prison now. I'll summon you again later."
"Okay, thanks Justin," she said, clasping the amulet in her hands.
Justin nodded, "Take care Abigail. And you too Zipper."
Zipper smiled and saluted, as the two of them exited Justin's chambers and made their way back down the long tunnel.
Willy awoke with the sound of a keychain jiggling and unlocking his cell. He sat up with a groan, having a splitting headache.
"What's going on?" Gadget asked.
Martin turned around with a smile, opening Willy's cell, "You guys are free to go. But you're not allowed to leave Thorn Valley. At least, not yet."
Willy staggered out of the cell as Martin freed Edgar and Russell.
"What happened to Abigail?" Edgar demanded.
"She's talking to Justin," Martin answered, "She talked to the council already."
"But they decided not to help us?" Gadget deduced.
"I voted for it, after I found out you guys know my mom. But…the motion was defeated by one vote."
Edgar and Russell took each of Willy's arms to hold him steady.
"Darn it," said Dale, "So we're stuck here forever?"
"Unless their minds are changed somehow," Martin answered, unlocking their cell finally.
"Do you at least have TV?" Dale asked.
"What's TV?" asked Martin, blinking.
Dale dropped to his knees, "NOOOO!"
Gadget pulled the chipmunk to his feet, "Control yourself, Dale." She turned to Martin, "So you mean Mrs. Brisby is your mother?"
"Yes, she is. My name's Martin Brisby."
"What are we supposed to do now?" Edgar asked.
"I'm gonna show you to a room, we've had extras made just in case of something like this. You can go anywhere except out."
"Do any of you ever leave?" Gadget asked as Martin walked toward the exit.
"You need special permission from the council to go outside," said Martin, "Mostly the only ones who leave are collecting supplies. You should just sit tight, I don't think Justin's gonna take their decision lying down."
"Sit tight and do what?" Dale asked, distraught.
"Why not look around?" Martin opened the door. Teresa was waiting outside for them.
"Hi! So how's mom doing?" she asked immediately.
"Oh! Um, she's doing fine." Gadget answered, "So are Timothy and Cynthia."
Teresa breathed a sigh of relief.
"You must miss them," said Gadget.
"I do," Teresa sighed, "We can't even leave and go visit them."
Gadget realized at that point just how strict the rules were here. But she wasn't going to sit around here too long, one way or another, with Chip and Monty at NIMH. There had to be some way out of this.