A ROMAN HOLIDAY

Part 5

By Trynia Merin

***

Danger Mouse pulled his chariot up outside the summer home of Augustus. At last they had made it to Rome, after a harrowing journey by sea and by chariot. It had been tough, but they had made it. In a week they had traversed land and sea, on Crumhorn's trail. Local rumors said he was here, and DM was determined to get him before he did any more damage.

"Cor DM, we haven't half spent most of our time here," Penfold mumbled as they ditched the miniature chariot and tried to slink past the roman legionaries.

"What now?" Bagel asked, finally getting used to the sandals.

"From what I heard along the road, he's here now…" DM said. "Let's try to find a way in…"

"DM, I see some crows flying about with helmets…"

"We must be fast," DM said as he picked up Bagel and Penfold, under either arm. He inhaled deeply and raced quickly through the gate bars, as the legionaries glanced around. One of the crows flying over head spotted them, and quickly dove toward them.

"Intruders!" it crowed loudly. "Ware!"

"Ohh DM!" shouted Penfold. With just an inch to spare they scuttled into a stone wall as the crows dive-bombed. Skidding across the stones, the two legionary crows moaned, seeing stars.

"Good grief," he mumbled. "They looked like Stiletto and his other henchcrows…"

The two crows grumbled at one another, shaking their heads. Just then another crow, a centurion landed and glanced around as it croaked, "What are you two imbeciles doing?"

"Ave Centurion Spikus, we just saw three intruders… a while mouse and two hamsters…"

"Is that so? My cousin said he encountered three travelers on the road… and he was suspicious of them… for the mouse said he was Danielus, but he checked the census records and there was no such mouse registered in the Empire. I've been on his trail for weeks!"

"He's just gone in there Sir!"

"2well don't just stand there gawking, get after them!" he shouted as he swatted them both.

"Oh lummie!" Penfold gasped as DM set him and Bagel down, and shoed them down a long tunnel. They heard the scuttling of the crow centurion and the legionaries as they tried to squeeze in the wall after their quarry.

"Our cover is blown!" Bagel gasped.

"Hurry, don't hang about!" DM hissed through the darkness. He grabbed a small stick, a match from his bag and struck it as a makeshift torch.

"What now DM?" Penfold shivered as he hid behind DM and squeezed Bagel's hand tightly.

"Keep close and shush, you two," DM mumbled. The sounds of the three crows weren't far off, and they heard various mutterings and scrapes.

"You idiots! Take off your armor, and then you'll fit!"

"But sir…"

"No buts. You two have GOT to stop having private orgies in the guardroom!" he mumbled. "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"

"This way," DM mumbled as he saw a crack of light ahead, and heard human voices. He poked his nose out of the crack in the wall and stared into a stately room where several humans in robes reclined on sofas, and stuffed their faces with all manner of food. Something made him widen his single eye as he saw the strange gleaming sphere in its brass frame.

"What do you see?" Bagel asked.

"Paydirt," DM mumbled. "We've gotten to Caesar Augustus, and I see something here in this big room that doesn't belong in this century. Follow me and tread lightly…"

"Right," Bagel said, holding Penfold's hand as he felt his knees knocking.

"Oh crikey, oh crumbs what if we're caught?" Penfold whimpered as they crept along and rushed under the couches among the sandaled feet of the humans. The one with the laurel wreath was whispering back to the centurion, and DM glanced around for any sign of Crumhorn. He motioned for Penfold and Bagel to wait in the shadow of a large brass fruit stand in the midst of the dining royal family, and quickly darted into the open, hoping he wouldn't be noticed. However the rather large cat curled at Augustus feet noticed them, and pricked his ears up. He blinked and nudged the royal dog.

"Psst, Canus Majoris! Stop stuffing yourself. We have visitors…"

"Oh leave me alone Felinus, you freeloader," he whined and started gnawing on the bone.

"Dogs," Felinus Cattus mumbled as he stood up, and stretched. He saw the white mouse in roman robes scuttling across the floor, and smiled. Time to earn his keep. He had been brought from Egypt, by Julius Caesar, and his mother Cleo and his father Ptolemy had told him that he had a sacred duty to rid his master's house of vermin. He aimed to please, while the fool Canus insisted that dogs were far better servants to man then cats would ever be.

DM didn't notice as he approached the cart where Crumhorn's invention was, that the smoky gray tomcat was stalking him. Felinus crept closer, keeping his body tot he ground, and watching DM with yellow eyes. His hindquarters swayed back and forth as he prepared to pounce.

"Oh no, look at that cat!" Penfold squealed as his eyes noticed the cat slowly creeping toward their chief.

"We have to warn him!" Bagel gasped. She pulled Penfold after her and rushed to where the dog was curled at Augustus' feet. His nose picked up a smell of something different, and his ears perked up as the wolflike dog suddenly heard the pattering of feet and the squeaking of rodents.

"Hmm maybe that cat isn't so useless after all," he muttered as he turned his head to listen to the sound. Bagel and Penfold darted out to where the cat Felinus was closing in on DM, ready to pounce. Before they could say anything to warn him, a large paw landed before them, and a voice barked.

"Hey, intruders! Stay RIGHT there! You're not invited in my master's home!"

"Oh crumbs!" Penfold groaned. The barking dog alerted the humans and they glanced around in confusion.

"EEK mice!" screamed Olivia, Augustus' sister as she leapt on her sofa and shivered.

"Get RID of them!" Augusuts shouted at his dog and his cat. DM turned his face and saw the large tom pounce on him before he could dodge. He leapt out of the way, the cat bounding after him. Hearing the dog bark, the human form of Crumhorn leapt off his sofa and rushed over to where DM was scuttling to get away from the cat.

"By Jupiter what is going on?" shouted Caesar as he saw his dog pinning two hamsters under either paw and barking his head off.

"Silence that dog!" whined another of the guests who was holding his ears.

"Ah…" Crumhorn laughed as he grabbed his empty goblet and saw Danger Mouse racing away from the cat. Before DM could think, something slammed over him, trapping him.

"By mercury, outwitted by a human," Felinus mumbled as Crumhorn cackled and slid a sheet of parchment under the goblet and held it up.

"Really, wasting your time on mice?" asked Marvelious in amusement.

"I can't let these filthy creatures invest your palace," said Crumhorn. He walked over and opened the door of a small brass cage that had contained a bird at one time before Felinus had gotten to it as a late night snack. He popped DM inside, and closed the door. Striding over to Canus who was imprisoning Penfold and Bagel, he nudged the dog aside and picked up both hamsters that shivered. Bagel tried to bite his hand and he dropped her, yelping in pain as she dodged into the bowl of fruit. Felinus yowled and jumped, knocking over a pitcher of wine.

"Shoo, you horrid cat!" shouted one of the other guests. Felinus mumbled and bounded off then turned to lick himself. Crumhorn popped Penfold into the cage and grinned evilly.

"Two new experimental subjects. I'll take these pests away, oh Caesar."

"Olivia, do come down. The pests are gone," Caesar laughed, as one of the slaves helped his sister down. Bagel hid in the fruit bowl, hearing the dog barking loudly. She hoped nobody would find her. Felinus settled down after bathing himself and grinned. He could wait all day to catch that fat, juicy hamster. Outwitted by a human, indeed. He would take care of that mouse and his little friend soon as everyone went to bed!

"Oh crumbs!" cried Penfold as Crumhorn lifted the cage and set it on his cart.

"Take this to my chariot. I will take my leave of you, oh magnificent one…"

"Do try to contain yourself next time," said Caesar. "My guests have very delicate stomachs."

"Ave," he said as he pushed his cart out, and Marvelious sneered.

"All he's good for is royal mousecatcher," the centurion joked.

"That will do," Caesar waved his hand. "It's time for me to leave for the senate. Carry on…"

"Ave," said his friends and family as the emperor rose and his slaves rushed to attend to him. As Crumhorn wheeled the cage with DM and Penfold out, DM shook his head. There was something about this human that made him uneasy. Something familiar.

"Well Danger Mouse, you're going to pay dearly for trying to meddle in my plans," the human cackled.

"You…" he gasped.

"Oh yes, you fool. It is I. And you can't stop me in your present state," he said with a leer as he put the cage into the back of his chariot with the wagon. DM gasped when he saw the chariot had no horses and was in fact hooked up to a trailer with rubber wheels.

"You... how did you?"

"You're human!" gasped Penfold. "That's impossible!"

"Not for him. Remember those pills he had… he must have used one to become human," DM gasped. "Good grief we have GOT to stop him."

"You can't now. And soon you'll see my greatest invention…" Crumhorn laughed as he stood up in his chariot and started what sounded like a steam engine. The horseless chariot sputtered and rolled off out o the palace courtyard.

"Good grief, he's already using the steam engine!" gasped DM. "We're too late!"

"Poor bagel!" cried Penfold. "She's all alone!"

"Good grief, we have got to escape and get back to her," said DM as he started to work at the lock of the cage.

***