A ROMAN HOLIDAY

Conclusion

By Trynia Merin

"Drat, I forgot!" gasped DM. "She's at Caesar's palace!"

"We have to saver her, Saul!" Lori cried as she caught his arm.

"I know… you two activate the homing beacon and send Crumhorn back. Lori and I will look for Bagel…"

"But you have no idea where she is!" DM said. "She's at the palace of Cesar Augustus!"

"I can use my powers to find her," Saul said. "I might not have my medallion, but I can still hear thoughts."

"Then we have to destroy this lab," DM said as he glanced around. "Lori, what' [s that over there… gunpowder? I'd say it's flammable…"

"Yes," said Lori as she reached for the sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate.

"Put it down here. You two go rescue Bagel. And Lori, do you have your wrist phone on?"

"It got damaged when I increased in height," she said.

"Gather the rest of the pills," said DM. Lori reached down and gathered them all as Saul gagged Crumhorn. He took one look at the steam engine and DM nodded.

"Now… I want you to stay at Augustus' palace when you rescue bagel. There is a chance that Squarkencluck's time scoop can home in on you…"

"Right," said Lori and Saul.

"Now I want both of you to get out of here. I have a lab to destroy," said DM. Both humanized mice nodded as they left DM and Penfold to do their work. They rushed out into the night, wearing their improvised togas.

"Cor DM, I hope they can find Bagel!" gasped Penfold.

"So do I. Now, let's have some fun," Dm rubbed his hands together as he started spreading gunpowder over Crumhorn's lab. "Hmm I wonder if this is flammable…"

"MMMMMM!" Crumhorn whimpered as he saw DM bang a piece of tinder and flint together and let it drop before he pressed the button on his wristwatch.

"Ohh heck, it's gonna be a whacking great bang!" Penfold whimpered as he put his fingers in his ears.

***

Canus raced through the streets of Rome with Felinus at his heels, and Bagel clinging to his collar. They followed the elusive trail of the man Crumhornus into the dark of night. Silvery moonlight shone down on the roman road as they went through the night streets. Legionaries were out and patrolling the area and Bagel hoped that Canus could keep the trail so they could find DM and Penfold.

"This way…" he said.

"Patrol," mumbled Felinus. "Ware!"

The dog and cat ducked into the alleys and continued their search. A Roman patrol paid them no mind as they walked through the streets with their torches held aloft.

"Halt! Quo vadis!" shouted the legionary.

"Um… well…" came the voice of a human man.

"We're… heading to the Palace…"

"Are you plebeians? Or slaves? The man looks like a Palestinian!"

Canus ducked out and saw a man and woman wearing simple clothes, their feet bare. The man looked like a Palestinian, and the woman had long fair hair. Both had their hands above their heads. Bagel thought there was something familiar about both of them, but couldn't put her finger on it.

"What luck, two stupid slaves. Let's make the most of it," said Felonus.

"Wait," Canus said.

"They are slaves," said the other roman. "They do not look like citizens…"

"I'm a Gaelic slave," Lori said quickly. "We're a gift for Caesar…"

"And you, where are you from? Where is your master?" the legionary prodded Saul.

"I um…" he glanced at Lori, and she winked. Taking a step back they suddenly threw their hands up and sent them blocking the blow of the roman swords and spears. Lori's foot swept out and tripped the one legionary as Saul sent his fist into the face of the other. Both legionaries groaned as they fell to the ground.

"Wait… Bagel's near…" Saul gripped Lori's hand.

"Bagel!" Lori cried. "It's us! We've taken some of Crumhorn's potion! Please!"

"What?" Bagel gasped.

"It's a trick," said Felonus.

Suddenly a huge bang and shockwave rumbled the ground. Stones landed from the sky as a bright light split the night and Canus and Felonus whined at the noise. Bagel slipped out of his collar and ran into the alley where Saul and Lori stood.

"Bagel…" said Lori. "Please…"

"Is that…" she gasped.

"IT is us," said a voice in her mind, and she saw the man's eyes glowing purple. She gasped as Lori leaned over and the hamster looked up. Fire flickered in a distant quarter of the city, and Canus and Felonus ran around, making noises. The two legionaries moaned.

"Fire!" Saul shouted. "The city's on fire!"

"Hurry up!" one legionary said to the other. Bagel looked up in wonder at the two human beings, and Lori held out her hand to pick Bagel up.

"How is this possible… it is you…" Bagel gasped.

"Yes," the man, who must be Saul, smiled. "DM sent us to find you…"

"WE have to get to a place where Squarkencluck's time scoop can home in on us," said Lori.

"Let's get out of the street at least," Saul suggested, taking Lori's hand and leading her away. She winced at the feel of the roman stones under her sensitive human feet, and followed him. That bang must have DM's signature all over it.

***

"You've got to find them!" Penfold wrung his hands as Squarkencluck twiddled knobs and punched buttons on his console.

"Eine minuten, ja? Dis ist und delicate operation…" Squarkencluck waved him away. Crumhorn glared at them all, still trussed to an antique roman chair. DM had kept a close eye on him, and he had changed back into his usual nasty self.

"You deserved it," DM said as he folded arms across his chest. "Trying to tamper with history. You bought a ticket to ride, and it's been cancelled."

"But Bagel…" groaned Penfold wringing his hands.

There came a blurbing noise and crackling as suddenly a little hamster appeared, and she blinked at everyone assembled. Two agents stepped forwards and took Crumhorn, chair and all into custody. Penfold squeaked in joy, as Bagel looked back and forth in confusion, rushing up to give her a hug. Grabbing her up he squeezed her tight and kissed both her cheeks. "Cor, thank heaven you're all right!"

"I will be if you stop squeezing the breath out of me!" she laughed as she hugged him back.

"But where are Lori and Saul?" asked DM.

"I'm having difficulties mit die machine…" Squarkencluck frowned.

"Well they DID change form," DM traced his foot on the ground. "To rescue us. Crumhorn got a taste of his own medicine…"

"I vill not ask u to explain that, nein," Squarkencluck shook his head. Suddenly two human beings appeared in the lab, and everyone tensed in fear as they were cramped into the space, sitting Indian style as their heads were in their laps.

"Crikey!" Penfold gasped.

"Good grief, it hasn't work off yet," DM sighed as he shook his head.

"Sorry," said Saul as he shook ceiling tile off his head. The roof had suddenly crumbled as both humans sat up in the small boffin's lab, blinking in the daylight.

"Whoops," Lori groaned.

Suddenly Crumhorn's pills wore off, and they shrunk to mouse size again, regaining their tails. They were lost in the huge sheets that piled around them. DM grabbed a robe nearby and raced over as Penfold and Bagel and Penfold rushed over. Lori's hand reached out and took the robe from bagel as Saul's hand reached out for the one DM handed him. Shyly both mice walked out with the robes on.

"Well, who vill pay for mein roff?" asked Squarkencluck.

"C'mon doc, we saved history," sighed Saul. "Give us a break!"

"Just put it on our tab," said DM as he walked over and gave Lori a hug. "I'm so glad to see you back to normal."

"Oh yes!" Bagel cried as she gave Lori a hug.

"Good job those pills wore off," said Penfold.

"Saul…" DM said as Saul stood aside from them, looking a bit awkward.

"Yes, DM?" he asked.

"You did… rather well after all," DM coughed slowly.

"Really?" Saul asked. "Are you sure? Did I perform to agency standards?"

"You hem… acquitted yourself very well," DM said, clearing his throat as he extended his hand. "I must…apologize for my former… attitudes. But this agency demands perfection."

"Maybe I'll be able to be like you someday then?" Saul winked, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Quite," DM nodded. "Now… perhaps you two would like to come back to the pillar box, and find a suitable change of clothing… and a hot cup of tea?"

"Oh yes!" Penfold nodded. "All this time travelling is making me ravenous!"

"Come along," DM nodded at Lori and Saul, who took one another's hands and followed DM and the two hamsters out. Squarkencluck scratched his head and shrugged. He saw the antique contraption DM had brought from the past and smiled.

"Ohh ein alte Roman steam engine! I could sell this for a mint to the British Museum!" he rubbed his hands together. Maybe he could avoid putting the damaged lab on the boffin tab for once!

***

The end!