CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE FITZGIBBONS FARM

Justin unscrewed the last of the lightbulbs, putting the chamber into total darkness. "It's fascinating how some of the electrical connections you didn't have the time to disconnect four years ago still work," Ian commented. "Except now, I can't see a thing."

"Yes, we built things to last," Justin said. "Here, hold onto my tail. I know my way out of here by heart. I'll lead you out. Don't let go."

"I certainly won't." Laden with two sacks, the one that Ian had brought and another filled with food from the farm, Justin started out of the underground chamber with Ian hanging on to him by the tail. They stumbled along until daylight was visible, then Ian let go, able to see his way along.

Justin gave him a little more history as they walked. "We destroyed what we could before the men from NIMH got here so that they wouldn't know they found us, but our main concern was getting ourselves out safely, so some of the lower levels stayed more or less as they were. Fortunately, the bulldozers destroyed most of what was left behind."

"When I was working at NIMH," said Ian, "I heard that a number of dead rats were found here. How did you arrange that?"

"Those were ordinary rats that also lived on the farm," Justin explained. "When they learned we were leaving, they started moving in before we were even all gone. The poor beasts must have been fumigated without knowing what hit them. Ian, why did you hunt us down and try to exterminate us?"

"Me? I had nothing to do with it. I didn't even start my research at NIMH until several years after you escaped."

"I didn't mean you personally. I meant humankind. Why did they want to destroy us?"

"Here's the way it works, Justin: humans are always performing experiments to expand their knowledge. Once in a while, they'll come up with something they don't fully understand, and humans are afraid of what they don't understand. They didn't understand you, but that was all right as long as you were locked up in cages. When you escaped, they realized that your minds were more developed than they had ever guessed, and they panicked. You were not understood and you were loose, which made you a threat that had to be destroyed as soon as possible."

"So the same humans who made us the way we are hunted us down and tried to kill us?"

"Not the scientists, Justin. They wanted to recapture you alive, but the scientists worked for the government, and that's where the orders to exterminate you came from."

"I'm not sure I understand, Ian."

"That makes two of us." They had scrambled up the side of a pit and reached ground level. The sky was overcast. "Nice day," Ian quipped. "I hope it isn't an indication of what's to come."

Justin tapped his companion on the shoulder. "Ian! Look over there and tell me if you see what I think I see."

The pit was several yards from the farm's equipment shed. Ian saw that its doors were open and numerous small shapes were moving in and about it. He focused his gaze on one that seemed to be at the center of all the activity. "Good god, it's Jenner!"

"How could he have gotten here so fast?"

"He must have left right after I did." Ian studied the scene more closely. "And it looks like he brought half the colony along with him. Let's get out of here before he sees us."

"No," Justin said, "I have to find out what he's doing here. They're so in the open that they're bound to be discovered." Justin gave Ian his two sacks. "You stay here and keep out of sight. I'll be right back." With that, Justin bounded off the side of the crater and headed toward his sworn enemy.

The bustle around the shed came to a halt the instant Justin arrived. Jenner, standing atop a paint can to more easily instruct the other rats, was visibly shocked, but quickly recovered. "So you're still alive!"

"You won't be for much longer, the way you're running around here. Don't you realize that farmer Fitzgibbons will see you?"

"Oh, him. There seems to have been a terrible accident last night." Jenner put on an air of mock sorrow. "He carelessly left pans of cyanide lying around the house. The fumes killed him and his family as they slept. Their cat, too. Such a pity."

It was Justin's turn to be shocked. "You didn't!"

"I did," Jenner said coldly. "This farm belongs to us now. And it's only the beginning." He jumped off the can. "Soon we will control the entire town … and then the whole country! The humans aren't prepared to deal with something like us. We can wipe them out totally!"

The stone began to glow, and Jenner drew his sword. "It's a shame you won't be around to see our victory." Justin tried to back away, but the stone's power held him rooted to the ground. He looked at the other rats, but none came forward to help.

"I threw you out of my life once, Justin. You should have stayed out. When I exiled you, I was counting on the wild animals to kill you. Now it appears I shall have to do it myself." Jenner lifted his sword to strike. Justin held his breath.

A tiny object whizzed through the air and buried itself in Jenner's sword arm. He dropped his weapon and shrieked in pain. The spell broken, Justin spun round and ran as fast as his legs would carry him.

After yanking the crossbow bolt out of his arm, Jenner looked up through tears of pain and rage and saw Justin escaping into the field. He grasped the amulet in his forepaw, directing his will through it, and a wave of fierce red light chased after the fleeing figure.

Justin jumped over a bank of earth. The light hit the dirt mound and it exploded. The force of the blast threw Justin onto his face, but he righted himself immediately and ran on, out of the range of Jenner's power.

"Go after them!" Jenner screamed at the rats around him. "Find them and kill them!"

Justin found Ian beside a rabbit hole. "That was a nice shot, Ian."

"You owe me one." Ian threw the sacks into the hole, then started to lower himself down. "The rabbits have agreed to help us out. This warren connects with others down the road. Let's go. If we stay up here we're dead for sure."

"Right." Justin crawled after Ian into the burrow. "Jenner's killed the farmer and his family. He poisoned them in their sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Now that it's begun, we might not be able to stop it." A rabbit, barely visible in the dimness of the warren, asked the two rats to follow him, and led them through the burrow to safety.

Some time later, the Captain of the Guard reported to Jenner, "We've searched all over for them, sir, but there's not a trace of 'em. They must have gone underground."

Jenner massaged his arm. He had used the power of the stone to heal the wound, but the spot where the bolt had sunk in still itched. "It's not important," he growled. "Let them run. They can't hurt us."

He turned his attention to instructing the other rats further. Jenner didn't notice the giant shape gliding through the dark sky above until it set down, practically on top of him.

"The Great Owl!" Most of the rats drew back, afraid of the giant bird, but Jenner only looked up at it casually.

"Well, well, well. What are you doing out in the daylight?"

"The stone, Jenner!" The Great Owl's voice was menacingly loud, and the other rats retreated even further. "Give me the stone!"

"No," Jenner sneered.

"You have used it as we agreed," the Great Owl boomed, "and now you must pass it on to its maker. Give the stone to me!"

"I will not!" Jenner's tone was one of agitation. "The amulet is mine now. You cannot have it, so go hide in your tree where you belong, you old fool." He turned and walked away from the owl.

A massive talon knocked Jenner flat on his back. The claw pinned him to the ground, so big that it nearly covered him completely.

"Can you give me one reason why I should not kill you now?" For the first time since the stone had come into his possession, Jenner was scared, and could not make himself answer the owl's question. The great head lowered toward him and the beak opened. Jenner closed his eyes, thinking he was about to die.

The beak hooked around the chain, and the pendant was pulled off over Jenner's head. "I shalln't kill you," the owl said. "I will let you live out your miserable life to its natural end." The great bird released Jenner, turned its back on him, and spread its wings to fly away.

Jenner spied one of Hugo and Ian's electric crossbows lying close by. He grabbed it up, flicked it on, aimed, and fired.

The bolt sunk in the back of the Great Owl's head. For a long moment it froze and became a statue, still as marble. Then, almost in slow motion, it fell forward. The ground shook when the giant bird hit it. The owl lay there, unmoving, the bolt in its head still connected by a wire to the pack at Jenner's side.

"He's killed the Great Owl!" one rat cried out in amazement.

Jenner ran to the head of the giant corpse and pulled the amulet out of its beak. Putting the stone back around his neck, he climbed up onto the owl's body and held up his arms to get the attention of his people.

"My friends, you now see the power we have. Even without the stone, I was able to slay the Great Owl, the mightiest and most feared creature of the forest. With the stone, we will be invincible! No force on Earth can stop us!"

Jenner shook his fists in the air. "We will destroy the humans and rule the world!"