Martin sat bolt upright at the sound of a bird on the outside. He shook Bugs soundly. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It'll be dawn in less than an hour."

Bugs sat up. Rubbing his paws into half-opened eyes, he looked upward to the narrow strip of sky through the barred window slit. "Time to go, Doc." He took out Gonff's knife. Sliding it into the keyhole of the cell door, he twitched it back and forth. "Oh good, an easy one."

With both eyes closed and a smile of pleasure on his face, he jiggled the blade until there was a metallic click. "That's it, Doc. Give it a shove."

Martin pushed the door, but it refused to open. "It's still shut. What's gone wrong?"

Bugs tested it carefully, pushing until he heard a slight rattle. "Bolts. I'll need a boost- can ya hold me up, Doc?"

Martin braced his back against the door, cupped his paws and squared his shoulders. "Try me."

Bugs climbed up and balanced on his friend's shoulders.

Martin bore his weight patiently. "How does it look up there?" he asked anxiously.

Bugs' voice came back punctuated by grunts of concentration. "No real problems, Doc. Leastways, nothin' I can't handle." He wrapped the wire around the bolt handle, trying to look like he knew what he was doing.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold your weight."

Bugs wedged the knife underneath the bolt. "Almost done…"

More by luck than anything else, the door swung open, and Martin and Bugs tumbled in a heap out into the passage. Bugs started laughing uproariously. Martin clapped a paw across his noisy friend's mouth. "Sssshhh! You'll have the guards coming down to check on the din."

Martin closed the door carefully and re-bolted it. "C'mon, let's get outta here," Bugs said.

But Martin paused by Gingivere's cell across the hall. "Maybe we should try to get him out too."

"No, Martin. Save yourself." Gingivere sounded weak and despairing.

Bugs peered at him through the bars. "Aren't you Tsarmina's brother? What da heck are you doin' in there?"

"Tsarmina threw me in here. She killed our father and blamed me. The two of you need to get far away from her."

Bugs pulled Martin away, calling as he went, "Okay, Doc, but if there's a way we can help ya when we're free, we will."

As they hurried along the corridor, Gingivere's voice echoed behind. "Thank you. Good fortune go with both of you friends."

They reached the end of the passage and mounted the stairs. At the top was a wooden door. Bugs held up a paw for silence as he eased it open. It was all clear. They stepped out into a broad hallway which stretched away to the left and right of them.

Martin scratched his head. "Which way? Left or right?"

Bugs placed the knife on the floor and spun it around. When it stopped, the blade was pointing left. "Left. C'mon, Doc."

Continuing down the hallway, they saw a high window with the morning sunlight streaming through. Bugs groaned. "Oh no, we're late. The cell was so dark, we musta lost track o' the time. Well, if we hurry they might still be waitin' outside for us."

As they went around a corner, they ran right into Tsarmina, Fortunata, and Ashleg!

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Skipper and a bunch of his otters were waiting outside with Amber and a bunch of squirrels. Pepe le Pew had come along too.

"We can't hang the anchor round here much longer, marm," Skipper whispered to Amber.

Amber stared at Kotir's gloomy walls. "You're right, Skip. We could be spotted in broad daylight from those walls quite easily."

"Where in ze name of ze fur 'as Bugs got to?" Pepe wondered.

Skipper shrugged resignedly. "We can only give him a little longer. Then we'll have to push off and try another day."

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Tsarmina gave a yowl of rage and seized Bugs Bunny's leg. This was followed by a more anguished yowl as Martin whipped out Gonff's blade and stabbed Tsarmina sharply in the paw, forcing her to release his friend.

"Follow me!" Martin grabbed Bugs and ran down the hall, giving Fortunata a good slash across the rump with the blade as he went. The vixen collided with Ashleg, and they fell in a jumble. Tsarmina tripped over them. She struggled to extricate herself, screaming curses and raking the unlucky pair with her claws.

"Blockheads, idiots, out of my way."

That hallway ended in a staircase. Martin and Bugs ran up it and dashed into the first room they could find, slamming the door shut behind them.

"We can't stay here long!" Martin panted. "We need a plan."

Bugs looked around at the pink canopy bed in the room and the dressing table with the large mirror. "This looks like a pretty cushy pad. I think this is Tsarmina's bedroom."

They heard banging on the door. "Open up, this instant!" Tsarmina's voice shouted.

"No!" Bugs yelled back.

"Why not?"

"Cause you're gonna kill us if we open the door!"

"They've really got us figured out," Ashleg said.

Tsarmina's tone was contemptuous. "Shut up, woodenleg. If you can't say something helpful, don't say anything at all."

"At least we know we've got them cornered in here," Fortunata said.

Tsarmina lowered her voice as she called the other two close. "I'll be right back. I have to get an ax to break down the door."

Meanwhile, inside, Bugs had wandered over to the closet and was putting on one of Tsarmina's dresses.

"I don't see how that's going to help us," Martin said.

"Just play along, Doc." Bugs finished slipping the dress over his head and applied some lipstick to his face. He completed the ensemble by taking a basket of fruit off the table and putting it on his head like Carmen Miranda. Then he opened the door.

Ashleg and Fortunata were taken aback at the sight of Bugs in drag. "Milady! How did you get in here? I thought you were going to get an ax!" Fortunata exclaimed.

Bugs imitated Tsarmina's voice. "I'm just going to take Martin here out into the woods and execute him there."

"Why?" Ashleg cried. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Not you. The other Martin."

"I thought I was the only pine marten in Kotir."

Fortunata snorted contemptuously. "It's the mouse, dolt. His name is Martin."

"Oh. Well, that's really confusing," Ashleg said. "You've got a pine marten, and then you've got a mouse named Martin…"

Bugs took Martin by the arm and started leading him down the hall. For a moment, Martin thought they were saved.

Then he saw Tsarmina coming towards them with an ax.

Tsarmina and Bugs stood face to face, staring at each other. Bugs started copying her movements. She tilted her head to the left, and so did he. She tilted her head to the right, and so did he.

Finally Tsarmina recollected herself. "Fortunata! Ashleg! Seize that imposter who stole my clothes!"

"Don't listen to her!" Bugs shouted, still imitating the cat's voice. "She's the imposter!"

"How can we be sure which one is the real queen?" Ashleg asked in confusion.

"I'm the real queen!" Tsarmina raged. "I'm not the one wearing a bowl of fruit on my head! Have you ever known me to do that before?"

"Ask her a question only the true Tsarmina would know," Fortunata suggested.

"All right. When's my birthday?" Ashleg demanded.

Tsarmina ground her teeth. "How in Hellgates am I supposed to know when your birthday is?"

"Is it August 12?" Bugs asked.

Ashleg gaped. "That's right! This is the real one!" He and Fortunata rushed at Tsarmina and seized her. But Tsarmina wrested herself free of them and brought the ax down on Bugs' fruit headdress. It split in half, revealing his giant bunny ears.

"You see, fools? I'm the real Tsarmina! This is just a bunny in a dress!"

"Run for it, Doc!" Bugs advised. He and Martin took off. Ashleg jumped in front of him and blocked their way, but Bugs, who was still wearing a dress and lipstick, planted a big sloppy kiss in the middle of Ashleg's face. That took all the fight out of the marten, and he just stood aside in a daze as they ran past him.

This time Martin took the lead as they went straight down the hall and through the door at the opposite end. They found themselves in an upper messroom full of soldiers, stoats, ferrets, and weasels, all eating breakfast at a long trestle table with a window at one end. Taken completely by surprise, the soldiers sat gaping at the two fugitives.

"Stop them! Kill them!" Tsarmina's enraged shouts reached them as she ran toward the mess.

Bugs sized up the situation at a glance: the unexpected was called for. Without a second thought he pulled Martin with him. They ran across the room, bounded from a vacant seat up onto the tabletop and dashed madly along it, scattering food, drink and vessels everywhere as they went. Together the Toon and the warrior leaped through the open window into empty space with a loud defiant shout.

"YAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

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Skipper and Amber both heard the cry.

So did Pepe le Pew.

Amber bounded down from the tree where she had been perched. "It's Bugs, but there's a mouse with him. They jumped from the upper barracks window."

"We'd better get 'round there," Skipper said. "Are they hurt?"

"No, but talk about lucky, they landed right in the foliage of a big old yew tree growing on that side."

Pepe leaped up. "We'll 'ave to get zem out of zere double quick. Amber, you bring your squirrel and give me some cover. I am going in."

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Inside Kotir, Tsarmina laid about with a sturdy wooden ladle. "Don't stand gawping, you dimwitted toads! Someone get out there and capture them!"

There was an immediate stampede to grab weapons and buckle armor on. The soldiers all hurried downstairs and out to the courtyard, where Martin and Bugs were cornered in the tree.

"How are we gonna get outta this one, Doc?" Bugs asked.

Martin gritted his teeth. "If my sword wasn't broken, we could fight our way out!"

Down below, the vermin were gathering around the base of the tree. Tsarmina rubbed her paws together. "We've got them."

She snatched a spear from a weasel and flung it up at Martin, but it just bounced off a branch and fell back down. Ashleg had to dodge to avoid being hit by it. He tripped on the hem of the long red cloak he always wore and fell over. "Nice shot," he said sarcastically.

Tsarmina picked him up by his cloak. "Shut your blathering face and get me my bow and arrows. Those'll do the trick." Ashleg ran inside to get them.

Bugs was pulling faces at the wildcat Queen. He blew out his cheeks, stuck a paw to his nose, and rolled his eyes in the most ridiculous manner. Tsarmina stamped with rage.

Then Pepe le Pew came strolling right in through the castle gate. The vermin turned to stare at him.

"Now who is this guy?" Scratch the weasel demanded.

"He must be one of those Corim rebels," Tsarmina said.

"He looks like an undersized stripedog! Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck!" Splitnose commented.

"Ah, mon ami, I am not ze dog of ze stripes, but a skunk!" Pepe said. "Permit me to introduce myself. I am Pepe le Pew!" And he lifted his tail and sprayed skunk scent everywhere.

The vermin coughed and gagged. Many of them dropped their weapons because they were holding their noses. But the smell didn't reach Martin and Bugs up in the tree.

"Oh man, what is that awful smell?" Blacktooth gasped.

Fortunata had a paw over her nostrils, so her voice sounded nasal. "This is too nauseating for words!"

"Stop dithering about and put a spear through him!" Tsarmina ordered.

"I wouldn't recommend that, milady," Fortunata said. "I've heard a skunk smells even worse after he dies." Nobeast made a move to attack Pepe, who was happily dancing a can-can around the courtyard.

"I'll kill him myself!" Tsarmina grunted, and she ran at Pepe with her spear. But when she got close to him, he lifted his tail again and blasted her right in the face!

In the tree, Bugs was laughing his head off, and Martin could not suppress a giggle either. Just then Amber bounded onto the branch they were sitting on, landing right between them. She spoke sternly to Bugs. "Now none of your shenanigans, hare. You, whoever you are, just relax and leave the rest to us. You're in safe paws."

She grabbed Martin and leaped over the outer wall of Kotir, landing in another tree on the other side of the wall. With Martin in her arms, Amber started swinging through the trees like Tarzan. Martin looked back over his shoulder and saw another squirrel carrying Bugs and doing the same thing.

Soon they were far away from Kotir. The squirrels lowered Martin and Bugs down to the forest floor. Skipper and his otters came running to them. Bugs clasped Skipper's strong tattooed paws. "Hey, Skipper. You got here just in time."

"I wouldn't leave me old messmate in the lurch. Now who is this cove?" Skipper jerked his thumb at Martin.

"This is Martin the Warrior. He's my friend, y'know."

Skipper shook paws with Martin. "Ha, welcome aboard, Martin."

Pepe walked up to them. He had escaped the fortress. "I don't know why, but no one seems to like ze way I smell."

"Are there any vermin following you?" Amber asked.

"Not when I left, but I suppose Tsarmina could always send some after me."

"We need to get you back to Brockhall," Skipper said to Martin.

"I'll stay behind with my squirrels and fight off any soldiers who may be coming after us," said Amber.

Skipper saluted. "So be it. Good luck, marm." The otters led Martin and Bugs off into the woods.

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Tsarmina was furious that her captives had escaped. She would go after them as soon as she washed the skunk smell off her. "Draw me a bath immediately!" she commanded Fortunata.

"An ordinary bath with soap and water is no good when you've been sprayed by a skunk," said the fox. "I'll go fill a tub with tomato juice."

"Tomato juice! I have to take a bath in tomato juice?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's the only thing that'll get the stink out."

Tsarmina growled. "Fine. And while I'm taking my tomato juice bath, I want you to go down and fetch the Tasmanian Devil."

Fortunata recoiled with fright and distaste. "The Tasmanian Devil? I thought that horror had died years ago or gone away. You can't mean this. He's completely mad…"

"You want to see a mad beast, Fortunata? I'll be pretty mad if you don't move yourself! After I clean myself up, we're going after the mouse, and I'm taking Taz with me."