Chapter VIII The Dark Mongoose of Segowlee

Rímíra Seeks Revenge

Many miles away the real Ravánti yawned, munching on a dead cobra.[1] "I wonder where Rikki and Avíá are now. Do you think they're safe?" he said to Rédarí. "I'm sure of it." said Rédarí. "Where's Mother gone to?" said Rikíla. "I'm afraid she's gone after the Dark Mongoose who betrayed her former master. I begged her not to go but she said she owes her old master this much." said Rédarí. "I hope she's ok." said Rikíla.

Rímíra, meanwhile, was on her way to her old master's house. The old man had been kind to her and now he was dead, betrayed by a mongoose that he thought he could trust. She came in sight of the three-story house. Her children had never seen a house that big and had a hard time believing her that one that size existed. She entered through an open window. Ahead, she saw a shadow of a four-legged animal. It had to be the Dark Mongoose. "Who's there?" he said. "How could you do this to him?!" said Rímíra in anger. "Who are you supposed to be?" he said. "Rímíra-asúra-tiví!" she said. "I was his pet mongoose. My husband Rédarí and I had decided to raise our son in the wild. Our mistake! You thought you could get away with what you've done! Well you're wrong!" she snarled. "Am I, Rímíra?" he said coolly. "I am Dasalí-biv-laván! I am a very powerful mongoose! I am one of the Queen's most trusted warriors!" he said. "You're nothing more than a coward! Helping the snakes like that!" shouted Rímíra. "You must understand that the time of the humans has passed. It is our time. We enlightened mongooses have recanted our plan to remove the cobras. They do seem to know what they are doing after all. There is no reason for us to oppose them.[2]" said Dasalí. Rímíra shook her head in disgust. "Speaking of my son, he's run circles around you Dark Mongooses and Snake Empire." said Rímíra. "Who is your son?" said Dasalí. "Surely you've heard his name. In fact, I think your King and Queen banned the mention of it." said Rímíra. Dasalí was taken aback. "Surely you jest!" he said. "I am the mother of Rikki-tikki-tavi, archenemy of Nagasta!" said Rímíra. "Well. Are you now?" said Dasalí in amusement. "Our armies will kill your son and his wicked little girlfriend Avíá! They will die, as will you!" he said, suddenly jumping at Rímíra who only got out of the way just in time.

The Fight With Disalí

"You'll have to try harder than that!" said Rímíra, scratching him across the face. "Tough girl, huh?" he said, biting her in the leg. "I'm going to get you just like you helped them get him!" she snarled, jumping up and kicking him in midair as he leapt at her. He fell to the floor and then jumped up upon her. "You are a fool Rímíra!" "I'm just getting started." she said, breaking one of her paws free and slapping him hard in the side, forcing him to get up off of her. Dasalí ran off toward the general's old bedroom. Rímíra headed in after him. The two fought, knocking over several items in the room. In the midst of the battle, the gun cupboard was knocked open. Dasalí jumped at Rímíra, knocking them both inside. Rímíra climbed up her old master's gun collection, knocking some guns loose from their cases. Rímíra kicked him in the face and he fell out of the closet, his nose bleeding. "I think it's time I stop playing around and finish you!" he snarled, dripping blood on the floor. He lunged at her again and knocked her to the floor. "I think I'm going to enjoy this!" he said, preparing to strike the death blow. Rímíra, in a last effort, lashed out, somehow hitting the trigger of the gun and firing. She closed her eyes as hot air came flying near her and a loud bang came from the gun. I'm dead. For sure I'm dead. she thought. She waited a while, then opened her eyes. Dasalí had been hit by the bullet and had been hit directly in the heart. Vengeance was hers. She climbed up on the old man's bed and fell asleep, occasionally getting up to shake herself to see if, as she fancied, she was in several pieces.

The next morning, she got up and left. "I'm done my best, old friend." she said as she left the house. At least Dasalí would never betray anyone ever again. Nagasta isn't going to be pleased about this. Not pleased at all. she thought smugly as she headed back to her family.

Rikki and Avíá Talk About Their Relationship

The night before, Rikki and Avíá had talked, alone, in another chamber of the cave. Rikki had decided to tell Avíá a bit more about how he felt about her. "So what do you want to see me about?" she asked. "I love you. Considering marrying you isn't such a strange idea anymore. In fact, I kind of like it." he said. "Really?" she said. She had suspected, wished that her hero would like her. But she had never thought that he would actually ever think of a romantic relationship with her. "Yes. I do." he said. "What do you think of me?" he asked. Do I love you? You're the famous Rikki-tikki-tavi! Of course I love you! But do you mean do I love you in a romantic way? Hmmmmmm. I am mistrustful of boyfriends after Undelli betrayed me. However, I know you won't let me down. I guess I do. she thought. "Best guy I ever met. Best candidate for a future mate. And, personally, I can actually see you filling that role." she said. "I can't deny I have feelings for you. You've been a pretty good replacement for a family." she said. "Have I?" he said, flattered. "Yes, you're my best friend and my favorite boyfriend." she said. "Avíá, I've never really liked girls. I always thought they were strange." he said. "Hmmmmph!" said Avíá. "However, you're different than the others. I actually don't mind the idea of liking you. You're pretty, friendly, brave, loyal, clever, and many other things." he said. "And yes, you are a great snake-killer." he said, reading her mind, for she had thought she could never be as good as him. "Rikki, you are the best thing that's happened to me!" she said, hugging him tightly. "You're the best thing that's happened to be too, Avíá-tía." he said, embracing her as well. They sat there, paws wrapped around each other, gazing at the moonlight, and telling each other all of their hidden secrets that they had never told anyone else before. "Avíá, I've never been in love before. This is all so weird for me." he said. "I never felt like this for Undelli. There's something different about you Rikki. Something special." said Avíá. "I had wondered if you'd be rude, stuck on yourself, and very grumpy, like many of the heroes I've heard in stories turn out to be when you actually meet them. Nothing seems as it is. And you're no exception. I had thought that you were weird, telling me these stories about Karait, Nag, and Nagaina. I didn't know who you were. You didn't glow like I always pictured you would." she said. "Glow? The only thing that glows is my eyes when I get angry." laughed Rikki. "Though if I could glow, I'd glow around you." he said before he could stop himself. Avíá laughed.

"You are so selfless. Do you think it wrong to ever think of yourself?" asked Avíá inquisitively. She wanted to know if he was just putting on a show to impress her. If so, he could go to Kalindo by himself. "I admit, some of my not telling the others about Nagasta's true identity had been to protect my reputation. However, it also was to keep them from hating me, as I feared they might. Especially when Kinsta started attacking the garden." said Rikki. "Also, it would cause a panic and still also would not have kept the snakes out. Why make everyone sad again? Also, Darzee has a big mouth and I didn't want him trying to sing a song about how I would kill Nagasta like I did Nag and Nagaina. If she found out that I did it, she might find out that Darzee, Darzee's wife, and Chuchundra helped me a little bit in that and come and kill them. Also, now with my family there, Nagasta might hurt them too, if she sent her entire snake army. As it was, all I had to do was make sure that I always got in the way if the snakes came. Anyway, I had mice tell them and my family when I realized what Nagasta had done to the mice and what she'd do to others if nobody put a stop to her." "What had she done to them? They seemed to especially hate her." said Avíá. Rikki explained about the tribute and how he'd rescued the mouse from being swallowed alive. "Beastly brute! Swallowing a mouse whole!" said Avíá when he had finished his tale. "You are very merciful Rikki. I'm afraid I might not have been so nice to that mouse had I been the one to rescue her and receive her insults. She might have gone right into my belly after saying those things to me." said Avíá. "However, I can watch you and learn to be kinder." she said. "You? Unkind?! Preposterous! Anyway, I came close to eating her myself. Anyway, though I've never been a dating type before, I think girls like you are more valuable than a nice house to protect and rooms to run about in." he said. "Arda was right." said Avíá, who suddenly kissed him on his cheek, causing his to blush. "Right about what?" said Rikki. "I found a nice guy." she said, hugging him tighter. "Well, goodnight. Sweet dreams." said Avíá. "Yes, maybe I shall dream about you and my family." he said. "Oh Rikki, you are too kind. I want to thank you. You've made the hardest time of my life bearable." she said, closing her eyes. They fell asleep, still in an embrace.

Biwi's Nightmare

Biwi was startled by a sound in the night. It sounded like hissing. "Who's there?" she said nervously. "Your friend Rikki is dead!" said a cold voice. "No!" she screamed as Nagasta came into sight. "Yes. The fool and his girlfriend are no more! He told me how my family really died! How you helped betray my Mother and my siblings. And I've come!" said Nagasta, advancing toward her. "Darzee!" said Biwi nervously. "Oh that fool! I've already dealt with him!" said Nagasta, coughing up a tailorbird feather. "Nagasta you monster!" screamed Biwi. "I was hoping for something a bit more impressive as your last words!" said Nagasta. "Look into my eyes!" Biwi tried to avoid her but couldn't. She saw her cold, evil, unfeeling eyes and was terrified. She couldn't move. She screamed as Nagasta lunged at her, piercing her with her fangs. Biwi jumped up out her sleep, startling Darzee. "Dear! What is it? You look terrified!" he said, very concerned. "It was a nightmare. Nagasta killed Rikki and Avíá and she found out how I helped Rikki destroy the eggs and she came and ate you and then she got me." said his wife. "No chance that Rikki would betray you, even if caught by Nagasta." The two tailorbirds jumped. It was Rímíra. "So how'd it go with that Dark Mongoose?" said Darzee. "Let's just say he went out with a bang." smiled Rímíra. "Nagasta won't be pleased." said Darzee.

Rímíra Returns

"Who's there?" said Dindac, rising from his nest and startling his wife and four children. "It's just me." said Rímíra. "Hello Rímíra." said Dindac. "What have you been up to?" said Dindac's wife. "Settling a score with the mongoose who betrayed my old master. He'll never hurt anyone again!" said Rímíra. "Do you believe in this magical plant?" said Dindac. "The Coppersmith says Rikki and Avíá are risking everything to get this Magical Herb of Kalindo. It supposedly can reverse the effects of one snakebite. Rikki plans to use it to finish the Cobra Queen." said Dindac's wife to Rímíra. "It's a little hard to swallow, but I can believe it to be possible that such a thing could exist, I guess. It's been nonsense about any other plant being able to save a mongoose, don't believe the stories you've been hearing." said Rímíra. "Thanks for informing us. Dindac made it sound like a mongoose couldn't be killed." said Dindac's wife. "Yes we can. In fact, Avíá-tía-tárá lost her family to those snakes. I pray that she and Rikki don't get killed." said Rímíra.

"About the Magical Herb of Kalindo, I know Rikíla picked up that story somewhere. From some old bird named Tacróc." said Rímíra. "I thought he worked for…er…You-Know-Who." said Dindac's wife. "Nagasta? No, don't look so frightened, it's only a name! Anyway, apparently he was faking allegiance to Her. He helped Rikki escape. Actually claimed he found a plant that would help you survive a snakebite. Apparently it was he who started that story that Rikíla must have picked up. Rikki-tikki happened to bring it up, having heard about it from Rikíla, and Tacróc told him where to go. However, if the Coppersmith is right, Rikki and Avíá must have gone through a land of dangerous snakes, across a very haunted forest, the Coppersmith was very reluctant to talk about his experiences in there and it took days to get anything out of him about it, across a land of lions, which sound dangerous from what Rikki told the Coppersmith that Tacróc told him. Then he has to go to a land of a fiery mountain and across a giant river. And as that weren't enough, near the entrance to this mysterious Kalindo, there's a colony of giant poisonous spiders! I highly doubt a normal adult mongoose, even a rather skilled and experienced one, could make it, but Rikki isn't like most mongooses." said Rímíra.

"Hey you!" came a voice nearby. The others turned and noticed two Dark Mongooses on the opposite shore. "You'll catch it for killing the Queen's mongoose!" said one of them. "Will I?" said Rímíra defiantly. "You may be safe on the island, but you'll never be able to get past us again!" he said. They left. "We'll see about that." said Rímíra.

Formulating the Rebellion

The following day, just before dawn, Darzee met with a bunch of birds. "So, what is the plan Darzee? You do not seem to be one to normally formulate[3] anything." asked a tailorbird. "Well, things have changed." said Darzee. He explained what he had overheard about the brainwashing of the children. "This is an outrage!" said the tailorbird. "Rikki-tikki told us to go into secret rebellion against these cobras." said Darzee. "Well, we've dropped some mangos on some cobras' heads in the dark." said a parrot. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but the King and Queen are gone. What if we revolted?" said Darzee. "Revolted?! And get our family slaughtered?! Are you out of your tree?" said a Coppersmith barbet. "No. We can free the mice. The Land of the Mice has been put back under mouse tribute." said Darzee. "Has it? Well, what can we do?" said a tailorbird. "What about the crows?" said a wren. "Hmmmm, that is tricky." said Darzee. "Tacróc." said the Coppersmith. "I thought you said Tacróc was dead." said Darzee. "No, there might be other crows like him. Maybe his surviving family will help us." said the Coppersmith.

"Yes, we can help you." said a crow, one of Tacróc's children. They came to the Land of the Mice. "Join us. We're going to make a fight of it." said Darzee. "Agreed." said a mouse. They now had supporters to fight back against Snake Empire. "So, how do we attack Snake Empire?" asked a rabbit. "We start a secret rebellion for now." said Darzee. "We can't risk anything too open, even without the King and Queen being around." "What should we do exactly?" asked Azil. "Just follow my lead." said Darzee. "I can help." said Sadára. "Good, it will be good to have a mongoose on our side." said a crow. "So, when do we respond? We can't let this continue on much longer. They've had access to our kids' minds for far too long already!" said Azil. "We need time to organize." said Naréc, a son of Tacróc. "Tomorrow." he said. "We can't let Rikki-tikki have all the fun." said Sadára. They all laughed. The rebellion had begun.

[1] They still have leftovers from that cobra fight. JJJJ

[2] This is what, undoubtedly, will come to pass with the RINO Republicans.

[3] devise something: to draw something up carefully and in detail