The guards led Josh downstairs, while Justin, Brutus, and Elizabeth followed Nicodemus, who wanted to have a quick word with them before the hearing, elsewhere. Despite the Rat King's reassurance that there was nothing to worry about, Josh couldn't help but feel almost like a condemned man on his way to the gallows as they marched him down to the Council chamber.
They came to a set of double doors, guarded by two palace guards in armour, where Josh figured his hearing was to be held. He could hear tense voices inside, engaged in a heated discussion, Jenner's among them. Josh could hear the sinister Rat saying something about Nicodemus' plan being the folly of an old fool, and that a certain NIMH human was here to lure them to destruction by manipulating their ineffective leader. As he'd feared, that walking gargoyle was wasting no time in spreading fear and unrest regarding him amongst his peers. Why the hell did that bloke hate him so much?
The guards opened the doors and they entered. Inside, Josh found himself in a massive arched chamber, towering high like a Gothic cathedral. Illuminated by flaming torches mounted on brackets on the surrounding pillars, and with beautiful gold mosaic floors, the place had an air of great importance. The walls were lined with wooden benches, not unlike a court room at the Old Bailey, forming seating galleries for the Councilmen.
At the far end of the chamber, on a stand, stood a massive courtroom bench, where several Rats in posh silk tunics sat. Josh figured they had to be the head judges or chairmen of the Council. Three empty seats at the bench awaited the arrival of Nicodemus, Justin and Mr Ages, who, Josh had been told, were trustees on the Council. And striding impatiently back and forth before the stand was Jenner, badmouthing Josh and his friends to the spectators with the air of a workers' union protestor. Several of the Councilmen, Josh noticed, much to his dismay, seemed to share his sentiments, while others appeared merely sceptical.
All eyes instantly fell on Josh as he entered, the nervous muttering and whispering quickly building to a tense crescendo. From a back door behind the judges' bench, Josh saw Nicodemus enter, followed by Ages, Brutus, Justin, and a nervous Elizabeth. At the sight of their King entering the room, all the spectators fell silent and rose in respectful greeting. Nicodemus nodded curtly, gesturing for everyone to retake their seats – except for Jenner who merely stood his ground, sneering at his uncle.
The guards led Josh to a lone bar in the centre of the room, in front of the judges, while Elizabeth, who was not on the Council, was shown by Brutus to a seat in the visitors' gallery. Josh noticed how several Councilmen were giving her curious, almost disapproving, glances. No doubt, in this male-dominated society, it was very uncommon for a woman to be attending a formal meeting like this one. But that was nothing compared to Josh; sitting all alone in that lonely bar, in front of all those watching eyes, he felt as if he were surrounded by a pack of hungry wolves, thirsty for his blood. Nicodemus, on the other hand, calmly took his own seat at the judges' bench with Justin and Mr Ages, and the hearing began.
"My dear friends and fellow Councilmen," the King addressed the Council, "My apologies for dragging you all out of bed at this late hour, but we have a very special visitor. For years, numerous scholars have debated over whether the Land of Nimh is reality or myth. Well, today we are joined by Captain Joshua Anderson, a human from the Land of Nimh itself!" Josh thought Nicodemus could have made a better choice of words.
"Aha! That proves what I've always said," said Jenner, on queue, "We aren't safe from Nimh, and here's the proof right before your eyes! Even after all this time, the humans are still looking for us – and now they've found us at last." There was instant uproar, as Jenner's words sank into everyone's mind, playing on the Rats' greatest fear: an invasion by the species who regarded them as lowly vermin or used them as guinea-pigs - the same humans who had also, unbeknownst to most, unthinkingly created them. Josh was indeed the living proof that Nimh was real – and, as far as the majority of the spectators were concerned, a grave danger to them all.
"They'd destroy us on the spot!" someone shouted, "We wouldn't stand a chance…!"
"Not if we get them first!" Jenner continued, satisfied that the game was playing out his way, "With their spy now apprehended, we can turn the tables on them! The human must be detained at once, to be questioned. With a little persuasion, we could unlock the secrets to their powers, learn ways to eradicate their foul race once and for all…!" More cries of agreement followed. Josh visibly paled; did this mean they were going to torture him for information on a non-existent invasion? He felt a chill run down his spine as Jenner fixed him with a sinister smile, his venomous green eyes resembling those of a snake about to devour a rather juicy rat. He could see his friends weren't too happy with Jenner's suggestion either.
"Please," protested Elizabeth, rising from her seat, "Josh – I mean, Captain Anderson is no spy. He's been of great help to my family…"
"Silence, you filthy wretch!" roared Jenner, ignoring the gasps of outrage from the spectators, including Elizabeth's own shocked expression, at talking back to a lady with such a foul tongue, "This is a formal hearing and you're not permitted to speak!"
Josh felt his lip twitch in anger; if he weren't in such a hot seat, with his neck on the line, he would have marched right up to that ill-mannered blighter and knocked his teeth down his throat! But such a display of violence and in front of so many spectators nonetheless, even to defend his sweetheart's honour, was not something he could risk at the moment, so he wisely kept his silence.
"Jenner's right," put in another Rat, whom Josh recognised as Jenner's associate who'd been with him that day down by the lake, where he'd ditched his pod. No doubt he shared his master's narrow-mindedness, if not his brutality, "A mouse and a female nonetheless, has no say in a court of law. She's already suspected of hiding and harbouring a dangerous creature…!"
The moment of tension quickly dissipated however by Nicodemus banging the gavel on the bench to restore order. The aged King, although surprisingly calm despite all this mounting tension, was frowning disapprovingly at his nephew's rude display.
"Order! Jenner, these kinds of comments are uncalled for. And before we jump to any conclusions based on our ancestors' biased and prejudiced beliefs, Corporal Sullivan," he added to Jenner's aid, "I believe we ought to at least hear Captain Anderson's story from his own lips." He gestured towards Josh who nodded, glad for the opportunity to say something to his own defence.
Taking the stand, he addressed the court, "I come from another planet called Earth – the place you refer to as the Land of Nimh. I was part of an expedition of explorers sent out to seek a new home for mankind, after it was determined that our own planet was dying…"
For the next few hours, Josh told the Council his story; the journey of the NIMH-One to Alpha Centauri, the discovery of the then-uninhabited Nimh sister planets; the electromagnetic storm; his pod crash-landing on Nimh-Beta; being taken in by the Brisby family and meeting Justin, Brutus and Mr Ages; their journey to Thorn Valley, supposedly to find his crew, only to discover the ancient hulk of his ship and finally realising the truth of the planet's origins; their brush with the Exiles, and returning to the Lee of the Stone, only to find Elizabeth's children had been kidnapped.
"…I finally agreed to turn myself in, mostly for Elizabeth's sake. For the record, I'm not here to cause any trouble. There isn't any invasion coming; I'm just a stranded space pilot, here by accident, and cut off from my home forever." Although many of the spectators were noticeably curious after hearing his story, some still were far from swayed – or, in Jenner's case, simply determined to get their way, not caring less if it was the truth or not.
"He lies!" bellowed the sinister Rat General, pointing a claw-tipped finger, circled by a gold ruby ring, at Josh, "He's a human! Humans are evil! Time travel, indeed! He's just trying to trick us all! He'll use His Majesty to unlock the forbidden secrets of Thorn Valley and then use them to destroy or enslave us all! We can't let this abomination go free…!"
"That, Jenner, is up to me to decide," interrupted Nicodemus calmly, but with a firm tone in his voice, which got the message across far more effectively than Jenner's loud caterwauling, "Currently, I see no reason not to believe Captain Anderson's story. In fact, I have strong hopes of enlisting his help to finally execute the Plan…" Jenner looked furious.
"You blasphemous, old fool!" he roared incredulously, losing control completely, "Where's your self-respect? You'd enlist the help of some lowly, filthy human scum, to dismantle the kingdom our noble ancestors strived to build? What an appalling disgrace you are…!" Unfortunately, this time, Jenner had gone too far, infuriating all the spectators with his disrespectful remarks about their sovereign Majesty.
"That's enough, Jenner!" bellowed Justin, rising from his seat, "Nicodemus is still your king and leader and you'll respect him as such! You've made your point; now, either you retake your seat and mind your manners, or you'll be disqualified from this hearing!" Jenner gave him a furious look. Realising he was fighting a lost battle, and preferring to leave on his own accord, rather than listen to more of this farce, with a sweep of his black cloak, he turned on his heels and headed for the door, slamming it behind him, and was gone from the room.
The departure of Jenner and his acid tongue came as quite a relief for everyone, particularly Josh, who wasn't keen on seeing that walking grim ripper of a Rat again anytime soon, although he feared they had all but seen the last of him yet. That fellow, for some reason, held a very nasty grudge; wanting to have him locked away was one thing, but torture…
Once the commotion had died down, Nicodemus addressed the Council again, "Now then, having heard Captain Anderson's story, as well as voiced our own concerns on the matter, I believe it's time we put forward the final point of this hearing: How are we to receive our visitor? Each Rat in this room holds contrasting opinions; therefore, as it's my custom to respect everyone's view, I'll put it to vote." Josh felt his stomach bottom out; surely, surely, they weren't about to vote on his doom? Nicodemus rose from his chair.
"Those in favour of detaining Captain Anderson, and having Captain Wilson and Sergeant Stanton prosecuted for heresy, please raise your hands." Several spectators raised their hands – a good many of them actually, but Josh was relieved to see that at least it wasn't the majority. "And those in favour of admitting Captain Anderson, to enlist his help in the Plan, and dropping all charges against Captain Wilson and Sergeant Stanton?" This time, there were a lot more hands, including Nicodemus' – more than half! Nicodemus smiled.
"Very well then, the majority are in favour. Captain Anderson stays as my guest; Justin and Brutus are cleared of all charges, and allowed to return to duty, effective immediately. I hereby declare this hearing closed and order the Council to be adjourned." Banging the gavel one final time to conclude the hearing, the Councilmen rose from their seats and began to disperse.
Josh could have danced a jig if his legs weren't feeling like jelly with relief; thanks to Nicodemus pulling the strings in his favour, he would be allowed to stay. He owed that old coot big time, he did! No longer was he a hunted alien in a strange world; now he had sanctuary, and a chance of making a fresh start.
As soon as the Councilmen had dispersed, Josh found himself grabbed into a bone-crushing hug by Elizabeth, as his friends rushed over to congratulate him. Justin gave Josh a friendly slap on the back, and even Brutus shot him an impressed smile. With Josh holding Elizabeth's hand, the group left the courtroom through the back door, intent on avoiding the crowd of curious onlookers.
"See, Josh? I told you there was nothing to be afraid of," said Justin, "But the nerve of that Jenner! I don't know why you don't have him thrown off the Council for good, Nicodemus," he added, turning to his leader, "I realise you're family, but that fellow's nothing but trouble, a bad influence all around…!"
"As much as I feel inclined to share your sentiments regarding my nephew, Justin," said Nicodemus, with a slight twinge of sadness in his voice, "I'm afraid revoking his authority would only do more harm than good. He's highly ambitious, and bumping him down would be a great insult to his pride, which would only encourage him to sever any loyalty he has with us and go over to the wrong side. It's unwise to start making enemies amongst ourselves – whether it is Jenner because of his eccentricities, or Captain Anderson because he's human." Josh felt touched, seeing that Nicodemus respected him as an equal; unfortunately, this still didn't solve the problem with Jenner.
"You do realise, we'll be feeling the heat soon or later?" said Brutus gruffly, "Not everyone voted in Anderson's favour; those who lost, Jenner included, are bound to continue pressuring us at every given opportunity, not to mention the people. It should have been handled much more discreetly…"
"Discretion would only add to our problems, young Brutus," replied Nicodemus, with the calm and wise tone of a philosopher, "The ultimate success of the Plan depends on the full trust and alliance between us and the people…"
"And what exactly is this Plan thing, Your Majesty?" asked Josh, trying to figure this business out. As far as he could tell, it all came down to him; the secrets of Thorn Valley, the Stone, the Exiles going to such lengths to capture him, Nicodemus' Plan, everything was linked. So what was his role in this deal? Why was he so important, or rather so dangerous, to the Rats? "What did that Jenner mean, I'd have the power to destroy you all? And what does the Rosetta Disk have to do with all this…?"
"Don't talk about that here, you fool!" snapped Mr Ages indignantly, "Don't you realise there might be spies listening from behind these walls right now?" Justin calmed him.
"Calm your nerves, you suspicious old goat. It isn't as if he's advertising it in public!"
"I promised I would explain everything, Captain Anderson," said Nicodemus calmly, "And that I shall. However, I must insist that you have patience until tomorrow. We've had enough excitement for one evening and, as Horatio pointed out, this is not the place or the time to be discussing such a sensitive topic. If it may please you to join me up in my study in the morning, I'll have something very interesting to show you all."
Josh wanted to argue, but then realised the wise old coot had a good point; he and his friends had been on the go for nearly two days now, with hardly any sleep. Even now, he could feel the effects of fatigue quickly kicking in, making him long for a nice warm bed.
"What about my children?" asked Elizabeth, "They're still out there, in the hands of those terrible bandits! We can't just leave them…!" But Nicodemus calmed her.
"Mrs Brisby, I assure you, we're not abandoning your children to the mercy of the Exiles. In fact, the purpose of tomorrow's meeting is to discuss our rescue options, which, I might add, will require Captain Anderson's skills and ingenuity."
Nicely said, pops, thought Josh sarcastically, Here we are, telling you her children have been kidnapped by a bunch of cutthroats that keep their victims' skulls as trophies, and you're discussing it as if we're having this talk over tea… But, whatever Nicodemus had in mind, he would have to wait until morning to find out.
"Arthur will show you to your quarters," said Nicodemus, as they entered another section of the palace which led to the bedchambers, "I've taken the liberty of preparing accommodation for all of you. If there's anything you need, he and his staff are always at your service."
Bidding them goodnight, the elderly Rat retreated to his study, the guards closing the doors behind him. Arthur led Josh, Elizabeth and Mr Ages upstairs to the visitors' wing, while Justin and Brutus left to return to their own dormitories in the Guard's quarters.
Meanwhile, down in the palace dungeons, Jenner was having a private conversation with his aid-de-camp, Sullivan. The chubby Rat Corporal had just finished briefing his master on the outcome of the hearing, and the disappointing news that the NIMH human would be staying.
"It was a bust, Jenner," the chubby Rat grumbled, "Nicodemus won the Council over by telling those fools the human is the key to the Plan. We'll never get him under our control now. We should have just killed him at Thorn Valley when we had the chance…!" But Jenner, who had been considering the alternatives from the moment he'd left the courtroom, furiously pinned his aid against the wall by the throat.
"I told you want that damned human alive, you moronic simpleton! He's the key to unlocking the powers of the Stone. Do you understand me?" he growled menacingly in Sullivan's face who nodded, trembling with fear, thinking his master might lose control and slit his throat, "Nicodemus may have won the Council's favour, but we still have some leverage to make that human come to us. Now, what is the latest report from Castor?"
"The Brisby children have been successfully captured. Castor says they had to kill the old bat watching over them when she got in the way, but otherwise the plan went without incident. I passed on your orders that they be well guarded but not harmed. We also found these on the eldest Brisby girl…" He handed Jenner a pair of dog-tags on a chain, marked with the Nimh-One crest and a British flag, which Castor's messenger had given him – Josh's dog-tags, which the astronaut had given as a present to Teresa before leaving the Lee of the Stone.
Jenner studied the dog-tags, the wheels in his evil mind turning, "I believe, Sullivan, the situation is just perfect." Sullivan thought his master had to be joking.
"How can it be perfect?!" he retorted, "Nicodemus still has the stinking human under his wing! I doubt he'll trade him for Brisby's children…"
"True," said Jenner, rolling his eyes in amusement at Sullivan's lack of foresight, "But if my gut instinct is correct, that human will soon be embarking on a rescue mission to save those brats. What better way for my Uncle to improve the image of his precious human? And once we've lured him back out there, away from Nicodemus, he's all ours!"
"You're just going to let him go after Castor?" gasped Sullivan incredulously, "Are you insane? That human is powerful and dangerous! If he finds that hideout, he'll wipe it out! You heard what his did to Castor's raiding party back at Thorn Valley...!"
"My simple-minded friend, do use your brains!" said Jenner, his voice silkily sweet, as if speaking to a naïve child, "Once that stupid human realises what will happen to his little friend's precious children should he attempt to resist us, I'm fairly confident he'll be coaxed into…switching over to our side." Sullivan was liking Jenner's plan less and less by the minute.
"If Nicodemus finds out we're working with Castor, he'll have us both arrested for treason! What if the human finds out...?" Jenner however was completely unconcerned. Everything was going just as he'd planned. With a bit of luck, he would soon have that unsuspecting human within his grasp, and the secrets of the Stone of all Knowledge would finally be his, along with the power to seize control of the entire Rat civilization…
Josh lay in a massive four-poster bed in the chambers the servants had prepared for him. He, Elizabeth and Mr Ages had each been given their own private quarters, usually reserved for visiting royalty. Although not exactly like Buckingham Palace, and lacking all the conveniences of the modern world, from electricity to indoor plumbing, it was still the finest of luxury he could hope to find in this world.
His quarters consisted of two adjacent rooms, including a master bedroom and a private study, with stained-glass windows looking out of the side of the rock cliff above ground – a rare convenience for any dwelling in this subterranean city. Rough, carved wooden furniture, hand-knitted rabbit-fur rugs, a wash-plate filled from a copper jug, a large stone fireplace for heat, and a dozen oil lamps for light was pretty much everything his 'aristocratic' accommodation had to offer. But, at least it was better than the wreck of the Nimh-One, which suited Josh just fine.
On the table in the room next door, he had also found his spacesuit and kit, which Arthur had had delivered once it was inspected. All of his belongings had been returned intact, which Josh felt was a good sign. Obviously, it would take some time before he could win the trust of all the Rats, but at least tonight had been a good start. He wasn't returning to Earth anymore, that much he knew for certain. Well, maybe he could help by making a difference here, to make his presence on this new world count for something more than just that of a stranded space pilot.
Exhausted and having declined any offers for dinner, he had stripped down to his undergarments and turned in, eager to get as many hours of uninterrupted, blissful sleep, in preparation for the long day that awaited him tomorrow.
He was slowly drifting off when he heard a gentle knock on his door. Looking up, he saw Elisabeth's face staring at him through a crack in the bedroom door, which was interconnected to the next door apartment. Visible against the moonlight coming from the window, Josh was alarmed to see she wasn't wearing her cape, practically naked. Realising his own state of undress made him feel rather uneasy. He sincerely hoped the guards he knew were posted outside his door weren't peeping through the keyhole at this very moment!
"Biff? What are you doing here…? You aren't wearing anything…!" His embarrassment however instantly gave way to concern, as he took in her appearance: Elizabeth looked haggard and drawn, her beautiful eyes all puffy and red, looking as if she'd been crying, "Whatever is the matter?"
"Nightmare," she mumbled, holding back tears, "My children…" Josh felt for her; how could she possibly get a good night's sleep when her children were currently still in the hands of their kidnappers, probably being subjected to God-knows what kind of horrors, if they hadn't killed them already? Just as he was wondering what he could possibly say to appease her, she walked up to his bed.
"Josh," she muttered pleadingly, "Can I…can I sleep with you tonight? Please? I…I don't think I could get through the night alone…" Josh looked at her, surprised; although, like any decent bloke, he obviously felt somewhat tempted, he certainly didn't want to do something that might embarrass the both of them. But seeing her standing there so sad and lost, made him feel too cruel to just turn her away, no matter how politely.
"Oh…yeah, sure, come on…"
Lifting the covers for her, Elizabeth crawled into bed beside him. Snuggling up to him, as if for protection, she rested her head on his bare shoulder. Josh could tell she was a tad bit nervous by getting so intimate, yet she made no attempt to pull away. Josh tenderly stroked her hair, taking in the loving scent of lilies, which was the aroma of the homemade soap he knew she bathed with.
"Josh, will I ever see my children again?"
Josh kissed the crown of her head, "Don't worry, love. I'll find them and bring them back safely. I promise I won't let you down." He saw Elizabeth's face curl into a loving smile.
"I know you will, my darling. I know you will."
Author's note: My apologies for the long delay but my job requires morning and evening shifts, leaving me little to no writing time. Hopefully, things will improve by next month. Otherwise, enjoy and please review!