Josh and Justin followed Tony, Fievel and Aunt Sophie through the quiet, deserted streets of Minsk, towards where, Josh figured, the Mice revolutionists held their secret meetings. It felt almost laughable to think that he'd come all this way supposedly to deal with those rebels and now he might actually end up joining them.
Under normal circumstances, such a turnout would have been unthinkable for a man like Josh. After all, he was a soldier with a strict code of duty; what he was doing, in the eyes of many, including his own, was called desertion, outright treachery towards those whom he'd sworn his loyalty to! True, he'd gone behind his superiors' backs before, the last time being the incident that had turned his life forever upside down forever, but this was different.
He knew all too well that Justin was right; if this escapade turned out a fiasco, they could both be facing charges of high treason. Good intentions or no, they were still conspiring with the enemy, not to mention revealing the forbidden secret of the Stone. He'd be betraying the trust Nicodemus had placed in him!
On the other hand, life on Nimh-Beta had taught Josh that here one chooses his friends carefully and his enemies even more carefully. Those in authority were not always the good ones; doing what was right wasn't an easy choice, times like now. If he was wrong, it could mean the end of his career, maybe Justin's too. On the other hand, he couldn't just sit back, when he had reason to suspect Warren T was up to no good, doing these people harm for his own gain. He hoped this risk he was taking to unmask Warren T's plot of corruption would actually be worth it.
Aunt Sophie led them to another part of the subterranean city. They approached the entrance to a tall building with heavy double-doors. Pushing them open, they entered a dark, silent chamber. By Sophie's torchlight, Josh recognised it as the interior of an old church.
This was unlike any Christian church, mosque, or any other place of worship back on Earth, yet the long, Gothic-style alter was unmistakable. At the far end of the alter, on a stone pedestal, stood a massive statue of a hideous-looking creature that partly resembled a dragon and partly a giant mouse. This had to be the Great Mouse of Minsk, the likeness of which could also be found on the pendant around Josh's neck.
The church, no doubt once a masterpiece, showed signs of extensive ransacking. The walls, which had once featured mosaics decorated in gold, had been chiselled clean; the crystal chandelier that once hung overhead was gone; even the statue of the Great Mouse of Minsk was missing its gem eyes. Anything of value was missing, looted it seemed, leaving behind nothing but a stripped ruin.
"Warren T sadly has no respect for anything sacred either," muttered Aunt Sophie grimly, noticing Josh staring in dismay around the ruined church, "If we can't pay our water taxes in money, then we must pay with our cultural heritage. That's the law. Any protestors are brutally silenced." Josh and Justin didn't dare comment; both knew of the appalling discriminations the Mice of Minsk endured at the hands of the Rats, including towards their religion.
Aunt Sophie and Tony approached a large stone slab at the foot of the statue, which, at first glance, resembled some sort of crypt or tomb. Heaving together, they pried the slab open, revealing a narrow flight of stairs underneath, leading down to some sort of secret passage. Aunt Sophie ushered them all down, all the while casting nervous glances over her shoulder, as if afraid they were being followed.
Down the stairs, they found themselves in some sort of cave system below the city's streets, which resembled a network of old catacombs. Dark tunnels twisted and turned in all directions, making it extremely difficult to get any sense of direction. But Aunt Sophie seemed to know exactly where she was going, as she confidently led them through this maze of tunnels.
At last, they came to the entrance of some sort of cavern, illuminated by flaming torches fixed on brackets along the walls. Josh could see dozens and dozens of mice huddled together in small groups, using blankets and simple cots as their only means of comfort. Many looked hungry and in poor health, probably homeless. Among them, Josh could see several sickly-looking children being cuddled by their mothers.
"These are no rebels," he muttered to Justin, who nodded with a frown. They didn't need a genius to tell them that these were all Mice that had been driven out of house and home by Warren T and his taxation schemes; impoverished tax-evaders or protestors branded as public enemies and on the run from the law.
A familiar-looking mouse girl was passing trays of food to a group of children, probably orphans, whose parents had been arrested or executed for some bogus crime by Warren T. At the sound of them entering, she turned and noticed Josh.
"Captain Anderson!" she cried, hurrying over to greet him and also gave Tony a kiss, "This is a surprise!"
"Likewise, Ms Bridget," said Josh, smiling at the young mouse aristocrat he'd liberated from the Exiles' lair only a few weeks ago. He might have guessed she had ties with these so-called rebels of Minsk. Did this mean Gussie Mausheimer was here too? Sure enough, Josh spotted her among the crowd, looking very out of place here, dressed in her finery and surrounded by all these paupers. She was talking to a large, beefy mouse in a smart suit and thick whiskers, who seemed to be someone in authority.
"...The Rats finally released him today, Gussie," the beefy mouse was saying grimly, removing his top-hat in respect for what Josh realised was a dead mouse lying on a table at the far end of the room. The malnourished body bore hideous marks of beatings, implying someone had been torturing him, "They said it wasn't their fault that he starved and mutilated himself to death out of protest..."
"Nonsense, Honest John!" screamed Gussie in outrage, "You know they tortured him for information, just like they did all the others!" Several Mice had to hold back tears of sorrow. If this unidentified mouse had cracked and talked, Warren T would be upon them now.
"What about his family?" continued Gussie, "Were any of them released alive?" The mouse called Honest John shook his head grimly. He'd been informed that the entire family had died in prison, as was often the case with all of Warren T's enemies. Then, he noticed Sophie coming up to speak to him.
"Oh, Madam Mousekewitz, welcome!" he said, reaching out politely to kiss her hand, but Sophie didn't have time for formalities. She whispered something in Honest John's ear, who turned in alarm to look at where she was pointing and noticed Josh and Justin.
"Good grief!" he gasped, "Who are they?"
Realising there were two strangers trespassing in their midst, the Mice all turned to stare at them in surprise and many of them in fear. Josh could see some of them brandishing makeshift weapons, as if anticipating an attack. Not that he could blame them really. After all, two enemy officials, one of which was a human nonetheless, had just gate-crashed on their front door! The tension seemed likely to escalate into a conflict at any second, but then Bridget spoke up.
"It's all right, everyone, don't panic!" she called, "These aren't spies, they're friends." There was instant muttering all around. The Mice couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"Friends?" shouted someone incredulously, "A Rat Captain and the Royal Commissioner? A human? You're mad!"
"Yes, the Rats sent them here to assist Warren T!" cried a mouse woman, protectively holding her children close, as if to shield them from Josh and Justin's gaze, "They mean to kill us, or sell us into slavery!"
"Silence!" boomed the commanding voice of Gussie Mouseheimer, who, like Bridget, had immediately recognised Josh and knew he wasn't a threat. "My ward is right. This isn't the enemy!"
"You know these strangers, Countess Mouseheimer?" demanded Honest John in total disbelief. Feeling his nerves straining with anxiety, he reached into his pocket for a hip-flask, gulping down a mouthful of some strong beverage. Ignoring him, Gussie turned to Bridget, who nodded and addressed the whole crowd.
"My friends," she said, "Captain Anderson came to us from a faraway world. When I first met him, my friends and I were being held prisoner by bandit Rats, hired by Warren T to silence me for fighting to defend your rights. Against all odds, he risked his life and succeeded in freeing seven of us, including five children in the prime of life, from captivity. For that, he won the respect of the Rats, as well as our own."
Several spectators looked at each other in amazement; many had heard of Bridget and Tony's miraculous escape from the Exiles, but few had actually believed their story until now. Bridget went on speaking.
"Captain Anderson is a hero, who wouldn't hesitate to risk life and limb to protect those in need, without asking for anything in return," she said, "And I, for one, would be honoured to have him join our side, to help us in our struggle for independence!"
The crowd were now looking doubtfully at each other. Despite being greatly impressed by Josh's accomplishments, many still remained extremely sceptical of Bridget's proposal of enlisting a human's help to overthrow Warren T. After all, he and Justin belonged among the Rats' ranks, not theirs. How could they possibly trust them?
"Ms Bridget, my dear, are you quite sure this is wise?" hiccupped Honest John, his eyes now bloodshot from his drinking. Judging from the sloppy way he handled his booze, Josh figured he was probably a heavy drinker. Gussie Mouseheimer gave him a stern look.
"Honest John, honestly, sometimes your drinking clouds your judgement!" she snapped, "We're losing this war. You know Warren T is only one of many Rats who are growing more powerful and dangerous every day. Even my wealth and power are of little importance any more. We need a real warrior to fight on our side. We need Captain Anderson!"
On Bridget's urging, Josh nervously took the stand and addressed the spectators. He'd always been somewhat uncomfortable facing crowds and had to make quite an effort to compose himself.
"I'm deeply honoured by the faith you're placing in me," he said, "I realise all of you have been through a lot – you've lost homes, fortunes, family and friends to the Rat occupation, and are now fighting to defend your rights as individuals." Pausing for a moment to consider, he spoke plain.
"Although I can't promise you that Minsk will regain its independence, I assure you that all the innocents will see justice done. I will unravel Warren T's deadly scheme of corruption and see the ones responsible for all these atrocities punished! That I swear on my oath as a British officer and as Royal Commissioner!"
His speech brought about no cheers; but a few hopeful smiles appeared on the Mice's faces. Now they had someone who was willing to help them in their struggle. At least, now they had a fighting chance. Bridget, on the other hand, was beaming, whilst Fievel and Tony were cheering excitedly. To them, having Josh on their side meant a guaranteed victory.
Back at the abandoned Mousekewitz home, Brutus was pacing back and forth indignantly, wondering what was taking Justin and Anderson so long. He shouldn't be stuck here, babysitting this traitorous worm; he should be out there with them, making sure they didn't run into any more trouble. Why that fool human insisted on doing things his way, such as keeping this scumbag alive was beyond him.
Unfortunately, Jake, taking advantage of Brutus' lack of vigilance, had slowly managed to undo his binds. Waiting until Brutus' back was turned to him one more time, suddenly, he struck. Hearing his prisoner getting to his feet, Brutus whirled round, but Jake was faster and landed a double-fisted junk-punch direct in Brutus' groin.
The mountain of a Rat doubled over with pain, dropping his sword and falling to his knees. Moving like lightning, Jake picked up a stone and struck Brutus on the back of the head, hard. Brutus slumped to the ground, but didn't stop moving; this sudden attack had triggered an adrenaline rush in the warrior's veins, his survival instinct forcing him to stay conscious. Jake responded by bludgeoning him again and this time, it did the trick.
Tying and gagging the unconscious Brutus, Jake retrieved his weapons and, limping out on one good leg, fled the scene. That accursed human was onto them and it wouldn't be long before he worked out the whole scam. If word reached the King, his boss's scheme would be finished and so would all of those involved. He had to warn him at once!
Warren T was in the middle of his private time, entertaining some of his rich guests by playing the violin in his posh lounge. The place resembled a museum or an art gallery, chockfull of statues and paintings of historical Rat figures, as well as lavish furniture and priceless ornaments. Warren T was famed for his good taste in culture and art, the owner of one of the biggest collections worldwide, which he delighted in exhibiting to his guests. Very few of them knew a lot of this stuff was actually stolen art, seized from wealthy mouse families by 'government degrees' and then passing it off as his own.
Several rough-looking friends of Warren's were partying, drinking and playing in the Governor's private casino set up in the lounge. Although none of the games played were any of the original games from human casinos back on Earth, the Rats, like with their religion, had copied many features of poker, roulette, chips and other familiar gambling games, which survived to this day on Nimh-Beta.
"Music be the food of love," chanted Warren T to his mates, incorrectly quoting a line of poetry, originally from Shakespeare, "Play on McDuff, play on..."
Digit, who was managing the chips at the gaming table, smirked under his breath. Frankly, he didn't know which sounded worse; his master's poetry or his music? Unfortunately, one of the Rats noticed him.
"What are you smirking at, you scrawny half-size?" he barked, "When Warren T plays, it's culture! Show some respect!" That's rich, thought Digit, you're the ones making a fortune by sucking up to him at every turn. However, he knew better than to pick an argument with one of his boss's cronies – those stupid enough to do so often ended up dead.
Suddenly, a door burst open and a butler announced the unexpected arrival of Captain Jake, who limped into the room, all battered and with a bloodied leg. Warren T frowned, not cherishing bad news. And, as it turned out, the news was as bad as it could get.
"That human has found out about us!" rasped Jake, "He knows you targeted the Mousekewitz family!" Warren T stood up.
"Where is he now?"
"He's going to try and make contact with the rebels!" said Jake urgently, "He's going to rally all the Mice against us!"
For an instant, Warren T was tempted to draw a dagger and plunge it straight through this fool's heart for foiling his mission. Not only had the Mousekewitz boy escaped again, but, judging by Jake's injuries, the human now knew too much. It was probably only a matter of time before he put things together and then his entire plot would be exposed to the authorities. He had to act and fast! Then, suddenly, an idea struck him.
"Captain Jake, take several able-bodied Rats and go up to the hotel," he ordered, "The Commissioner's mouse friend and her family are there. Seize her and bring her back here to me!" Nodding, Jake hurriedly limped out to carry out the order.
Warren T smiled. So, that interfering human thought he'd outsmarted him? Well, he'd soon show him the grave consequences of meddling in the affairs of Warren T Rat!
Josh and Justin quietly led a group of Mice rebels, consisting of Fievel, Tony, Bridget, Gussie Mouseheimer, Honest John and a few others to the city well, deep in the heart of Minsk – the place where they hoped to find some evidence of Warren T's treachery.
Realising the only way to prove Warren T guilty would be to solve the mystery of the city well drying up, which in turn had formed the leverage Warren had over the mice of Minsk, Josh had decided to investigate the place himself.
The well, situated in a small square, was being guarded by a burly Rat patrolman. Honest John had explained to Josh that Warren T had barred access to the well for all the Mice the day he'd taken office, apparently for 'safety reasons', allowing only his most trusted Rat henchmen anywhere near it. Any trespassers caught on site were immediately arrested. That alone told Josh there had to be something more behind this so-called dry-up, which Warren T didn't want coming out. Well, whatever it was, he'd soon find out.
Gesturing at the mice to stay out of sight, Josh, flanked by Justin, approached the Rat guard, who turned to face them suspiciously.
"Oh... Good evening, Commissioner. What brings you here, sir?"
"I would like to inspect this well. Orders of the King," said Josh casually, flashing his royal medallion that gave him his authority as one of Nicodemus' royal officials. "Please stand aside."
"Forgive me, Commissioner, but this is a restricted area by direct order of the Governor. You'll need his written authorization to enter..." But Josh didn't wait to hear the rest of it. Suddenly, he lunged forward and zapped the unsuspecting Rat in the neck with his Taser. The guard groaned and sunk to the ground, stiff as a board.
"Felonious, is everything all right over there?" called a stern voice from the shadows. Too late, Josh realised there was a second guard, who came running back to his post, only to discover his colleague lying limp on the sidewalk and the Royal Commissioner and his bodyguard standing over him, the weapon still clutched in Josh's hand. Before either of them could react however, the Rat was caught by surprise by Tony, who sprang at him from behind, bludgeoning him with a club.
With both guards out like a pair of lights and securely bound, Josh's party approached the well. The structure was very simple; a hole in the ground, leading down to some sort of underground river, probably an aquifer from some subterranean column of water, which existed deep under the Nimh-Beta's crust and which sometimes escaped to the surface, forming springs.
Josh glanced down the dark shaft of the well with a flashlight. It was empty all the way to the bottom. He tossed a pebble down the shaft; he heard it hit the bottom without making any splashing noises. This well had, without a doubt, completely stopped flowing. But before he could come to any conclusions, he had to get a closer look.
Instructing the Mice to rig a strong rope and pulley to the well's old shadoof, Josh donned a potash safety respirator from his kit and, collecting his flashlight, pocket-knife and pickaxe, like a public waterworker, he was ready to descend into the well. Securing the rope around his waist in a fireman's safety knot, the Mice lowered him down into the well.
The stone shaft went a good twenty feet down before it finally reached the bottom of the well. Taking an atmosphere reading, making sure they were no lethal trace gases, Josh removed his respirator and got to work. Going off-rope, by torchlight, he surveyed his surroundings.
At first glance, it didn't seem any different down here than on the top. There wasn't a drop of water left. But Josh, being an engineer, wasn't deceived that easily. Getting down on his knees, he ran his fingers along the cavities between the stones that formed the bottom of the well. Sure enough, they were moist and muddy. This well might not be completely dried up after all, he thought.
Examining the walls of the shaft close to where they met with the ground, he found what he'd been looking for: the mortar between the stones had been chipped away, causing the loose stones to fall away and damaging the wall. And, looking more closely, he realised this wasn't the result of erosion; the walls had been chiselled at with some sort of sharp tool, undoubtedly a work of sabotage. Josh could see the saboteur had breached the walls in several places, causing the water to leak away into the soil and drying up the well.
"Dried-up well, my arse," muttered Josh to himself, unable to believe that an amateurish sabotage job such as this had brought an entire city down to its knees. However, one thing was clear now: Warren T was exploiting the mice of Minsk for money under false pretences. They were dealing with a fraud!
The revelation sickened Josh. All these taxation schemes, confiscations, as well as all those arrests made under the pretence of rationing water, were nothing but part of an elaborate scam to con the people out of their entire fortunes! By depriving the Mice of their drinking water, Warren T had used the leverage to establish himself as absolute, indisputable ruler of Minsk, literally enslaving the entire city.
Examining the damaged well, he figured it could be shored up and restored easily enough. But that would have to wait. Right now, the important thing was to bring Warren T to justice. As Royal Commissioner to Nicodemus, Josh would personally see to it that this dirty little scoundrel felt the full weight of the law!
He was just about to make his leave, when he was suddenly startled by, what sounded like, a baby's cry coming from the floor near his feet. There was something moving down there, something alive! Shining his flashlight, he saw a narrow alcove in the wall. In it, huddled close together, were two malnourished-looking mice, dazzled by the bright flashlight in his hand.
These two Mice, a man and a woman, although still alive and conscious, must have been through some rough times judging by their haggard appearances. The male mouse, a tall and rather obese character with a bushy greying beard, which had grown scruffy and untrimmed, although unfamiliar by name to Josh, had a very familiar face – one that resembled an older version of Fievel.
Josh had discovered the impossible once before, when he'd found Jonathan Brisby still alive, hidden away for years in captivity, but nothing could have prepared him for it to happen a second time. He was looking at a living and breathing Bernard Mousekewitz and his wife Emily! Josh knelt down to meet their gaze.
At the sight of this stranger who had dropped out of nowhere, the two Mice shrunk back in fear. Bernard Mousekewitz grabbed a stone, as if about to strike him, using his massive bulk to shield his wife and, Josh noticed, a baby mouse wrapped up in a ragged shawl in her arms. It had been its cry that he'd heard.
"Who are you?" he demanded, trying to sound braver than he actually felt. His voice was hoarse and weak from lack of food. Josh doubted he had the strength to put up a fight, even if he tried, "What are you doing here?"
"Take it easy, pal. I'm not going to hurt you," said Josh, taking a few steps back, giving the Mousekewitzes some distance. The elder Mousekewitz continued to stare suspiciously at him. Behind him, his wife's eyes were wide as saucers, protectively cradling her baby against her. The typical fearful initial response of meeting a real flesh and blood human for the first time, which Josh had been forced to endure ever since his arrival on this planet.
"You're the Mousekewitzes, are you not?" Josh continued, trying his best not to frighten them any more than he already had. No doubt these poor sods must feel like cornered animals about to be attacked, he thought. "Fievel and Tanya's parents?" Both mice gasped.
"You know our children?" asked Bernard in amazement, his fear and uncertainty of this strange human suddenly forgotten, "Who are you, anyway?"
Josh hurriedly explained to them who he was and where he came from; how he'd become Nicodemus' Queastor, how he'd met Tanya, who'd come begging him to help her find her missing brother, how he'd rescued Fievel from the Exiles and how Nicodemus had sent him to Minsk to unravel the mystery of their family.
"You know where my children are?" demanded Mrs Mousekewitz, speaking for the first time. Unlike her husband, she was glaring distrustfully at Josh, "What happened to them? If that scoundrel Warren T has hurt them, I'll...!"
"Take it easy, madam, they're both just fine," said Josh, trying to reassure her. Obviously, they were both oblivious as to the fate of their children after the family had become separated. They would be so happy to see them again! "Come, we need to get you some medical treatment."
Both mice were too weak to climb the rope, so Josh fashioned a sling using his cloak so they could pull them up. Bernard helped his wife fit the sling around her waist. On Josh's command, they pulled her and her baby to safety. Josh heard loud exclamations of amazement up top, followed by excited cheers. Bernard was lifted to safety next, followed by Josh.
Climbing out of the well, he met with a group of spectators clapping and cheering. Once again, he had triumphed. Looking, he saw Bernard and Emily Mousekewitz, now free of that living tomb, being wrapped in blankets by Sophie, whilst Bridget and Tony hurried to get them some food and water. Although horribly malnourished, they would both make a full recovery. The greatest joy however came from Fievel the moment he laid his eyes on his parents, who he believed to be long dead.
"Mama? Papa?" he mumbled, unable to believe his eyes. Was this a dream? But no, there they were, both of them, looking none the worse for wear, but still very much alive. "Papa!"
"Fievel!"
Fievel tore across the crowd and into his overjoyed parents' embrace. His father picked him up and hugged him tightly. His mother couldn't give him enough hugs and kisses. After being separated for nearly two years, the family was finally reunited.
"Fievel! Oh, my boy, I knew you were alive! I knew it!" exclaimed Bernard, hugging his son. Beside him, his wife was in tears.
"My little boy back from the dead. I don't believe it... But, where is Tanya?" she asked, suddenly realising their daughter was absent. Josh found the perfect moment to step in.
"Your daughter is also safe and in good hands," he told the Mousekewitzes, "Both of them have been through some rough times, but they're all right now. You'll see her as soon as we get back to Rosebush City, so I can make my report to Nicodemus." The Mousekewitzes turned to look at him.
"What is a human doing, working for the King?" asked Bernard, hoping he wasn't being rude, but curious all the same, "I always thought the Rats viewed humans as a dire menace..."
"Probably for the same reason I'm here now," said Josh, thinking fondly of Nicodemus, to whom he owed everything, "Nicodemus is too smart to be fooled by some old superstitions dating back thousands of years." He noticed a hint of recognition appear in Bernard's eyes, clearly catching on to what Josh was saying. There was no doubt anymore that Tanya had been telling the truth – the elder Mousekewitz did know about the Stone and its secrets that could change their world. However, Bernard wisely refrained from commenting out loud in front of a crowd of onlookers. Instead, he approached Josh and shook his hand gratefully.
"My family will always be in your debt, Captain Anderson," he said, "You saved our son's life; and if it weren't for you, my wife and I would have been left to die down there." He gestured at the gold Minsk pendant around Josh's neck, "My daughter was wise to give you that. You're truly worthy of wearing such an honourable decoration."
"It was nothing, really," said Josh pleasantly. He had had his fair share of praise – and resentment – since arriving on Nimh-Beta, "But how come you two are still alive?" he asked the Mousekewitzes, "Warren T said that you'd been killed..." At the mention of the Governor's name, Bernard's face tightened with anger.
"Warren T!" he growled, "It was he who left us down there to die!" He told Josh how Warren T's agents had sabotaged the city well, starting the rebellion that had caused the mouse government of Minsk to collapse and the Rats to move in. When he discovered the Mousekewitz family secret, he was determined to get his hands on a piece of the Stone. So he orchestrated the deaths of the entire family, making it look like they'd been killed by rioters; Bernard and his wife were taken prisoner, whilst the children escaped into the desert.
Rather than kill them outright as one might expect, Warren T had them locked up and safely hidden away, effectively making them disappear. It was shortly thereafter that their third child, Yasha was born, which worked perfectly to Warren T's advantage. They were told that Tanya and Fievel had been killed and that the baby would be next, unless Bernard cooperated. Unfortunately, as it turned out, he didn't have the Stone, nor knew of its whereabouts, as Warren T had assumed.
After many months of gruelling them for information, using every method of intimidation possible, Warren T had finally concluded that Bernard wouldn't be able to lead him to the Stone. Now all that was left was to cover his tracks. He had to eliminate these unwanted witnesses. But a quick death for them wasn't on Warren T's sadistic agenda; instead, he had them thrown into the empty well, entombing them alive and leaving them to slowly starve to death.
Josh was appalled. The explanation of what Warren T had done to the Mousekewitz family, to satisfy his greed, was sickening. The whole thing had been so sordid, so crude. And, now that he had solid evidence, as well as two key witnesses, to incriminate the bastard, Josh was determined to act.
"Warren T is going down for this," he said gruffly, "I can assure you that these crimes will not go unanswered!" But the Mice were extremely doubtful.
"Warren T Rat is extremely dangerous," they said, "He's got many powerful friends and influence. No one has ever been able to finger him."
"Then I'd hate to disappoint him," said Josh confidently, "I believe it's high time we threw our friend Warren T a big surprise party..."
Unfortunately, Josh didn't realise that Warren T had already been forewarned by the escaped Captain Jake that his perfect scheme had been uncovered, and was waiting for his arrival...
Warren T was sitting at his desk in his study, sipping a drink. Atop his desk in front of him were bags and bags of money, the fruits of his tax-collection fraud. At that moment, Digit knocked on the door, announcing the Royal Commissioner had arrived to see him urgently.
"Thank you, Digit. Please show him in."
Josh entered the room, his expression gruff. He eyed the bags of stolen gold on Warren T's desk disdainfully.
"Well, well, well, what have we here?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "Your little pension fund?"
"I guess you could call it that, Commissioner," replied Warren T, looking completely unconcerned at being caught in possession of embezzled taxpayers' money, "Care for some refreshment?" But Josh was not in the mood for hospitality.
"Warren T Rat, in the name of Nicodemus, I'm arresting you for corruption, embezzlement, the false imprisonment of an innocent family and the attempted murder of a minor." Warren T raised an eyebrow but the smile didn't fade from his face.
"And on what evidence do you base these absurd accusations?" he asked. Josh smirked.
"You'll find the evidence against you is pretty overwhelming," he said, "I have your Captain of the Guards in custody for the attempted murder of my ward, which he'd been sent to carry out on your orders; I have photographic evidence that the well you claimed had dried up had in fact been sabotaged; I also have two witnesses, whose deaths you faked and then held hostage so that you could steal their family's secret. Hell, I even have proof that your alleged rebels were only a cover-story for your crimes. My, my, I wonder what the High Council will have to say about this."
"As much as a remarkable impression I expect to make, I'd rather not find out," said Warren T, losing his smile, "You see, Commissioner, a wise Rat knows never to underestimate his enemy." He turned to someone standing in the shadows behind Josh, "Captain Jake, show in our second guest."
Josh whirled round, expecting an ambush, and met with a shocking sight. Captain Jake stood there, holding his dagger to the captive Elizabeth's throat. Tears of fear were rolling down her face as she stood petrified, expecting to die. Josh blew up.
"Let her go right now, you bloody bastard...!" He was about to spring at Jake, but the evil Captain of the Guards only tightened his grip on his hostage, using her as a shield, his dagger only a hairline away from spilling her blood. Elizabeth screamed.
"Josh, please, help me..."
Not taking his eyes off of Jake and his dagger, Josh turned back to Warren T, who was sitting totally composed, knowing he had the upper hand. Although Josh had brought backup, who now surrounded the house, waiting for his signal, he dared not call in an attack, not with Elizabeth's life on the line.
"You see, Commissioner? I've always been one step ahead of you from the start," he said, "After all, I do serious business around here."
"Business, huh?" inquired Josh with disdain, "Like exploiting or threatening the mice of Minsk for their money, under false pretences? More like a lowly, cowardly extortion racket!" Warren T frowned in annoyance.
"I would prefer to call it a lucrative enterprise, thank you," he said, chastising Josh for his negative remarks.
"What about the children?" demanded Josh, remembering Martin, Teresa, Cynthia and Timmy, "What have you done with them? If you've dared harmed them, I'll...!"
"Oh, come now, Commissioner, we aren't savages," said Warren T in a sickeningly sweet voice, "They're probably thinking their mother has won their latest game of hide-and-seek. Which brings us back to you." Josh frowned. What was Warren T up to now?
"It is my understanding that that old fool Nicodemus sent you here to find a certain artefact of great significance," continued Warren T, "One that I've spent a very long time trying to find. It seems my efforts are finally about to be rewarded." He looked Josh directly in the eye, "Now, where is the Stone?"
"Why do you want to know?" asked Josh, realising where Warren T was going with this. Just like Castor before him, he was going to try and use him to find the missing piece of the Stone.
"Why, because it's an artefact of great importance, not to mention value, and, as it just so happens to be hidden on my province, it's rightfully mine to claim," said Warren T, in all his arrogance, "I want to know where it is and I want to know right now!"
"So that you can sell it at the highest bidder?" retorted Josh coldly, "Or do you plan to use it to start your own dirty little war somewhere?"
"Where there's war, there's always profit," said Warren T indifferently, "The only difference, my human friend, is who gets rich and who dies. Personally, I'm accustomed to being rich."
"Yes, wealth amassed from the blood of others," said Josh, feeling repulsed at the thought, "Respecting your fellow creatures doesn't seem to form a major part of your philosophy."
"You know it doesn't have to end like this, Josh," said Warren T, using Josh's first name for the first time. His voice was sympathetic, but Josh wasn't fooled by it, not for an instant, "I can make you a part of it, a big part. All you have to do is give up the Stone. What do you say?"
"I say, let Elizabeth go at once, or else suffer the consequences," said Josh, clearly not interested in striking up a partnership with a common thug like Warren T. A man with a code of honour like his didn't have a price.
"Excuse me?"
"You tell that miserable henchman of yours to let her go right now and I promise I won't kill you," said Josh, his face set. Warren T didn't notice Josh's hand discreetly tightening in a grip around one of the heavy money-bags lying on the desk. Instead, he gave him an evil laugh to his face.
"In case you haven't noticed, Commissioner, you're in no position to bargain," he said, not realising he was giving Josh the extra minute he needed to tighten the grip of his other hand around a second money-bag. Now was his turn to move his rook. Josh smiled. Then he struck.
Moving swiftly as a cat, he suddenly whirled round and hurled the money-bag in Captain Jake's direction. Caught by surprise, the evil Rat took the blow right in the face. It was like being hit by a flying rock. The money-bag burst open, scattering gold coins everywhere and causing Jake to let go of Elizabeth, clutching his smashed nose and jaws in agony. In that brief second of distraction, Elizabeth ran to safety in Josh's arms.
Warren T, not expecting this sudden attack, was on his feet in an instant. Face twisted with rage, he advanced menacingly on Josh, pulling a long, concealed sabre from his cane. But he never got a chance to run him through however, because Josh swung the second money-bag by its laces like a bolas, walloping Warren T hard on the shoulder. He heard the sickening sound of bones cracking. With a howl of pain, Warren T dropped his cane-sword, cradling his broken arm.
Undeterred, Josh walloped Warren T again, this time over the head. The corrupt Rat was knocked to the floor, trickling blood everywhere. For a moment, it seemed Josh had won, but, at that moment, the door to the study burst open and several armed Rat guards, which Digit had summoned, stormed in.
"They're trying to murder the Governor!" bellowed Jake through his smashed teeth, "Kill them!"
Elizabeth shrunk in Josh's embrace, thinking this was surely the end for the both of them. Being caught trying to murder a Rat official, she knew, carried the death penalty without exception. But Josh wasn't out of tricks yet. Turning to a nearby window, he called out.
"Justin, now!" They heard Justin's voice outside, shouting, "Charge!"
Suddenly, the sound of breaking glass was heard, as the mob of Mice stormed the house, smashing their way in through the windows. With Justin leading the troops, Honest John and several other strong Mice broke down the front door and stormed in, coming to Josh's aid. In another instant, they were caught in a brutal fight with their Rat oppressors. This time, it was a true rebellion, as the Mice of Minsk fought for their liberty.
Author's note: My apologies for taking so long, but the chapter had to go through several rewrites before I was satisfied. Enjoy and please review!