Location: Lava Plains, outskirts of Rosebush City
Sol: 42
Josh made his way over to Aunt Sophie's house, where the Mousekewitz family was now staying after being liberated and reunited with Fievel. Bernard Mousekewitz had buried his sister with all the decency in their power, alongside the rest of the Mice that had perished in the rebellion. The family had then requested a few days of privacy to be with their son. But now things had changed.
Following his little talk with Warren T and finally realising whom they were dealing with, Josh realised he needed to prove – or else disprove once and for all – Warren's suspicions. If Bernard indeed knew where the third piece of the Stone was hidden, then he had to be protected at all costs. But, in order for that to happen, Josh needed him on his side. And this was probably going to be easier said than done. Justin and Brutus of course had argued that they come along too, but Josh had insisted he talked to Bernard alone.
Tidying up his hair and straightening his collar, he knocked on the door. Emilie Mousekewitz answered his call. Josh couldn't help taking a step back, noticing she was brandishing the same cooking-pot Aunt Sophie had used to clobber him on his last visit. The Mousekewitzes must be living on their nerves, he thought, no doubt still fearing retaliation by Warren T's associates still at large, and weren't expecting a visitor at this late hour.
"Oh, it's you, Quaestor," she said, lowering the cooking-pot and letting him in. Bernard and Fievel were at the kitchen table, having dinner. Little Yasha was in her crib, crying in protest to her mother for interrupting her feeding. Both of the Mousekewitz adults seemed a little surprised to see him here at this hour, if not a tad bit suspicious, but Fievel was ecstatic.
"Josh!" he cried, running up to hug him, "This is a surprise!"
"Good to see you too, buddy," said Josh, playfully picking up the small boy and swinging him around, "Glad to see you and your parents are doing so well already."
"Indeed, we are, thank you very much, Quaestor," said Emily, retrieving her son from Josh's arms, much to his chagrin. After everything the family had been through, she had become extremely overprotective of her children, not letting either of them out of her sight even for a minute. She was also demanding that Josh reinstate Tanya to them immediately. "Have you got any news on Tanya yet? If not, we'd appreciate if you didn't disturb us in the middle of the night..."
"Mama, please!" said her husband sternly, not pleased with her rudeness. He turned to Josh, "I apologise for my wife's behaviour, Quaestor. She's been through so much..."
"No problem, it's quite understandable," said Josh politely, "It just so happens, I do have some news I'd like you both to hear...alone."
"Is it about Warren T?" piped up Fievel, "Did you beat him to a pulp? Break every bone in that fat-face's body...? Josh had to suppress a chuckle at the boy's spunk.
"Fievel, there is no need for such language and I believe it's way past your bedtime," said Bernard, preferring his son weren't present, in case there was bad news. Fievel looked hurt.
"Oh, Papa, must I...?" he pleaded, wanting so much to be part of the conversation, but catching his mother's stern gaze, he turned and went into his bedroom.
Josh took a seat at the table with Emily and Bernard. The two Mice looked at Josh, wondering, what could it be he wanted to tell them in private? Was the family still in danger? Perhaps Warren T had an accomplice?
Josh told them everything they'd gotten out of Warren T; the scam to tax the Mice of Minsk out of their money, his hunt for the Stone, and his confession that Jenner had been the mastermind behind their imprisonment. The Mousekewitzes were shocked.
"The King's nephew is a traitor?" gasped Bernard in utter disbelief. Josh nodded solemnly.
"Yes, and I think the reason he was targeting you is because you knew the whereabouts of something they wanted – something they've already killed over," he said, "You know about the Stone of All Knowledge, do you not?"
"How did you know about...?" Bernard said in astonishment, but his wife hastily slapped him on the arm to be quiet. If this was some trick, she wasn't about to let her husband and his big mouth land the family in trouble again.
"Quaestor, this is hardly the time to be discussing ridiculous myths and I have my children to look after," she said, "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave us..."
"There are three pieces," continued Josh, ignoring her, "Nicodemus has one, Jonathan Brisby had the other and, according to Tanya, you know where the third piece is." Bernard was starting to get very uneasy. The secret of the Stone had been in the family for generations and he wasn't sure whether he could trust Josh not to steal it away from them. After all, he was a government official for the Rats, the Quaestor of the King himself.
"Quaestor, with all due respect, my daughter can sometimes be a little of a fantasist..."
"Bernard, I think I better speak plain," said Josh, tired of speaking in circles, "You and your family are in an extremely risky situation. Warren T was just a middleman in this whole business. Once word gets out that he's been unmasked, others are going to come after you and believe me when I tell you, they won't hesitate to kill you. You need me, as much as I need you." Bernard sighed.
"It isn't that I'm ungrateful for everything you've done for us, Josh," he said finally, using Josh's name for the first time, "But you're asking me to surrender our ancestors' greatest secret; it's the one and only thing that would allow us equal standing in this world with the Rats. I can't allow them to take that away from us. I'm sorry."
Josh realised Bernard had a good point. The Rats had been the oppressors of Mice for generations, always regarding themselves as superior to them, whether it was on the hierarchy or on the evolutionary scale. If it weren't for the more open-minded likes of Nicodemus and his friends, the Mice of Nimh-Beta would have probably been little more than slaves. Josh too, being human, was no exception to that rule. Two thousand years of racial prejudice simply ran too deep.
On the other hand, the discovery of that missing third piece of the Stone, bequeathed to them by one of their ancient Kings, according to Bernard, could change all that. Mice would at last be recognised as the equals of Rats, have their own say as individuals, the right to rule themselves independently and no longer be regarded as mere servants. Of course, if the likes of Jenner got their way, the Mice would be stripped off the legacy of their ancestors forever. No wonder the Mousekewitzes weren't all that keen on joining forces with him. But that didn't make it any less dangerous for them.
"I understand your hesitation and I'm not going to try and extract the secret from you by force," said Josh, trying a different approach, "But, for your family's sake, I must insist you come back with us to Rosebush City. Your testimony will be vital in convicting Warren T and bringing down Jenner. Also, I'm sure your daughter will be delighted to see you."
He had just said the magic words. The Mousekewitz parents were desperate to see their daughter again, who was still in the dark about their being alive. Josh had already tried contacting Tanya on his radio, but so far had been unsuccessful. Maybe the makeshift radio's battery he'd left her had died, or maybe it was ground interference blocking him. He might be able to get through once they were closer to Rosebush City, but that still wasn't enough.
"Very well," said Bernard finally, "We'll testify before the Rats' High Council. But the secret of the Stone stays with me." Emily wanted to protest, probably to dissuade her husband, but, thinking of Tanya, ultimately said nothing. Josh nodded.
"You have my word. I'll personally see to it that no one makes any attempt to use you or your family to learn the secret, unless it's on your own terms. Fair enough?" Bernard nodded, hoping he was making the right choice, trusting Josh.
The Royal Commissioner's party was ready for departure the very next morning. Unlike the luxurious trip out to Minsk, the return trip would be far less formal, with the group travelling on a simple rabbit-drawn cart Gussie Mouseheimer had procured for them. Josh was anxious to get back to Rosebush City as quickly as possible, to warn Nicodemus about Jenner.
Warren T, it was decided, would remain imprisoned under heavy guard in the Minsk jail, instead of being brought back to Rosebush City with them, to reduce the risk of him escaping. Once Jenner was taken care of, they would bring them both to justice. Josh couldn't help but feel a strong sense of satisfaction at the thought that he would soon be exposing Jenner as a traitor. That scumbag more that deserved it! It was Nicodemus he felt sorry for, knowing the old Rat would be heartbroken to learn his own flesh and blood had been playing him false all along.
Leaving Minsk in the care of Gussie Mouseheimer, whom Josh had appointed acting Governor – a very rare privilege for a Mouse and a woman at that –, the group, consisting of Josh, Elizabeth, her children, Justin, Brutus, Mr Ages and the Mousekewitz family departed. Their destination: Rosebush City, bringing urgent news of a treasonous plot against the King.
Unfortunately, Josh and his friends were soon to discover that Jenner was already one step ahead of them, having finally turned the tables in his favour...
Back in Rosebush City, things had changed quickly following Nicodemus' passing a week ago. Jenner's coronation had marked the beginning of a whole new era, very different from the late king's. The entire kingdom had gone from a proud monarchy to an oppressive dictatorship overnight.
First, the High Council had undergone a major reform, with any Council Rats known to have been loyal to Nicodemus or having shown support to Josh being dismissed from office or arrested on trumped-up charges of corruption. Only Jenner's handpicked and most loyal supporters were allowed any positions of power. The stature laws had also been changed, with unlimited powers and privileges being given to Rat officials, whilst any commoners, including all Mice, had been stripped of their rights.
Heavy taxes had been imposed on the people, to fill Jenner's royal treasury, and a collectivisation scheme had been introduced for the peasants. In response to the kingdom's ever-growing problem of limited farmland, the Rat prefects were given orders to introduce strict ration schemes. Simply put, all food was seized by the state, to feed the rich and the powerful for the winter, leaving the rest with what few scraps remained. The punishment for failing to provide, or attempting to hide food, was immediate arrest or even death.
Jenner's personal Guard had wasted no time in clamping down hard on the civilians. Martial law had been declared, with everyone kept on a tight leash and closely watched. Caught speaking out against the new king in any way was regarded as an act of treason and punishments were swift and harsh, with people often being sold out by their own neighbours-turned-spies.
While all these oppressions were taking place outside, inside the palace, behind closed doors, someone else had found herself in a similarly difficult situation. Princess Isabella, left completely devastated by the death of her grandfather, was contemplating a bleak future. With Jenner now on the throne, the Council had saddled her with a new duty: find herself a suitable husband of noble blood.
Jenner had quickly seized the opportunity and demanded that Isabella marry him, supposedly to preserve their family's noble bloodline and Isabella's own royal status as future Queen. He'd gone as far as to point out that Nicodemus had always wanted her to be Queen someday and that she would be honouring her grandfather's memory by accepting his proposal.
Isabella had never particularly liked her cousin because of all the trouble he'd caused her grandfather over the years, not to mention his cruel and callus attitude, and the idea of marriage to him was nothing short of her worst nightmare come true. Jenner, of course, wouldn't take no for an answer and had warned her to consider her options carefully, unless she wanted a see a very different side of him.
Alone and completely unprotected, and with the terrible prospect of ending up under Jenner's control forever, Isabella had been left with Tanya as her only source of comfort. Never in her life had she felt so desperate.
"What am I going to do?" she wept, feeling terribly depressed, "I don't want to marry Jenner! I'd rather die!"
"It's going to be all right, Isabella," Tanya tried to reassure her, "There's always hope as long as you hold on to it. I learned that when I met Josh..."
"Don't you dare talk to me about that traitor!" shouted Isabella, "That miserable human murdered my grandfather after he showed him so much kindness and trust!" Tanya had a good mind to keep her mouth shut before she said something she'd later regret, but her firm belief that Josh wasn't the killer ultimately won out.
"But why would he do this?" she persisted, trying to make Isabella see reason, "Nicodemus was his mentor, the only one who defended him from the High Council. Why would he betray him like this? He had nothing to gain from it. Why did Justin and the Brisby woman trust him?"
"If you don't stop this talk at once, I'll have you thrown in the dungeon...!" Isabella yelled, but regretted her outburst before it had even crossed her lips. Tanya, even though just a servant, had always been a loyal friend to her and she had no right to speak to her like that.
"Forgive me, Tanya, I didn't mean it," she said, composing herself, "But I can't ignore the fact that my grandfather is dead, murdered! He had no enemies on the inside; who else could have done this to him?"
Tanya had to agree with Isabella on this one; no one she knew had a real motive to kill Nicodemus and the idea of someone in the royal family having done it was unthinkable. Then, she suddenly remembered what Josh had told her during their excursion up on the mountain. The pieces of the puzzle seemed to suddenly click together. Did she dare share her suspicions with Isabella, after Josh had sworn her to secrecy? But seeing her friend so heartbroken, Tanya decided she at least deserved to know.
"Isabella, if I were to tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone else?"
"What secret?" asked Isabella, suddenly getting very suspicious, "Does this have anything to do with whatever it was you weren't telling me about, that day in the baths? That stone or whatever you called it...?" Tanya nodded.
"The Stone of All Knowledge, yes," explained Tanya, "I think your grandfather was looking for it. And I think Josh was tasked with finding it."
"What's so important about this Stone?" demanded Isabella, trying to make some sense out of all this madness, "What is it? Some kind of magical object?"
"I don't know, but, according to my Papa's stories, it grants whoever finds and reconnects all the pieces great power. Also, I know Josh delivered something to Nicodemus when he returned from his rescue mission up on the mountain," said Tanya, slowly connecting the dots, "It must have been a piece of the Stone!" All of a sudden, Nicodemus's death seemed to make some sense to poor Isabella.
"You think someone killed my grandfather over the Stone?" Tanya nodded.
"Josh warned me this could mean the difference between life and death if it got out," she said, "It definitely sounds like something worth killing over."
Confronted with this new information, Isabella's world seemed to spin. Her grandfather had been seeking a powerful ancient relic that could potentially change the course of their future? Something so valuable that it had ultimately cost him his life? And if so, where was the Stone now? She turned to Tanya.
"Tanya, I need you to do something for me," she said. Tanya had never heard her speak so seriously before. Her usually naive, childish nature seemed to vanish all of a sudden, "I need you to sneak into my grandfather's study, find the Stone and bring it back here." Tanya was horrified.
"Isabella, I can't go trespassing into the King's private study!" she exclaimed, "Why, if I were caught in there, I wouldn't just lose my job, they'd have me thrown into the dungeon!" Isabella however remained firm.
"Tanya, I've never asked you to obey an order before, but this time I must do just that," she said, "I have a duty to protect my grandfather's work before it falls into the wrong hands. Now go!"
Feeling a nervous wreck, Tanya headed off downstairs to Nicodemus' study. Now that Nicodemus was dead, no guards were posted there any longer, much to Tanya's relief. Making sure the coast was clear, Tanya silently entered the deserted study, shutting the door behind her.
The study was a wreck. The new king apparently had little interest in preserving his late Uncle's prized possessions. The library had been torn down, all the ornaments and instruments smashed, and a massive pile of smoking ashes on the hearth testified to the burning of all the books and scrolls. Nicodemus' entire life's work had been wasted. Everything but the Stone; assuming someone else hadn't gotten to it first.
By the light of a flaming torch, Tanya began her search. No sign of anything that even resembled a magical stone. With no idea what the Stone even looked like, much less where Nicodemus might have kept it hidden, the task seemed impossible. But then, pattering the edges of the tapestry, Tanya found the rope, which seemed curiously out of place. Struck by intuition, she gave it a tug. The tapestry slid aside like a curtain, revealing the entrance to Nicodemus' secret room.
Descending the narrow stairs, she found herself in the secret study where Nicodemus had laboured for years, trying to decipher the secret of the stone. Evidence of his work were everywhere and Tanya couldn't help but marvel the collection of ancient human relics on the shelves, as well as several newer-looking alien contraptions she remembered were called computers, obviously Josh's, still alight and operating in standby mode on tables around the room. Unlike the ransacked master study, this room hadn't been touched.
Reminding herself that she wasn't supposed to be in here, Tanya resumed her search. No sign of the Stone down here either. Then, she spotted the armoured lock-box on the desk. Reaching over, she tried to pry it open. It was locked. Tanya sighed in disappointment.
Her first thought was to just grab the box and go. She and Isabella could figure out how to get it open later in private. But the thing was too heavy for a young mouse to carry and Tanya knew if she were caught stealing royal property, she'd be lucky to escape with her life, much less a spell in the dungeons. No, she decided, it would be a lot easier to bring Isabella here to see all of this for herself. Leaving everything just as it was, she turned to leave.
She was just making her way out of the tapestry, when she heard someone coming. Tanya froze. There was no other way out of this room. And if they caught her nosing around here now, she'd be cat bait. She had to find some place to hide! A large suit of armour beside the desk caught her eye.
Scampering up onto Nicodemus' desk, she frantically removed the helmet and quickly crawled into the armour, praying the thing wouldn't topple over with her weight. But no such thing happened. She barely managed to get the helmet back on, before the doors to the study swung open and Jenner walked in, accompanied by Sullivan. The new king didn't seem in his best of moods.
"...Still no sign of the Stone!" he was fuming, "It's been a week and it still hasn't turned up! How could it have just vanished into thin air? Are you sure you searched everywhere?"
"Positive, Your Majesty," said Sullivan, who'd been promoted to the King's personal advisor upon Jenner's ascent to the throne, "Perhaps Nicodemus entrusted it to Anderson for safekeeping?"
"Impossible!" snapped Jenner, "After all, we've been watching him the whole time. That old fool must have hidden it away somewhere." Thinking hard, he turned to Sullivan.
"I want you to do some more snooping around, alone. Nicodemus couldn't have hidden the Stone without entrusting the location to a third party. Someone must know something. I want him found!"
"Understood," said Sullivan, who, unbeknownst to Jenner, already had a number one suspect in mind. He sincerely hoped he was wrong, knowing what grave consequences this might mean for the Mousekewitz girl. "What about Anderson? What do we do about him?"
"We'll wait patiently until he returns, hopefully bringing the last piece of the Stone, which Warren T has so far failed to acquire for me," said Jenner with a chilling smile. From her hiding place, Tanya was intrigued by what she was hearing. Warren T, the Rat governor of Minsk, also knew about the Stone? What kind of a plot was this? Could this have anything to do with what had happened to her family...? Her troubled thoughts were interrupted however as she heard Jenner's next words.
"Once I have the Stone, Quaestor Anderson will have finally served his purpose," he said, a bloodthirsty look in his eyes, "But the end won't come quick, like with my Uncle. I'll have all of his little friends killed nice and quietly; but his death shall be my showpiece, my triumphant victory over NIMH! Mind you, I wouldn't have been able to eliminate that old fool that easily, without him taking the fall."
From her hiding place, Tanya felt her blood run cold. It was completely unbelievable. Jenner was the assassin! Nicodemus had been betrayed and murdered by his own nephew! And Josh was the perfect scapegoat. All of a sudden she felt trapped. She wanted out of there, before she was discovered, but there was nowhere to go.
At that moment, the doors opened again and a guard entered, bringing an urgent message. Jenner eyed the Rat dangerously, annoyed at the interruption.
"I said I wished not to be disturbed!" he barked, "This better be important. Well, what is it?"
"A messenger from Minsk, Sire," announced the guard, "He says he has an urgent message from the Governor." Jenner and Sullivan looked at each other. This definitely was unexpected.
"Well, show him in, you moron!"
The guard ushered in none other than a dishevelled and exhausted Digit, who looked like he'd been travelling for days. Jenner frowned; it wasn't common for Warren T to send secret correspondence via some untrustworthy simpleton like Digit. Digit bowed low in the presence of the King.
"Greetings, your Majesty," he said, imitating his master's formalities, "My deepest condolences for the late King..."
"Never mind that, you fool!" snapped Jenner indignantly, "What have you got to report?"
"Sire, my master's operation has been discovered!" said Digit urgently, "That human, Quaestor Anderson led the Mice of Minsk to rebellion and liberated the city! They've taken my master prisoner!"
For an instant, Jenner was speechless. Then, as the truth sunk in, he was overcome by a terrible rage. That accursed human had bested him yet again! No doubt he had also figured out his and Warren T's cooperation. Enraged, he slammed his fist down hard on the desk. Then, losing it completely, he drew his dagger and plunged it deep into Digit's chest, slitting him open from throat to sternum. Having been hoping for a generous reward for alerting Jenner, Digit instead met with an agonizing death just for bringing him bad news at the wrong time. Inside the armour, Tanya shut her eyes in horror.
Casually wiping his dagger clean, Jenner tried to calm himself and think. All wasn't over yet; even if that miserable human knew of his treachery, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it now. Nicodemus was dead. He was now king, the undisputed master of the entire empire, and all the Rats were on his side. And that fool didn't know that. There was no way he could, since he had had Sullivan monitor all arriving or leaving messengers. Nonetheless, he couldn't risk it, not when he was so close. He'd simply have to...speed things up a bit.
"Get a garrison of all our best soldiers prepared to move out at once," he ordered Sullivan, who'd backed away in shock, fearful that Jenner might turn his dagger on him next, "The Mice of Minsk have committed high treason against a prestigious Rat official and are going to be severely punished for this! Also, find out if they're hiding the human and if so, I want him brought back to me alive, along with anyone aiding him!"
Sullivan seemed to want to say something, but, noticing the dangerous look on his master's face, quickly decided against it. Bowing his head respectfully, he left the room to carry out his orders. Jenner turned to the guards, who were staring down at Digit's bloodied body. The king was completely unhinged, they thought.
"Clear this mess up."
After the Rats had gone, Tanya finally plucked up the courage to come out of the armour. Making sure the coast was clear, she fled the scene, pale and shaken. Once she had reached a deserted corridor, she turned and wretched all over the floor, sickened to the core by everything she had witnessed back there.
So Jenner had killed Nicodemus for the Stone, the latter of which had managed to hide it away somewhere safe before his death – a place only she knew about, or at least she hoped she did. After everything she'd just heard, Tanya knew she had to act fast.
It was clear Jenner was prepared to go at any lengths to get the Stone. She thought about Josh and her brother, both of which were unquestionably targets now and didn't even realise it. She couldn't let them walk right into Jenner's trap! Risk to her own life or not, she had to warn them before it was too late! She owed Josh that much.
Returning to the servants' quarters, she ran into Arthur. The royal bouteiller eyed her suspiciously.
"Where have you been?" he demanded crossly, "I've been looking all over for you!"
"Eh... keeping her royal Highness company," stammered Tanya, caught off-guard. She felt her insides twist up; had someone found out she'd been spying on Jenner? Although Arthur still seemed suspicious, at least he didn't push the matter further.
"Make sure you stick to your duties in future, young Ms Mousekewitz," he said, "I have orders from the Royal Advisor to report anything out of the ordinary. Don't you go about getting into the King's bad books, if you know what's good for you."
Tanya nodded wearily and scurried off. She wanted so badly to tell Arthur what had just happened but had more sense than to do something so foolhardy. Jenner had already made it clear what he'd do to whoever got in his way, like that poor fellow Digit. Isabella too would have to be kept in the dark about what had really happened to her grandfather, at least for the time being, to ensure her safety.
With the servants off to dinner and with no one around to eavesdrop, Tanya shut herself inside the cramped dormitory she shared with five other servant-girls to carry out her plan.
Looking underneath her straw mattress she found Josh's makeshift radio. Extending its antenna and powering up the devise, she tuned in to the frequency of Josh's suit radio. Holding the earphone to her ear, keeping the other extended in the direction of the closed door in case someone came back, she spoke into the microphone.
"Josh? Josh, it's Tanya, can you hear me? Please, I need to talk to you..."
It was just after sunset. The chilling cold of the approaching winter, now not far off, filled the air. The first snowflakes were beginning to fall as temperatures slowly dropped to below freezing. Nimh-Beta was nearing aphelion and the planet would soon become a frozen Arctic desert and would remain like that for the next several months, forcing its rodent inhabitants to retreat underground.
Josh's party had finally reached the edge of the lava plains surrounding Rosebush City. Josh sat with Justin in the driver's seat, the latter handling the reigns. Brutus sat in the back with Mr Ages, the Brisby and Mousekewitz clans, all of them bundled up tight to keep out the cold. Home, sweet home was not far off and everyone was looking forward to a warm bed and a hot dinner. Josh smirked at the thought of the look on Jenner's face when he gave his report to Nicodemus.
Boy, that blighter is in for a big surprise! I'm going to enjoy so much watching his arrest...
Suddenly, he heard the radio in his kit crackle with an incoming transmission. He smiled, realising it was Tanya, probably checking in on him. She too would be in for the surprise of her life when he presented her with her parents and a younger sibling she hadn't even met yet, alive and well. He chuckled at the thought.
Something tells me Biff is going to have some serious competition...
He lifted the headset to his ear and tuned in to Tanya's frequency.
"Hey, Tanya. We're back! Listen, I need you to wake up Nicodemus. Tell him I have an urgent report..." But instead of hearing Tanya's usually ecstatic and giggly voice, now she sounded scared and desperate. And as Josh soon found out, for good reason too.
"Oh, Josh, thank the Great Mouse of Minsk I got you in time! You mustn't come back! Nicodemus is dead! Jenner is now King..." Josh felt his insides turn to ice.
"What did you say?"
"Nicodemus has been assassinated and they think you killed him, Josh!" came Tanya's voice again, "Jenner has framed you for the murder and taken over as King! He's coming after you, Josh! Please, you need to go into hiding! Take Fievel with you; he's no longer safe here. Please, go now!"
Josh's world seemed to suddenly fall apart all around him...again. They were too late. Jenner, too smart to wait until someone figured out his treachery, had committed the ultimate betrayal and eliminated the only Rat standing between him and absolute power: his own Uncle! No doubt he now also had the two pieces of the Stone they'd worked so hard to find. Things couldn't have turned out any worse.
Hearing Tanya's words, Josh's companions were shell-shocked at the news. Justin had gone pale; Elisabeth stifled a sob; Brutus muttered a curse, directed at Jenner's mother for giving birth to a murdering traitor. Mr Ages seemed to age thirty years where he sat. Nicodemus was dead? Those fools actually thought Josh, his most trusted ally, could commit such a crime? How could this have happened? And, more importantly, what would become of them now?
"What about Princess Isabella?" asked Justin, never forgetting his royal duty of protecting the royal family, what was left of it anyway, "Is she all right?"
"She's safe for now, but utterly devastated, Captain," explained Tanya, "And Jenner is trying to force her into marrying him. It doesn't look good."Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do for Isabella now. They had their own troubles to worry about.
With Nicodemus dead and with a booty now placed on his head, Josh realised it was all over for him and his friends here. Alas, if it hadn't been for Tanya's timely warning, they would now all be sitting in a dark dungeon, pending execution. They had to go into hiding at once. First, they had to make sure to cover their tracks.
"Right, listen carefully to me, Tanya," said Josh, knowing every second they talked, the greater risk there was of Tanya being discovered. They had to get off the radio at once, "I'm going to need some time to figure this out. Look, whatever you do, don't try contacting me again. I want you to hide the radio immediately. Keep your wits about you, keep an eye on everything and everyone, don't do anything foolish, and you'll be safe. I promise I will come for you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," said Tanya, trying to sound calm, but Josh could tell she was really frightened. However, her loyalty to Josh kept her from begging him not to leave her behind, where she could be caught at any moment. Before Josh could sign off however, she spoke again.
"Wait, Josh. What about Fievel? Is my brother all right?"
"He's safe and sound, Tanya; we all are. And you have the word of a British officer that I will keep them so. Remember, listen on the radio at midnight every three days for any signals from me. I will contact you with instructions as soon as I have a plan to get you out. You just stay safe, Tanya."
"I will, I promise," she said, "Good luck, Josh!"
"Wait, I want to talk to my daughter...!" cried Emily Mousekewitz, but Tanya had already signed off. She glared at Josh, "Why couldn't you let me talk to my own child!?"
"Forgive me, but it's for own safety," said Josh solemnly. He knew how hard it must be for the Mousekewitz parents to have to leave their eldest daughter behind without even a chance to say a few words after being separated for so long, but it was for the best.
"Right now, she needs to focus on staying safe. Her life depends on it," explained Josh, "If she found out about you now, she'd inevitably be sidetracked by her desire to see you again and thus more likely to make some fatal mistake. Remember, if someone finds out she helped us escape, she's dead!" But this only seemed to upset Emily even more.
"We can't just leave my child over there!" she cried, "It's too dangerous...!"
Noticing how upset the couple was, Josh turned to face them.
"When I volunteered to watch over your family, I promised to look after you and Tanya is no exception," he said, "We will get her out of there somehow, I promise. You just have to trust me. Currently, it's ourselves we need to look out for."
"And where exactly do you propose we go?" asked Brutus, "I doubt you'll find many Rats willing to help us out now."
"I'm afraid he's right," said Justin, "Even if someone believes in your innocence, which they won't, no one's fool enough to provoke Jenner's wrath. That maniac would have his entire family arrested or killed in a heartbeat."
"Maybe we should return to Minsk?" suggested Bernard Mousekewitz, "Gussie Mouseheimer has got powerful contacts to hide us..." But Josh shook his head.
"No, that's the worst thing we can do," he said, "If the Rats even suspect the Mice are harbouring us, they will retaliate with everything they have. Jenner wouldn't hesitate to unleash a full-scale massacre." They all looked at each other in despair. There was no sugarcoating it. They were completely on their own.
"What are we going to do?" asked Elisabeth, looking very worried, "We won't last out here for long, especially the children. The cold..." The Brisby children were likewise beginning to fret.
"Mama, I'm frightened," cried little Cynthia, huddling close to her mother, "I want to go home."
"We will, Cynnie, dearest," said Elisabeth, kissing her daughter's head. She looked at Josh.
"Can't we just go back to my farm?" she suggested, "It's secluded and there's plenty of food..."
"For the Great Owl's sakes, use your brains, you stupid woman!" snapped Mr Ages incredulously, "That place will surely be under surveillance! Don't you get it? No place of retreat we know of is safe! Nowhere!"
"Hey, don't call our Mum stupid, you bony, old scarecrow!" snapped Martin, annoyed hearing his mother being insulted. Mr Ages narrowed his eyes angrily. Like Auntie Shrew, he didn't take kind to children's cheeking.
"What?! How dare you, you ill-mannered little brat!" He raised his hand to slap Martin but Justin stopped him.
"Cool it, you old goat. This isn't helping."
"What's the point?" grumbled Brutus, who seemed to have lost all sense of purpose at the news of Nicodemus' death, "It's all over. Jenner has pretty much won, hasn't he? We're fugitives from the law, with nowhere to go. If we aren't caught, we'll just freeze to death in a few days when winter hits!" The women and children looked frightened. Justin cleared his throat, muttering at Brutus to be quiet. He turned back to Josh.
"I'm afraid he's right, Josh. We can't stay on the run for long. Unless we can find some kind of refuge, we'll all perish in the wilderness. Eh, Josh?" But Josh didn't answer him, too busy scratching his chin in thought. There didn't seem to be any safe place of refuge for them, but there was. A smile crossed his face.
"We're going to Thorn Valley," he said, thinking of the cargo of supplies and equipment the REMO had deposited around the Valley during their last visit a few weeks ago. Thanks to Martin's stupidity in getting himself trapped in space and forcing Josh to bring down the REMO, combined with the fact that only those present knew Thorn Valley's exact location, they now had a safe bug-out location with all the pre-supplies they needed just waiting for them. But first he had to give his companions a little motivational speech. As de-facto leader of this group, he had to give them some encouragement.
"My friends, I'm afraid there's been a change in plans," he said, "Nicodemus, a great leader and my personal mentor, is dead and his kingdom's been enslaved by a traitor. We're outlaws now and we have to take action immediately, if we're to survive. Therefore, I propose we move to Thorn Valley, to start the new colony Nicodemus dreamed of. It's up to us now to continue his work and I for one am not giving up now! I intend to see the mission Nicodemus assigned to me fulfilled, if only to ensure he didn't die in vain."
The spectators seemed somewhat moved by his speech, yet nobody dared say a word. Josh went on speaking.
"It's not going to be easy and I can only promise you hardships and danger all the way. But it's the only option we have. If we abandon the search for the Stone now, we'll just be hunted fugitives for the rest of our lives, with no future for us or our children. The race is on and we better win it, because if the last piece of the Stone falls into Jenner's hands, they'll be no stopping him from enslaving or even destroying this entire planet. Are you with me?"
For a moment, nobody spoke, contemplating the terrible odds of what lay ahead of them. They had literally thrown their lives away. Jenner, they knew, would never stop looking for them; they would be running and hiding, probably for the rest of their lives. If they were caught, they weren't just looking at execution, but probably at torture too. What did the Stone matter to them anymore? Then, Elizabeth stood up.
"I'm with Josh," she said, taking the man's arm, "My late husband, Jonathan gave his life for the Stone. I owe it to his memory to continue his work." Her children likewise shared her sentiments, loudly voicing their support.
"I have always been loyal to Nicodemus and everything he stood for," said Justin, also standing up, "It's my duty to defend his legacy and fight the traitors who killed him to the end!" Brutus dutifully stood by his Captain's side. He too was prepared to be an outlaw resistance fighter, defending Nicodemus' name, rather than a cowardly pawn to a traitor, like the rest of their comrades who now served Jenner.
"We're all with you, Josh!" said Fievel excitedly. His parents, although sceptical, couldn't help but admire their son's resolve. His support of Josh wasn't one based on blind loyalty, but on true friendship. Finally, they too nodded their approval, albeit reluctantly.
"Well then, let's get moving," said Josh, "We have a long way ahead of us."
And so, on the eve of Sol 42, Josh, once again a hunted outlaw, led his band of fellow outcasts into exile. Crossing the border, they set off into the desert towards Thorn Valley, their future unknown...
Author's note: A whole new chapter begins in Josh's story! In the original draft, they were apprehended upon their return, followed by a mock trial and a dramatic escape, but in the end I decided to make it simpler. Coming up next, the new colony of Thorn Valley. Enjoy and please review!