Cole gripped Mrs. Brisby's hand as he saw Mrs. Fitzgibbons suddenly turned to the door as Dragon yowled yet again. Clearly the feline wanted to come in and Cole thought that it would take time for Mrs. Brisby to get it into the dish, but not long.
"Okay Dragon, I'm coming.", Mrs. Fitzgibbons said as she started walking away.
"Steady.", Justin said quietly.
"There we go.", Cole heard Mrs. Fitzgibbons say.
Mrs. Brisby looked positively scared, and Cole was feeling pretty scared too, but if they didn't do this, Dragon might show up as the Brisby house would be moved and that would be a disaster.
"Now.", Justin said firmly.
Cole came out of his thoughts and saw Mrs. Brisby cautiously walk to the edge of the light from the kitchen.
"Now!", Justin said more firm.
Cole then swiped the packet from Mrs. Brisby and bolted toward the dish with Mrs. Brisby right on his heels. Dragon yowled again and Cole thought for a moment they were seen as he got to the edge of the bowl and slit open the packet.
"Coming, coming.", Mrs. Fitzgibbons said.
The moment Cole emptied the whole thing over the cat food, he bolted back to where Justin was and Mrs. Brisby slid across the floor for a moment, but quickly regained her footing to give chase back.
"Get back.", Cole heard Justin say.
Cole managed to get to the hole in the darkness when he heard a thunk behind him and turned to see a strainer on the floor and what Cole would guess was the son of Farmer and Mrs. Fitzgibbons.
"Mom, don't let the cat in yet.", the boy said to his mother, "I've caught a mouse."
"A mouse?", Mrs. Fitzgibbons asked.
Cole hurried into the hole as the boy and Mrs. Fitzgibbons kept talking.
"Can I keep it? Can I?"
"No Billy, put it outside.", Mrs. Fitzgibbons told him.
"Dang.", Cole muttered as he followed Jutin into the hole, "I should stay here and help if I can."
Justin nodded.
"I'll come back for you both later.", he stated.
Cole then heard Billy speak up.
"I can keep it in Porgy's old cage."
"Well, alright.", Mrs. Fitzgibbons said, "Come on Dragon.
Cole heard rain outside as his medallion lit up grabbing his attention. A beam came out to show a bubble which showed Auntie Shrew with the children apparently doing laundry at the Brisby home. Cole remembered this from when Nava and the clan sang their song and he could look in on Niju and the others.
"Rats.", Auntie Shrew said as she got a kettle of hot water, "Rats?"
"They'll be here any minute.", Martin told her.
"To move our house over there, by the stone.", Teresa added.
Auntie Shrew looked firm.
"Wrong."
"Actually move it.", Teresa said ignoring her.
Auntie Shrew came over with the kettle.
"Not while I'm keeping watch."
"Auntie Shrew, I'm not afraid.", Cynthia said as she focused on washing.
"Afraid, child?", Auntie Shrew answered as she came over, "I have no fear of those great hulking beasts. And should any one of those hairy barbarians come through that door…"
She was interrupted as some rattling came from outside and she looked spooked.
"Oh, the rats.", she squeaked.
/
The light went out and bubble alongside it as Cole's medallion went dim once again.
"I haven't seen that in a while.", he said to himself before remembering what happened earlier, "Oh, Mrs. Brisby."
Cautiously, he peeked into the kitchen again and saw that Dragon must have eaten his dinner cause the bowl was empty and as he got to the edge again, he looked around, but the lights seemed to have gone out signaling that Farmer Fitzgibbons and his family had gone to bed for the night or settling down to it.
"I hope Nicodemus and the others will be alright.", he prayed to himself as he touched the medallion around his neck, "Please, don't let me get caught too."
He scampered into the open, but nobody seemed to be up and about so he felt more at ease until he saw Dragon seemingly asleep. He paused, but then was brought out of his state as a telephone rang. He looked around and saw a cage suspended above the ground and walked enough so that Mrs. Brisby could look down.
"Mrs. Brisby?", he whispered a bit loud, but quietly, "You up there?"
Either Mrs. Brisby didn't hear him, or she barely did. He turned to see who he guessed was Farmer Fitzgibbons in a bathrobe, slippers, and pajama bottoms as he picked up the phone.
"Hello?", he asked before listening, "Who? NIHM? Oh yeah, NIHM. Yes, yes, I know, you called about the rats."
Cole turned to see Mrs. Brisby looking out toward Farmer Fitzgibbons and he knew she was listening too.
"I don't know nothing about any special behavior but the traps sure don't work.", Farmer Fitzgibbons continued, "The morning? Suits me fine. Non, no, no, you can bulldoze that rosebush right out of there. I want those rats exterminated. Now, there's no charge for any of… Good."
Farmer Fitzgibbons yawned clearly showing he was tired, but kept talking.
"Okay, well. See you in the morning. Bye."
He hung up and Cole felt his heart freeze, but then he heard Mrs. Brisby above him.
"Cole?!"
Cole looked her way and forgot about whispering and spoke up.
"Mrs. Brisby, NIHM is on their way here!"
Mrs. Brisby looked alarmed.
"You have to warn Justin, Cole.", she told him.
"What about you?", Cole asked, "You going to get out?"
Mrs. Brisby looked unsure for a moment, but then she looked determined.
"I'll be fine.", she said, "Go, warn the rats."
Cole didn't have to be told twice. He bolted to the hole and was soon dashing into the ran and to where the Brisby home was in the garden.
"I hope I make it in time.", he prayed as thunder roared above him.
/
As this was going on, the rats had by now had set up some rope to use as a hook to grip a ring above the Brisby household as most turned the wheel that managed to pull the house upward while Nicodemus observed from a position. Inside, Auntie Shrew and the children were trying to keep the house from moving around too much as the house was lifted from the ground. Auntie Shrew was holding on to a laundry line before she landed in a walnut shell.
"Teresa!", she called out.
Unfortunately, a hard bead fell on her head making her dazed for a moment before she fell over seemingly knocked out. Still, the children noticed.
"Martin!", Teresa called as she and Cynthia hurried to Auntie Shrew.
Cynthia smiled playfully.
"Auntie's afraid.", she said.
The house continued to rise until it was pretty high up.
"Pull on the inhaul.", a rat called out to the others, "Easy does it. Careful, careful."
While everything was going on, Jenner and Sulivan were observing from a distance though Jenner was more focused on Nicodemus.
"Nicodemus is cooperating beautifully.", he snickered wickedly.
Sulivan looked unsure.
"Jenner.", he said hoping for at least to voice his own opinion.
Jenner just ignored him.
"Standing in just the right spot.", he chuckled as he readied a sword to cut the lines he and Sulivan were at.
"Jenner, I can't do this.", Sulivan stated.
"When the block reaches midway, you cut the line!", Jenner ordered him before coming up to him and placing his blade to the other's neck, "Don't get any ideas, my friend. You're in this up to your neck."
Fortunately for Jenner, Nicodemus was too far away to hear him and he got into position while Sulivan looked unsure. Cole at this point was about entering the garden when his pendant shimmered again.
"Now what?", he asked as he took it out.
As if to answer him, the pendant shone a light and a bubble materialized to show Mrs. Brisby attempting to undo the binding on one of the cage's doors. That didn't go well as it sprung back into place while scratching her arm making it bleed for a moment. As she dipped it in the water dish, Cole noticed that the end went outside the cage and if Mrs. Brisby could make the gap big enough, she could escape. It seemed like Mrs. Brisby had the same idea and as she started ramming the water dish, the bubble vanished and Cole's pendant went dim again.
"Best of luck.", Cole stated as he continued to hurry to the Brisby home, "I'm coming Justin."
As he ran through the ran and grass, an omen of dread washed over him like something bad was on the way and he needed to be somewhere and fast. He had just gotten into view when he heard something like Jenner.
"Ready with the knife."
/
Cole bolted from the grass just in time to see Nicodemus looking upward at the Brisby house that was passing. His eyes darted to the side where he saw Jenner and Sulivan before his mind started racing.
"Ready.", Jenner instructed as the Brisby house was just above Nicodemus, "Cut now."
Cole dashed to Nicodemus as Jenner's words rang in his ears. As lines were cut, the whole mechanism that the rats had built began to unravel.
"Nicodemus, duck!", Cole called out.
Unfortunately for him, Cole was hit back with a bit of the wood just as Nicodemus was knocked to the side as well as the whole thing came crashing down and the Brisby home landed in the wet mud. Inside, the house rocked and Teresa fell under a table while she screamed as a lit candlestick fell to the side and was rolling right at her making her scream louder.
"Martin!", she screamed.
Luckily for them, Cynthia rode up with Auntie Shrew still unconscious and spilled water over the flames dousing them while outside, Cole was recovering and remembered Nicodemus.
"Nicodemus?!", he cried as he quickly got to the rubble where Nicodemus fell.
Justin was just arriving and he looked just as concerned as well as the rats that had come with him.
"Okay, help me.", he instructed as they moved rubble enough to get in, "You've gotta hurry."
Cole dashed in with a lit torch with Justin right on his heels.
"Nicodemus?", Cole called out, "Oh Nicodemus, please don't be dead."
He and Justin had gone further in when Cole made out a bit of Nicodemus' cloak.
"I think I see him.", Cole called back.
As he and Justin came into an opening, they saw Nicodemus' body under a bunch of rubble, but it wasn't moving. Cole's heart sank and he heard mourning in Justin's voice behind him.
"Oh, no."
Cole raced to Nicodemus' side and held the extended hand that was there.
"No, no, no.", he cried as tears started to form in his eyes, "Nicodemus!"
Cole was so busy crying, he didn't notice the rats and Justin leaving. Still, he knew he had to leave also and the thought of NIHM arriving in the morning made him pull himself together.
"I'll make sure the rats leave for Thorn Valley Nicodemus.", Cole said as if Nicodemus could still hear him, "I'll do it for you."
He was about to let go of Nicodemus' lifeless hand when his pendant started to shine. Cole was brought out of his tears to notice as the light grew brighter and soon was enveloping the whole area. Cole felt something surge through his body and into his fingers as if his own love was flowing and infusing Nicodemus' body as that too began lighting up and the rubble keeping him buried shifted and moved until Nicodemus' body was soon risen out of the mud and was standing alongside his staff as the old rat's eyes opened.
"Loyalty of the spirit is very rare.", he said sagely as he placed his free hand on Cole's shoulder, "The stone has a power, when it's there."
Cole didn't hold back as he ran toward Nicodemus and was soon having the rat in a hug. Soon, he felt Nicodemus hugging him back.
"You did well my child.", he told Cole.
/
Cole then noticed his pendant shimmer again and the very bubble appeared again as he and Nicodemus parted. It showed Mrs. Brisby still trying to push the water dish outward. As she got it partway out, Mrs. Brisby pushed a little too hard and the dish went over the edge of the cage and spilled on the floor. Mrs. Brisby managed to hold on to the cage and prevent herself from falling as well.
"Wow, she's good.", Cole commented.
Nicodemus placed a hand on Cole's shoulder.
"I sense you know something."
Cole took a breath and turned to Nicodemus.
"Nicodemus, I'm afraid NIHM is going to bulldoze the rosebush tomorrow morning.", he reported, "Your friends are all in danger."
Nicodemus nodded as if understanding, but turned his gaze back to the bubble Cole's pendant conjured. Cole followed his gaze and saw Mrs. Brisby undo some string in the cage and make a rope to the bottom before sliding down it herself and making it to the floor. She slid on the slick tile floor and landed near Dragon's head which Cole tensed at for a moment. Dragon opened an eye lazily, but then closed it again as if drifting off to sleep once more.
"If she's quiet, she can sneak away.", Cole stated.
Mrs. Brisby did so and was soon back at the hole where the bubble faded and vanished leading to Cole's pendant becoming dim once more. Cole then remembered something.
"Nicodemus, did anyone see what happened?"
Nicodemus shook his head knowingly.
"The light was unnoticed.", he explained as he started making his way to the passage Justin and the rats had made, "For now, you must go help Mrs. Brisby."
Cole looked a bit surprised when Nicodemus stated this and he followed him.
"Nicodemus, what will happen to you since they think you've died?"
Nicodemus looked Cole's way smiling.
"A star dies and another is born. Thus is the cycle of nature.", he said sagely.
Cole looked awestruck as a familiar memory came to mind and Nicodemus noticed.
"You've heard this?", he asked.
"Yeah, but it was from a wolf who was very much like you are.", Cole stated, "His name was Nava and you kind of remind me of him."
"Perhaps in another life.", Nicodemus said still smiling, "You have great potential child. Don't forget that and a word of caution. Those who have it may be sought by those who seek that potential for their own use."
Cole nodded as the duo made their way to the entrance that led outside. The ran had stopped falling though thunder rumbled now and then. Nicodemus gave Cole a nod as if telling him what to do and Cole smiled back before remembering something.
"Oh, the children.", he said as he dashed out.
Nicodemus smiled as he took a seat on some wood before watching Cole leave.
"Take care Cole.", he said before taking a breath, "I'll be there in time."
As he started to rest, he set his staff near him knowing that the other rats wouldn't look here and he would make himself known, but for now, he had to stay hidden and let things play out.