Josh poured over the dust-mite-infested mountain of paperwork Digit had dug up from the city's archives for him, on Warren T's request. The archives' office was a cluttered stone room, lined with racks and racks of countless mouldering, dusty scrolls and parchments from forever ago. Working by the light of his survival kit's flashlight (Josh hated working by dim torchlight), they sorted through the files.
As Warren T had said, there were detailed records on the Mousekewitz's home and family, now all long gone. With the help of Mr Ages and Justin, they began painstakingly began piecing together the history of the Mousekewitzes, hoping to determine whether or not the late Bernard Mousekewitz had known anything about the missing third piece of the Stone. Brutus, meanwhile, silently stood guard by the door.
Bernard Mousekewitz, a landowner and part-time musician, who made his living in potato farming and violin-making, and his family had once been prosperous and happy citizens of Minsk. But one day the city well had inexplicably dried up, destroying all of Minsk's crops, including the Mousekewitzs'. Bernard Mousekewitz had managed to support his impoverished family for a while with his violin-making, but his business soon went bankrupt.
The famine had followed soon after, eventually leading to the Great Mouse Rebellion. The mice of Minsk had all turned on each other, with neighbour killing neighbour, until the Rats had moved in and turned Minsk into a colony for the Empire. Two death certificates for Bernard and Emily Mousekewitz, registering them as 'killed by rioters' were included in the file. Another certificate registered Tanya Mousekewitz as immigrated to Rosebush City. As for her brother, strangely enough, there was nothing. Could someone have deliberately tampered with the records, to cover up Fievel's disappearance?
Going through the deeds of the Mousekewitz estate, what little was left of it anyway, including their old house, now deserted and in ruins, they found nothing of particular interest. So far, there was not as much as a hint of the Mousekewitzes ever having any connection to the Stone. Whatever secret Bernard Mousekewitz had had, he'd probably taken it with him to the grave. Then, going deeper through the records, they finally struck pay dirt.
The records reported one known living relative, Sophie Mousekewitz, the older sister of Bernard, who still lived here in Minsk to this day. Josh made a note to speak with her later. Maybe she could help them shed some light on this mystery. His friends however weren't so sure.
"Are you sure your friend Tanya was telling the truth?" asked Justin, clearly starting to have serious doubts about Nicodemus' assumption that the Stone was hidden away somewhere here at Minsk. "Maybe she was just trying to impress you with some fib?"
"If that nosy little mouse tart sent us all this way for nothing," said Brutus darkly, "The Great Owl help me, I'll string her upside-down from a dungeon ceiling for a month when I get my hands on her!"
In spite of his friends' growing doubts however, Josh was fairly certain that they were on the right trail. The Mousekewitz family's secret, the family being targeted, Fievel's abduction and everything Tanya had said, it all seemed to point to the obvious, if not yet proven, fact. The only question was, how did Warren T Rat fit into the picture?
From the start, Josh was certain someone other than Castor had been behind Fievel's kidnapping, because he'd wanted Bernard Mousekewitz's piece of the Stone, like the one Castor had stolen from Jonathan. Perhaps Warren T was his secret facilitator? Did this mean he had the missing piece of the Stone in his possession? That smooth-talking crook of a Rat sure fit the bill as far as Josh was concerned. His friends however weren't so sure.
"That's all just guesswork, Josh," said Justin, "Without any hard evidence, you'll never be able to build a case against a respectable official like Warren T Rat."
"He's right," put in Mr Ages, "Even the King's Quaestor can't arrest another high official without just cause. The Council could have you discredited for abuse of power!" Josh dwelled on the irony; the likes of Jenner regularly got away with abusing their power for their own gain, as long as the big brass above them were lubricated with bribes or intimidation, yet he, a man of honour, couldn't incriminate someone he knew meant trouble on mere gut instinct. He had to prove Warren T's guilt. He needed evidence.
"So, let's find some proof," he said, "We'll start with the city well. I'll inspect it myself, to determine whether or not it has really dried up. But first, I would like to meet this Sophia Mousekewitz. She might know something more we don't." His friends however, especially Brutus, remained extremely sceptical.
"And just how exactly to you propose to question this woman?" asked the burly Rat, "You do realise, you're still under oath of absolute secrecy? Even discussing the Stone with any outside party is high treason!"
"I don't intend to ask her about the Stone at all," Josh reassured him, "Right now, our friend Warren T is whom I have under the microscope. I want to know what it is he's hiding from us and I don't want some twisted, falsehood explanation from his lying mouth! I need a witness!"
"Well, I can have Digit find us the address of this Sophia Mousekewitz," said Justin, turning towards the door, but Josh stopped him.
"If Warren T realises what we're doing, he'll make sure to cover his tracks, or else do a runner," he said, "I'll ask Fievel. He'll know. Speaking of which, where has that lad gotten to...?" At that moment, Elizabeth came running into the archives' office in a panic.
"Josh, Fievel's gone!" she cried. Josh rolled his eyes. How many times must that kid be snatched away right from under our noses? He gently grabbed the fretting Elizabeth by the shoulders.
"All right, luv, take it easy," he said, "What happened?"
"The children were playing. I left them alone for a moment to bring them snacks," she explained, "When I came back, Fievel had taken off. Teresa said he'd said something about wanting to see his family home..."
Josh breathed a sigh of relief. At least this wasn't another kidnapping; Fievel, feeling homesick, had really wanted to see his old home again. He'd been pleading with Josh to take him there since they'd arrived at Minsk, but his guardian had insisted he be patient, as they had more pressing matters at hand. But, sometimes, children's impatience went too far. Brutus muttered a curse.
"For the Great Owl's sakes, woman!" he barked, "Can't you even keep a bunch of measly brats in line for once?" Elizabeth seemed like she was about to cry. Josh shot Brutus an angry glare. "Shut up, Brutus! You're making her feel bad!" He turned back to Elizabeth.
"It's all right, Biff, we'll find him." He turned back to his companions and frowned to see that they were still standing there, cooling their heels. "Well, what the bloody hell are you lot waiting for? Let's get down to the Mousekewitz house! On the double!"
Meanwhile, Fievel was making his way through his familiar old neighbourhood, towards his family home. Although it had only been a little over two years since he'd left, it seemed almost like a lifetime ago when he, Tanya and their parents were running for their lives through these streets, hoping to get out of the city before the Rats ordered a lockdown to control the rioters.
Leaving their house in flames behind them, and with what meagre belongings they could carry, the Mousekewitzs had fled for the well in the centre of the city, where his Papa knew was a secret tunnel that led out of the city and up into the mountains. Unfortunately, his Mama, being pregnant at the time, had fallen behind. Her husband, who couldn't abandon his wife to the pursuing mob, had doubled back to help her, just as the rioters caught up with them.
The last sight of his parents were of them being trampled to death in the middle of the street, his Papa yelling at Tanya to take him and get them both to safety. Poor Tanya had had to use all of her willpower to forcefully drag the sobbing Fievel away, leaving their parents to their fate.
The nightmare for the two orphaned siblings had, of course, only just begun, because only three days out into the desert the Exiles had ambushed them in the dead of night, just as they were crossing the border, and snatched him away. If it hadn't been for Ms Bridget and Tony Toponi, he wouldn't have survived his long captivity. He wiped some tears from his eyes, staring at a spot down the alleyway, where his parents had fallen. The sight of an approaching soldier Rat, which Warren T had said patrolled the streets for Mouse rebels, snapped him back to reality.
Quickly ducking into the shadows of a doorway, he watched as the Rat passed by, brandishing a flaming torch in one hand and a baton in the other. If Fievel didn't know better, he'd say those patrol Rats were out to make trouble rather than provide security. Then again, who knew what intentions governor Warren T had on his agenda for the oppressed Mice of Minsk?
His home was only a few blocks away, on the edge of a small square. Most of the houses in this part of the city were abandoned, their owners having either been evicted under the new regime, or else arrested on suspicion of rebellion. He had heard of many suspected mouse rebels and tax evaders who were deported to the penal colonies, to do hard labour in the quarries and mines.
The Mousekewitz home was dark and in ruins. Although it had been torched by arsonists that fateful night, the stone walls of the dwelling still stood. His legs trembling, Fievel made his way up to the porch and through the gaping hole where the front door had once been. Swallowing in anticipation, Fievel stepped inside this sad relic of his past, not noticing the outlines of several shadowy figures watching the house from across the street.
Fievel felt a sore lump in his throat as he laid eyes on the blackened, ruinous house that was once his home. The fire hadn't left much but ashes and charred debris that still littered the floor of the small, two-roomed house. Whatever valuables had survived the fire had been taken by looters over the years, leaving nothing.
"Oh, Mama, Papa..."
He didn't know how long he stood there, staring into space, when he was suddenly caught off-guard by the sound of footsteps approaching. Alarmed, he glanced outside. Sure enough, he saw the shadows of some menacing-looking figures against the light of a streetlamp approaching the house. They were coming from all directions and judging by the sound of their evil snickering they meant trouble.
"Come on out, little mousey," cackled a nasty voice, which, strangely enough, sounded vaguely familiar to Fievel, "There's nowhere to hide..."
Fievel felt the blood drain from his face with fright. He desperately looked around for an escape route but there was no back door out of the house. He was trapped. Why had he been so stupid as to disobey Josh and come here all alone? Memories of the nightmare of his captivity in the Exile's lair resurfaced and he felt close to panicking. This couldn't be happening to him again!
Running frantically into the back room, which had once been his parents' bedroom, he cleared away some of the debris that littered the floor, revealing what looked like an ordinary stone slab. Grasping with all his might, he managed to pry it open, revealing a small secret compartment under the floor. That was where his Papa used to hide the family's most prized valuables for safekeeping, in case of a confiscation raid by the Rat authorities due their overdue taxes.
He discovered the compartment, unlike the rest of the house, had not been disturbed. Even after the looters had stripped the house clean, they had completely overlooked Bernard Mousekewitz's little hiding place. Fievel could see a gold-framed family portrait, some personal papers and a box containing his mother's meagre jewellery. But this was no time for examining family heirlooms, because the intruders were already at the door, about to enter the house.
Hurryingly crawling into the compartment, Fievel pulled the slab closed over his head, leaving only a small crack, from where he could survey the scene. He watched as his pursuers entered the house, bearing flaming torches and knives. Fievel had to suppress a shudder, realising that, whoever they were and whatever it was they wanted, they weren't going to try and take him alive. The intruders swept the house, many of them stepping right over the sealed compartment, but luckily without noticing the loose slab in the floor.
"Come on out, boy," growled the same mean voice, losing patience, "Come out now, or I'm going to slowly skin you alive!" It was all poor Fievel could do but keep his mouth tight shut and not whimper. One sound and he'd be ground into mouseburger. At last, he heard their footsteps die away.
Slowly and cautiously, Fievel crawled out of the compartment. The house was dark and silent again. Were the hostiles gone? His heart in his mouth, Fievel tiptoed over to the door and glanced outside. The street was empty, or so it seemed.
He was just about to take to his heels and run, when suddenly, a massive furry hand grabbed him by the throat from behind, muffling his screams. Too late, Fievel realised they had tricked him, having waited silently in the shadows for him to come out. The hostiles forcefully dragged him back inside the house, where they wouldn't be interrupted.
His captor pinned him to the wall by the scruff of his neck. Although all of the hostiles wore black hoods to cover their faces, Fievel could tell by their size that they were Rats, which didn't make any sense. According to Warren T, the danger came from rogue mice rebels causing trouble. What did these Rats want with him?
"Well, well, well, a Mousekewitz returns from the dead to ruin our plans," drawled the leader Rat nastily, "Well, you won't be getting away this time. You should have died with your parents long ago!" Fievel let out a muffled scream of terror as he saw the ringleader raise a large dagger, about to run him through. This was surely the end, he thought. Not even Josh could save him this time. Giving himself up for lost, he shut his eyes in terror.
But before the would-be assassin could plunge his knife into the mouse boy's small body and kill him, a commotion caught the Rats off-guard. One of the lookouts yelled in pain as a familiar mouse with a club suddenly appeared out of nowhere, knocking him out cold. Fievel gasped, recognising an old friend back from the days when they were both captives of the Exiles.
"Tony!" he cried, "Tony, help!"
Tony Toponi, who was leading a cavalry of several other mice, carrying clubs and other makeshift weapons, sprang to Fievel's rescue. But the Rat assassin was faster. Quickly grabbing Fievel and using him as a shield, he called to his henchmen.
"Kill those scumbags!" he shouted, "I'll take care of the Mousekewitz boy!" Leaving his henchmen to keep these interrupting intruders busy, he retreated to the back room, taking Fievel with him, intent on doing the boy in there instead. In the master bedroom, he noticed the open compartment under the flooring. Unable to resist his greed, keeping one arm locked around the wriggling Fievel, he pocketed the jewellery and the gold-framed family portrait, which he could sell for a little extra profit later. Then he noticed the bundle of papers.
Although he had explicit instructions to kill the boy and any witnesses that happened to get in the way at all costs, he realised this could be something important for his boss. After all, Quaestor Anderson was not the only one after the Mousekewitz family secret. The Mousekewitz brat might know something. He hurled the documents in Fievel's face.
"What are these?" he demanded, shaking the boy by the ear, "Well?" But, of course, poor Fievel had no idea what secret his father had left behind.
"I don't know, honest!" he cried, "Let go! You're hurting me...!" His captor was losing patience.
"You tell me what your father was hiding, or I'm going to slowly peel the hide right off your scrawny body until you do!" That moment of delay saved Fievel's life. Before the murderous Rat could get tired of asking questions and finish the job, Tony and his companions finally managed to overpower his last henchmen and then they were upon him.
Although the burly Rat managed to inflict several injuries with his dagger, the mice greatly outnumbered him and soon had him out cold on the floor with a clobbering to the head. Tony approached the shaken, but utterly overjoyed Fievel.
"Hallo, Filly," he said, using a nickname he and Bridget had come up for Fievel during their imprisonment together, "Long time, no see."
"Tony? Wh...What are you doing here?" the boy asked, embracing his friend, "How did you know where to find me...?"
"There's no time to explain now," said Tony urgently, "It isn't safe here. Come, we need to get out of here quick." Before Fievel could inquire any further, Tony and another mouse picked him up and they hurryingly left the scene.
Not a minute too soon, Josh, accompanied by Brutus and Justin, came running. After Elizabeth had discovered Fievel was missing, they'd hurryingly made their way over to the old Mousekewitz home, figuring that's where Fievel had wondered off to. Unfortunately, due to their unfamiliarity in navigating the maze-like streets of Minsk, they'd arrived too late.
Entering the Mousekewitz home, easily recognisable from the fading name 'Mousekewitz' written on the cracked wooden plaque above the door, they found a scene of total carnage. Two dead Rats lay on the floor, their bodies still warm. There was no sign of Fievel anywhere. Then, in the room next door, they found a survivor.
Josh pulled the hood off the unconscious Rat's face. It was Captain Jake, of Warren T's personal Guard! Although he had taken a rather nasty bump to the head, he would live. What on earth was he doing here of all places? And where was Fievel? As they patted him down for injuries, something fell out of his cloak. Josh picked up a piece of mouse jewellery – he could tell it was mouse, because of the telltale Mouse of Minsk's crest, similar to that on the medallion Tanya had given him. And there was more. Reaching into his pocket, he found the mysterious documents, bearing Bernard Mousekewitz's signature. He frowned suspiciously. Whatever had happened here, it didn't look like Captain Jake was the innocent victim.
"Help me get this bastard out of here!" he barked at Justin and they bodily carried Jake out of the room. Soon, he began to regain consciousness. Josh fixed him with a stern gaze.
"What the hell happened here?"
"Oh, Quaestor, I regret to inform you, your ward has been snatched away by those wretched rebels!" said Jake, putting up a rather impressive performance of the bold soldier who felt ashamed by having failed in his duty, "My soldiers fought to the death to save him...!" No doubt, he thought, this incident would provoke the Quaestor's wrath against the Mice rebels and give his boss the order to exterminate them once and for all. But, unfortunately for him, Josh wasn't the fool Warren T had cut him out to be.
"I see," said Josh, raising an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, "Then maybe you'd care to explain how you came by these?" He shoved the documents and stolen jewellery in Jake's face, "Care to change your story?" Jake swallowed his tongue, realising he had unknowingly let the cat out of the bag. But he wasn't about to go to prison for corruption and attempted murder.
Suddenly, he sprang at them, brandishing a concealed butterfly knife he'd pulled from his cloak. Slashing Justin across the shoulder, he made a mad dash for the door, but Josh was faster and tasered him in the neck. With a groan, Jake went down like a sack of potatoes. Brutus bound his hands and hurled him into a corner, while Josh tended to Justin. It was an ugly cut, but luckily not too deep.
Jake soon regained consciousness again, only to find himself staring into three very angry faces. Josh and Justin had icy expressions written on their faces; Brutus was caressing the blade of his trusty dagger, as if tempted to use it on the corrupt soldier.
"I might have known somebody was playing us false," said Josh coldly, "Now, what have you done with Fievel?" Jake smirked nastily. This human had no idea what he was going up against.
"I'm telling you nothing...human," he spat in Josh's face. Josh frowned. It seemed he would have to chance tactics. He gestured at Brutus, who, getting the hint, in the blink of an eye, plunged his dagger into Jake's left kneecap. Blood droplets sprayed across their faces. The corrupt Captain howled in agony. Josh's expression remained cold and calculated.
"I'm in a hurry and I'm not in the mood for more lies!" he barked in Jake's face, "Now, I'm asking you again. Where is Fievel?" To make a point, Brutus yanked the dagger out from the Rat henchman's mutilated knee and poised it over the other knee, ready to plunge it into him again. Josh's eyes were cold as stone.
"You'd better start talking while you're still ahead," he growled, "Or you'll find it extremely difficult getting around without crutches when we're done with you!"
"I don't know, I swear!" screamed Jake in agony, "Some of those damned rebels took him. I heard the boy call one of them by name. Tony something, I think..." That rang a bell in Josh's mind.
"Tony Toponi!" he gasped, remembering, "Gussie Mouseheimer ward's boyfriend!" Frankly, he didn't know whether to be relieved or not at this new development. Tony Toponi, whom he'd rescued along with Bridget from the Exile lair, unlike Jake, he knew wasn't a killer. At least, he wouldn't hurt Fievel. But then, why would he take him at all?
Thinking back, he recalled that Bridget was rumoured to have ties to Mice protestors who sought their independence from the Rats. Maybe she and Toponi had ties with the rebels of Minsk too? It sure seemed to fit the pattern. Only question was, were they friends or enemies? There was only one way to find out.
"Time we paid Warren T Rat another visit," said Josh, "He has a few questions that need answering."
"What do we do with him?" asked Justin, gesturing at the bound Captain Jake, who was still glaring daggers at them all.
Josh considered; the most logical course of action would be to place him under arrest and bring him to justice. But, then he realised it still wouldn't be enough to prove his suspicions about Warren T; Jake might take the rap all right, but Warren T could still deny any involvement and get off scot-free. Unless, of course, they could somehow trick him into confessing everything... Doing some quick thinking, he turned to Brutus.
"Nobody must know what happened here yet," he said, "Brutus, you stay here and make sure this miserable rascal stays put. I don't want him running loose and giving the game away. Not before we have Warren T caught red-handed!"
"You can never hope to overthrow Warren T Rat, human," smirked Jake, "He's got powerful friends everywhere. You and your friends are playing with fire and you'll regret crossing him!"
"Well, too bad I'll have to disappoint him then," said Josh sarcastically, "It just so happens, a British officer isn't born to fail in his duty!" he said, reciting his old motto.
Leaving Brutus to play babysitter for Jake, Josh and Justin hurried over to Warren T's residence. The Rat governor greeted them with his usual welcoming manner, but frowned when they told him the news – or rather the part of the news they knew he wanted to hear.
"I'm deeply sorry for the loss of your ward, Commissioner," he said, putting up a most unconvincing – in Josh's opinion at least – performance of sympathy and outrage, thinking that Fievel had been killed and was finally out of the way, "I swear to the Great Owl Himself, the criminals responsible for this will be caught and punished!"
"Captain Jake already has his men out searching the whole city, trying to find the killers," said Justin, hoping Warren T would buy the bluff and think his mysteriously absent henchman was simply leading them on a wild goose-chase to cover his tracks, on his master's own orders. Warren T luckily seemed satisfied.
"Trust Captain Jake, Commissioner," said Warren T silkily, "He's a good and professional soldier. He'll find the guilty party and I'll see them beheaded for this!" Little did he realise that he was playing right into Josh's game. Josh rolled his eyes. If this fellow were Pinocchio, he thought, he'd have pocked his eye out!
Showing his guests out, promising to contact them as soon as he had any further news, Warren T turned to Digit, who was waiting for his master's orders.
"So much for young Mr Mousekewitz," she said with an evil smile, "Now, it's time to dispose of the rest of them. Tell the guards to get the prisoners ready and then alert the Commissioner that the 'murderers' have been apprehended. Oh, and find out what's keeping that blundering fool Jake so long. He was supposed to report back here the moment the job was done!"
As Digit hurried out to carry out the order, Warren T sat at his desk, rubbing his hands triumphantly. His scam was paying off beautifully and the Commissioner didn't suspect a thing. With a bit of luck, he'd soon have the go-ahead to crush those miserable Mice rebels that kept causing him trouble once and for all!
After Warren had sent them on their way, Josh and Justin made their way not to the officials' dwellings where they lodged, but rather back into the mice's neighbourhood. Justin was puzzled.
"Where are we going now, Josh?"
Making sure they were not being followed and well out of earshot of any of Warren T's spies that might be tailing them, Josh took him aside and explained.
"We know whoever took Fievel wasn't working for Warren T, right? Well, what if that someone was trying to protect him? What if they are the same people Warren T is prosecuting?"
"You mean the rebels?" asked Justin, raising an eyebrow, "But they are outlaws, common criminals, Josh! You can't seriously defend them!"
"Unless of course they are the ones within their rights here," Josh pointed out, "There is only one way to find out for certain. We have to find them before Warren T does." Justin was beginning to wonder whether his human friend had taken leave of his senses.
"This is crazy, Josh!" he protested, "You're talking about aiding and abating criminals. If somebody on the High Council hears of this, not even your rank of Commissioner will keep us from going to prison, let alone prove Warren T guilty of corruption!" Josh fixed Justin with a steady gaze.
"Justin, sometimes we roll the dice on people," he said, "That's what you and Elizabeth did when we first met and that turned out all right, didn't it?"
"Well, yes, but this is still..."
"Look, if I turn out to be wrong, I promise you, I'll take full responsibility. Neither you, nor anyone else will be blamed. Will you accompany me on this one?" Finally, Justin relented.
"I just hope your judgement proves as good as your luck," he said, "So, where do we start looking?'
"We've got to talk with Sophia Mousekewitz," said Josh, "Her brother knew something about whatever Warren is after – something that apparently is worth murdering an innocent boy over. Maybe she can he help us." Following the address he'd gotten from the city's record archives, Josh led the way deep into the city.
Sophie Mousekewitz's home was a small, semi-derelict house in the heart of the impoverished mice neighbourhood. Most of the locals here lived in crowded, run-down hovels. There were rumours that the rebels smuggled stolen water here, in return for shelter or assistance, and invoking Warren T's wrath in return.
Making their way up to the front door, Josh knocked loudly. For a moment, he thought he heard some rushed footsteps inside, but nobody answered his call. Yet there was a light in the window, so somebody had to be at home.
"Hallo? Sophie Mousekewitz? This is Capt... Commissioner Anderson," he called, hastily correcting himself. He still couldn't get used to his new title. "We have some questions for you!" Still no answer.
"All right, give me a hand here," said Josh, "We'll have to force in the door!" Justin took a big step back, preparing to break it down, but Josh stopped him and took out his trusty Swiss Army knife which he'd brought with him from Earth. No need to damage private property if they could help it.
With Justin holding a flashlight for him, Josh picked the lock. Five nerve-wracking minutes later, the last of the tumblers clicked open and the lock turned over. Swinging the door open, they entered the house.
Sophie Mousekewitz's home was cramped and small, not unlike that of her late in-laws. Josh could see some shabby old furniture cluttered around a large stone fireplace, which also functioned as a cooking-stove. Several sickly candles were burning on their battered brass holsters, but there was no sign of anybody.
Walking over to examine a couple of discarded teacups on the table, too late, Josh realised they were still warm. Someone was still in the house! Before he could shout a warning, he heard Justin utter a loud groan, before he sunk to the floor unconscious. Josh didn't even manage to get a good look at his attacker, before a second attacker sprang at him from the shadows. He caught sight of a large beefy mouse woman, brandishing a large cooking-pot for a weapon, which she swung at his head, screaming furiously like a banshee.
Josh barely managed to duck, avoiding the blow, but his attacker, snarling maniacally, swung again, this time lower. The cooking-pot hit him square in the abdomen with the force of a battering-ram. Josh felt the wind being knocked out of him and he was thrown to the floor on his back.
The furious mouse-woman towered over him, pinning him to the floor with her foot. She grasped her cooking-pot with both hands, about to bludgeon his skull into marmalade. There was no way Josh could reach his Taser in time. But as he held his hands up, desperately trying to shield himself, the gold pendant Tanya had given him fell out from under his cloak. The golden likeness of the Great Mouse of Minsk glowed in the dim candlelight. The mouse-woman noticed it and froze.
"Where...where did you get this?" she demanded, with a new wave a fury, "You stole it from my brother after the Rats had him murdered!"
"I didn't steal it from anybody, lady!" cried Josh incredulously, "Tanya Mousekewitz gave it to me! Now, put that thing down, will you...Sophie Mousekewitz? You're Sophie Mousekewitz, are you not?" Although Sophia Mousekewitz lowered her cooking-pot, she continued to glare suspiciously at Josh.
"You know Tanya? What exactly do you know about my niece?" she asked sternly, "What is a human doing with those miserable Rats anyway? Are you a spy for that scoundrel Warren T?"
"No, I'm Commissioner Josh Anderson for King Nicodemus," said Josh, "Formerly Captain Anderson of the NIMH-One..."
"Ah, so you're that wonder human my little nephew has been telling me all about?" interrupted Sophie, stepping aside so that Josh could stand up. Dusting himself off, he nodded.
"Yes, that I am," he said gruffly, hoping she wouldn't get it into her head to try and kill him again, "And, I take it, you know where Fievel is...?"
The answer came at that moment in the form of the young mouse in question, who came running from his hiding place in a back room and right into Josh's embrace. Fievel was here all right, safe and sound.
"Fievel! Don't you wonder off like that again!" Josh scolded him, "What were you thinking?" Fievel's face fell.
"I'm sorry, Josh," he mumbled apologetically, "I had to see my home again..."
"Warren's thugs were trying to kill him right under your nose!" snapped Aunt Sophie incredulously, as if blaming Josh for his lack of vigilance over her nephew, "If my people hadn't found him in time..."
"Your people, madam?" asked Josh, raising an eyebrow, "And who would that be exactly...?"
"Why, me, of course!" said another familiar figure, emerging from the shadows behind Justin. Just as Josh had suspected, it was Tony Toponi, the headstrong youth he'd rescued from the Exiles only a few weeks ago. Josh could see a rolling-pin clutched in his hand, which he'd used to clobber Justin, albeit unintentionally.
"Young Mr Toponi, I might have guessed," he said, "But what on earth are you doing here? What's all this about?" Tony however never got a chance to explain because at that moment Justin came round. Groaning, he sat up, nursing the large bump on his head and looking extremely pissed off. He glared daggers at Tony.
"What in the name of the Great Owl are you young hooligan playing at?" he bellowed, "Strike the Captain of the King's Guards? Are you looking to get into trouble?"
"Oh...yeah, sorry about that," mumbled Tony apologetically. He obviously hadn't meant to hurt Justin, he and Sophie having merely mistaken them for more of Warren T's henchmen who had tracked them here.
"I think we'd all like to hear an explanation," said Josh, "Warren T's Captain of the Guards was after this," he said, slamming the bundle of papers they'd found in the Mousekewitz house, "What's in these that's worth killing over? Has this got something to do with the Mousekewitz family secret?"
Aunt Sophie looked at Tony, obviously unsure whether she could trust Josh and Justin with her people's secret. After all, both of them were officials for the Rats, technically Warren T Rat's associates. No doubt she thought they would turn her and her associates in to Warren for the reward the corrupt governor had placed on their heads.
"I'll be blunt with you, madam," said Josh, noticing her hesitation, "I have reason to believe Governor Warren T is up to no good and, furthermore, I suspect he's targeting the Mousekewitz family for something that mutually concerns my mission for the King and you. Now, the way I see it, you need me on your side as much as I need you."
Aunt Sophie considered long and hard. She clearly wasn't very trusting of Josh or Justin for that matter. Having suffered so much oppression for centuries, she firmly believed her people ought to have nothing to do with the Rats and anyone who worked for them. Toppled with the fact that Josh was a human, whose dark myth struck fear into the hearts of Mice almost to the same extent as the Rats, made her all the more distrusting.
"Please, Aunt Sophie, you can trust him!" said Fievel excitedly, "Josh is brave and so awesome!"
"Yeah, he's just the one we need to take down that creep Warren T Rat," piped in Tony, "Even Madam Mouseheimer spoke highly of him. We need him on our side!" Finally, Aunt Sophie relented. She turned to Josh.
"Follow me, but be very quiet."
She led them out the back door of her house and down a dark alleyway. Josh couldn't help but wonder, what was he getting himself and his friends into?
Author's note: My sincere apologies for the delay, but I've been experiencing writer's block. As usual, enjoy and please review. Happy Easter!