Josh suddenly found himself in the midst of a furious battle raging between the Mice of Minsk and Warren T Rat's guards. Within seconds, the room had become a bloody battlefield. Debris from broken furniture and ruined artworks littered the floor, as well as blood from slain victims, who were dropping like flies everywhere.
Loaded Taser in one hand and holding the trembling Elizabeth protectively against him with the other, shielding her from all this violence, Josh struggled to steer them clear of this dangerous mob. Reaching to a window, he picked up a Rat bust mounted on a pedestal and smashed it open. Gingerly picking up Elizabeth, he lifted her out of the window, to safety.
"Get back to the children, get them inside and lock the doors!" he told her, "I'll be back for you!"
"Josh, wait, please," said Elizabeth, as her lover was about to rejoin the fight. She pulled him into a passionate kiss, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, love," said Josh, kissing her back, "Now go!" Without another word, he returned to the fight. Now that Elizabeth was safe, he had a score to settle with that miserable scoundrel Warren T! Looking around, he spotted the corrupt Rat Governor over by his overturned desk with Digit. The two associates were feverishly pocketing all the bags of gold and papers they could carry, about to make their escape.
Oh no, you don't...
Josh waded his way through the crowd of Rats and Mice viciously massacring each other, going after Warren T. He wasn't about to let that snake of a Rat slip away; that trashy con had some valuable information that Nicodemus had tasked Josh to find.
Josh was almost upon him, when a battered Captain Jake suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking his way. The brutish Rat's fur and tunic were drenched in blood from the many victims he'd slain, as well as his own, but still deadly. Snarling, he swung his sword at Josh, who, caught by surprise, dropped his Taser. Not missing the opportunity, Jake kicked it away, out of the man's reach. Now unarmed, Josh barely managed to grab a poker from the fireplace to defend himself against Jake's next attack.
"You miserable human have ruined everything!" growled Jake, as the two opponents crossed weapons, "But I'm not going to lose my head for treason! Your death will supersede mine!"
"I eat thugs like you for breakfast," said Josh, keeping his eyes trained on Jake's sword, "The likes of you, who imprison and terrorize non-combatants for their money or take lady mice as hostages, are nothing more than a bunch of sissies!" Jake's face twisted with rage at the insult. Losing it completely, he struck again. This scum dared call him, Warren T Rat's most feared right-hand henchman, a sissy? He would hack this insufferable human to pieces!
Like Robin Hood versus the Sherriff of Nottingham, the pair continued exchanging wild blows. Although he was a seasoned soldier trained in combat, Josh's fighting skills centred mostly on the use of firearms; the medieval swordsmen skills of this planet were little more than a dead art back on Earth. Jake, on the other hand, was a master with the sword, quickly gaining the upper hand. Striking again, he knocked the poker out of Josh's hand.
"Time to kill a human," he snarled, pinning Josh against the wall, the tip of his sword level with the man's throat, "And you can go to your grave knowing that your precious Mousekewitz family will be following you soon. Farewell, scum!" But before he could run Josh through though, a familiar little figure appeared out of nowhere, biting the unsuspecting Jake in the calf. Fievel, who'd slipped away from his parents, had come to Josh's rescue.
Howling in pain, Jake rounded angrily on Fievel, struggling to shake him off. Fievel held on with all his strength, but was no match against the savage Rat. Backhanding him, Jake knocked the mouse-boy to the floor. His master had made a foolish mistake by not letting him kill this brat and his family when they had the chance. It would now be his pleasure to remedy that mistake. Pinning Fievel down with his boot, he raised his sword. Fievel shut his eyes in terror.
"This time you die, you insufferable little brat!"
But he never got the chance to finish the job however, because Josh, taking advantage of the distraction, retrieved his poker and drove it clean through Jake's head, up into his left eye-socket and out through the back of his skull. Jake twitched one last time, his remaining eye widening in shock, before he crumpled to the floor dead as a coffin-nail.
Not sparing his fallen opponent a second thought, Josh turned his attention over to Fievel. The boy had a badly bruised cheek where Jake had struck him, but luckily was otherwise unharmed.
"I'm all right, Josh," he groaned, as Josh helped him up, "Get after Warren T!" Leaving Fievel in the care of another mouse, Josh tore after the fleeing Rat Governor.
Meanwhile, Warren T and Digit had managed to make it out through the servants' entrance unnoticed and were slipping away. By the time this rabble had gotten past Captain Jake and his guards, they would be long gone. The human Anderson might have deprived him of all the spoils he'd amassed from the Mice of Minsk, but Warren T Rat was not born to be a good loser. That insufferable human had no idea whom he was messing with!
They had just made it to the street, when a familiar figure blocked his way. Sophie Mousekewitz, who'd come chasing after Fievel, had arrived just in time to intercept the Rat who'd torn her family apart fleeing like a coward.
"Leaving so soon...Governor?" she asked coldly, aiming a loaded crossbow in Warren T's face, "You heartless beast left my brother and sister-in-law to die buried alive at the bottom of a well! You drove my nephews out of house and home to steal our ancestors' legacy! What kind of a heartless brute are you?"
"Your foolish brother could have spared your family a lot of suffering if he'd just surrendered the secret of the Stone to me!" retorted Warren T with a sneer, "You fools really think that pathetic human will be able to protect you forever? My superiors back in Rosebush City will not stand for this. You have invoked the wrath of some dangerous and powerful Rats with this folly revolt!"
Aunt Sophie, unhindered by his threat, lifted the tip of the crossbow higher, so it was literally pressing under Warren T's chin. Unlike her timid brother and his wife, she had a fighting spirit, like her nephew.
"Then I might as well kill you now, Warren T!"
Unfortunately, she had completely underestimated how dangerous Warren T really was. Like a flash, the murderous Rat drew his cane-sword from its sheath, plunging it deep into Aunt Sophie's chest. Her eyes went wide as the blade pierced her heart. Warren T forcefully withdrew the blade, now dripping crimson, letting his victim fall to the ground. The notorious Mouse oppressor had claimed his last victim.
"Take this message back to your family," he spat at the dying Aunt Sophie at his feet, "Your nephew and his human guardian haven't seen the last of me yet!" Those were the last words Sophie Mousekewitz ever heard before departing this world to meet her maker. But her sacrifice hadn't been for naught.
"Hold it right there!"
Whirling round, Warren T saw Anderson, who'd finally gotten past Jake, had caught up with him. Before he could defend himself, Josh bludgeoned him in the face with the handle of his sword, sending him crumpling unconscious to the ground with a busted nose. Several angry Mice, who'd seen him stab Aunt Sophie dead, fell upon him and bound him tight.
With the biggest bull in the muster finally rounded up, Josh turned his attention to Digit, only to find the sneaky little scoundrel had abandoned his master in the confusion and was fleeing down a crooked alley.
Josh tore after him but it was already too late. The gloomy streets of Minsk were like a maze, turning and zigzagging in all directions. In the blink of an eye, Digit had disappeared. Josh muttered a curse; although they'd nabbed Warren T, Digit would soon alert all of Warren T's powerful friends still at large out there, which in turn could bring more trouble down on the Mice of Minsk.
Hurrying back, he found Fievel and his parents standing over the lifeless body of Aunt Sophie. A distraught Bernard Mousekewitz was trying to comfort a sobbing Fievel, whilst struggling to hold his own tears at the sight of his murdered sister. Just when it seemed that fate would finally allow the family to be whole again, one of their own had been taken from them forever.
Josh gently patted Fievel's shoulder. He wanted to offer the family some comforting words, but he knew it was pointless. As a soldier who'd seen death a hundred times, he hated wasting his breath on useless sympathy. Instead, he turned his attention back to Warren T, who, his hands shackled by Brutus, was ready to be taken into custody. Nearby, Justin was doing his best to keep the angry mob of Mice from lynching him.
"Murderer! Murderer!" screamed a hysteric with rage Emilie Mousekewitz, springing at Warren T before Justin could stop her, slapping him furiously about the face like an angry harpy, almost clawing his eyes out. Josh had to put up quite a struggle to restrain her without getting slapped himself, until her husband stepped in and managed to calm her down.
"Take this son of a bitch away and lock him up!" he ordered Brutus, "He's to be kept under heavy guard around the clock and no one is to go near him unless I say so! He's a valuable prisoner."
Although he'd like nothing better than to hang the bastard right here for his crimes, Warren T, he now knew, had crucial information on the missing third piece of the Stone. Until they could get it out of him, they needed him alive and talkative. The villainous Rat seemed to realise that, as he smirked defiantly back at Josh.
"You'll never get anything out of me, human," he spat, "That old fool Nicodemus doesn't even know my people have been watching his precious little quest to find the Stone all along!" At this, Josh was caught completely by surprise. Warren T was working for someone else? Could this be the same mole that had been aiding Castor?
"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded, grabbing Warren T by his cape collar, "Who is it, Warren? Who's the traitor?" Warren T shrugged his shoulders, saying nothing more. Josh didn't like the look on his face one bit. But he would deal with him later. He gestured at Brutus, who, grinning from ear to ear, dragged Warren T away. The Battle of Minsk was over.
The tending of the wounded took all night long. Although the Mice had emerged victorious, they had taken heavy losses. In addition to poor Sophie, several others, including Honest John, had been killed and many more gravely injured. Emilie Mousekewitz, Ms Bridget and Gussie Mousenheimer had taken charge of all the Mice women and set about tending to the injured like nurses, with Josh using his knowledge of advanced human first aid to assist them in their endeavours.
Most of Warren T's guards had been killed and the rest were taken in for questioning. With some pressuring and the threat of being charged with high treason and possibly executed, they eventually cracked and gave in to Justin's questioning. With their testimonies, they were soon able to put everything together.
Warren T had indeed been behind the sabotage of the city well, which in turn had triggered the revolution and allowed the Rats to move in and seize control, turning Minsk into a colony for the empire. Warren T's powerful connections had then arranged for him to be instated here as a puppet governor, allowing him full reign over the Mice of Minsk. Through his racketeering schemes, all of which were carefully concealed from Nicodemus and the authorities behind the pretence of a revolution threat, Warren T had amassed a fortune in blood money and stolen goods, confiscated from wealthy Mice families.
Strangely enough, nobody seemed to know anything about the Stone. Those questioned had admitted that Warren T had been involved in some secret mission on the orders of an unknown superior back in Rosebush City, but no one knew who it was or what he sought. All correspondence between the two was delivered personally by Digit or Captain Jake, keeping it a close secret. Nobody else had been privy to this information. Their search for the third piece of the Stone had struck a dead end.
"So we came here looking for the Stone and instead we stumble across a network of corruption!" muttered Mr Ages indignantly, not bothering to conceal his disappointment. As far as he was concerned, coming all this way had been one big waste of time. That fellow could be really narrow-minded at times, thought Josh.
It was two days after the liberation of Minsk and Josh's 37th Sol on Nimh-Beta. A temporary government for the city had been set up until Josh could report to Nicodemus, who would decide on how to deal with the Minsk crisis from here on. Meanwhile, they had bigger fish to fry.
Justin and Mr Ages had policed up every scrap of parchment from Warren T's office, painstakingly going over every document, hoping to find something that might give them a lead. Although there was plenty of incriminating evidence concerning the tax money laundering, as well as lots of stolen art, there was no mention of the Stone. One of the servants had explained that Warren T would always burn any correspondence from his unidentified superior after he'd read them, undoubtedly making sure their contents would never fall into the wrong hands.
With no other leads left to follow, Josh had concluded the only one who could help them was Bernard Mousekewitz. Warren T had gone after him and his family for a reason and Josh was determined to find out why, even if it meant getting it straight from the horse's mouth.
"We've got to talk to the Mousekewitzes," he said to Justin, "Bernard knows about the Stone, maybe even where it's hidden. We need to persuade him to join our side. If anything, we have to see to it that the whole family is protected. Otherwise, Warren's associates will go after them again." His friends however were sceptical.
"I don't see Bernard Mousekewitz giving up such a big secret anytime soon," said Justin with a slight twinge of shame, "After everything Warren T has done to the Mice of Minsk, they have little reason to trust us Rats."
"He's got no choice in the matter," said Brutus sharply, "Minsk is still under Rat jurisdiction and, as a subject to Nicodemus, he's obliged to cooperate with the King's officials! If not, I can always threaten him with arrest for concealing a forbidden state secret..."
"I won't have you threatening the Mousekewitzes over the Stone!" retorted Josh sharply, "Not only would it get us nowhere, but it would also seriously taint the peaceful coexistence between Rats and Mice Nicodemus is hoping to establish. I'll talk to him myself. But first, we're going to have a little chat with Warren T."
The prison of Minsk, built personally by Warren T after taking office, was once an overcrowded hellhole of squalor and suffering, where dozens of Mice, most of them held on trumped-up charges and usually without trial, were locked up to rot at the corrupt Governor's pleasure. Denied any contact with their families, all those poor wretches who had made the grave mistake of provoking Warren T's displeasure endured torture and misery at the hands of their jailors, until the relief of death would find them. But now, the prison held a very different bunch of inmates.
Following the collapse of Warren T's government, all of the Mice had been released on Josh's orders, making room for Warren T and his remaining guards, pending their trial. Unfortunately, it was already too late for many, who had died in prison.
Holding their noses at the appalling smell of filth, sewage and even decaying bodies, Josh, Justin and Brutus made their way to Warren T's cell. Its occupant, formerly an aristocrat who had the best of everything, sat behind bars, shackled hand and foot, an indignant look on his battered face. Josh smirked at the irony.
"How are you holding up in there, Warren?" he asked mockingly, "Finding the accommodations satisfactory?" Warren T glared daggers at him.
"A Rat has no place in this filthy sewer, meant for lowly Mice!" he growled, "I demand that I be placed under house arrest with all the comforts befitting my noble status until my trial!" Josh thought Warren T had some nerve to demand comforts, when he'd ruthlessly persecuted and deprived so many Mice of all their rights, just to make a profit.
Motioning at the jailor to unlock the door, they entered Warren T's cell. They stood in front of the prisoner, who continued to glare at them.
"My superiors will have your heads for this...!"
"We've got some questions to ask you," said Josh coolly, interrupting Warren T's threats, "Personally, I hope you don't answer them, because I'd like nothing better than to mince you and then bake you into a rat-pie!"
"How did you know about the Stone?" demanded Justin, "Who's the traitor selling out Nicodemus' secrets?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"I advise you to cut the bollocks short and start explaining," said Josh, losing patience, "It will save us time and you pain – a lot of pain!"
"I'm telling you nothing!" spat Warren T in Josh's face, "I'd rather die!" Josh wiped the spit from his eye, frowning; it was clear this scoundrel needed some persuasion. He nodded at Brutus, who drew his dagger.
Grabbing Warren T's shacked left wrist, he slammed his hand down flat on the edge of the cot. Then he brought the blade of the dagger down to his fingers, like a chef slicing a cucumber on a breadboard. Warren T's smirk turned into a yell of agony as his severed thumb fell to the floor.
"You bastards!" he screamed, clutching the stump of his missing thumb, "You brutes! Just kill me now!"
"Kill you?" Josh asked him coldly, "How many times did you grant your victims the mercy of a quick, dignified death, huh? How many Mice did you torture and then leave to rot in these cells? Well, Warren, it's time you got a taste of your own medicine!"
"What's our next step then?" asked Brutus, as calmly and indifferent as if they were discussing this over drinks, "Castration never fails to loosen the tongue." Warren T's eyes went wide. Josh smirked at his fear.
"Sounds like a good idea," he said, "Or perhaps we should cut his nose off first. It won't kill him, but he'll be disfigured forever. Followed by the ears of course, or perhaps the eyes..." Warren T was really trembling now, realising this human and his cronies weren't joking.
"You wouldn't dare!" he mumbled, trying not to show how frightened he was, "I'm a Rat of noble blood! You wouldn't...!"
"Try me," said Josh icily, "I'd consider it my duty, doing away with a miserable, conning little ruffian like you. It's that, or you can start telling us what we want to know. Now!" Beside him, Brutus caressed the blade of his dagger, ready to use it on him again the instant Josh gave the order.
"I...I can't tell you!" Warren T cried pitifully, "He'll kill me...!"
"Cut him."
Warren T screamed again as his severed middle finger fell to the floor. Josh thought he looked pathetic.
"You better start talking while you're still ahead," he said, "Or you'll find it extremely difficult picking your nose in future!" That was all Warren T could take and he finally spilled the beans.
"I was sent here on secret orders when rumours surfaced that the secret of the Stone was hidden here at Minsk," he explained, "I was tasked with finding it and delivering it to my employer. My agents soon tracked it down to Bernard Mousekewitz, who's the direct descendant of the original founder of Minsk. But he didn't have it."
"So instead you decide to tax the Mice out of their money and property with false promises of finding them more water?" asked Josh in disgust at Warren T's agenda, "You even planned to double-cross your employer and keep the Stone all to yourself! You backstabbing coward!"
"You do realise you're admitting conspiracy to treason against the King, a capital offence which you'll have to answer to in front of the High Council?" asked Justin coldly, furious how Warren T had managed to fool an entire administration, "If you want any clemency, you better tell us who's the traitor behind all this!"
Warren T fell silent, hesitating. Obviously selling out his secret employer would mean a death sentence for him. Noticing his hesitation, Brutus, tired of going round in circles, grabbed him by the neck, almost chocking him in the process. The one thing he hated worse than humans were traitors like Warren T.
"I'm sick of your games!" he growled in his face, "You give us that damn name right now or I'll peel the hide off of you strip by strip and then rub salt in your wounds!" Struggling to breathe, Warren T blurted it out.
"It's Nicodemus' nephew who's after the Stone," he gasped, "It's General Jenner!"
Josh, Justin and Brutus were struck dumb with shock as the identity of the enemy who had already caused them so much trouble was finally revealed. Little did they realise that, unfortunately, this information had come to light too late...
The day after Josh and his party had departed on their mission to Minsk, things in Rosebush City continued as normal in the royal court. It was late evening. Tanya was going about her duties as usual, tending to Isabella down in the royal baths.
The palace baths were not unlike that of the ancient Romans. An elegant, domed room with fresco-lined walls and a majestic marble pool of aromatic water, heated by a hypocaust built underneath the floor, in the centre. Princess Isabella lay peacefully submerged in the warm, soapy water, her head resting on a pillow on the edge of the pool. The two friends sat chatting like schoolgirls.
"What was it like, flying?" she asked Tanya, who was trying to keep her mind on folding the towels, secretly wishing she could join Isabella for a hot bath. But regulations were clear. No servants were allowed to use the royal facilities and Tanya knew better than to risk provoking Arthur's wrath if she were caught.
Ever since Josh had taken her joyriding up the mountain in his pod, the envious Isabella wouldn't stop pestering her about it. Of course, Tanya, feeling proud as a cat for having had an experience that made her mistress, and a princess for that matter, envy a lowly servant like her, never got tired of talking about it.
"It's like real magic," she told Isabella, "You feel so free soaring up in the clouds! And Josh...I mean Captain Anderson was such a gentleman! He swept me up onto his lap and he..."
"Snog you senseless?" suggested Isabella with a giggle. Tanya blushed scarlet. Although obviously nothing had happened between her and Josh up there, Isabella just wouldn't stop teasing her about it, "Is your human hero a good kisser, then?"
"I told you a thousand times, we didn't kiss!" exclaimed Tanya in exasperation, going from scarlet to magenta, "He just offered me a little pleasure ride that's all." Isabella rolled her eyes. Pleasure ride, indeed! "He wanted to talk to me about the Stone of All Know-..." Tanya quickly slapped her hands over her mouth, realising her blunder. Without thinking, she'd unknowingly let Josh's secret slip.
"The Stone of all what?" asked Isabella curiously, her interest suddenly spiked. Unlike her grandfather's Plan, which was common knowledge among the family, as well as the Council, the Stone, a heavily guarded secret, wasn't.
"Oh... nothing, nothing at all, Your Highness," mumbled Tanya, trying her best to appear inconspicuous, but, alas, she never was a good liar. Isabella, of course, wasn't buying it. After all, her friend and confidant never addressed her by her title in private.
"What are you hiding?" she demanded, wondering if this was some sort of game, "Come on, you can tell me."
"Please, Isabella, don't ask me any more questions," Tanya begged her, "I promised Josh I wouldn't betray his secret." Although still curious, not to mention suspicious, Isabella's respect for hers and Tanya's friendship ultimately won out.
"Very well, fetch me the towels please."
Tanya stepped into a side room where the linen were kept, slamming the door behind her. She could feel her heart racing in panic; Josh had warned her never to discuss the Stone with anyone and that the consequences if she did could be severe. What if Isabella talked? Could she land them both in trouble? At least, she could take comfort in the fact that, luckily, there had been no one else present to overhear anything.
But sometimes walls have more ears than one dares assumes. In the servants' utility corridor just outside the baths, Sullivan was playing Peeping Tom through a nail-hole in the panelling, spying on Tanya's every move, on Jenner's orders. It seemed his master had been right; that girl was indeed in league with Anderson and even knew about the Stone. She could be useful in that human's imminent downfall...
Alone in his secret study, with orders not to be disturbed, Nicodemus was buried in his research on the Stone, as he'd been doing with a vengeance all these years. In front of him, on his desk, were the two-thirds of the Stone reattached, with only one piece left to be rediscovered. The arrival of Josh Anderson had truly been a blessing by the Great Owl Himself in his quest to unlock the secrets of their past and hopefully use them to reshape this world into a better place for his people, where Rats and Mice could learn to live in harmony. But, as he'd feared, his dream wasn't going to be realised that easily.
Ever since Josh's return from his escapade in the Exiles' lair, it had become clear to Nicodemus that someone on the inside was watching and attempting to sabotage his efforts to find the Stone. Unable to pinpoint a suspect, most due to the lack of not knowing whom to trust, Nicodemus now truly feared for his safety. Not so much for his life, which had been long and full, but the legacy he would be leaving behind.
Nicodemus was an old Rat and didn't expect to live much longer. Even if the Stone was made whole again, it could take years for the Rats to unlock its secret knowledge, probably longer than he had left to live. Worse still, would they learn to use it wisely and not for personal gain, like his nephew Jenner? Who could possibly be entrusted with carrying on such an important task, to keep the Stone from falling into the wrong hands after his passing?
Having no living male heirs and with his Queen dead for many years, the only heir to the throne was Isabella, who could only inherit the title of Queen after she was married, which she wasn't. As per the ancient tradition, it was the King who gave the princess away to a suitable suitor of his own approval. Unfortunately, so far none of the suitors the Council had recommended, mostly rich sons of aristocrat Rat families, were deemed trustworthy enough by Nicodemus to protect the secret of the Stone. And if something happened to him before a trusty successor could be found, his work would be lost forever. The Stone was no longer safe here.
Making up his mind, Nicodemus wrapped up the two pieces of the Stone in some oilcloth and wrapped up the package tight with string, which he tucked safely inside his robe. Instructing his bewildered bodyguards to remain at their posts and not follow him, he made his way upstairs to the balcony that had been converted into a landing pad for Josh's pod.
Dismissing the guards, asking for some privacy, Nicodemus climbed the ladder that led up to cockpit hatch with surprising ease for such an aged Rat. Making sure nobody was watching him, he took the package containing the pieces of the Stone and hid it under the pilot's seat and out of sight. This was the last place anyone might think of looking for it and if anything should happen to him, at least the Stone would end up in good, responsible hands.
His task complete, Nicodemus returned to his study for a drink before retiring for the night. A servant had brought him some of his favourite rosemary-scented wine. But the best surprise of all was Isabella, who'd come to pay him a visit before bedtime.
"Good evening, dearest," Nicodemus greeted her, always glad for her company, "Aren't you up a little late?"
"You're the one who's working himself to exhaustion, Grandfather!" protested Isabella, who wished Nicodemus could spend more time with her like he used to when she was a child, but he was always busy. "Do you really have to work so hard?"
"A kingdom can't run itself, my dear," said Nicodemus patiently, having shouldered the weight of his kingdom for over fifty years, "A King can't rest, no more than the lowliest peasant can leave his crops unattended."
"But you've got an army of servants, ministers..."
"Some things simply can't be entrusted to those who've pledged their loyalty to you out of a code of duty and not out of the goodness of their own hearts," explained Nicodemus to his granddaughter, "True loyalty can only be earned by those who deserve it and not simply sworn in an oath of office."
"Like Captain Anderson, you mean?" asked Isabella, always fascinated by her grandfather's great wisdom. Nicodemus nodded. "But how did you know he was trustworthy, even if he's a human?" Her grandfather smiled knowingly.
"Because those who judge others, even humans, on hearsay are only helping to spread the lies of those who choose to bury the truth, to suit their own selfishness."
"But why would someone want to bury the truth so badly, Grandfather?" inquired Isabella, thinking of her cousin Jenner, "Captain Anderson is a brave and loyal subject. He's proven it."
"Never underestimate the evil power of lies," said Nicodemus to his granddaughter. He took her hand, "Someday, dear, you will understand why defending the truth is always better than defending your pride and arrogance."
Although Isabella, a pampered princess who hadn't had to make a difficult decision in her life, didn't really understand her grandfather, she was still very intrigued. But it was getting late so instead she kissed her grandfather goodnight and left to return to her chambers.
Nicodemus smiled as his granddaughter left him. Isabella was the delight of his old age. He and his son, the late father of Isabella, had never been particularly close mostly due to the pressures of ruling the kingdom and his quest to find the Stone. When his headstrong son and his wife had died in a riding accident, the Great Owl had given Nicodemus a second chance at being a true family Rat, a blessing he'd always cherished.
Although it saddened him to know he'd never see Isabella ascend to the throne (the heir assumed the throne only after the king died), he was proud to watch her grow into a wise and kind-hearted Rat, who shared his beliefs of peace and harmony. If only the Great Owl could allow him a few more years in this world to prepare her for the burden of being a Queen that she would have to shoulder someday, he would be content.
Settling down at his desk, a copy of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night he'd had made off the Stone open on his lap, he poured himself a drink. He took a sip, letting the sweet beverage roll on his tongue. Unfortunately, he didn't know this wasn't just ordinary rosemary wine.
He was halfway through the final act, when he suddenly felt a pain in his abdomen, resembling a stomach cramp. The pain rapidly worsened, making the old Rat gasp. He tried to cry out, but found he couldn't breathe; his lungs felt like they'd been turned to stone. His vision was turning foggy and the unpleasant metallic taste in his mouth told him his insides were being liquefied. Then, the horrible spasms kicked in.
Realising he'd been poisoned, Nicodemus desperately reached across the desk for the bell to alert the guards, sending its contents toppling over to the floor, but his shaking hand went rigid before he could reach it. His pupils dilated and he never moved again. The great King Nicodemus had finally passed on.
The following morning, Princess Isabella was rudely aroused from her slumber by Arthur, who came bursting into her chambers like a mad Rat. Isabella sat up in bed, trying to cover her state of undress.
"How dare you barge in here without knocking, you fool!" she shouted at the royal bouteiller, "What is the meaning of this?"
"My sincere apologies, Your Highness, but something terrible has happened to your grandfather," muttered Arthur, looking terribly shaken, unlike his usually calm, composed self, "My lady, the King... is dead." Isabella felt as if the ground had just disappeared beneath her.
Ten frantic minutes later, she and Arthur came running into the study. The King often made a habit of working through the night in his study, with orders not to be disturbed, so nobody had bothered to check on him until the guards had found him this morning. Nicodemus lay stiff and cold, sprawled across his desk. A trickle of blood and mucus was still oozing from his open mouth.
The court physician had been called in, too late to be able to do anything to save him. A close examination of the shattered wine glass Nicodemus had been drinking from, which he'd found lying on the floor beside the body, had quickly shed some light on what had happened.
"Poison," he muttered grimly, sniffing the glass, "Looks like the work of an assassin."
Isabella cast one look of horror at her grandfather's lifeless body, who, only hours ago had been talking to her healthy and full of life, and burst into tears. Never in her life had she felt so alone, so unprotected. She'd been too young to remember her parents when they died and now her grandfather, the only parental figure she'd ever known, was gone too. She sunk to her knees, wailing in agony.
"Why, Grandfather?! Why?!" she cried over and over, clinging to Nicodemus' corpse, "Why abandon me now?" The guards and servants lowered their heads sadly, unable to offer any words of comfort to their distraught princess; the death of Nicodemus, they all knew, had occurred at a really bad time for the entire kingdom. And the worse was still to come.
"Who did this?" demanded Arthur angrily at the guards, who shrugged their shoulders, "Your duty was to protect His Majesty and you let an assassin get past you and poison him! How did this happen?"
"I think I know the answer to that, Arthur," said a sly voice from the door. Jenner strode confidently into the room, followed by Sullivan and another guard. It seemed they'd already discovered the culprit, or so it seemed. He turned to his aid-de-camp, "Tell them, Sullivan."
"I observed Commissioner Anderson lingering around the wine cellar after hours the night before his departure," said the pudgy Rat uneasily, unbeknownst to those present, reciting a false witness statement his master had made him memorize.
"What is this nonsense?" demanded one of the senior Council Rats, who had been called in to investigate the moment news of the King's assassination had reached their ears, "You're up to your usual conspiracy theories again, Jenner! Haven't you caused the Council enough embarrassment already?" But this time Jenner had incontestable proof.
The guard stepped forward, gruffly showing everyone the dog-tags he'd found at the scene. Several Rats gasped.
"Those are Commissioner Anderson's!" whispered Arthur in alarm, recognising the familiar NIMH crest. Behind him, Isabella covered her mouth in horror. Brave, noble Commissioner Anderson, a favourite of the court, had murdered her grandfather, his own mentor?
"And this," continued Jenner, showing them the empty poison bottle, which he had personally planted in Josh's room, like he'd done the dog-tags, "Was found hidden in the good Commissioner's chambers." In an instant, there was furious whispering all around. Jenner's frame job had set the rot in; there was no doubt in anyone's mind that the human Josh Anderson was a traitor and an assassin.
"I told you that NIMH human couldn't be trusted," continued Jenner, satisfied that the first phase of his plan had worked, "Nicodemus, in all his loving and forgiving grace, hoped for Rats and humans to learn to co-exist together and unknowingly allowed that murderer to fool us all. Anderson was an assassin sent by the enemy to infiltrate our homeland! But now, as the heir to the throne, I intend to avenge my poor Uncle!"
Inspired by Jenner's patriotic words and thirsty for justice against Nicodemus' killer, the spectators bowed low in the presence of the new, soon-to-be-crowned king. As the only surviving male member of the royal family, Jenner was the rightful heir to the throne, until Isabella could be married.
"Your Majesty..."
That afternoon, a lavish state funeral was held in Rosebush City for the departed King. As per the Rats' custom, all nobility were buried in elaborate tombs on the lava plains outside the City, well protected from grave robbers by guards. Nicodemus, now lying in state in a golden coffin bearing a diamond-lined engraving of the Great Owl on the lid, was carried into an underground crypt he'd had specially made for himself by a procession of mourners.
Finally laid to rest beside his beloved Queen with all the dignity befitting his noble bloodline and with the likeness of the Great Owl watching over them for all eternity, the tomb was sealed up. Now, a new ruler was ready to ascend to the throne.
Back at the palace, the throne room had been fully redecorated in preparation for the upcoming coronation. All the Council Rats, aristocrats, priests and other members of the court were assembled to witness the assertion of the new king. Jenner strode gracefully into the room, dressed in his finest and bearing all his decorations, like a god amongst mere mortals, and was seated on the throne.
A procession of Rat priests approached the king and the ceremony began. A gold sceptre bearing the likeness of the Great Owl was placed in Jenner's hands, who held it in front of his face like a Christian holds a cross at prayer. Beside him, another priest lifted the jewel-encrusted crown from its pillow and held it over Jenner's head.
"Do you, Prince Jenner, nephew of the late King Nicodemus IX, General of the court and loyal servant of the Great Owl, accept the title of King of the Rosebush Empire?"
"I do."
Do you pledge your loyalty to this sacred position, bestowed upon you by the Great Owl, divine Father of all Rats? Do you swear on your oath of honour to serve your kingdom by His laws for as long as you live, and if fate should decree it, defend it with your last breath?"
"I do," said Jenner again, kneeling forward to kiss the likeness of the Great Owl with every dignity expected. Nobody registered the sinister look of triumph in his dark eyes.
"By the graces of the Great Owl, the reign of the departed King Nicodemus now passes to the rightful heir, King Jenner III of the Rosebush Empire!"
The priest then placed the crown on Jenner's head and crossed his hands respectfully. Around the room, all the spectators bowed low in the presence of their new king. All around the room, the priests were passing large goblets of wine, as the spectators prepared to drink to the health of the King, as part of the ceremony. Jenner, now His Majesty King Jenner III, rose from his throne for his first speech as king.
"My friends," he said, putting up a most convincing show of a loving and caring leader, "I thank you all deeply for your support today. As you know, the late King Nicodemus and I were often at odds, but he was still my Uncle. He was a strong and dedicated leader, but unfortunately, a good heart is a dangerous weakness. He didn't deserve to die like this. I swear to the Great Owl, the enemy responsible for this monstrous crime will be destroyed! And so will all the traitors who attempt to shield him!"
"To the health of King Jenner!" announced Sullivan, proposing a toast. The spectators raised their goblets in Jenner's direction and drank to his health, wishing him a long reign and victory over the human Anderson and the humans of Nimh. That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Nimh-Beta – a dark age was descending upon the Rats and no one even realised it. Well, almost no one.
Observing the whole thing through the keyhole behind the closed doors, Tanya was in a dilemma. The news of Josh's apparent betrayal had shaken her to the core. How could her kind and noble friend, who'd saved her brother's life and made such a difference in hers, murder the king? It was completely unthinkable.
At first glance, it all seemed obvious; Josh's dog-tags found at the scene of the crime, a sworn witness who'd seen him there the night before Nicodemus' death, backed by Jenner's constant suspicions of the human being an enemy spy, were enough to shift public opinion against the human unanimously. Even Isabella, still in a state of shock, was convinced Josh had murdered her grandfather and demanding he be hunted down. But somehow Tanya felt something didn't quite add up.
She knew it would be insane to express her concerns to anyone; Jenner, she'd been told, was already tagging all those who'd been sympathetic to Josh and who were bound to feel his displeasure soon or later. But one of the great advantages of being a lowly servant-girl was the ability to be seen but not seen. And she had the makeshift radio Josh had left her that nobody else knew about. The only question was, did she dare risk imprisonment and possibly torture and execution to warn him?
Sighing, Tanya made up her mind. Deep within her heart, she knew Josh wasn't a killer; someone else, somehow had killed Nicodemus and he was the perfect scapegoat. And she wasn't about to let her friend be hunted down like some wild beast. Now was the right time to repay the favour he'd done her and her brother. And repay the favour she would!
Author's note: My apologies for taking so long to update, but I was fighting writer's block with this story. I hope to post the next chapter by Easter. Enjoy and please review!