Everything was prepared. In the kingdom of Thorn Valley, the great day had
arrived in which their supreme leader, Justin, would wed the beautiful Nicole.
At the surface, the light of the morning sun activated the solar
panels that powered the intricate system of computers which was the heart of Thorn Valley.

It was amazing to know the capacity for knowledge that NIMH had given the rats,
which was accidental, could be cultivated to such a degree, until the rats
could construct computers, accessories, rooms, entire cities in miniature, and
continue creating things which the humans didn't even know existed.

But even as the rats had invented all kinds of machines to assist them, one thing
was absolutely clear: If the humans ever found them out, they would most
certainly be destroyed.

Humans, especially the NIMH scientists, continued their experiments on animals,
but in secret. The world had discovered the abominations they committed on
animals and had made them publicly promise not to conduct any more experiments
with the animals unless they were really necessary; but, bribing the
appropriate authorities, they continued with their barbaric scientific
lunacies.

That is why the rats had built their city many kilometers underground, as they
had done when they had initially escaped, living under the rose bush, until
Mrs. Brisby discovered the secret that her husband had never told her, and with
that secret had found a new world previously unknown to her.

The kingdom was a very well organized place. The rooms were connected by secret
passageways that led to an opening to the sea, where there awaited a gigantic
vessel that would take them to another planet - such were their future plans.
Each underground apartment had all that the rat, or family of rats, would
require to live within its walls. Since they were so far underground, the city
had to have an efficient ventilation system which allowed fresh air into all
the rooms throughout the kingdom to keep under
control the immense heat which comes from living so far underground.

Justin had done his job well. Nicodemus would have been very proud of him.

The fluorescent lamps, with their brilliant, white, luminous glow, began to
turn on slowly, flooding every corridor of the city with light, greeting each
and everyone of the rats in the kingdom. The rats, after
giving thanks for another day of life, prepared themselves for the research and
arduous work that they would accomplish that day.

But for Justin, this day would mark a milestone in the history of the rats of
NIMH. He would marry the lovely Nicole, a girl rat whom he had met when they
had first established the colony in Thorn Valley.

Nicole's beauty could only be paralleled with her remarkable intelligence. She
was a student to Mr. Ages, and so quickly did she grasp knowledge, that after
reading books on space and black holes and warp-holes, she ventured to travel
to make contact with other civilizations and came across a planet which she sweetly
called "Caramelo" and she helped Justin construct the immense vessel
which would take them there.

But that's not all she could do.

She quickly became the youngest and most talented scientist that the rats had
ever had. In addition to being Mr. Ages' most trusted apprentice, helping him
develop all his projects jointly; for example, they invented
a "multi-purpose medicine," that cured, as if by magic, any infection
that the rats caught.

And that is why no one in Thorn Valley got sick. But only Mr. Ages and her knew
the formula.

Her relationship with Justin was at first only on a professional basis. But
then he began noticing that she was a female, and that his hormones and he
himself became stimulated every time she spoke with him, by the
sparkle in her eyes, by her sensual rat figure, and by her exquisite, seductive
manner. This led him to begin finding things in common with her, that
eventually took them to the joyous decision of marriage.

Since Nicodemus' death Justin had found it difficult to feel happy, but this
day he felt radiant. In his night-gown he went to the computer monitor in his
bathroom to get ready for the day - he wanted and needed to
look really handsome. This was going to be the most important day of his life,
and he didn't want anything to go wrong. Rapidly he activated the
heat-sensitive panel and the monitor turned on with a flash of light, then
with a kaleidoscopic pattern which then reflected his face.

"Please, show me how to make myself look more, uh, handsome." he
said. The monitor became jet-black, as if the computer were asking itself,
'What is he trying to ask me? You look fine to me, Justin. What's eating you?'

Justin, a bit impatient because of the computer's delay, drummed his fingers on
the bathroom sink until the monitor began showing a whirlwind symphony of
colors, and an amorphous form began to take shape, turning into a picture of a
younger-looking Justin, dressed in an outfit like a medieval Crusader knight.

"No, that's 'way too old-fashioned, let's try something else." Justin
couldn't stand the wait. The monitor also seemed impatient. They had plenty of
time, but they wanted to check out all the different possibilities of apparel.

The screen repeated its spectacle of lights and colors, until a picture of
Justin appeared again, this time dressed as an elegant Victorian English
gentleman.

"That's worse! I look like a human!" Justin quipped. The very thought
of looking like a human dismayed him, though it also struck him as funny.

And so on, the screen kept on showing him all the different costumes it could
offer, until its memory bank ran out, and it went blank, as if saying: 'That's
all I've got; what more could you want?!'

"Let's see," said Justin to the monitor, "There must be
something you have that 'Nicky' (as he had affectionately nicknamed Nicole)
will find me even handsomer in than ever. Wait! I've got an idea. Let's try a
combination of all the costumes!"

The computer obeyed his order, and after combining hundreds of models, it
finally came up with one that enhanced Justin's personality, although it really
didn't have anything really new.

"Very well, I think I'll stick with this one," said Justin, looking
at himself, "Good work, now, get busy readying it up for today's
ceremony."

While the computer prepared to blend the materials and colors which would
promptly produce his commissioned suit, Justin went back to his room and sat at
the edge of his bed. He looked at a pencil sketch of Nicole he had made during
a meeting of the Council.

"I have no doubt that I've been blessed with the best life can
offer," he said, turning away from the picture, "I have Nicky, I am
the leader of the rats. After all the suffering we've been through, finally
everything
returns to normal and destiny smiles upon us. I hope Nicky's calculations are
right and 'Caramelo' won't be just another wasted dream..."

A voice said: "You're right y'know, Justin... I never expected out destiny
to carry us to the stars and beyond. To tell you the truth, I like it here.
I've gotten used to it."

The rat who had spoken and entered Justin's chamber was Mosh. Mosh was a
brilliant, clever and jesting young rat who was also Justin's assistant. Chosen
by the Council out of hundreds of aspiring candidates, Mosh's one objective in
his life was to find his past. But he also helped Justin lead the rats, because
Justin needed someone to help him. The job of leader was too demanding for only
one rat. He couldn't do it all by
himself.

Mosh had such a tremendous thirst for knowledge that he surprised himself with
how much he could learn. Justin had already told him about the rats of NIMH,
about Nicodemus, about the amulet, about the Brisby family, and about Jonathan,
but the young rat was most incredulous and found contradictions to just about
everything Justin said.

Mosh had been born while the rats were still living in the Rosebush, and while
the move of the Brisby home was taking place he suffered an injury which had
rubbed out his memory of everything that had happened until the rats moved to
Thorn Valley. Little by little, his intelligence had begun to recuperate, but
not his memory.

"Mosh," Justin stared at him very intently, "Haven't I told you
to knock before you enter? How would you've liked it if I hadn't recognized you
and atomized you on the spot?"

Justin was too cautious. Someone might want to kill him and take over the
kingdom, so he always had his blaster on hand...

"I'm sorry Justin, it's just that this day is really important for you
and, well, it's important for all of us, and I wanted to know if you were okay,
if you were alright and anyway, the door was.. um, if I did something bad
please forgive me for my intrusion and I promise you it won't happen
again." Mosh felt that he had bothered Justin, "If you want me to go,
I'll go and..."

"No, no, since you're already here, I want you to help me put together
some materials for the Council." The boy sat down next to him as if
waiting for Justin to tell him what he wanted. Then he decided to speak
up, in case Justin decided to tell him to go away.

"This is a great day for you isn't it?", Mosh really felt intrigued
about what was going to happen and he frequently stepped out of protocol and
would speak to Justin as if he were just an older brother. Justin didn't
like this familiarity too much, but it didn't bother him either, because this
was the only respite he had from his obligations as leader of the rats.
Nevertheless, Mosh would have to learn to do and say things at the
appropriate moment. He would have to learn self-discipline.

Justin gave him a sardonic look and a mischievous smile appeared on his face,
"What do you think Mosh?" Justin murmured, "I am so nervous that
my limbs are trembling and I can't control them." A tender expression of
surprise began to appear on Mosh's face. Justin continued, "I think you'll
have to be close to me in case I swoon!"

"I can't believe it. Justin, the leader of the rats, trembling with
fear?!?!?!???"

"Yes.", Justin mumbled with a downward cast on his face, "My
decision required thinking about all the possibilities. Once, twice, even three
times before I could take it. Don't think it was easy. Someday you'll have to
make these kinds of decisions." He looked rather sure of what he was
saying, "I love Nicole. I love her so much that if I had to decide between
the kingdom and her, I would choose her!"

"I think I'd take the same decision as you." Justin looked at him
very seriously. "Hey!," Mosh continued, "Don't take it the wrong
way, I only want to help you out, Justin." The boy spoke with full
sincerity, "I have
seen you both together and truly I envy you."

"Thanks, my young friend, I also hope you will find the female for you,
and that you will be happy with her, even if were to have to lose you as my
assistant. Now, please, I need to be alone for a few moments. Take
these papers and put them in order in the main room; I will be along
shortly." Justin pointed to a pile of papers on his desk.

The boy looked at the papers with disdain, Justin noticed that. "Never
forget that you have to work and make an effort to get to be someone important.
It took me a lot of effort to get where I am now. Don't think
that when we moved here everything was easy. We really had to struggle to build
this city and all the rats were under my responsibility. Some died during the construction.
Others went away from the kingdom to live independently without knowing if they
would survive." Justin put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "All that
we have obtained is the fruit of our labor so what I am asking you is for a
little bit of your effort so you
can help us out." The boy looked downwards, feeling sorry for what he had
thought and promising to himself to help out the best he could Justin said:
"Now, go to the main room and wait for me there."

Mosh turned on his heels and left the room at a fast pace, as if he were
counting each second that passed. He walked through the hallways thinking about
how to finish all his activities before they were due and help
Justin with the details of the wedding; he didn't want to miss out on anything.
He wanted to be there. He wanted to be part of the great happiness that this
day would bring.

But he had forgotten one small detail; his OWN attire! So, he stopped dead in
his tracks and looked at the screen that was in the hallway, which he activated
with a slight horizontal wave of his paw. The screen flashed on immediately.

The wizened face of an elderly rat appeared on the screen and slowly said,
"Nicodemus will always live in the hearts of the Rats of NIMH! Please give
me your identification number."

Mosh said, "M - 357900." Mosh was annoyed at how slowly the older rat
on the screen was speaking, puh, how typical of the old ones. "Your I.D
number has been accepted. Would you like to order something
special, brigadier Mosh?"

"Please," said Mosh, "Give me a visual output of my clothes
storage." The screen began showing him automatically all the clothes that
were available in his inventory of costumes. "Very well," he said,
"I would like my best tuxedo to be ready this afternoon at 17:00
hours."

"Understood," said the screen, "We shall process your order
immediately." The screen blinked off and Mosh's face took on a more calm
and confident expression and he turned towards the main hall to meet with all
the members of the Council.

To Be Continued…