-- Chapter 6: Would you believe...The Magnificent 7 1/2? --

               And Dangermouse's attempts at breaking in are 
               less than totally successful, as he runs into 
               transport problems... and the force of gravity.

                            Isembard, "The Oddball Runaround - Episode 2"
                                              --The "Dangermouse" Series


     "It's total junk." Kan smiled at the rubble heap in front of her. The rest of 
the group, crowded around behind her, agreed with a sigh of relief. The heap in 
front of them was a large rock with a rope tied around it, the end of the rope 
laying nearby. The rock was one of the many traps that they had come across which 
had disabled itself, due to the passage of time. For this one, Gadget theorized that
some crude mechanical device acting as a trigger, most likely a pressure plate of 
sorts, would have triggered something to cut the rope, dropping the rock on the
unsuspecting trespasser.
     Time, however, had worn away at the rope, slowly corroding and eating away at
it, until the rope was too weak to support the rock, bringing it down far ahead of 
anyone even entering the corridor. It was pretty much what they had found all along 
the way thus far. Tripwires that had been eaten away by mold, metal trap doors which
were rusted shut, and bamboo shoots that had fallen to pieces long ago. All in all, 
nobody complained about the rate they were moving, verily skipping from one 
inoperable barrier to the next.
     The physical obstacles were just as easy. A number of doors and gates barred 
the way, but those that couldn't be forced down were circumvented by Gadget and her 
numerous inventions or Zipper and his lockpicking skills. Such was the ease that 
they moved on, that none of them really noticed the smoothness of the walls to the 
latest corridor they had just entered. At the far end of it was a doorway covered by
a iron grate, rusted over and wet from the sea breeze flowing through the corridor.
     "We're almost there." Tham checked his map with his penlight. "Through that
opening is a large chasm we'll have to traverse, but that's it. After that is the 
room in the basement level."
     "What are we going to do about the guards, though?" Geegaw asked as the
started towards the iron grate covering the exit. "I'd rather not have to hurt 
anyone, if possible."
     Tham nodded resolutely. "No argument here. Most of the members of the
Furfoot, are, after all, my family members. True, more in a honorable sense than a 
genetic one, but still they are family. I would not want them harmed if we can avoid
it. It's not their fault that Naki has taken over, so I don't see why they would 
need to be punished."
     Kan shook her head sadly as she walked alongside Gadget. "How can he be so
wise at times," she whispered, "and yet still insist on this honorless quest?"
     "I don't know," Gadget whispered back with a smile, "but I wouldn't be too
judgmental, Kan. You did, after all, volunteer to assist us all on this 'honorless
quest', without anyone even asking you."
     "I... well, that is to say...." She stumbled for a moment, then gave up with a
amused sigh. "All right, I'll concede to that point. But that's all."
     "All that I asked for." Gadget nudged Kan with a grin.
     Zipper buzzed quickly down the hallway to the iron grate. The holes in the 
grate were just large enough for him to fit, so he carefully pushed himself through
to the other side, and started looking about for a release lever of some kind to 
open the grate.
     Chip, Dale and Monterey brought up the rear of the group, with Chip starting to
feel like he was missing something. Something important.
     "Do either of you two feel that?" he finally asked Dale and Monterey.
     "Feel what, Chipper?" Monterey looked at his friend, puzzled.
     "Yeah..." Dale mentioned slowly, looking around. "I think I know what you
mean, Chip." His gut instinct was starting to rumble, and he doubted it was merely 
hunger pains.
     "I'm not sure Monterey." Chip frowned and checked behind them. The way was
clear, and nothing was blocking them from it, either. "I just have the sensation 
that we're missing something here. Something obvious and in plain sight probably."
     "Well, mates, then we start with that," Monterey nodded, looking about. "We're
in a small, wide corridor, with one end closed off by an iron grate, which isn't 
too much of a surprise, seein' as how it's the third one we've run into. The hallway
is made from stone, leading straight back to the--" Monterey cut off abruptly as he
realized what the problem was at the same time as Chip and Dale.
     "Leading straight back..." Monterey had said. *That's* what the problem was!
The corridor they had followed all this way was constantly twisting and turning, 
having been cut out of the solid rock. *These* walls, while not man-made, were still
a good deal smoother then the rest of the corridor even had been. Shooting a glance 
at the stone floor, they saw several deep grooves perpendicular to the walls, as if 
something large and heavily was continuously drug back and forth across the floor.
     Dale looked up at his friends further on down the hallway, walking confidently.
He was about the yell out some type of warning, although he wasn't sure what to warn
them against, when they stepped on a simple slab of stone on the floor. It sunk in a
little, and a loud metallic clang reverberated through the air.
     Spinning back around, Dale watched as the way back was cut off by a large
block of stone grinding its way to the floor, seconds before the entire length of 
the corridor walls closed in at a slow, steady pace. The bottom of the walls ground
ominously as they were pushed out over the floor.
     "I think we found a working trap," Geegaw grimaced as they made a break for
the iron grate.
     Zipper, having seen the walls began to close in, intensified his search 
tenfold, practically bouncing from one section of the wall to another. Geegaw, Tham
and Monterey crowded around the iron grate, trying to push or pull a section free. 
It refused to budge.
     Spotting a clump of moss over to the side, Zipper flew over and ripped it off,
revealing what he'd hoped to find: A simple iron lever in the floor. He put all if 
his weight into it, but the rusted hinges were too much for his small frame.
     "Zipper, here!" Chip quickly pulled some rope from his jacket and made a lasso,
pushing it through to the housefly. "Secure this around the lever! We should have 
enough leverage here to pull it back!"
     In the blink of an eye, Zipper had grabbed the lasso, secured it to the lever,
and even started to pull on it himself, knowing they needed every bit of strength 
possible if they hoped to escape this simple, yet grisly effective, trap.
     "Okay everyone, heave!" Monterey led the pull along with the others, putting
everything they had into it. The lever groaned and shifted a bit, but not much.
     "Again!" Geegaw called. They heaved as one once more, only succeeding in
barely shifting it from its current position.
     "It's rusted tight!" Kan cried.
     "Keep pulling!" Tham yelled. "It's still movable!"
     Fearfully glancing at the ever-closing in walls, Dale gulped as they heaved 
again. Another slight shift. "We're not gonna make it in time!"
     "Zipper!" Gadget called the fly back over to the grate. "Listen, you have to 
find a way into the mechanism that's making these walls close, and slow them down!"
     But where do I get in?! Zipper's eyes pleaded.
     "Check around the area with the lever," Gadget grunted as she continued to pull
along with the others. "They must have had some way to get in and service the 
mechanism when needed."
     Zipper darted off back to the lever, glancing with growing worry as it allowed
another slight shift, but was still over halfway away from the position needed to 
release the iron grate. Turning his attention to the task at hand, he flew over the 
area, trying to see if he could find something in the little light available.
     Growing increasingly more frustrated, he almost missed the sound of metal on
metal, coming from the wall behind the lever. Flitting over, he saw that the noise 
was escaping from a small hole cut out of the rock leading into the pitch blackness 
beyond.
     Knowing he needed a light, Zipper flew back to the group, snatching Gadget's
small miner's light she wore on her head, then flew back through the small hole. 
Arcing the light about, he had to take a moment to gaze in wonder at the complexity 
of what he was seeing glimpses of. Large gears and cogs spun slowly, various belts 
and pulleys fed ropes and chains to and fro, for who knows how many purposes. It was
something Gadget would have been impressed with, especially considering it was made 
hundreds of years ago.
     Blinking away his awe, he set about finding the best way to slow down the 
walls, or better yet, stop them all together. He had only flown in a short way, 
though, when he realized that the mechanism he was in was much larger than he first
suspected. No matter where he flashed the light about, nothing but gears and cogs 
could be seen, reaching upwards into a seemingly infinite darkness. He knew he could
easily get lost trying to find a particular spot, so concentrated his search in the 
immediate area.
     One of the nice things about complex machinery, he thought with hope, is that 
it only takes a little monkey wrench in the right place to sabotage the whole 
machine. The trouble is *finding* the right place. And doing it *now*.
     Swinging the light to one side, he noticed a promising location. A chain was
being pulled through a small metal slot off to one side. If he could stick something
through the chain that would catch the sides of the metal plate the hole was in, it 
might do the trick. Wishing that things could be simple for a change, he worked his 
way back to the hole, and out to his friends. The walls were a hair's breath from 
touching their sides, and continuing to press together.
     I found something, he quickly indicated, but I need something long and slim for
it to work.
     Gadget let go of the rope and tried to shove one of their staves through, only 
to find it wouldn't fit through the holes.
     "Drat!" She grumbled. "They're too big!"
     "Wait, Zipper, what about this?" Kan pushed one of her throwing sticks through,
but after a quick glance, Zipper shook his head.
     Too short. We need something longer!
     Thinking for a moment, Tham quickly freed his wakizashi from its sheath and
pushed the sheath through to Zipper. "Here, take this and go! There's no time to 
waste!"
     The walls had already connected with Monterey's sides, starting to pin him in
place.
     Fighting back his shrieking fear, Zipper flew back to the small hole, and 
darted over to the section of the metal plate. With a deft jab, he shoved the metal
sheath through a chain link just as it was passing through the hole. A loud clank 
echoed throughout the inner workings of the machine as the sheath held against the 
force pulling it, momentarily halting the progress of the walls.
     Zipper's joy was short-lived, however, as he heard the straining on the sheath
against the continuous pull of the chain. It bent slightly, and continued to groan. 
Zipper knew it would only buy them a minute at the most. He shot back out to the 
cavern, where his friends behind the iron grate continued to strain against the 
rope, shifting the lever a tad closer to the life-saving opening position. They were
close now, but Monterey, effectively held in place by the walls, couldn't get any 
leverage, subtracting a great deal of strength from his, and the group's, effort.
     Knowing time was of the essence, Zipper flew around to the back of the lever, a
good distance away. He nodded to Kan, at the front of the single line they had been
forced to form from the closing walls. She glanced at him, and understood his plan.
     "Okay everyone, on three, one last heave!" She planted her feet firmly against
the floor.
     "Did you have to say 'one last', Kan?" Dale grumbled as he and Chip gripped the
rope tighter.
     "One... Two...."
     Zipper took off like a shot, aiming directly for the top of the lever, where 
the least amount of resistance would be.
     "Three!"
     The group put their last bit of strength, bolstered by the very real fear of 
grinding death, into a Herculean pull at the same instant Zipper plowed his shoulder
into the lever from behind at full speed. The lever shrieked as it was forced all 
the way back for the first time that century. Zipper rebounded fiercely off of the 
lever to the hard, stone floor, where he grunted in pain for a moment, lying still.
     The iron grate creaked as the release mechanism was triggered, allowing the
grate to swing out into the cavern, away from the deadly hallway. Or at least, as 
far as its rusted hinges would allow.
     "We just can't get a break!" Kan snarled. With kick backed by a incredible 
sense of frustration, Kan rammed her foot into the iron grate, forcing it all the 
way open, and bending it slightly in the process.
     With no time for congratulations, the group quickly poured out from the now
narrow passageway as another shriek of metal from the inner workings signalled the 
sheath had bent yet again, starting to being pulled all the way in and allowing the 
walls to slam together. Another cry from Monterey alerted them that he was not only 
still stuck in between the constricting walls, but, with this latest shift, stuck 
even more tightly.
     "Come on!" Geegaw cried. The group reached in to grasp Monterey's
outstretched hand and pulled heartily. But to no avail. Monterey was wedged in 
between the walls too securely. Maybe, if they had the proper tools and time, the 
could work him free. But had neither, and another shriek from the inner workings, 
resulting in another cry from Monterey, told them they no time left.
     That's when Dale had a flash of insight. Letting go of Monterey's hand and
jumping up over the others, he landed on Monterey's shoulders. Leaning over his 
friend's back, he opened up Monterey's backpack and starting tearing through it.
     "Save yourself, pally!" Monterey tried to tell Dale, but the pressure from the
walls forced it out as grunts.
     Where is it? Where is it?! Dale thought frantically as he ripped out small 
tools and items looking for one thing in particular. Finally, his hand latched on a 
small, wrapped object. The paper was scent proof, so the odor couldn't be smelled at
all. Dale grinned as he unwrapped the slice of Brie '86, glad to know Monterey had 
been predictable enough to bring at least a little cheese with him on this mission.
     Taking the piece firmly in his hand, Dale swung it back around, shoving it 
fully into Monterey's nose. The heavenly aroma of Monterey's obsession filled the 
Australian mouse's mind, blocking out all feelings of pain and helplessness. Dale 
then leapt back off of Monterey's shoulders to the cavern beyond, setting the cheese
down a good foot away from the closing hallway.
     Monterey, eyes swirling and moustache in full Cheese Attack mode, couldn't
have cared less if he was in a deathtrap or a funhouse. With a sudden surge of 
strength brought on by his overriding obsession, Monterey actually shifted forward,
creating some gravel to rain against the floor as his body ground against the stone 
walls.
     Everyone had moved back, except for Kan. Unaware of Monterey's actions when
under a Cheese Attack, and the subsequent loss of coherent thought, she stood 
watching in awe, directly in his path to the cheese.
     "Kan!" Chip called out a warning, leaping for her at the same time.
     A single second passed, and everything happened at once.
     The first third of the second, Chip tackled Kan roughly to the side, out of the
path of the cheese.
     The second third of the second, Monterey forced his way out of the hallway, and
would've plowed right through Kan with incredible momentum if she wasn't out of 
harm's way by now.
     The final third of the second, another shriek erupted from the inner workings 
of the gears, as the sheath was pulled all the way in, and the stone walls slammed 
shut with a resounding crunch.
     Puffing heavily, Chip pushed himself to his knees, helping Kan to a sitting
position as Monterey scarfed down the Brie in a heartbeat.
     "Are you okay?" Chip asked, holding her steady with one hand.
     "Yes..." Kan was breathing heavily, but otherwise unharmed. She looked over at
Monterey. "He wasn't quite thinking when he smelled the cheese, was he?"
     "He wasn't thinking, period," Chip answered, helping Kan to her feet. "Sorry
about having to tackle you like that, but I didn't think he would have been as 
gentle as I tried to be."
     Kan laughed. "It's all right, Chipper. After all," she ran her fingers along 
the back of his hand, "it's quite a thrill to be taken in your arms passionately." 
Her voice was low and sultry as her green eyes bore into his, just a hint of a smile
to show she was teasing.
     Be that as it may, Chip felt his face grow hot in about two nanoseconds, and
coughed nervously, turning away with a grin. "Just doing my duty, Kan."
     "Mmmm...I like that attitude," she answered with a throaty chuckle.
     Monterey's groan brought everyone's attention back to the present.
     "Crikey..." Monterey settled himself on the floor, rubbing his hand over his
chest. "Me chest feels like it was pushed through a laundry press. Extra starch."
     Gadget walked over and pulled his collar down so she could see. Wincing at the
huge bruises across his chest, she gently patted him on the shoulder. "You'd better
be careful, Monty. Those bruises look pretty severe. You were, after all, nearly 
crushed to death. Who knows what the extent of your internal injuries are?"
     Monterey nodded absently, watching as Kan walked over to Zipper and gently
helped him up. The housefly was in a semi-conscious state, but as he shifted 
position, a searing jab of pain brought him fully awake.
     "What is it?" Kan asked.
     Zipper's eyes were squeezed shut, My shoulder and arm, they're killing me.
     Gadget quickly moved next to him, and carefully made a cursory examination.
"Oh, Zipper." Her voice was full of sorrow. "You've dislocated your shoulder!"
     Pop it, the housefly's searing gaze commanded.
     "What?" Gadget looked shocked at the notion.
     It's only going to get in the way unless I get it set properly, Zipper's eyes
confirmed. Pop it back into place, and hurry.
     His face was grim, as he knew about the pain involved.
     Gadget could only turn to the others for help. She knew how to do it, but the
thought of causing someone else pain, even if it helped them, was abhorrent to her.
     Without a word, Kan reached over and took Zipper's limp arm, deftly giving it
an expert twist. Zipper ground his teeth against the yelp of pain that formed as his
shoulder snapped back into place. Everyone grimaced at the yelp, watching quietly as
the blood drained from Zipper's face, and he almost fainted. Kan rested his head 
against her lap, soothingly running her hand over his forehead.
     "Take it easy, Zip," she cooed. "You saved all of our lives. I think that 
entitles you to a little rest."
     Zipper blinked tiredly as Gadget moved over and unpacked some medical supplies
from her pack. As she began to treat his injury, and place the arm in a small sling,
the others moved over into the center of the cavern.
     "Are you sure you're okay, Monty?" Geegaw glanced at his friend with concern.
"You might want Gadget to give you something for those bruises."
     "Nah, I'm fine." His pained expression told otherwise, but Geegaw didn't call 
him on it.
     Shining their flashlights around them, they could see that the cavern they were
in was fairly large for rodents, about five feet in diameter. The walls went up for 
a good four feet before ending, while the ceiling wasn't visible, even with their 
flashlights. It was as if they were in a stone beaker of sorts. They did spot, 
however, the start of a wooden bridge on the very edge of the lip of the walls, 
directly above them.
     The other interesting thing they noticed was the number of mirrors around them.
Dozens of them were anchored in the walls at various positions, their faces turned 
at every conceivable angle.
     "What do you think these are all about?" Geegaw wondered.
     "Maybe the people who used this place were really vain," Dale commented.
     "Hmmm..." Tham looked about. "I don't see any way out of here through the
walls, unless there's a hidden passage. Looks like that," he looked up at the 
bridge, "is where we go from here."
     "But how do we get up there?" Geegaw asked, looking up the four feet.
     "Well," Gadget said factually, "we can use one of the plunger harpoons. Latch 
the plunger to the base of the bridge and haul ourselves up. But to be honest, we 
only have three of the those. I'd like to wait until it was only absolutely 
necessary to use them. I also don't see a place to attach the plunger to."
     "I wonder," Chip thought out loud. "How did the people using this passageway
get up there?"
     "And how do these mirrors fit into it?" Kan mumbled, looking about. Zipper was
resting comfortably on her shoulder for the moment. He could still fly without too 
much of a hassle, but preferred to nestle against Kan's soft hair for the time 
being.
     Gadget, having gotten the miner's light back from Zipper, strapped it back
around her head, leaving her hands free to inspect some of the closest mirrors. 
Each one of the them was securely cemented in the walls, and looking at the mirrors 
anchored farther up, she guessed that they were firmly attached as well.
     "It looks like whoever put the mirrors here wanted to make sure they weren't
moved." She informed the group. "Not an iota."
     She turned and looked at one of the mirrors again, the light flashing off of 
the reflective surface.
     "Hey, what do you make of this?" Monterey called their attention over to a 
clear section of the wall, where an old, rusted lantern rested on an equally rusted
spike in the rock face.
     "Maybe it was left so those travelling through wouldn't be in the dark?" Dale
suggested.
     But Tham shook his head. "You forget, Dale, that one would need light in the
first place in order to find the lantern. That suggests its purpose was meant for 
something else."
     Dale reached out and picked up the old lantern, looking at it intently. "But
what?"
     Kan stepped over and looked over his shoulder at it. "It's a bullseye style of
lantern, I wonder if that means anything?"
     Bullseye Lantern? Zipper's arched eyebrows asked.
     "It means that you could close off sections of it," Gadget explained, still
inspecting the other mirrors, "And use it like a directional light source. The light
would come out one way, and in a more focused beam. Not as focused as modern 
flashlights, of course, but still impressive considering the time frame." She went 
back to studying the mirrors, her own miner's light flashing off of each one.
     Chip watched as she worked, growing mesmerized by the flashing light
whenever it hit a mirror. Occasionally, the light hit two mirrors, which Chip found
to be strangely fascinating for some unknown reason.
     "Tham," he heard himself say, "how do you think your ancestors got up to that
bridge?"
     "Well, Chip, I'm not entirely sure." He looked back up to their intended
destination. "I would guess, from stories I've heard, that a release mechanism for a
ladder or rope is around somewhere."
     "Great," Monterey mumbled, rubbing his chest. "More mechanisms."
     "Of course, the location would be secret, and well hidden, naturally. We could
start a search of the walls, but it could take hours to search all the possible 
areas, even with all of us searching."
     As Tham talked about the location of a possible trigger being secret, the last
piece of the puzzle fell into place in Chip's mind. "That's it," he chuckled 
suddenly.
     "Hmm?" Kan turned to him. "What's it?"
     He motioned for her to wait for a moment. "Gadget! Come over here real quick,
will you?"
     "What is it, Chip?" Gadget asked, bounding over.
     He took her hand and led her over to where they had found the lantern. Glancing
about, he found the only mirror at eye level, which he noted was also a small one, 
and angled up slightly.
     "Just big enough for a shaft of light," he grinned. "Assuming you knew to use 
this one."
     "What?" Gadget, along with the rest of the group, still wasn't clear on Chip's
theory.
     "Everyone stand against the wall, next to a mirror. You should be out of the 
way, then." He stood against the wall next to the mirror Gadget was in front of. 
"Okay Gadget, shine your miner's light directly into the mirror. Everyone! Watch 
for where the light lands!"
     They were about ask what he meant when Gadget aimed her miner's light
directly at the mirror, sending the light into a countless number of reflections. 
The beam bounced from mirror to mirror, each one angling it to another waiting 
reflective surface, which sent it off to yet another one. The whole process took 
less than a second, but everyone could only stare in awe at the elaborate pattern of
light that was created. As Gadget remained motionless in front of the first mirror,
the beam remained quite visible in the dark room. They could have followed it around
the area, but instead did what Chip suggested, and looked for where it ended.
     As it turned out, it ended directly in the middle of Chip's chest. Blinking at
it, Chip stepped away from the wall, allowing the light to fall on a section of the
wall, which upon closer inspection showed to have some very minute cracks in the 
form of a square.
     "Makes sense," Chip reasoned. "The traveller would need to be able to reach the
trigger from where he was standing with the lantern."
     Reaching out, Chip pushed the stone square inwards, listening as a low grinding
came from around them.
     "I think I found it," he stated with a wry smile.
     The grinding continued to come from all around them, until they heard another
grinding from far above, followed by a rattling of chains. A chain ladder dropped 
into the center of the room, old and rusted, but still sturdy.
     "Right on the money, Tham," Chip nodded,
     "Indeed," Tham smiled, turning to Chip as the others quickly made their way up
the ladder. "But how did you know which mirror to use?"
     Chip shrugged. "Just seemed logical. Put it close to the lantern they provided 
so that the person wouldn't have to stumble about looking for it. Make it small and 
angled up so the chances of someone finding the proper angle to shine the light on 
it by accident were near impossible."
     They quickly followed the others up the chain ladder, which led up to start of
the wooden bridge. They noticed that the chain ladder continued up into the 
darkness, to the ceiling it undoubtably came from many more feet above. Even though
the lip of the wall they stood on was a foot thick, they decided to stay on the 
bridge, even before it went over the chasm. Carefully walking out onto the creaking
structure, they were glad to see that it was still it fairly decent condition, as 
the chasm it spanned seemed to drop on forever.
     "Um...Tham?" Dale asked, a bit nervously. "Any ideas as to how deep that is?"
     Tham looked down and shuddered. "No. Although on the way down, you'd
probably have time to compose a poem in iambic pentameter about your upcoming 
demise."
     "That's wasn't the answer I was hoping for." Dale grimaced as he fixed his eyes
on the other end of the bridge.
     They moved over it with the utmost caution, but were pleased to discover that
their fears, for once, were unfounded. The bridge was still sturdy enough for them 
to pass over it without it collapsing. On the other side was a simple set of steps 
leading up for a few feet, before coming to a rest at a door cut out of the stone.
     "There," Tham pointed as he led the way. "That will bring us out into the 
storage room, just down the hallway from the vault."
     "We still don't know how many guards we'll have to contend with, though,"
Geegaw frowned.
     "I'd wager on five to ten," Tham said confidently. "Naki wouldn't have placed
that many down here in front of the actual vault. Most of his men will be up in the
castle, guarding the walls and doors up there, where Naki thinks we'll have to come
through."
     Kan snorted at this. "Wise up, Tham. Naki is insane enough to kill his own
brother and sister-in-law to get his hands on power. I'd say he's also quite capable
of being paranoid of anyone getting their hands on that katana. I'll bet you're 
looking at around ten men, at least, and more likely thirty. And that's not 
including wandering patrols."
     Shaking his head, Tham chuckled. "You're an expert fighter, Kan. But an idiot
when it comes to full blown strategy." His tone indicated it wasn't a joke.
     Kan's hands gripped her staff, and Gadget believed if it wasn't for the fact 
that Geegaw and Monterey were in front of Kan, she would have taken a swing at Tham
right there.
     Moving up to the door, Tham pressed his ear against it and listened for a
moment, then stepped back and planted his feet. Leaning against the door, he grunted
as he forced it to the side, revealing a room interior. The group quickly filed in,
looking around at the empty space.
     "Not much stuff being stored for a storage room," Dale remarked.
     "What about the door?" Chip motioned to the open doorway they had just come
through. "Shouldn't we close it?"
     "We're going to have to move quick once our presence is known, even if we
think we've neutralized the threat," Tham answered, drawing his wakizashi. "I'd 
rather not have to worry about taking the time to open the door again if pursuit is
close behind."
     Dale's mind lingered on their escape for a moment, feeling as if he was 
forgetting something. But he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Oh well, he 
thought, if it's important, I'll remember when the time comes.
     Listening at the door again, Tham motioned for everyone to be quiet. "It sounds
clear," he whispered. "The vault is down the hallway and around the corner. As long 
as we maintain silence, we'll have the advantage of surprise on our side. I suggest 
that everyone plan out now how you can take down a guard as painlessly and quietly 
as possible."
     Everyone nodding, Tham eased the door in, poked his head out, and then stepped
fully into the hallway. The others noiselessly followed suit, forming a single line 
as Tham led the way down the hall. Torches were currently burning brightly, set in 
sconces spaced a few feet apart from each other. The hallway continued in both 
directions, each end disappearing around a corner about ten feet away from the 
storage room. Tham stealthfully crept up to the corner, peering around it as the 
others waited quietly behind him.
     He turned back and whispered. "The room is about five feet by five feet. No
furnishings, as it's meant as a type of entranceway for those coming down the steps
located across from the vault, which is currently on the same wall this hallway is 
at. Another hallway is located off to the side of the bottom of the stairs. Five 
guards. All outfitted in full O-yori armor."
     "O-yori?" Gadget asked quietly.
     "Oriental version of full plate mail," Kan responded in a hushed tone. 
"Protects just about everything except the face."
     "Don't matter too much," Monterey mumbled. "We're not tryin' to pierce through
the armor, just rattle 'em around a bit inside of it, until they're out."
     "True," Tham whispered, "but remember the noise it'll make."
     "Remember the noise *we'll* make if we have to force that vault open," Geegaw
grudgingly reminded Tham.
     "Every second we can go without making too much noise counts," Tham replied,
and even Kan nodded in agreement.
     "Once the castle is alerted to our presence, they'll be quick to mobilize their
forces. Quicker than we'd prefer." Her eyes had a trace of anxiousness, but no fear.
     "We strike hard and fast," Tham said, silently withdrawing his wakizashi from
his belt. "But only as needed. Remember, use only enough force to disable. This a 
retrieval mission, not a hit squad." He crouched over by the corner. "Those of you 
with missile weapons take out the guards farthest away, while the melee fighters 
deal with the closer ones. We'll have maybe one second, tops, before they react. 
Make it count."
     Gadget, Chip, and Dale checked over their plunger harpoons and nodded. Dale
had to smile to himself as he regarded their choice of weapons: household items 
against products of war.
     Tham then closed his eyes, and pushed away everything except for his goals in
this battle: disarm, disable, knockout. He breathed in a relaxed state, just like 
his father taught him many years ago, eventually becoming as solid and steady as 
the anvil his blade was forged on.
     With a brisk nod, the group leapt around the corner.
     Tham was correct on both counts. First, the guards were caught completely
off-guard. Gadget, Chip, and Dale all stepped out along the wall of the room, each 
taking a bead on the farthest ones. Firing as one, Gadget's shot was a perfect 
bullseye, smacking the guard closest to the stairwell leading upstairs square in the
face. He toppled over backward, the plunger not only preventing him from calling 
out, but also taking him out of the fight, as he tried in vain to remove it from his
face. Dale began to think that these weren't such bad choices after all, as his shot
plugged a guard across the bottom of his face, blocking off the mouth. Chips' shot 
drove into his knees, but didn't knock him over. That was fine for Chip, who had 
attached a rope to the end of the plunger. A strong tug pulled the guard's legs out
from under him, sending him to the floor.
     The second thing Tham was right about was the speed with which they
recovered their senses. The melee group had just closed as the guards withdrew their
katanas, giving a fierce warning cry.
     "So much for the element of surprise, mate," Monterey announced over to Tham,
both busy blocking the sword swings of their opponents.
     "It's a long way to the top of the stairs," Tham replied distractedly, dodging
another attack. "It's possible we can get out of this if it ends quickly."
     "Then let's end it!" Kan snarled, sweeping her armored opponent off of his feet
with a powerful blow from the staff. He fell flat on his back, knocking the wind out
of him. Kan was over him in an instant, giving a deft foot to his forehead, putting 
him out for the count.
     "Foot to the head...." she mumbled, dashing over to help the others.
     Chip, Dale and Gadget were busy tying up the guard Chip had tripped, which
was somewhat difficult, as he kept struggling. The chipmunks worked on keeping his 
limbs pinned so Gadget could do the actual binding.
     Monterey and Geegaw concentrated on the same guard, working surprisingly
well in unison. They merely fell back into their old fighting techniques. Geegaw
worked on the defense of the pair by blocking aside attacks for either him or 
Monterey, while Monterey pressed the attack. Although not as skilled in melee
as the guard, Monterey did have a definite strength advantage, which he pressed
to the limit. He made a quick nod to Geegaw, who reacted instantly. It was an old
maneuver they had developed long ago, but remembered it as easily as if it they
had just used it yesterday. Monterey abruptly changed tactics, not trying to hit
the guard, but his weapon. His strength carried the sword out, almost of of the
guards hands, but not quite. Not that it mattered, really, the whole purpose was
to make an opening for Geegaw. The aviator brought his trusted walking stick up 
quickly, connecting with the side of the guards helmet. The impact knocked the 
helmet halfway around his head, while at the same time knocking him out cold.
     Tham could have dropped his opponent long ago, but was waiting for a chance
to drop the man with one swift hit, to minimize the pain. Of course, this was 
problematic, as his opponent had no qualms about the pain he could inflict, and in
fact seemed very diligent on the matter. Tham bade his time for a few seconds on the
defense, waiting for an opening. Finally, the guard brought his sword up and over 
his head for an overhead chop with the katana, and Tham snapped his hand out while
leaping forward, driving the pummel of his sword directly between the mouse's eyes.
Unconscious, the guard collapsed to the floor.
     "One's getting away!" Gadget yelled, having just finished work on the now
bound and gagged guard. She pointed up the stairs, to where the one she had hit 
earlier was stumbling quickly up the steps, plunger still stuck to his face.
     Kan whipped out one of her throwing sticks, timed the mouse's motions for a
moment, and then let it fly. It sailed up along the bottom of the stairs, coming 
underneath the mouse's leading foot just as he was taking another step. The 
cylinder, stealing his traction, sent him tumbling back down the stairs, hitting the
bottom with an undignified thump. As he groaned, Gadget, Chip and Dale quickly moved
over to secure him as well. It proved to be easier than the last one, as he was too
dazed from the fall to fight back.
     Immediately turning his attention to the vault, Tham breathed a sigh of relief.
No new bars or locks were in place.
     Monterey took a moment to regard Geegaw. "You handled that walkin' stick of
yours like a master. Crikey, Geegaw, you becomin' a disciplined fighter on me?"
     Geegaw laughed. "Well, old friend, after the incident that made it necessary in
the first place," he leaned over and lifted his pant leg up enough to show off the 
long scar, "I decided that if I couldn't outrun the next attack, I'd better be able
to properly defend myself."
     "Is it that bad, mate?"
     "Well, not really, but don't expect me to do any marathons again. Even now,
after this short workout, it feels a little worked."
     "Really Dad?" Gadget came over with a concerned look on her face. "Do you
want to rest? Or maybe some medicine?"
     "Not now, honey." He patted her head affectionately. "Let's wait until we're 
clear of this mess first, eh?"
     It looks clear so far, Zipper reported as he flew back down the stairs. I just
went all the way up to the top, and the door's still shut.
     "Looks clear down here, too," Chip said as he looked down the hallway next to
the stairs. Nobody was coming.
     "That went easier than I thought," Dale mentioned, taking a deep breath. "Maybe
they weren't as tough as we thought."
     "Don't fool yourself, Dale," Tham said over his shoulder, carefully inspecting 
the vault door. "We were lucky. We had the advantage of surprise and utilized it to 
its fullest. Need I remind you that we are trying to keep injuries on both sides to 
a minimum? The other side could care less for the damage we receive."
     He found what he was looking for on the left side of the vault door, about
waist-level.
     "What is it?" Dale looked at it with confusion. Tham was tracing the outline of
a small slit in the stone door of the vault.
     "A keyhole." Tham slipped off his pendant and smoothly inserted it into the 
slit. It fit perfectly. He broke out into a grin as he carefully pressed down on the
top of the pendant, where the chain was attached. A dull clink was heard, and then a
massive shifting of stone as the vault door unlocked itself.
     "Whoa..." Dale watched in amazement as Tham put the pendant back on. "How'd
you do that?"
     With a knowing grin, Tham held up the pendant, showing the face of the now
familiar crescent moons and five stars on its face. He pressed on the top again, and
Dale blinked as the moons and stars were suddenly raised from the surface, if only a
minuscule amount.
     "Just enough," Tham explained, "to release the stonework lock within." He
turned to Gadget and gave her a wink. "It pays to have ancestors who have a knack
for engineering marvels."
     Monterey and Geegaw worked together to shift the heavy, stone door out on it's
solid metal hinge. Judging by the mass of the door, Monterey felt like it was either
lodestone or lead, or possibly a combination of both. Tham, Kan, Gadget, and Dale 
all quickly moved inside while Chip and Zipper maintained watch over the second 
hallway and stairwell.
     The interior of the vault was musty and old, having been sealed for the past
century or so. Everyone except for Tham looked about in wonder at the treasures 
around them. Huge statues made from true jade, emerald and gold jewelry, and 
elaborate paintings and weavings depicting past glories and tragedies surrounded 
them. Tham, however, saw nothing in the room, save for one object.
     It rested in a place of honor beneath a painting on petrified bamboo of a proud
and honorable samurai. The same one, the Rangers present reasoned, that made the 
mythical journey generations ago. Falling in behind Tham, they quickly moved over to
the back of the vault, to the pedestal the sword rest was placed upon. The katana 
itself, the legendary Time Blade, was tucked securely in its elaborate black iron 
and and silver inlaid sheath.
     Gingerly, as if he were handling a newborn, Tham hefted it from its cradle, a
single tear running down his cheek.
     "At last..." His whisper was hot and ragged. "My parents...I--"
     "We've got company!" Chip hollered from the outside of the vault. The sounds of
stampeding armored boots could be heard from echoing down the hallway and building 
every second.
     "Yeah mate!" Monterey yelled into the vault. "Those feet aren't little, and 
sure as Swiss cheese aren't goin' pitter-patter!"
     "The wandering patrols!" Kan cursed, berating herself for discounting that
possibility. They were lucky the patrol was far enough away to take this long to get
here. She dashed back outside, the others hot in pursuit. On his way out, Dale 
stopped to stuff a large amount of jewelry into his shirt.
     "What are you doing, Dale?!" Gadget shouted, unable to believe her eyes.
     "Buying us time!" He replied, running back out of the vault and to the hallway
opening alongside Chip. The chipmunks felt their stomachs drop as the patrol rounded
the corner, a good twenty mice strong, fully armed and armored.
     Tham stepped up next to them, then called out to the others, "Go! Run for the
bridge!"
     Zipper lead the way back as Monterey helped Geegaw along, the aviator's leg
starting to become more and more painful from all of the physical exertion. Gadget 
and Kan were next, followed by Tham. Chip started off, but turned back as he saw 
Dale was still waiting by the hallway.
     "Dale!" He cried, running back to his friend. "Come on!" He grabbed for Dale's
arm, but was shook off.
     "Not yet!" Dale's brow was furrowed in concentration. "They're almost close
enough!"
     "For what?! Skewering us?"
     "No, this!" Dale pulled out the vast array of valuables he had snatched from 
the vault, tossing them out into the oncoming squad of mice. The chipmunks bolted 
for the other hallway hearing the shouts behind them, of glee, surprise, and anger 
at those taking the time to stuff a piece of jewelry or handful of coins into their
armor somewhere.
     "I don't care how well trained a guard is, Chip," Dale explained as they fled
back to the storage room, "but when it rains pennies from heaven, it's gonna turn 
some heads."
     Chip had to admit he was right. Even if it only slowed down a third of the 
squad, that was a third less of their problems.
     They ducked into the room and through the stone door, hoping not to be too far
behind the others. They did take a moment to slow down as they reached the center of
the bridge, however. Not just because of its flimsy structure, but more so because 
of what they saw on the other side.
     On the lip of the wall which led to the mirror room, all of their friends, with
the exception of Tham, were securely bound and on their knees, a large contingent of
soldiers guarding them. Tham was on the lip as well, but had his sword drawn, the 
katana held securely in his other hand. Facing off against him was someone Chip was
none to happy to see.
     "Come on, Tham," Chan pleaded. "Just hand over the katana, and nobody has to
get hurt."
     "We both know we'll be taken up to Naki for sentencing, Chan." Tham shook his
head. "That's the same as committing seppuku."
     Gadget looked at Kan with a confused expression.
     Eyes downcast, Kan answered. "Suicide. Honorable, but suicide nonetheless."
     Tham and Chan's discussion was cut short as they heard the chipmunks
approach. Immediately, Tham threw the katana to them as they stopped at the center
of the bridge.
     "Here!" Tham cried. "Catch!"
     Caught off-guard, they almost missed it, but Dale snagged it at the last second
before it plunged into the endless depths below. Chip quickly took a moment to 
eload his plunger harpoon with his last plunger...but who to hit? One of the guards 
over Monterey, so he can try to break free? Or maybe Chan, so Tham can try to get to
the others? Better safe than sorry, he reminded himself, making sure that a rope was
securely attached to the back of the plunger, recalling how important it turned out
to be the last time he used it.
     "Go back!" Tham yelled again. "Before they guards cut off the passage! Get the
katana out of here!"
     "Too late," Dale mumbled as the squad of guards stepped out of the doorway
and blocked off the way back.
     "If it isn't my favorite chipmunk..." Chan stated coldly, looking intently at
Chip. "Maybe, just maybe, if you quietly turn yourselves and the katana in, I might
make your death a quick and relatively painless one. *Maybe*," he stressed.
     "Some choice," Chip grumbled, trying to find a way out of this mess.
     "Don't do it guys!" Kan called out. "If Naki gets his hands on the Time Blade,
it's curtains for everyone!"
     The guards on the other side quickly began to step up onto the bridge, heading
over towards them. The center of the bridge, where Chip and Dale were, was only wide
enough for single file, so Dale quickly moved a little towards the guards, dropping
into a defensive stance, staff held at the ready. He knew that taking one on at a
time would buy them some time. Of course, he also was aware that he couldn't hope to
match any of the guards in fighting prowess, so that time would be minimal. The wood
underneath the advancing guards feet groaned horribly, giving everyone a warning as
to what was about to happen.
     "Watch out pallies!" Monterey yelled. "She's gonna--"
     Unable to support all of the heavily armored guards in its weakened state, the
bridge shifted dangerously, causing everyone on it to drop to the floor of the 
bridge, which only served to cause another tremble, followed by a loud snapping
sound.
     "The bridge is collapsing!" Chan warned to his men. "Get off!"
     The guards, caring more for getting back to the safety of the stone edge than
being careful as they did so, thundered back the short distance to the security of
the solid rock. Chip and Dale braced themselves as the wooden supports on the side
the guards had stampeded across gave way, splintering free from the edge. The entire
bridge, now solely attached to the other side, began to list to the right, putting
even more strain on the lone supports holding the fractured span.
     "Chip! Dale!" Gadget tried to run to them, only to have the guards behind force
her back down.
     Chip shot a glance back to Dale, who was laying flat behind him. Given the
distance they had to cover before the rest of the bridge went down, he doubted 
either of them would make it in time. Hoping his hunch was right, he fired the final
plunger straight up, straining to hear when the plunger hit the ceiling. As long as
it wasn't more than ten feet, they had enough rope. Otherwise--
     The wooden supports let out a dying groan before snapping off. Chip and Dale
felt a momentarily instant of time freeze, as the bridge hung delicately in the air,
denying the laws of physics. But the moment passed quickly, and they felt their 
stomachs lurch as they started the journey downward. A echoing noise from above made
Chip's breath catch.
     "Dale!" Chip bellowed. "Grab the rope!"
     Scrambling in the precious second before entering complete freefall, the
chipmunks managed to snag the rope as the floor fell out from under them. The 
plunger, far above, was pulled down a little, but held fast. Dangling from the rope
in the center of the chasm, Chip and Dale watched with morbid fascination as the 
bridge tumbled effortlessly down into the enshrouding dark, vanishing from sight as
it plummeted towards oblivion.
     Tham, who had fearfully watched the narrow escape of his friends, had his
vision suddenly explode into stars as one of the guards nearby had snuck up behind
him, bringing the pummel of the sword down across Tham's unsuspecting head. 
Groaning, Tham fell to his knees, Chan being quick to secure him.
     Dale shifted about furiously, hanging from his left hand, until he latched his
feet under him on the rope for balance. His right hand clutched the prized Time 
Blade in a death grip. Once he managed to settle himself on the rope, he glanced up,
glad to see Chip was clutching the rope tightly with all of his limbs. The plunger 
harpoon had been lost to the fall below, but since no reloads had been available for
it, Dale doubted it was a great loss.
     "Well now, isn't this a pretty picture?" Chan remarked, standing impassively on
the lip of the wall, looking out over at Chip and Dale. "Two little birds on a 
wire." He started an easy walk along the edge, glancing back at the assembled 
prisoners.
     "Now then," he continued, "Let's discuss the situation like rational men of 
honor, shall we?"
     "Do we have a choice?" Dale grunted.
     Chan laughed, a low and mirthless sound. "You, my good man, currently have in
your hands the only reason why you aren't both following that bridge. And I'm not 
speaking of that rope, either."
     "What?" Chip asked. "The katana?"
     "Exactly." Chan withdrew a throwing dagger from his belt, turning it over 
slowly in his hands. "I could throw this out, and cut the rope quite easily. But I'd
rather not. My grievance is against you," he nodded towards Chip, "not your friend.
Moreover, I--"
     A resounding crash welled up from the depths below. Chip and Dale could feel
their muscles quiver as everyone realized what caused it. The bridge had *finally* 
hit bottom.
     Smiling, Chan continued. "As I was saying, I would also like to secure the Time
Blade. While it isn't probably needed now that we have Chan, it would be beneficial 
to quell the disturbance in the family if Naki could display to all that he is 
clearly in possession of the katana."
     "Forget it, pal!" Dale snapped. "No way are the Rescue Rangers giving in to you
that easily."
     "Think before you commit yourself like that," Chan warned. "We have all the
important tactical advantages. We outnumber you. We outclass you. We have the home 
field advantage. We have all of your friends captured. You are dangling helplessly 
in the middle of a chasm, with guards ready to arrest you on both sides, should you 
try to swing over to one of them.
     "And consider: even if you did manage to get past us, how would you escape? 
That passageway that you came through is still sealed by the closed walls."
     Dale sighed in defeat as he realized *that* was the thing he was trying to
remember earlier. Even if they had managed to get past Chan and his men, they would
have walked directly into a dead end.
     Chip, however, didn't seem to see it that way. "Oh yeah? Somehow I don't buy
that. *You* must know of a way back, otherwise you guys are trapped over there, 
since the bridge is gone and the passageway closed. I bet that's how you got down 
here in the first place, without us noticing you."
     Giving a shrug, Chan smirked. "Very well, you've called my bluff. Yes, I can 
tell you that there is a passageway, back in the room with mirrors. It leads, 
however, back up into the heart of the palace. Do you wish to go there, then? To be
surrounded by the entire family?"
     Chip gritted his teeth and glared at Chan.
     "Now," Chan hefted the throwing dagger in his hands, "I think I'll waste no 
more time on this conversation. While I still would only prefer for you to fall to 
your death, I'm not particular." Rearing back to throw, he added, "Oh, but maybe 
you can save your friend. All you need to do is intercept the blade."
     He snapped his hand forward, sending the dagger cutting through the air, aiming
for the section of rope above Chip, just out of reach.
     Chip knew he had a split-second to act. Using all the strength he had left, he
hoisted himself up the rope, then threw both hands out in front of the incoming 
dagger. True, he wouldn't be able to grab the rope again in time to save himself, 
but as long as he prevented the knife from sending Dale down the shaft, he'd at 
least die content. His outstretched hands just made it in front of the blade, 
feeling as the very tip touched his skin...
     And then was abruptly pulled back.
     Surprised that his hands and the rope were both still intact, Chip tumbled
forward, falling from the rope.
     Chan, when he was appearing to have been turning the blade over in his hands
earlier, actually was tying a thin wire around the handle. Knowing Chip would 
gladly give his life to save a friend's, Chan used that, making sure the whole act 
was convincing enough to get Chip to play right into his hands. Now, he had Dale 
still alive, and with the katana.
     Dale, however, also knew he had the katana, and stuck it out in front of his
descending best friend.
     "Chip, grab hold!" He instructed.
     Chip managed to react quickly enough to clasp a hand on the sheath as Dale
tightened his own grip on it, to insure it wasn't pulled from his grasp with Chip's
sudden stop.
     A great deal of irony was in this entire event. Chip was about to fall to his 
death, to prevent Dale from falling to his death. Yet Dale went from being the one 
in need of rescue to the rescuer, saving Chip. The katana had been forged to partake
in wars and duels, and yet here it was being used to save a life. And, of course,
the small fact that Dale managed to hold on to the katana as Chip's halted momentum
yanked downwards on them both. 
     Even though Dale's other hand, the one securing him to the rope, didn't.
     Their screams echoed up from the gaping maw below long after they had
disappeared into the inky blackness.