The Rushian Revolution :Chapter 17

Chapter 17: La Villa Strangiato

Two tapes lay propped against a wall in front of a solitary, red-nosed chipmunk. His eyes darted madly back and forth between the two, as his mind ran through the various strengths and weaknesses of the particular album.

"Dale you know we were planning on doing this whole revolution thing today, right?" Chip said his voice jarring Dale's mind from its dilemma.

"Just be right appreciative that Gadget managed ta talk Dale outta bringing th' whole veritable catalogue," Monty laughed.

"Trust me, I am very glad she did. I'm just a bit surprised that Dale's being the indecisive one here," Chip replied. "But yeah if it wasn't for her this decision might not be made until we're all dead."

"What's the big idea?" Dale reeled off. "This is important! I have to decide what better signifies the moment, what can best be used to portray the right feeling of the place we are in time, the universe, and in our travels?"

"Dale, you're scaring me," Chip added worriedly .

"Hush is really good at putting songs together that have such meaning, such connotations, such incredible power that it's only right that I use their music in this situation do them justice."

"Did DTZ swap places with Dale again?" Chip asked the rest of the Rangers.

"Either that or we might have ta accept that Dale's gone all philosophical on us," Monty replied.

"Welcome back DTZ," Chip said, patting Dale on the back as the rest of the group laughed. Dale rolled his eyes and finally, in stubborn defeat, grabbed the left tape entitled, 'Hemisfears'.

"And the white smoke rises!" Chip said in only partially feigned excitement.

"Oh come on I'm not that bad," Dale said putting the tape into the minimalist tape player that Gadget had built the night before. Gadget grabbed a length of tape and aligned it through the reader that she had scavenged.

"You must be bad if you make me look decisive," Gadget quipped as she rolled her eyes and flipped the stainless steel switch that started cogs turning and the tape slithering through the reading device. Magnetic impulses read by the tape head flowed down the wire in electronic form, and ran quickly through the copper wire to the amplifiers, then more wire. Finally the electrons hit speakers that reverberated back and forth to the beat of the impulses. Sound then cascaded from the speakers out through vents into the world of the Rushians. Guitar chords sang out giving way to methodical drum patterns accentuated by rhythmic base lines. All this rang through the Rushian's world and yet the music fell harmlessly into the ground and walls, they being the only audience for the music.

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"All of the Rushians are safely inside the temples Father," a young thin priest said nervously.

"Good," Efrafra responded. "Now you four," he said motioning to a group of larger muscular Priests, "our guests will soon be here I'm sure, make sure they are all killed. And do try to do it quickly the sooner they are dead the sooner we can get the Rushians out of the temples, and the sooner things will be back to some semblance of normalcy."

"Yes father," the Priests chimed together as they departed the uncomfortable tenseness that had fallen upon the meeting room.

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Bytor hung his head over the side of the Ranger Plane as it gently glided down the still reddish river. He and the Rangers floated along at the water's speed, leaving Ruby behind to tend the tape player. They figured giving the Rushians more time to listen to the music wouldn't hurt. Bytor watched the barren shore appear out of the murky darkness and disappear again, each time lingering longer as the world around him gently brightened. His ears picked up faint bits of music that lulled his mind into such an apprehensive state , that he stood up with a shock when Dale pointed frantically to a red light flashing on the roof above the river.

His arms waving madly, trying not to make a sound, the chipmunk got Gadget's attention. She glanced up where Dale was pointing "That's just a receiver for the wireless microphone I have here in the Ranger Plane," she whispered.

"I didn't know we were planning on Karaoke Gadget," Chip laughed under his breath.

"It's so if we need to communicate with all the Rushians we can," Gadget responded. "Didn't Bytor say something about saying, 'We have Assumed Control' at some point?"

"Yes," Bytor answered still tense from the brief worry as he set his head back over the side of the plane to continue watching the shore roll by.

"Oh good," Dale responded settling down some. "I was worried it might have been a camera eye for the priests or something."

"Golly, I hope they don't have any wire bugs running around in this river, but I looked and didn't find any," Gadget responded. "No offense of course," she directed to Zipper to which he shrugged as if to say none taken.

The music grew louder, the light drew brighter and before Bytor knew it they were floating right by where his old burrow was. He looked around trying to see any of the other Rushians around but was dumbstruck when saw the banks of the river completely abandoned.

"Where are all yer buddies Bytor?" Monty asked looking around for any semblance of life.

"Perhaps they're hiding?" Dale offered.

Gadget pulled the Ranger Plane to the bank and beached it gently against the shore. Bytor leapt out and made his way, slowly and apprehensively, to some of the burrows of his old neighbors. There was little to no social interaction in the Rushian society so Bytor carried himself with caution as he entered the other burrows for the first time. Yet, as his eyes darted across the burrows, he saw no one. A few bowls, a few pieces of cloth for sleeping, but no sign of any Rushians. He went to the next one and yet the scene repeated itself. Complete desolation continued to greet him as he entered burrow after burrow. He went back to the Rangers bewildered and confused.

"So where is everyone?" Chip asked.

"I, I don't know," Bytor responded.

"Could they have gotten scared of the music and river and run off?" Dale offered.

"I know Hush has scared me off before," Chip laughed.

"Oh pipe down," Dale replied.

The Rangers fanned out but found nothing to suggest anyone had ever been there other than a few personal effects in a few of the burrows.

Bytor sat on the bank of the river as the others searched. His mind tried to figure out what could have happened. Could the Priests have just killed them all? Or hid them all? Or perhaps even released them all? Was the victory already theirs? Or had they reached utter defeat? Were they too late to make a difference? The gears of his mind worked, trying to come up with some explanation for the disappearance.

Instantly all was dark, and Bytor could hear the scuffle of rodents. Gadget threw herself as fast as she could back to the Ranger Plane and managed by a combination of memory and luck to hit the right switch.

The bright light of the Plane's search light cast a solid beam of light across the shore. Gadget madly worked the spotlight back and forth trying to locate any of the Rangers. She caught Bytor laying perfectly flat on the ground in fear for a brief second before she tried to follow any noise she could hear; but under the blaring music, any sounds that she thought might be the Rangers were either in her head, or undetectable as she swung the spotlight back and forth again and again.

The attackers had taken the rest of the Rangers as quick as the lights had gone out and thrown them back into one of the abandoned burrows. The priests using everything from scratches, to punches, to kicks, to bites went after the Rangers with a ferocity that even the well experienced Monty had rarely encountered. His eyes squinting in the dark hoping for some semblance of light to help him see where the attackers were coming from, found only inky blackness and he flailed away at whatever his fists could find. Some blows hit nothing but air, others he could feel the dirt of the burrow falling around his hands, and yet others hit their marks. Although whether they were hitting the Rushians or the Rangers he couldn't tell. While the Priests had found their mark in some blows Monty's adrenaline masked the pain and he grew stronger and more assertive the more blows hit him. Finally a bright light shone briefly in through the burrow door and he caught a glimpse of two priests holding Dale to the ground while Chip battled a third. A fourth lay limp against the wall near Monty and he smiled to himself as he threw all his weight towards the two on Dale. His body hammered them to the floor and he threw punch after punch at who he could only hope were them. Zipper in that same moment too, rammed himself against the head of Chip's nemesis and knocked him to the ground. Screams of pain, grunts of angst, and incomprehensible yells all echoed out of the burrow. Gadget's ear caught them and returned her light towards the noise.

Monty blinked as the bright light returned and saw the faces of two Priests right below him. Slamming their heads together he quickly knocked them out and hoped that the onslaught was over. He looked around seeing the other three Rangers breathing hard, and wincing in pain, but all four Priests lay littered unconscious about the room.


"Ya alright Chippah?" Monty asked, limping over to the chipmunk who stood braced against the wall.

"Nothing too bad," he responded grasping his arm tightly.

"Dale? Ya alright?"

"MMMMM" Dale groaned beneath two vanquished priests.

Monty rolled the two limp mice off the bruised chipmunk and helped him to his feet.

"I'd be better if I hadn't taken so many blows to the head," Dale responded tentatively rubbing his soon to be black eye.

"Luckily you're used to bonks on the head?" Chip chuckled.

"These were harder hits," Dale responded.

"Crikey, hope none a' those were from me."

Dale looked at Monty, then to the priests, "It's alright I suppose if it's necessary to stop them."

"Glad ya feel that way," Monty chuckled and then coughed as a pain in his side stung him from his laugh.

Zipper flew up to the large mouse and began checking his friend out.

"Oi'm fine," Monty said. Zipper frowned as he found a wound in the mouse's side that oozed crimson . "Providing of course," the mouse groaned in pain, "ya ignore that."

Chip ripped part of one of the Priest's cloaks into a long strip and hobbled over to Monty. Zipper took one end from Chip and began flying around Monty wrapping the makeshift bandage tightly.

"You going to be alright Monterey?" Chip asked as he tucked the end of the bandage back in tightly.

"Of course, tis but a scratch ," Monty winked. "Oi've had worse."

The four boys walked slowly and apprehensively from the burrow towards the blinding light coming from the plane.

"You guys alright?" Gadget called, bursting from the plane and hugging them all in turn which, while usually a welcome experience, turned quite painful thanks to the earlier battle.

"FINE!" Chip squeaked, his side aching as her arms pulled him tight

Gadget went next to Monty, but he smartly held her back, "Gadget luv, I do appreciate the sentiment, but let's hold hugs off till we're all a tad less bruised alright?"

"Oh sorry, of course," Gadget said.

Bytor walked slowly up, his head down to hide the tears that had begun forming in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I knew this would be dangerous, and I knew this had the potential to hurt people but I just thought we'd be able to somehow pull it all off," he reeled off. "You guys are risking everything for me, I can't tell you how much it means, and how bad I feel for putting you in harm's way."

"Ah nothing to worry about Bytor," Monty said patting the mouse on the back. "We knew what we were getting in ta, nothing worse than we've done before."

"The important part is they're alright," Gadget added.

"So, what now?" Chip offered leaning against Monty for support.

"We've got ta be more careful fer one," Monty responded.

"Okay, what else?" Chip nodded in agreement.

"We ought to find the Rushians," Dale chimed in.

"Where they are, the Priests will be," Bytor said.

"Where would they be?" Gadget queried.

"I don't know,.If we had more light it would make the search easier, or at least we could head to the temples to see if the priests are down there."

Bytor stood in thought for only a brief moment before heading back to the Ranger Plane.

"What's the big idea?" Dale asked.

"Gadget," Bytor started. "You said we had some sort of microphone to talk through the speakers you set up?"

Gadget nodded following him.

"How do I use it?"

"Just take this," she said handing him a small bud, and flipped some switches on the dash.

Bytor breathed in deep and said as sternly and authoritatively as possible into the mic, "We have assumed control. We have assumed control."

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The echoes from the statement had barely finished resounding before Efrafra exited the first temple.

"They did it!" Efrafra laughed peering into the darkness and smiling from the signal for success that he'd just heard. "Alright Spitz, Lawson come with me, we have to make sure everything is cleaned up before we let the Rushians out of the temples. And Lawson I want those lights back on, I can't see a thing out here."

As it was said, it was done, and the fluorescent light began humming once again above their heads. Efrafra enjoyed the peace his ears now heard, just the water running by in the river, and even that seemed to be a much lighter color of red. This was his world again, his order returning with every second.

The group of three priests walked up the shore, keeping their eyes out for any sort of sign of the now-successful force they'd sent out.

"Father," Lawson uttered as he pointed upstream. "What's that?"

The white and red Ranger Plane floated slowly downstream with but a few cloaked figures inside.

"WELL DONE MEN!" Spitz yelled.

Efrafra held the excited Spitz back and peered out into the dark, trying to make out the passengers of the craft.

"Careful," he muttered as he swore a few of the passengers were much more slight of stature than the mice he had sent out. As they watched the boat float nearer all three priests realized that these weren't the passengers they had hoped for.

Lawson and Spitz tried to drag Efrafra back to the temples but the wise old mouse knew it was of no use. It was too far back, by the time help had arrived the war would be lost. His mind whirred away, putting together what he thought was his last chance as he nonchalantly sauntered to the shore with the other two mice in tow. The trio stood there as the boat come up and beached gently against the sand. The passengers however made no motion to the shore and seemed to hold themselves perfectly still in the craft as the trio of priests watched in silence.

"Your arrival is unwelcome, and unwanted," Efrafra's strong voice rang out. "And yet it has become inevitable I suppose." His voice had taken on a far gentler tone than the other two priests could have imagined and they sat in wonder of Efrafra's suddenly neutral approach to the newcomers.

"We warn you we can take you out as quickly as we took the last Priests you sent our way," Bytor yelled as he lay against the bottom of the boat. "You would be wise not to try anything, talk with us and perhaps something better than more violence can result."

Efrafra smiled and nodded as he motioned to the other priests to put their arms up in good faith.

Seeing this, the Rangers removed their cloaks and dismounted the Ranger Plane. They kept a wary eye on the three Priests, although Monty's sheer girth seemed to strike enough fear into the priests that any sort of ambush from these three seemed unlikely.

"Bytor," Efrafra spoke gently. "I figured you were behind this. Well done. I very much underestimated you, and yet I know you would have had no chance without them, whoever they are," he added pointing to the Rangers.

"What have you done with the Rushians?" Bytor piped back.

"They're in the temples, and if I wish they'll all be slaughtered, that way we can have a true river of blood," the old mouse responded with no more emotion in his voice than if he were pointing out they were standing on sand.

Eyes darted back and forth between all parties searching for some sign that this might be a bluff.

"What would I care? If you defeat me, I no longer have power over them, if I kill them, I no longer have power over them, but you are foiled. Seems to me the latter is the best of my options."

"You wouldn't do that," Bytor said in disbelief.

"And why not?" Efrafra asked. "You now have two options, you try and stop our little set up down here and all those who you hope to save will die, or you go away, never come back, and they'll live."

The Rangers stood in shock, partially from the subject matter itself, but more from the utter calmness that Efrafra spoke of it. His casual nature around subjects of mass murder was so out of place they stood in utter confusion. What it meant, they didn't know, but they did know it affected them.

"So take your pick," Efrafra said as he turned his back upon the others and walked towards the long distant temples.

"You wouldn't?" Lawson and Spitz chimed in, taken aback by their leader's plan.

"I've already explained why, now it's just a matter of will I," he calmly replied.

"But if we stop you before you get back!" Dale said making a move toward Efrafra, but before he could get far he was quickly restrained by Monty.

"Then they'll die," Efrafra laughed. "If I don't return my men are under explicit instructions to start a massacre."

Silence hung between all the animals some silent in thought, some silent in shock, but finally Gadget's mind realized something.

"But you wouldn't," she thought aloud.

"I don't think saying I would or wouldn't is going to change anything."

"But you didn't set up the scenarios right," she continued. "You equate everything outside of the Rushians' fate. But the scenarios aren't equal in another place. If you kill them all you're admitting defeat, it's an empty threat."

"I never make promises I don't keep."

"But you wouldn't do this! It'd be logically absurd, you know that without the power you have over the Rushians you have no purpose, no meaning, so you're trying to make us buy the fact that you would give up that control if we attack. Plus you wouldn't instruct the other priests to kill them if you didn't return, because you'd have to have set up a timetable, as it might have taken you time to get back, and yet you wouldn't want them to start a slaughter."

"You are a very naïve little girl," Efrafra laughed and focused in on her eyes.

"Not as naïve as you take me for," she responded.

"They'll all be dead!" Efrafra yelled his rage building, "and it will be on your head! Hundreds dead, and it's your fault. Are you ready to wear that on your conscious for the rest of your lives? Then go ahead, kill me! Take me out! Attack the temples! Do whatever you wish, but I know life is too precious for you to have the guts to do any of that!"

"And we know," Chip said getting Gadget's thought process, "that power is too important to you to live without. She's right, you're bluffing."

"I DON'T BLUFF!" Efrafra yelled, trying madly to use his piercing eyes against Gadget.

But those daggers of eyes had no effect, beyond making Efrafra look like a mad man. His head pained as all his effort went at her and yet she showed no effect. She was not a Priest, nor a Rushian. She was a mind apart from him and his influence, thinking for herself. She had no reason to fear him and, without that, his control meant nothing. He willed all that he had against her, all his energy, his spirit, his life, but it fell flat and he collapsed upon the sand.

"You two will go back to the temples and instruct the priests to release the Rushians back to their homes," Chip commanded. "Your leader is defeated at our hands, you'll listen to us from now on. Bytor will instruct you on all that you need to do for us, he is your leader from now on."

The two priests just nodded in obedience, so shocked they were at losing the only leader they had ever known. All they had left was a sense of structure, and in the vacuum of leadership they now existed in they resigned in obedience to the victors.

Bytor looked at the Rangers in disbelief, "Me?"

"You two go!" Chip commanded.

"And bring the guitar you have to us," Dale added. "The one you took from Bytor."

They nodded again and began their trek back to the temples.

"Me?" Bytor repeated. "Why don't you just lead them into the real world?"

"Bytor they need someone who knows this society to lead them now. You won't be able to just lead them to the real world, you have to get them settled back into their old lives and gradually bring them into reality, otherwise the shock will be too much, just like it was for you," Chip explained.

"You're right," Bytor sighed," it was almost too much for me and I was introduced gradually and I still haven't been in the real world."

"Bytor, lead them. If you don't, someone like Efrafra will again, and we'll lose all we've worked for," Gadget added.

"Thank you," Bytor said tears in his eyes. "You have no idea what you've given to these people."

"What 'we' have given ya mean," Monty added.

"You'll come back?"

"Of course, we'll help you out if you need it, but they've had enough shock already, I doubt the Rushians need to be meeting new people," Dale commented.

Bytor nodded and hugged each of them before following the priests back to the temples.

The Rangers watched them go until they were out of sight before heading back to the Ranger Plane.

"Gadget?" Chip spoke.

"Yes?"

"Remind me to never get in a philosophical argument with you," he laughed along with the rest of the Rangers.