“Except for what?” Bernie asked gently.
Jarvis looked at Bernie and she noticed how much pain was in his eyes. “They took our parents and held them in prison cells. They told us that they would be killed if we didn’t do exactly what they asked of us.”
“That’s terrible,” said Bernie.
Jarvis nodded. “Yeah. They said that if I didn’t use my computer skills to help them, my parents would suffer, so I did as I was told—that is, until I found out the truth.”
Bernie was afraid to ask. Jarvis continued in a low, quiet voice, “My parents were already dead. They’d refused to join the R.A.T.S. and they were never put in prison at all. It was a lie. The R.A.T.S. did everything they could do to keep us afraid and working for them. Once I found out the truth, I left.”
Bernie reached up high to put her hand on Jarvis’s shoulder. He sniffled a little. Bernie swore to herself that she wouldn’t stop with just Thornpaw. Any group that would do such a terrible thing to her best friend would be her enemy for life.
“You know what, Jar?” said Bernie.
“What?” said Jarvis.
“I’ll never stop being your friend.”
And Bernie could tell from the tears in his eyes that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.
It wasn’t but a few days later that Bernie and Jarvis sat together in the huge room where they’d been welcomed as new recruits. Everyone was in attendance, and there was electricity in the air.
A very special announcement was about to be made.
“Can you believe this is real?” asked Bernie, punching Jarvis playfully in the ribs.
“Ow! Yes. Painfully real, thanks!” Jarvis said.
They both laughed.
“Think about it!” Just a few days ago we were brand-new recruits. And now—”
“We’re still brand-new recruits,” finished Jarvis. “However, we have seen more action than a lot of the experienced agents!” he said, his eyes twinkling.
“Oh, that’s for sure,” agreed Bernie. “Oh yeah, I forgot, I smuggled something for you from the cafeteria.”
Bernie reached under her chair and removed a small, covered container. Jarvis took it and opened the lid. His eyes grew wide as he thrust his nose inside, taking a long, exaggerated whiff.
“Cheese soufflé with Tabasco sauce!” he enthused. “How did you…?”
“I made friends with the cook! She said she learned the recipe from an old cowboy mouse named Tabasco Johnson. Apparently, he loves Tabasco sauce as much as you do!”
Jarvis grinned. “Forget the ceremony! Let’s get this over with so I can start eating!”
Bernie chuckled.
Every agent in the Watch could feel the excitement as the lights dimmed. This time, there was no hologram of Gadget. This time, Bernie’s heroine was there in person, and as she took the stage grinning happily, everyone cheered along with Bernie, who was yelling the loudest.
“Welcome, everyone!” said Gadget. Bernie noticed that she was wearing her trademark periwinkle jumpsuit and goggles. Her work clothes were always on, and even on the most formal of occasions it seemed that she could never stop thinking of inventing something new and had to be constantly ready to grab a welder’s torch or some electrical wire at a moment’s notice.
“Well, as you know, it’s a very special night,” said Gadget. “Tonight, we’re about to do something never before done in Mouse Watch history. Tonight, we’re promoting two recruits to Level One agents before they’ve even gone through training.”
Everyone cheered. Bernie had so much joy inside of her, she felt like she would pop.
“Would Bernie Skampersky and Jarvis Slinktail please come forward?”
Gadget motioned for Jarvis and Bernie to take the stage. As Bernie approached, she noticed that a couple of platforms rose from hidden recesses, displaying two official black-and-silver jumpsuits that were identical in every way, except that one was quite a bit taller and outfitted with a hood. Jarvis really liked hoods.
Bernie recalled that each jumpsuit had a color representing a different division of the Watch. Black with silver trim for special ops, gold for research and development, and crimson for interior security.
Black and silver had been what she was hoping for.
Special operations.
The coolest of the bunch!
She could hardly believe that it was finally happening.
As Bernie walked onto the stage and held the uniform that had been offered to her, she glanced down at her brand-new agent’s watch, the one that Alph had instructed the Candroid to leave in her room, and noted the date and time next to the animated Mouse Watch agent.
6:48 p.m.
It was the moment she’d been waiting for her entire life.
“Congratulations, Bernie Skampersky and Jarvis Slinktail. Welcome to the Watch!” said Gadget.
The cheers that erupted from the crowd could have brought down the ceiling. Bernie blushed from the tip of her nose to the tip of her tail. She glanced out into the crowd and saw her parents, who had been invited for the special day and were beaming with pride.
Bernie’s eyes blurred with happy tears. She knew that there was much to learn going forward, but with the help of the Watch to whom she’d sworn loyalty, she knew she could face whatever was to come.
She was finally part of a team.
Gadget ordered the houselights up and for everyone to stand. Then, Bernie Skampersky, along with the rest of the Mouse Watch, recited the oath she now believed in with all her heart.
It was more than just an oath.
It was a promise to herself and to everyone she would protect.
Every part of a watch is important, from the smallest gear on up. For without each part working together, keeping time is impossible. We never sleep. We never fail. We are there for all who call upon us in their time of need.
We are the MOUSE WATCH!
The paw looked like any other.
It wasn’t scarred or misshapen.
It didn’t have long, bony fingers with black nails.
The paw was, in fact, carefully manicured. And the rest of the body that it belonged to was the same…fastidious and clean. The creature’s fur shone with health. The clothes it wore were sensible and designed to blend in wherever they were worn.
In fact, Kryptos didn’t look like a creature who didn’t possess a soul. The truth was, Kryptos didn’t look like anything anyone would remember. The rodent appeared to be completely ordinary in every way.
Which was exactly how Kryptos wanted it.
“Your Eminence.” A rat in a blue button-down shirt and plain khaki pants stood in the doorway. “Word has come that Dr. Thornpaw has been incarcerated.”
Kryptos released an almost imperceptible sigh. Thornpaw was of little consequence.
“The doctor was but a pawn on the chessboard. An idiot. I let him have his little mind-control experiment, and he failed, as I knew he would. He is too concerned with theatrics. Replacing humans with rats, ha! As if we want their paltry little lives. A house, a job—they are just cages. Bigger, yes, but cages all the same. Rats are meant for more. We deserve more.”
Kryptos wandered over to a chess set on a table by his desk and moved a chess piece, knocking another one off the table. It rolled under the sofa. “I have other pieces to play, ones far more powerful.”
He sat down at his desk and examined a file, scanning it carefully for any errors. Being meticulous was everything. Without careful scrutiny there were mistakes, and with mistakes, there was chaos. Kryptos didn’t like chaos. He liked to be in control.
Mistakes were simply not allowed.
“Now,” he said, looking up at his assistant. “Do you want to know what happens next?”
I’d like to thank my editor, Jocelyn Davies, and her brilliant team at Disney Hyperion.
Jocelyn, your incredible imagination and skill made chronicling these mouse adventures a joy to write. You’re truly the best. Thank you!
Also, as always, to my wife, Nancy, for her constant love and support. There’s no world I could create that can match the incredible one I spend with you every day.
For the WATCH!
—J. J. Gilbert
has worked in Hollywood for most of his life as a director, animator, producer, and storyboard artist for companies such as Walt Disney Studios, and has been bringing mice (and other creatures) to life for years. He lives in California with his wife and kids. His favorite kind of cheese is Stilton.
The Mouse Watch, Volume 1 Page 16