David Robbins - The Kalispell Run

“Many months ago,” Plato began, “one of the Family was fishing in the moat, sitting on the bank under the stairs near the drawbridge. Napoleon and Spartacus were on guard duty on the wall above, and they never saw the man fishing. He overheard snatches of their conversation and later reported it to me. Napoleon was trying to convince Spartacus to join him in overthrowing myself and installing Napoleon as Family Leader. At the time, Spartacus refused.”

“Who was it?” Tyson inquired. “Who heard them?”

“The information was supplied confidentially,” Plato replied. “I promised I wouldn’t reveal my source to anyone, and I must keep my word.”

“Why didn’t you do something about it?” Jenny interjected.

“What should I have done?” Plato retorted. “Confront Napoleon and have him deny the allegations? He would still crave power, but he would be more careful in the future. No, the wisest way was to allow Napoleon’s scheming to achieve natural fruition. Besides, from what my informant overheard, Napoleon has been trying for years to persuade his Gamma Triad fellows to assist him in his rebellion. They have steadfastly declined.”

“Until now,” Cindy informed him.

“Oh?”

Cindy told them everything, every word as precisely as she could recall.

Tyson then elaborated on Napoleon’s deceit and his charges against Rikki-Tikki-Tavi.

Throughout their recital, Rikki sat motionless, cross-legged, his katana in his lap, listening.

“…and, if you ask me,” Tyson concluded, “you better do something, and do it quick.”

Plato’s facial features slumped in sorrow during Cindy’s narration. To think! One of the Family, one of his beloved children, instigating a rebellion! In the one hundred years of Family history, not one member had rebelled against the prescribed order of things. And now? How could it be? What motivated Napoleon? A simple lust for power? The Family’s Founder, Kurt Carpenter, had left specific instructions regarding many aspects of Family life. One of Carpenter’s injunctions concerned power-mongers: they were to be unceremoniously ejected from the Home.

If they refused to leave, and wouldn’t recant, their fate was severe and final: execution. Plato vividly recalled a page from Carpenter’s diary, in a section devoted to advice for future Family Leaders: “You must not permit a power-monger to flourish in the Home. Even if you suppress any overt rebellion, they will continue to sow discontent and spread unhappiness among the Family. You must not allow the Home to become a microcosmic reproduction of the sick society in which I find myself, a society in which arrogant, ignorant, and deluded individuals delight in assuming power over others. They relish being able to tell others how to live their lives, down to the smallest detail. Mark these words well. There are those who crave power for the sheer sake of power . They must be eliminated from the Family. This is imperative.”

“Maybe we could wait until Blade returns?” Jenny suggested, shattering Plato’s reverie.

“Who knows how long that will be?” Cindy countered. “We can’t wait that long. You must do something now!”

Plato frowned and stared at the ground. “Regrettably, I concur. Napoleon has talked about insurrection for so long, I guess I hoped it would continue in the talking stage until I could formulate a method of dealing with him, some way of avoiding bloodshed.”

“I don’t see how you can,” Cindy opined. “You weren’t there. You should have heard him, seen the expression on his face. He wants to be Family Leader more than anything else in the world, and he doesn’t care one bit how he reaches his goal.”

“I can’t believe Spartacus would agree to help Napoleon so he could have me,” Jenny commented. “Blade is my man, and he’s the only man I’ll ever love. Spartacus knows that.”

“I know what Blade and Hickok would do if they knew about this,” Tyson said.

“Blade knows,” Plato mentioned.

“What?” Jenny reached out and placed her right hand on Plato’s leg.

“Blade knows?”

“Oh, not all the details,” Plato said. “I informed him there was a power-monger months ago, but I wouldn’t tell him who it was. Like you,” he said, glancing at Tyson, “I knew how Blade would react. You may not understand this, but I have a deep affection for each and every Family member, even Napoleon.”

“Well, you’d best start thinking of the welfare of the whole Family and not just one man,” Cindy declared.

Plato wearily nodded. “I know you’re right. I apologize. My mental faculties seem to have atrophied with the advent of the premature senility.

Perhaps Napoleon is correct. Maybe I should step aside.”

“If you ever do,” Jenny stated, “the Family wouldn’t pick Napoleon as your successor. And stop worrying about your mental capabilities. Even with the damn senility, you are still sharper and smarter than anyone else in the Family.”

“So what are you going to do?” Cindy asked, pressing Plato. “You’ve got to do something.”

“We will… do… something.” Rikki-Tikki-Tavi finally entered their discussion.

“What?” Tyson asked.

“To be precise,” Rikki corrected himself, “I will do something.”

“You’ll need some help,” Tyson offered.

Rikki shook his head. “No. Thank you. This is a matter I must deal with personally.”

“Rikki,” Plato said, drawing his attention, “will you permit me to talk to Napoleon first, to dissuade him from his foolishness?”

“No,” Rikki answered, denying the request.

“What if I insist?”

Rikki thoughtfully stared at the katana in his lap. “Tell me if I’m wrong,” he said, “but I do believe our Founder left certain guidelines concerning times of danger. Under normal conditions, in typical circumstances, the Family Leader has full charge of all affairs. But, in times of imminent danger, when the Family is being threatened, Family leadership is temporarily transferred to the Warriors. Specifically, the head of the Warriors. Am I right in this?”

“You are,” Plato confirmed.

“And,” Rikki said, continuing his reasoning, “since Alpha Triad is gone, am I not in charge of the Warriors?”

“You are,” Plato said, again affirming the obvious.

“Then I may decide how best to deal with Napoleon, may I not?” Rikki queried.

Plato sadly nodded.

“You’re going to take them on all by yourself?” Tyson asked, his skepticism showing.

“I will do what is necessary to eliminate Napoleon’s threat to the Family,” Rikki said sternly.

“You could get some of the other Warriors to help you,” Jenny recommended.

“No.”

“What about your Triad?” Jenny suggested. “Yama and Teucer could back you up.”

“No.”

“Why not?” Jenny demanded, peeved. “It’s stupid to face them all by yourself.”

Rikki looked into Jenny’s eyes. “The fewer who know about this, the better. We will keep this to ourselves.”

“What do you want us to do?” Cindy inquired.

“You will go about your daily routine as if nothing out of the ordinary has transpired,” Rikki quietly directed. “I will guard Plato tonight and ensure his safety. Tomorrow, the issue will be decided. Permanently.”

“I think you’re nuts,” Tyson remarked.

Rikki disregarded the comment. “You must all leave now. Napoleon or one of the others may be watching us, and they might become suspicious if we spend too much time here. Remember,” he warned them, “not a word to anyone else. This is strictly between ourselves. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Tyson said.

“Okay,” said Cindy.

“Fine,” Jenny stated.

They rose and departed, each walking off in a different direction.