Mouseheart by Lisa Fiedler

Author:Lisa Fiedler
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Hopper had thought the tunnel was mystifying. He had believed the city of Atlantia the most spectacular place in the whole wide world, and he’d been certain Titus’s royal palace was the most dazzling thing he would ever lay eyes upon, an incomparable feat of imagination and luxury.

But nothing—nothing—could have prepared him for what he found on the opposite side of that big gray wall.

Even Firren seemed a bit waylaid by the sight of the black behemoth that lay before them. The Rangers came up short, halting their single-file march so abruptly that they crashed into one another and toppled comically to the ground, dumbfounded by the appearance of the massive and alien thing that lay before them.

“The humans used to call it a locomotive,” the sentry explained. “It’s been abandoned and buried here for decades.”

“Is it alive?” Hopper asked. He sincerely hoped the answer would be “no.”

On further inspection it was clear that it was not. This gargantuan object was made of steel, polished to a brilliant sheen. Its body was angular in places, rounded in others. It had wheels and a smokestack and glass windows, and made Titus’s palace look not only stunted but shabby—inferior in every conceivable way.

“It’s incredible,” breathed Hopper.

“It’s home,” said the sentry.

Around the enormous object on the floor of the tunnel was a sturdy village of brick, mud, and stone. The party made their way through the little town as they headed for the black structure.

Hopper kept his head down as instructed, but he was able to watch the Mūs going about their daily tasks—filling pails from their pipelike water source; mending walls made of snugly piled pebbles; children playing in the streets, happily wielding swords fashioned from twigs. Even in these most simple and menial of chores, the Mūs gave off an air of power and purpose. And something else: unity.

These were the ones his mother had begged him to seek. And now he was here, among them. It was as thrilling as it was frightening.

Savages, Titus had called them.

Here they were acting anything but.

As Hopper, Firren, and the Rangers wound their way through the tidy lanes and courtyards, Hopper began to notice the delicious smells that wafted from the windows of the cozy cottages.

The sentry pointed to a quaint nest on the corner. “You can stop here for food.”

Hopper’s stomach growled appreciatively.

Inside, an elderly Mūs couple led the travelers to a small space where the group circled around a platter full of bread.

The meal was different from the fancy fare Hopper had grown used to as a guest in the palace, but it was no less tasty and just as filling. He obediently kept his head down the whole time he was eating.

When they were finished, Firren offered their hostess a warm smile. “Our deepest gratitude for a delicious meal. Thank you for your kindness. We shall not forget it.”

The old mouse smiled back and gave the Rangers a loaf of bread to take with them.

Certainly nothing savage about that.

“Head down,” Firren reminded him softly.

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