"No! Wait! Stop!" a voice cries out from behind. Someone too small to see pushes their way through the crowd of cats.
"Fiona?" says MacLeod.
It was the kitten from before! She stands in the middle of the alley and says, "The big squirrel saved my life! He saved me from the bad snakes!"
The kitten motions her hands as if swinging a sword and says, "He chopped off the heads of those meanies with just one swing. He's a hero!"
MacLeod strokes his furry chin and says "Hmm, well isn't that a surprise." as he thinks to himself, "Impressive… not even our best fighters can take out multiple cobras at once."
MacLeod turns to Ricci, still being held over the manhole, and says, "Well, Ronin the church mouse," says MacLeod "Looks like it's your lucky day. For saving Fiona's life, I'll pardon you for the crime of trespassing on our fief while bearing arms. But for me to let you go, you have to prove to us that you're not a spy."
"But I slayed three cobras," Ricci replies, "Surely that proves I'm not a scout for the Reptilians."
"Oh really?" responds MacLeod, "What if by ganging up on Fiona, the cobras compromised the scouting mission, so you had to kill them to keep your cover from being blown?"
"How would cobra blood running down your streets NOT expose a Reptilian scouting mission?" asks Ricci.
"Maybe you thought we'd assume all the spies were killed by some mysterious hero of the night. Fiona recounts your heroic deed and you're free to retreat back to your Reptilian base with vital information. Which brings us back to this very moment."
Ricci was speechless. "Man, this guy thinks 10 steps ahead," he thought to himself.
Ricci bows his head in acquiescence, "So what must I do to prove my innocence?"
"Fight on the frontlines in our battle against the Reptilians tonight," says MacLeod.
"What?!" exclaims Ricci "You're going to war with the Reptilians?" "Padre Topo was right," he thought, "an evil really is rising."
"So, what will it be?" asked MacLeod, "Do we have a deal?"
Ricci lowers his head contemplatively, the gravity of the situation weighing heavy on his mind. "If I fight on the frontlines I could get killed, then the amulet will never get to the sage. But it doesn't look like I have much of a choice."
He looks down into the manhole, "It's either that or get thrown to the gators. At least with this I'll have a fighting chance."
Ricci raises his head and with conviction exclaims, "I accept your terms!"
"Excellet!" said MacLeod.
He motions to the two guardcats, "Now untie the rat-snake and give him his sword."
The guards toss Ricci on the ground and cut his bounds with a knife.
"By midnight tonight, the Reptilian army will be at the Williamsburg Bridge. Cat Clan, prepare for battle!" exclaims MacLeod.
The alley cats raise their furry fists in the air and let out a collective, "RAAAWR!"