Nightshade City (27 page)

“High Cook allows me back in the kitchen from time to time. I asked her about the holes a long time ago, and she told me they’re chimneys that go all the way Topside, letting out the smoke. She said they’re lined with chicken wire to keep them from mudding up and the older soldiers scale the wire when they need to be cleaned. Cook lets me come back in the kitchen sometimes for a second helping of her creamed corn with bacon. It’s my favorite. We talk a lot. I know she’s kind of cross, but I like her all right.”

“Duncan, I like her all right myself,” said Juniper, slapping his paws together. “In fact, I like her very much at the moment. Virden, get word to Oard about the War Room. If it’s next to Killdeer’s den, they should be able to find it. Also, ask them to find the Topside location of the kitchen’s chimneys.”

Suttor thought of something else. “Juniper, once the kitchen is closed, no one guards it. There’s no need. It’s already within the Kill Army boundaries. Who would guard an empty mess hall?”

“You boys have no idea what help you’ve been!” Bostwick Hall
was filling with smells of sausage and smoked fish. “Let’s say we eat?” suggested Juniper.

“Oh, good,” said Duncan, “I’m famished.” Everyone laughed as they got up from the table.

Juniper put his arm around Duncan’s shoulder and started walking towards the food line. “Well now, let’s see what Lali has cooked up today. I cannot guarantee creamed corn with bacon, but we’ll see what she can do. C’mon, everyone.”

C
AUTIOUSLY POKING THEIR HEADS
in and out of the many rooms surrounding Killdeer’s sprawling den, Noc and Quip finally found the War Room. The High Minister sat alone, sifting through piles of tattered maps and blueprints. He couldn’t fathom how his subjects were escaping so effortlessly. The Stipend intake was dwindling rapidly. Soon they would have to cut back on army rations.

The two worms pulled their heads back into the wall so they could speak. “Noc, how long do you think we have to wait here?” asked Quip, bored with listening to Killdeer’s heavy breathing.

“I suppose as long as it takes. Hopefully, Billycan and his majors will be back soon enough, with information we can use.”

“Wait! Do you hear that?” said Quip. “It sounds like footsteps.”

“Quiet, now,” said Noc. “I’d know that irregular gait anywhere. It’s Billycan.” They heard the War Room’s door open. “Let’s move
closer. We can’t afford to miss a word.” The pair glided through the earth as Billycan and Majors Foiber and Schnauss entered the War Room. Noc slowly stuck his head out, blending with the dirt walls, unnoticed by the rats.

Leaving Killdeer alone had been done with purpose. Billycan suspected that if left to his own devices, Killdeer, no longer able to handle the stress of impending combat, would have retrieved a secret Oshi bottle. Had he failed the test, Billycan would have killed him right then and there. But it was obvious from Killdeer’s countenance and the mess of documents he had been searching through that he was completely sober.

“Minister, we have news,” said Billycan, sitting down across from him at the table. “We have deduced from our findings that the rats are digging out of their quarters, meeting up with Juniper’s rats, and journeying on to Nightshade.”

“Do we have evidence of this? I thought no noticeable disorder had been detected in the deserted quarters.”

Billycan glared scathingly at the useless stack of maps. “Minister, someone is helping them clean up the mess. The floor in Mother Gallo’s room was as smooth as glass, as if never walked on. She has raised three children, with many footsteps and sharp claws to scar that floor. In addition, every inch of the room is covered in a fine layer of dust, a dust one would only find after an intense dig. Rest assured they are getting help from traitors inside the Combs. Billycan will soon discover from whom.”

Noc pulled his head back into the wall. “Quip, it will only be a matter of time before they pinpoint our tribe.” They stuck their heads out once more and listened.

Killdeer had a plan. “Catacomb Hall is still set up for the Grand Speech, is it not? I’ve decided I will still give a speech—but only for
the soldiers. We will assemble the entire Kill Army in the hall tomorrow night, at midnight. Leave one soldier at each security checkpoint. The others will go to the hall. No soldier is exempt, unless put on duty by one of us. Billycan, you and I will address them. I want every home in the Catacombs searched. I want every resident questioned, down to the smallest drooling child. We will find these conspirators. We can’t afford not to, as our numbers grow thinner every day. The soldiers need to be trained in interrogation techniques. The senior lieutenants can each lead a unit, questioning our subjects one by one. They will scour the Combs until something is uncovered. Once we have suspects under lock and key, Foiber, Schnauss, you will take over the questioning. Billycan, emphasize the use of force. By the time it’s your turn to speak, I’ll have those boys eager to ring a few necks and knock a few heads. They’ll think their very lives depend upon it. The questioning will commence directly following the speech. We’ll tear our weary subjects from their beds, unsuspecting and unfocused, making it harder for them to lie.”

Billycan sat and listened to the Minister. For once, he seemed to be making perfect sense. As he thought of what he would say to the troops, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye—something moving ever so slightly. It moved again, unnoticed by anyone but him. It was an earthworm. Springing from his chair, Billycan leaped in a lightning flash from the table and lunged at the earthworm, grabbing it by its head and flinging it with all his force against the War Room wall. The earthworm stuck to the surface for a moment and then slowly slid down the wall, dropping to the floor.

Killdeer and the majors snickered at the sight. “My word, how you despise those things,” said Killdeer, his belly shaking as he laughed.

Billycan wiped his paw on his sash, recoiling from the moist feel of the worm’s skin. “Earthworms are low, sickening excuses for life.
They do nothing but slink around the Combs, leaving their trails of filth behind them. There is no place for them in this world—no need.”

“You know, majors,” said Killdeer, “I’ve seen our Billycan kill hundreds of these worthless creatures. It’s almost a pastime.”

“I too have witnessed this exhibition many a time,” said Schnauss. “It seems as though we finally know of something that unnerves our otherwise fearless High Collector and Commander.” Schnauss, Foiber, and Killdeer rolled in their chairs in a fit of grunting laughter.

Killdeer snorted. “Someone call for a lieutenant to clean up this mess.”

Noc was dead.

Quip flew through the soil, back to Nightshade. How would the tribe handle the news? The only comfort he could give them was that Noc had not suffered. He had died instantly. He would never forget the sound of his body hitting the hard wall and dropping to the floor. The way they had all laughed, as if Noc were nothing …

As he reached the threshold of Nightshade City, he stopped and lay still in the dirt. Had he eyes, he would have momentarily closed them. Noc had a family. He was Oard’s second-in-command. The whole tribe was counting on him to secure their new home. Quip let out a whimper of despair and carried on to Nightshade.

He reached Bostwick Hall. He could hear Juniper, Oard, and the others discussing strategy and tactics. Oard was curled up on the main table, while Juniper, Cole, and the rest of the Council sat around him. The younger rats were all chattering together, getting reacquainted. Mother Gallo, Lali, and Clover were giggling, telling one another funny stories about Juniper and Cole. Quip heard Oard laugh his deep, genuine laugh at a joke Virden had told him.

“Oard,” he called from the wall in a strained voice.

“Quip,” said Oard throatily, “I’m glad you’re back safe. What news do you and Noc have from the Combs?”

“I have something to tell everyone,” he replied flatly.

“Quip, you sound peculiar. Where’s Noc?”

The room went still. Everyone stopped talking and turned towards Quip. The worm trembled for a moment, and then spoke. “Noc and I found the War Room today. We received valuable intelligence, which I will report later. Just a short while ago … Noc’s life was taken. Billycan spotted him as we were listening from the wall. He snatched him before Noc had time to react, throwing him against a wall, killing him instantly.”

The rats’ ears drooped. Their tails fell to the ground.

Hob walked up to Quip, who dangled from the wall. Hob stretched his neck up to see the worm. “You mean … Noc is dead?” he asked.

“I’m afraid so,” he replied.

Hob’s chin began to quiver. Kar walked over to comfort his friend as he had seen Juniper do. He put his spotted arm around Hob’s shoulder.

Juniper was silent, overcome by guilt. He had gone to the earthworms for help, but he could not shield them from Billycan. His body shook. He let out a terrifying wail, startling everyone. “You see!” he cried. “You see how this so-called High Ministry values life? Be we rats or worms, we are of no value to the Ministry. We are nothing to them! Stipend holds more worth! All of you have lived under their regime. Stringing up rats in Catacomb Hall for all to see, swinging by their broken necks. Chaining so-called criminals to posts so you can watch them starve to death, so your children can watch them die!

When Noc died, they laughed, didn’t they? Did they laugh, Quip? Did the leaders of the High Ministry grunt and cackle as Noc lay lifeless on the ground?”

Quip answered softly. “Yes.”

Juniper took a deep breath as he unclenched his fists. He noticed everyone looking at him nervously. Walking over to Hob and Kar, he bent down and picked the boys up, one in each arm. Mother Gallo walked over and put a paw on Juniper’s back, gently patting it. He looked over his shoulder at her and gave a cheerless smile.

“Oard,” Juniper said, looking at his friend. Oard had not said a word, still sitting in his coiled position on the table. “We are truly sorry for your tribe’s loss. Noc will be missed by us all, worms and rats alike. He
will
be avenged. All our loved ones will be. This Ministry has taken something or someone from everyone in this room.” He faced the rats. “Heed me, now—Billycan’s crimes will not go unpunished. He will answer for this and for every atrocity he has ever committed on any of the creatures that inhabit the Combs. He
will
pay.”

Finally, Oard addressed the room. “Noc was a brave tribesman, my second-in-command, my brother, my friend. He knew the risks of what he was doing. With any revolution, death goes hand in hand. We have our first casualty of Nightshade City. Our first loss of life and, I’m sorry to say, probably not our last. I must go to Noc’s family and tell them the sad news.” Oard dropped off the table and moved towards the wall. “Quip and I will be back in a few hours. As Juniper said, Noc
will
be avenged. His death will have meant something.” With that, he disappeared into the wall. Quip followed.

Juniper looked at the two boys still balancing on his arms. “Are you two all right? Did I frighten you?”

“Just a little, when you got loud,” said Kar.

“Well, I’m very sorry, Kar. Sometimes our emotions get the better of us.”

“It’s okay,” said Kar. “My brothers get that way too when they’re mad, especially Suttor.” Juniper mustered up a weak smile at the response.

Hob looked at Juniper and put his two small paws on the large rat’s face. “It’s okay to be sad, Juniper,” he said tenderly. “My mother says if you hold all your sadness inside, it has nowhere to go and stays trapped inside you forever.”

Juniper looked over at Mother Gallo. “Your mother is a very wise rat, far wiser than I.”

Oard and Quip arrived back at Nightshade City as promised. The mood in Bostwick Hall was solemn. The two worms emerged from the wall and slowly dropped to the floor, making their way to the center table, each twisting up a leg. Oard coiled his large body in the center of the table, while Quip stayed off to the side, still rather shaken.

Juniper was the first to speak. “Oard, you didn’t need to come back so promptly. We understand that you and your tribesmen need time to mourn.”