The entire Rat battle force froze as they realized their king was under attack. They watched his ferocious defence as he fended off the slashing, clawing, snarling black Cat. They groaned as charging Rats were pushed aside, hissed as darts seemed to bounce off the demon-like feline, and grew silent as the Cat moved closer for its inevitable kill.
The end claimed both Cedric and the Cat. His scalpel sliced up under his assailant’s throat as its jaws closed on his neck. They each severed the other’s spinal column and both bodies collapsed, locked together in their dance of death. Rats reacted with a frenzy of slashing and biting, almost totally destroying the bodies of the dead Cats in a fruitless revenge.
~~~
Rats mourned their fallen king, united in grief to a degree not even Cedric would have anticipated. They were New Rats, and their ways also were new. As one, they cleaned the warehouse of bodies, adding a small number to the feeder stock so it could grow and expand even further. They removed the other bodies, tugging them across and into the nearby Thames where they were washed downstream. The Capins held back the bodies of Cedric and his killer, leaving them in the centre of the warehouse floor, where thousands of Rat volunteers guarded them. Then the Capins approached The Man with their silent questions.
“I don’t know what you want. How am I—? Well, I suppose—” Joseph paused in thought. “A funeral ceremony, first. Then the selection of a new king. The king is dead, long live the king, I suppose. All right?”
The Capins seemed to understand and nodded, their eyes intent on The Man. They were waiting for more.
“Very well. A Viking funeral,” he suggested and added instructions. “Find a small boat, a rowing boat or skiff. Place his body—and yes, the body of the Cat which killed him—in the boat. Add Cedric’s possessions, his hang glider, anything else you can find. Find some incendiaries, fireworks, gunpowder, anything which will help it burn, and pack them around the bodies. We will arrange somehow for a ferry to tow the boat out to the middle of the Thames and then set it alight. It will be a fitting end for Cedric, and a signal to Cats and others that this is also a beginning.”
~~~
The Capins had understood. The local ferry, normally used to carry passengers across the Thames, was now freshly painted, and with brass shining and steam engine puffing, moved slowly away from the dock and headed upstream. Its precious cargo bobbed and jerked at the end of a towline, safe and secure. When the ferry reached a point just off the ruins of the Arena, a deckhand tugged the small rowboat over to the side of the ferry and lit a fuse. It would burn slowly for a few minutes before igniting the boat’s more flammable contents. The deckhand released the line, freeing the rowboat from the ferry, and the small boat drifted downstream with the tide while the ferry moved away, further upstream. The ferry’s only passengers were the Capins, who watched silently. The burning fuse reached its target and wild flames rose up as cans of gasoline ignited.
The small boat posed a hazard as it and its contents burned furiously in midstream, although for some reason, fireboats did not attend to extinguish the flames. Crowds, humans and Rats, lined the river shore on both sides, from the old, flooded Blackwell Tunnel to Lyle Park on one side and to Pear Tree Way on the other and watched silently as the small rowboat and its burden burned to the waterline and then slowly sank into the Thames.
The next day the Capins again assembled in front of Joseph. They needed instructions; they lacked direction, and waited patiently for his recommendations. They had not yet learned to function as a decision-making body; they would learn later how to manage their affairs, but for now, without a king to lead them, they depended on The Man.
Joseph sat and considered his response, watched all the while by the Capins and hundreds of other Rats. He realized Cedric had performed admirably as their king, providing an effective if unconventional form of leadership. As king, Cedric had driven the New Rats aggressively, forcing them to accept and adapt to their evolutionary changes. Now, Joseph acknowledged to himself, he had a responsibility to assist the Rats in their evolutionary process.
“Very well,” he said at last. “Assemble all the New Rats at midday tomorrow, in the warehouse. Then we will select your new King.”
The Capins squealed and as one, headed out of the kitchen. Joseph could hear their attempts to communicate instructions to other Rats, and hoped they could arrange the assembly.
~~~
Rats removed the chains from the kitchen doors and pulled them open. It was not the first time they had removed the chains and opened the doors; however, it was the first time they had done so while Joseph was awake. It was the first time they had permitted Joseph to leave the kitchen. He stood, his legs shaking, his knees trembling. His steps were tentative, faltering. His reluctance to move away from the PCN nanite stock was now well-ingrained after years of dependency. Joseph held onto tables and benches for support as he moved towards the now fully open door. For a moment, as he steadied himself at the doorway, he almost turned and walked back. He froze in position for a long minute. At last he mentally braced himself and stepped through the doorway.
The large warehouse space, cleaned and tidied, was full of Rats; he could see thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, noisy and boisterous. When the Rats saw Joseph at the doorway, they immediately stilled, silence rolling across the assembly like a dampening wave. It was as though the warehouse, full of Rats, had taken a vow of silence. There was no movement, none at all, as the Rats waited. Joseph almost turned tail and fled back into the safety of the kitchen; however, some residue of stubbornness held him in place.
The Capins, with some other Rats, stood in front of him, separate from the main body of Rats. Joseph at last turned to the small group.
“Have you decided on who will be your next King?” he questioned.
There was a slight scurry of movement as the Capins pushed one Rat forward, although it was more that they stood back, and with gestures, revealed their candidate. Joseph, curious, examined the Rat. He stood tall, ears alert, whiskers stilled. Joseph estimated he was some twenty inches high, with broad shoulders and muscular chest. His paws were hand-like, with opposing thumbs. He had fresh scars across his face, probably incurred during the battle with the Cats. He wore a simple leather jerkin and a pair of leather trousers; they were both new and, Joseph thought, were symbols both of his rank and evolution. His eyes were clear and sharp as he regarded Joseph. He noted the Rat’s tail was very short, almost vestigial.
“You have been selected as the new Rat King?” he asked.
The Rat looked up at Joseph, nodded and squeaked. Then, with an effort, he voiced his reply. “Yes. I am Sam 12. Son of Cedric. I am the new Rat King.”
Joseph did not hide his surprise. “You speak? I did not know…how many of you can speak, now?”
“Many. All the new-borns. All can speak,” replied the candidate Rat King. “Very difficult. We learn.”
Joseph thought for a moment, planning his next move. Then he stepped forward, closer to the new king. “Give me your paw,” he instructed, as he turned towards the gathered Rats. The Rat complied and reached out a paw. Joseph held his hand and the Rat’s paw up as high as he could without over-balancing the Rat. He looked around at the still silent gathering.
“I give you His Majesty, Sam 1st, King of Rats,” he declared.
The response from the crowd was almost deafening. They squealed and squeaked, waved section flags, rattled weapons, jumped up and down, and for a moment Joseph though he heard cheers as well. He waited patiently for the excited acclamation to reduce in volume.
“Sam 1st will rule New Rats with the support of his Capins. He will command the military forces and defend all Rats. I offer congratulations and wish him a most successful reign.” The noise broke out again, even louder. Joseph released the new King’s paw and looked around for somewhere to sit. He found a small box and almost collapsed, mentally exhausted. The new King stepped forward, towards the cheering Rats.
He spoke. Fir
st he turned towards Joseph. “Thank you, Man.” Then he turned towards the crowd of excited Rats. “I am sad and happy. I miss Cedric. I’ll be a good king. I’ll defend all Rats.” The Capins supportively surrounded him as the assembly erupted again. Joseph closed his eyes.
***
Chapter 7
Joseph looked in the mirror and checked the result of his self-conducted barbering. He had requested toiletries, shaving gear, comb, and scissors, and had been overwhelmed at the response. A thousand or more Rats, some with a better understanding of his request than others, had set out to search for his needs. They returned throughout the afternoon with a variety of toiletries, some entirely unsuitable but most answering his needs. He now had hundreds of razors, numerous combs, and a variety of scissors of all sizes, along with collections of scented soaps, shaving creams, and other toiletries. He imagined a number of hotels and stores were wondering what had happened to their inventories. When the Rats delivered their hauls, he had spent an hour or more washing and trimming both his hair and his beard. He bathed himself, oblivious to his audience of Rats. He felt so much better. He now wanted clean, newer clothes. And then, he wanted to move out of the warehouse.
He looked around the kitchen and found one of the Rats designated as a messenger. “Tell His Highness I need a conference,” he instructed. The messenger scurried away on his errand.
The death of Cedric, almost a year earlier, and the reliance of the New Rats on him for direction, had eventually stirred a buried thread of responsibility in Joseph’s mind. His brutal beating and imprisonment in the kitchen had turned him into a recluse with a chemical-induced dependency. He had sunk very low, with severe outbursts of anger driven by depression, and only reluctantly aiding the Rats. Now he had changed, and was able to identify what he had done, who he was, and who he needed to be. He also realized he probably would not be able to overcome his PCN nanite addiction; the pharmacology and nanites had kept him alive and would continue to do so. Rats entering the kitchen interrupted his reverie; it was the messenger returning with Sam 1st, two Capins and—Joseph thought—a military guard, given the dress and weapons of the other accompanying Rats. They all grouped in front of Joseph.
“Dr. Joseph,” Sam 1st smiled; it was an almost human-like expression. “You are groomed. Very smart. Now what can I do? You want my help?”
“Yes, Your Highness.” In the year since Sam had taken office, Joseph had taught the Rats some protocol to use when addressing their king, and he used it himself, to strengthen the impact of the courtesy. “I have been thinking and planning. As we discussed, as more humans realize there are very intelligent Rats, they—some—will object, and will attack Rats. We need to protect Rats against that. I can and will help Rats in this new world, because I have responsibility for what has happened. I’ll build a base to support you and all Rats. To do so, I’ll need human things, such as clothing and money. I must move from here, from this kitchen, to a proper human house. We will have to move the PCN, as well.”
“Yes, this follows our discussion. How do we get your house?”
“Here in London, there are many big, old buildings—houses and offices—that are empty, abandoned by their owners. If we can find one that is suitable, we can occupy it, and eventually it will be ours, according to English law. The building must be large, with many rooms, many floors. It must be in good condition, no roof leaks, no broken windows, no broken doors. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Dr. Joseph. You need good house, very many rooms, clean, empty, no one living there. You can move with PCN and set up your Nest.”
“Home, yes.”
“Surprise for you, Dr. Joseph.” Sam 1st held out his hand to one of the Capins. “Capin Jee 14 has a very good technical team. He has a present, a cell phone, for you. We can communicate now without messengers.”
The Capin handed Joseph a small package. Joseph was impressed. In the short time Sam 1st had been king, he had motivated and driven his Capins and their sections aggressively, and they also had expanded their utilization of human equipment. Joseph had no doubt Rats were still evolving, and they were continually demonstrating their intelligence and their ability to apply it, sometimes in unexpected ways.
Sam 1st continued. “We have discovered cell phones can also capture images. We will set up a search team, and they can take images and show you. It will make your task easier.”
“Thank you, Capin Jee 14 and Your Highness.” He weighed the cell phone in his hand—it was exceptionally light. “This is—it is—just remarkable. Yes, a search team will be able to capture and send images to me. My clothing needs are simple. I am looking for a plain robe that I can wear, similar to the robes of monks. I’ll draw an outline—we may need to just obtain fabric and have Mice tailor them for me. Shoes and some underclothes, as well. ”
“We will set up more search teams for you. They can send images of clothing. They will scavenge from clothing stores. Money is easy,” he shrugged. “Rats can go into all kinds of places and find human money and bring it to you. Our new public relations company—the one you suggested from the list we organized—is beginning to produce and release publicity material to the media. Also, we are commencing to lobby members of parliament for recognition and support of Rats. We need at least one change in the law to allow us to own property.”
~~~
The property search team was very efficient. It quickly identified a number of large houses, and eventually Joseph selected an unoccupied and apparently abandoned building south of Marylebone Road which he thought might be suitable. It was in a safer, settled area, away from the protestor and refugee-occupied areas. He also had acquired new clothes modelled on a monk’s robe—which, he thought, reflected the simplicity he wanted to apply to his life. Rats had acquired other items from a number of clothing stores, and with his hair and beard trimmed and a wallet full of money, he was more than presentable. One of the Capins arranged a chauffeur driven e-car, and the driver collected Joseph and drove him to address provided by the Rat search team. He regarded his outing as a challenge and felt extremely brave to leave the warehouse, even for a short time. He spent a couple of hours examining the house, at first the exterior, and after a Rat unlocked the front door, the interior as well. It was a multi-storeyed Georgian-styled property, of solid build and in good condition. It seemed originally to have been a very large home, then enlarged and converted to offices, and perhaps occupied by a medical organization. He thought, given its overall condition, it had stood empty for a number of years.
Joseph conferred with Sam 1st on his return to the warehouse, and they immediately agreed to take possession of the property. His Highness sent in a team of Rats to clean the house and grounds, and instructed them to report back on completion of their tasks. A week later, Joseph again visited the property, and he was impressed with the thoroughness of the Rat clean-up. The property, while needing a major re-paint and some internal renovations, was indeed spotless. He met with a locksmith while he was at the property and arranged for him to fit new locks to all the exterior doors. He also met with and tasked two property improvement companies to survey and tender for the renovations and changes he wanted. He was relying on Rats for funding, and was relieved when Sam 1st had indicated they would provide whatever financing Joseph might need. He did not question their sources of funds; he knew Rats were very resourceful when necessary.
~~~
Eventually, Joseph could defer his move no longer. While renovations had taken nearly six months, the new building now was ready for him to occupy. First, though, he had to convince himself he could move out of the warehouse kitchen which had been his home for over twenty years. While the process had made him anxious, packing the PCN nanite material had proven to be a simple task easily conducted by a Rat team, and now the area outside the kitchen was stacked with small cartons, filled with feeder stock. He was leaving a small amount of PCN material in the kitchen for use by Rats in emergencies. Of course he also would store a small carton or
two in his top floor living accommodation; it would help heal any Rat, for example, who might suffer serious injury. Additionally, Joseph had included, in the renovation plans, a large room, which he had named the Nanite Room, for storage of the main bulk of PCN nanites.
The move was quick, taking only an hour or two. Joseph had few possessions, although he was adding more personal items as and when the Rat search team found suitable items. He would have to stop them, he thought. Soon. He looked around the living area of his top floor accommodation, and realized he had no food. He needed a housekeeper, possibly a doorman, and perhaps a receptionist, or even two. And cleaners. Joseph sighed. He knew his planning abilities were not as good as his research and creativity strengths, and decided he needed a personal assistant, as well.
First he called one of the small supermarket chains and arranged food delivery. Then he contacted a staffing agency and hired, on a temporary basis, enough staff for his immediate needs.
His first conversation with a woman who applied for the role of personal assistant made him think more deeply about his future.
“Dr. Krowe, what is the role you have in mind?” She was in her mid-forties, slightly stout, and well-dressed. She had a very good resume.
“I—I plan to build up a research organization,” Joseph rapidly improvised, subconsciously identifying his real objectives, “focused primarily on DNA manipulation, evolutionary acceleration, and related research addressing evolutionary changes in animals. Where we can, we will patent the results of our research. I need someone who can help me plan how to start up my research plans, and who can interview applicants for domestic positions—I’ll do the technical and professional interviews.”
“Of course.”
“My immediate needs, apart from the role you may fill, is for a housekeeper-cook and other domestic staff, a doorman, and a receptionist.”
Shen Ark: Departure Page 5