by Al K. Line
Finally, they were on the same level as the crowd, although many more were dotted about the lower levels, eagerly leaning forward to peer at the newcomers.
A baby cried, quickly hushed by its mother.
"Er, hello? I'm Arcene, and this," indicated Arcene with a wave of the hand, "is Leel."
"Leel," came the chorus in reply. "Leel."
"Um, yeah, that's right." For the first time in her life Arcene was at a loss. She stood there and fidgeted as she tried not to stare at the strange people stood in a semi-circle around them like a rotting congregation.
These people are seriously strange.
The silence stretched out, but it didn't feel menacing, more like they were waiting for something to happen, a signal to speak maybe? Or were they expecting something of them?
Aha!
"Say hello Leel." Arcene turned to her friend and nodded, then pointed at the people. "Go on."
Woof!
A man stepped forward, nodding gravely, flaps of cloth bouncing around his head like tattered ears. He had a thick beard with a mustache wet with oil — Arcene wondered how it wasn't dripping down his face.
"Welcome. We rat people."
Okaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
"Oh, nice to meet you," said Arcene, all smiles and doing her best to look pleased to meet rat people.
Rat people? What does that mean?
"We been waiting. Knew you coming. You let food escape." It wasn't an accusation, merely a statement of fact.
"Your food? Um, what..." realization hit. "Oh, oh! Oops, so sorry. We didn't know."
Rattus Rattus
It seemed that Arcene was talking to the leader of the group of rat people, although he wasn't really deferred to, more a spokesman as far as she could tell. The people were shy, had a very stilted way of speaking, but their obsession with Leel overrode their timid nature judging by the way they stared and bowed at her if they thought she had looked in their direction.
Leel was having a great time, playing a rather naughty game until Arcene caught her.
"You stop that Leel, that's very rude." Leel was moving her head to one side, a wave of bows following her gaze, then whipping her head back the other way, trying to catch out the rat people eagerly poised to bow with deep respect when it was their turn. As Arcene watched she saw how upset they were if they didn't pay homage before Leel's gaze passed to the next person.
Leel moaned at the admonishment but stopped her antics and sat obediently next to Arcene. She couldn't stay angry at her friend, she was just playing after all, so Arcene tapped a knuckle on Leel's head then rubbed an ear. She frowned and raised her hand to her face then sniffed warily.
Ugh, I think we are both going to need a good wash after this place. What are these people doing here?
They were still the center of attention, facing the semicircle of rat people, now all standing and moving about slowly as if their bodies only worked at a sedate pace.
"So, um, you live here then?"
The leader nodded.
"Do you have a name? It would be easier if I had something to call you."
The man hung his head as if shamed. "I sorry. I Yevette, this Bastett, this Allott, Pattis, Yattis, Dimwitt. This..." It was impossible to keep up, Yevette fired off the names of everyone in the immediate vicinity without pausing for breath. He pointed at each person and as their name was called they bowed. Not to Arcene, but to Leel. Minutes later the introductions were finished. Yevette stared at them — he was expecting something, Arcene had no idea what. He wiped a dirty sleeve over his goggles.
The goggles were strange devices and something they all seemed to wear. The glass of the wraparound contraptions magnified their eyes, giving the illusion their eyes were too big for their heads, and they blinked constantly. Arcene felt it rude to ask, so concluded that if they lived underground most of the time, maybe all the time, then they would have problems seeing well. She bet they didn't like strong light either, hence the red glow she realized was coming from way up at the top of the room where filters covered several tiny openings.
"You sit. You eat."
"Oh, okay." Arcene envisioned feasting on rat legs and nasty big teeth fighting back as she chewed down on live flesh. They wouldn't eat them raw would they? There didn't seem to be much in the way of anything apart from people and rodents, there certainly didn't seem to be any cooking facilities.
The people sat or reclined on piles of cloth then scooted back to make room. Arcene stepped forward but Yevette put a blackened hand to her chest and pointed at Leel. The dog was to go first, then her. "Oh, right. Leel, you go sit with the nice people."
Leel obeyed, as if she knew she was deemed important and wanted to make a good impression on their hosts.
She'd never act so good if it was just us. Why the dog obsession?
Arcene got herself as comfortable as possible, maintaining a tight hold on her sense of smell at all times. The people seemed to relax too, and chatter built to an excitable pitch. Arcene and Leel, or maybe Leel and Arcene was more appropriate, were the talk of this strange community but the language was such a perverted form of English that to make out more than a few garbled words was impossible. This was why Yevette's words were so stilted: he wasn't used to speaking ordinary English, that or he was more intelligent than the rest, which as Arcene studied the others, wasn't hard to believe.
Many were disfigured in one way or another: strange bumps on their heads, hands that were crooked, arms at angles that didn't appear quite right, and many were stunted in growth, that or they were the weirdest looking kids she had ever seen. It was tough to know what was what under so many layers of filth and odds and ends of clothing.
Because of the sword strapped across her back, Arcene had to sit upright, making her the only one not reclining and lounging like on vacation, and it wasn't long before her personal space was invaded. Young and old draped themselves over her and Leel as if they were little more than new pieces of exotic furniture to be tried out — there was zero consideration for personal space. She kept quiet, not wanting to be rude, but she felt dirtier than she ever had in her life and wondered if the grime could ever be washed away. It felt like it was seeping through her pores, staining her insides dark and oily.
"So, you like dogs then?" Arcene spoke to the mustache of Yevette, finding it impossible to drag her eyes away. It twirled up almost to his forehead, making him look like he had two large tusks poking out of his mouth making a break for freedom and fresh air. It was a bad idea, she should not have looked. The moment she spoke she caught sight of the gaping void that was his mouth, teeth so green and speckled with pieces of rancid meat that her gag reflex cut in even though she controlled her body as best she could.
Don't puke, don't puke. It's vulgar.
"They are noble, they here once. Long ago times."
It took a moment for Arcene to catch up, she'd forgotten she'd asked a question. "And what is here? Is this your home? You all live here?"
He nodded. "Yes. Home. Rat people live with rat, love rat. Like dark."
"Oh, I see." Arcene didn't, but each to their own was her motto. As long as she was left alone she didn't care what others did.
"Food come."
The smell made its way to Arcene's unguarded nostrils, the unmistakable aroma of cooked flesh. Her stomach made its presence known with a gurgle, the sound picked up by Leel who's belly let out a deep rumble met with approving nods by the others.
"Rat. Rat. Rat," came the chorus from every mouth, before they clapped in appreciation as two crooked women beaming with pride from under their rags carried a huge platter toward them. They placed the steaming mound of meat before Leel, who stared at Arcene, pleading with eyes that could melt the heart of the most hardened of warriors.
I thought she'd gone off rat? Must prefer it cooked. Stupid dog, she's loving this.
A dozen filthy hands reached to grab chunks of meat and Leel buried her head into the fast-diminishing pile as soon as Arcene gave
her the go-ahead. Soon the only sounds were murmurs of contentment and the snapping of bones, the licking of lips and the spitting of gristle. A scrawny thigh was shoved at Arcene's face by a small women who nodded eagerly. Arcene accepted the gift with grace.
As she lifted it to her mouth the room fell silent, so with little choice if she wished to remain polite, Arcene tore off a strip of charred flesh. "Ooh, yummy," came the garbled thanks as she swallowed the rat meat and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, trying to hide her concern over the diseases transported into her system.
Everyone applauded, then ignored her as more of them scrambled forward and snatched at the meat before scuttling off into the dark to eat without fear of their meal being stolen.
Those closest kept offering food, which Leel gulped down greedily, loving the attention, but Arcene found it impossible to keep accepting the meat — no matter how many times she told herself there was nothing wrong with rat, and she had eaten it enough times over the years when that was all she could get, she couldn't bring herself to do anything but nibble with timid bites on what was offered so as not to offend, even though her belly cried at her to stuff it in then move on to the next piece.
Maybe it was because rat was forever associated with being close to starvation, like when she'd collapsed from exhaustion and malnutrition and lay helpless as the creatures clambered over her while she wallowed in her own mess, sick and wishing for The Void, saved only by a fight between two males resulting in the death of one and the feeding of herself, gulping down the still warm flesh, sucking on the meat to get the blood inside her and allow her to fight for survival for another day.
They had to go, they couldn't stay, the people were too strange, the life they led too far removed from anything she could hope to understand.
Hours drifted by, the rat people happy to do nothing apart from laze around and chat quietly. Sometimes they argued amongst themselves, feuds taken off to quiet corners where the thunk and splat of fists hitting flesh could be heard before both parties returned, battered and bruised only to huddle up close to one another and their extended family, the business sorted out, no resentments harbored.
Others moved off for different reasons, the quiet gasps and moans heard close to the entrance of their chosen hidey-hole. It took a while for Arcene to figure out what they were doing, but the glow on the couple's faces as they returned minutes later told her all she needed to know.
Arcene tried to engage her host in conversation, but it seemed like his vocabulary was severely limited. They struggled through the best they could though, and Arcene came to understand that opening the gate had caused their staple diet to make a dash for freedom, even though they were revered as the saviors of the strange band of people.
From what she understood, it appeared they had lived underground in the tunnels for centuries, seldom if ever leaving their darkness for the dangers of the open skies. They felt safe in the dark, hated the bright light and green of above ground, and were happy where they were with plenty to eat, harvesting the rats and eating as and when they wished, supplementing their diet with algae and the occasional fish caught in the large pool that took up almost the entire floor of the cavern they called home.
"We family," said Yevette, indicating the rest of the rat people.
"Family? You mean friends? Close?" Arcene clasped her hands together and put them over her heart when she saw he didn't understand her words.
"No. Family." Yevette cupped his groin, then nodded at various women, some holding children.
"Oh, okay."
So they're all related somehow? Probably all come from a few people that hid down here long ago and never made it back to the surface.
Yevette smiled and said, "You want? Me? You?" He cupped his groin again and nodded to an empty tunnel.
"Oh, haha, um, no, and we must be going now, but thank you for the kind offer." Arcene didn't notice when her hand reached over her shoulder but she stopped just as the tassel tickled her still raw fingertips. He meant no disrespect, it was just how they lived. No need to get violent.
"Is okay. You skinny anyway."
Is he serious? He's criticizing me?
"Well, anyway, we must be going. Thanks for the food. Um, do any of the tunnels lead to the castle?"
At the mention of the castle the silence became palpable. Everyone froze. Even the babies stopped howling and the couples in the tunnels halted either their fighting or their love-making.
"Castle not good. No go."
"Nooooooooooooooooooo," came the wail of the rat people.
"What? Why not? It looks interesting."
"Don't go castle."
"Why?"
"You see. Best no go."
"Hmm." Arcene got to her feet. Hands clung to her but they didn't insist, they merely warned, pleaded with her not to go.
"We'll be fine, won't we Leel?"
Woof, woof.
The rat people stood and bowed to Leel, then cast sorrowful glances at Arcene, like she was a child and didn't know how to act when with company. "So, can I get to the castle through the tunnels?"
"Yes. Safer than above."
"Okay, which one?"
A hundred hands pointed to a tunnel like the rest, where water from the pool spilled over and carried on its journey. Arcene adjusted her sword, tightened the straps on the backpack so it was snug once again on Leel's back and said, "Thank you. It's been nice meeting you all." She tried to walk away acting casual and confident, but the truth was the people were beginning to intimidate her, and nothing made Arcene scared, hardly anything anyway.
"Maybe we'll meet again. Thanks." Arcene gave a nervous wave and wondered if they'd pounce on her, force her to stay and maybe crown Leel Queen of the rat people. She hopped up onto a short bridge with half the planks missing and moved as fast as she could into the welcome dark of the edge of the room. Leel walked obediently behind her and as soon as the ledge widened she ran past Arcene, turned at the tunnel mouth and barked her eagerness to get a move on.
She's not such a stupid dog after all.
The rat people bowed one last time to Leel, waved at Arcene who waved back again, and they left the people to their strange existence and their rats.
Moments later they were swallowed up by the tunnel and Arcene's back ached more than it had in the other one. As they moved deeper into black a voice echoed after them. "Remember. Rat people warn you. Castle bad."
Arcene didn't look back. Regrets were for those that didn't know their own mind, and besides, it would make her look weak.
Let There be Light
"Stupid tunnels, stupid water, stupid rat people." There was no doubt, Arcene would never walk upright again. She would forever hobble like an old crone, back bent double, legs bowed, tottering around muttering about her aches and pains and generally scowling at the world for letting such a terrible thing happen to her poor body.
She had assumed the tunnel would change soon enough, open out into another large space maybe, or at least be short and allow her to see the glorious sunlight and the blue skies once more. But no such luck.
The walk to get them as far as the home of the rat people was torturous, but the next stage of their underground trip made it pale into little more than a short walk in a field — this was unbearable.
However many nerves and muscles she told to stop complaining, shutting down the feelings where she could, it wasn't enough — her back was broken into tiny shards that stabbed into every nerve she had.
Even that she could put up with — she knew pain and she knew how to take herself away from it, leave a part of her mind in The Noise where she could watch the girl named Arcene as if she wasn't her — but Leel, oh Leel, Arcene was ready to rip her head off and stick it down the hole she made. Leel refused, whatever she did, to shut up.
It began as a low whine. Leel was a little scared and told Arcene she didn't like that they were in a tunnel again, but soon it grew louder, more insistent, until it was a constant noise t
hat grated on her nerves like she was stuck in a room listening to the "music" called Jazz — how people had enjoyed it was something she'd never understood. When she first heard it she was sure it was some kind of joke, or what the ancients had devised as some form of auditory punishment, but no, they'd made it on purpose, to listen to. To enjoy!
"Leel, will you shut up!"
With other senses sharpened to replace the lack of sight, Arcene heard Leel turn her head, noted the collar rattle, cringed at the sound of the backpack as it scraped against the ceiling, then continued to walk, keen to get out as soon possible. Maybe she'd gone mad, lost her sanity somewhere in the tunnel, become just ears and broken bones.
The whining elevated to a new pitch of unbearable annoyance.
If we don't escape soon then there will only be me getting out anyway. I can't stand this.
She'd tried everything: being nice, giving Leel a cuddle, shouting at her, threatening her, promising lovely food, shouting again, even crying a little. Nothing worked. Leel whined like a big baby and it drove her to despair.
"Okay, speed up then. If you're gonna moan like a child then at least go faster so we can get out of here." Arcene picked up her pace, dashing forward like a geriatric sprinter, and caught Leel on the heel. She got the message and ran, yipping and barking as she splashed in the water that was...
Hang on, is the water deeper?
Arcene trailed a hand down as she continued to run — there was no doubt about it, the water was up to calf height now, whereas before it was little more than a trickle.
What does it mean? Will we drown?
No, it wasn't like the tunnel would fill up totally. Or would it?
Panic set in, not the panic of just being scared, but deep-seated primeval terror at the thought of drowning. Arcene hadn't known she contained such fear, she'd been in water plenty of times and was a good swimmer. Her wide shoulders and slender body were perfect for moving gracefully through the water, but she'd never been stuck deep beneath the ground with a whining dog in a tunnel that could fill with water before. If she knew one thing it was that she'd never get herself in a similar situation again.