Nightshade City

by Hilary Wagner

  Thousands of voices thundered in Catacomb Hall. Rats chanted and stomped.

  “Juniper!” shouted Cole from the stage, his alarmed voice cutting through the clamor. Juniper looked up at the stage. “Juniper, he’s gone!”

  The white rat had disappeared.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Home

  IT WAS SAINTS’ DAY. Bostwick Hall was full and then some. Mother Gallo and Clover directed everyone to seats and tables as several large rats brought out platters filled with piping-hot sausages, dried beef, and mushroom stew. Lali dashed around at her usual pace, placing baskets of her bitonberry muffins and butter biscuits on every table, specifically requested by Juniper and Vincent.

  Juniper, Vincent, and Victor sat at the center table along with Suttor, Carn, and the Council. Ulrich had broken his arm in two places when a frightened soldier bashed him with a wooden chair. Lali made sure he had an extra mug of ale to ease the pain. Suttor’s little brothers and Mother Gallo’s boys sat at a smaller table right next to them. They kept staring over at the older boys, awed by their brave efforts.

  The new young residents of Nightshade City sat with their friends, laughing and joking like children, not soldiers. The freed Catacomb rats were quickly adjusting to their new surroundings. As the generous portions of food and ale were being passed around, it was hard to fathom a life of plenty, a life without ever having to pay Stipend again. It was like waking from a long nightmare.

  Juniper looked down at his chest, still feeling the weight of Trilok’s medal. He picked it up and turned it towards him. He looked at Duchess Nomi’s face. It made him think of Maddy. He scanned the room, spotting her as she passed out muffins to a table brimming with little girls, once slaves to the Ministry, now just girls, giggling and playfully teasing one another. He smiled as he watched Maddy laugh merrily, walking round the table. Soon, he thought, soon he would have an important question for her.

  Vincent and Victor looked at each other and grinned. Victor nudged Vincent on the arm as he caught him staring at Clover, who smiled back as she refilled mugs of ale.

  Victor whispered to Vincent. “Do you think now’s a good time?”

  “As good a time as any,” replied Vincent, setting down his third muffin.

  Vincent brushed the crumbs from his paws and climbed atop his seat. Victor clanked his mug against his plate, signaling for attention. The room quieted. Vincent spoke. “New citizens of Nightshade City, may I have a brief moment of your time?”

  Juniper looked up from his plate, and Vincent gave him a wink. Juniper glanced across the table at Cole, who shrugged his shoulders in bewilderment.

  “Now, then,” said Vincent, “it has recently come to my and my brother’s attention that we have just become an extremely large city.” The hall quaked with laughter. “We are a new city, a thriving city, yet still a city without a proper leader. At least,” Vincent said, looking down at Juniper, “officially. That being said, my brother and I have come up with a suggestion. A suggestion we were hoping you can all adopt or reject this very moment. We think we need some elected officials—no more self-proclaimed High Ministers. Victor and I would like to officially nominate Juniper Belancort and Cole Kingston to lead us as Chief Citizen and Deputy Chief Citizen of Nightshade City!”

  The hall rumbled with applause. “All right, then,” shouted Vincent, “are there any more nominations?” The room hushed. Vincent waited patiently, but no one spoke. “Then let’s put this to a vote. Everyone in favor, stand now!” Every rat got up from his or her chair or stool and stood in silence, looking round the hall, searching for anyone who was not on his feet. The old ones, too aged to stand, held up their paws in endorsement. Victor and Suttor joined Vincent atop their chairs, inspecting the room for anyone still sitting. The only ones not voting were the two dazed nominees.

  “It’s unanimous!” yelled Vincent. “Congratulations, Chief Citizen Juniper and Deputy Chief Cole!” The hall exploded with noise. Juniper and Cole stood up from the table as well-wishers came in droves to hug them and shake their paws.

  Juniper pulled Vincent down from his chair and put his arm around him. “You,” he said to Vincent, “you will one day lead this city, and you will lead it well. I have no doubt.”

  “Thanks to you, my father’s dream has been realized,” said Vincent. “As for myself, maybe one day I will lead this city, but for now, there’s much I need to learn—from you.”

  Smiling, Juniper patted Vincent’s back. “Then I’m glad to teach it, son.”

  Mother Gallo rushed up to Juniper. “I’m so pleased for you!” she said.

  Juniper pulled her near. “Be pleased for us, Maddy. We couldn’t have succeeded without you.”

  Lali ran over to Cole, kissing and hugging her husband till he was dizzy.

  Clover crept up behind Vincent and kissed him on the cheek. “You are a brave rat,” she whispered. Vincent’s head started to spin and his chest began to ache. He grabbed the edge of his chair so as not to stumble in front of her, and gazed at her with a silly grin.

  Virden suddenly jumped onto the table, rattling the utensils. “Silence, everyone, silence!” The commotion was quickly brought to a standstill, and all eyes stared up at Virden. “Now, let’s do this by the book, shall we?” Virden held up his glass of Oshi. “Let us toast this momentous night—this Saints’ Day is a day of jubilation for those of us here and for all those long departed. May our brave new city honor their memory and may we, their heirs, now hold our heads high once more. To Nightshade!”

  Glasses clinked and clanked. Everyone toasted in unison, “To Nightshade!”

  “Now,” said Virden, his face aglow, “let’s celebrate!”

  As the clamor and laughter resumed, Vincent turned back to Clover. “Clover,” he whispered in her ear, “you kissed me!”

  “Why, yes. Yes, I did,” she replied.

  Vincent suddenly grabbed Clover round her waist and twirled her in a circle. She giggled in surprise as her feet left the ground. Taking in a deep breath, Vincent caught the lemony scent of Clover’s fur. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds whirling around him: the cheerful voices, the singing, boys and girls laughing wildly, especially his brother—especially Victor. He opened his eyes and smiled contentedly at Clover. Vincent at last knew the feeling his father had spoken of—his old world had ended and a new world had begun, all in the same breath. He was home.

  Nightshade City finally felt whole. Mother Gallo, with the help of Juniper and the Council, assigned the citizens, former soldiers, and servant girls to the available quarters of the city. They had only so many rooms ready for occupancy, so the new residents would be crowded together for a while. No one seemed to mind, especially the young ones; it was nice to have someone to look after them.

  In the following months, vast growth and change took place within Nightshade. Juniper and Cole stepped right into their roles within the new democracy of Nightshade City. Among the other elected officials, Mother Gallo served as Citizen of Education. Virden was elected Citizen of City Planning. Ragan, Ulrich, and former lieutenant Carn became Tri-Citizens of Security and Intelligence, and lastly, Vincent and Suttor were selected as Co-Citizens of Youth Advancement.

  Victor was glad it was decided he was too young to be elected as a city official. For now, he was content to have as little responsibility as possible. His main concern was the next time Petra’s parents would let her out of her quarters to see him. Luckily for him, her parents found him hard not to like. Thanks to Killdeer, Victor had permanently lost the hearing in his left ear. Virden had stitched his outer ear back together the morning after the battle. At first, Victor detested the ugly scar, but he quickly changed his mind when Petra told him she thought it made him look quite distinguished.

  Vincent and Suttor seemed to grasp the world of politics with ease. Together they worked on Nightshade youth agendas, giving the young a voice they had never had. Vincent easily balanced his position with his time with Clover, as she had been granted
a position as Youth Citizen Education Adviser, allowing them to work side by side.

  Clover had decided to move into her own quarters but ended up with quite an unexpected roommate. Sweet but slow Texi had had nowhere to go. Her sisters had fled Topside, where she never would have stood a chance. Mother Gallo suggested the two girls move in together. Texi was nothing but kindhearted, and Clover could use some kindness after her ordeal.

  Texi helped Lali, now Nightshade’s Chief Cook, as well as the busy mothers of Nightshade in taking care of their growing broods. After they met during her security interview, Texi began spending time with Ulrich. He found her truthful and gentle; it was hard to comprehend that she was related to Killdeer. Best of all, she adored his stubby tail.

  As for Cook Longtooth, she gladly retired her greasy apron in exchange for helping Texi with the many new babies of Nightshade. The once-crusty culinarian transformed into a tender and patient caregiver, enamored with the infants she cuddled, who smiled brightly at her mangled grin.

  Cole, now Deputy Chief Citizen, had taken well to his new station. Lali was instrumental in making sure all the displaced Kill Army children were moved in with loving Nightshade families, who happily volunteered their homes and hearts to the orphan boys and girls. Cole had become like a father to Suttor, and he and Lali had taken in Suttor’s younger brothers, as well as Desmond, the timid little boy who could tell all his friends that he had sat atop Killdeer’s royal shoulder on the night of his demise. The once-quiet Kingston home was now overrun with noisy, rowdy boys. With their new family and demanding positions, Lali finally got a full night’s sleep and Cole’s mood never darkened again.

  The captured majors would be facing trial soon. Ragan, Ulrich, and Carn had interviewed citizens who had resided in each major’s sector. Carn provided a wealth of information in this department, as did the other senior lieutenants. After gathering witness accounts, it turned out that some of the sector majors had had no loyalty to the fallen High Ministry. They were simply doing what they were told, trying to survive. The many majors who did prove to be vicious, the ones with a true bloodlust, were locked up in Nightshade’s detention corridor, forced to live out their days in tiny, dank cells: a far better fate than the ones they had given their victims.

  Major Lithgo had been found a month after the battle, hiding in the storage area of Killdeer’s compound. He had tried to fight his way out, attacking a Nightshade rat and biting through his neck. The Nightshade rat survived; Lithgo did not.

  As promised, the earthworms finally got their sanctuary, deep within the rich soil of Nightshade. Juniper gave Oard and his tribesmen a huge chunk of earth, which was never to be disturbed by the rats again. A metal plaque was forged in Noc’s honor, placed on the single rat entrance to the tribe’s new home. Rats were granted entrance only by approved request. To date, no rat had ever been refused.

  In the months after his disappearance, rumors abounded as to Billycan’s whereabouts. Some heard he had boarded a cargo ship on its way to exotic Tosca Island, hidden in a crate of waterchip root, an ironic fate for the rat who loathed the root’s putrid smell. Others said he had jumped a fuel tanker headed to the deep south and had joined up with an ancient colony of big brown bats. The old ones still swore that the singular white rat was supernatural. They were sure he had vanished into thin air that night by his own will and would reappear when the time was right.

  The Chief Citizen considered all the rumors. The earthworms had headed Topside the night Billycan made his escape, but the only news they discovered was that he did indeed go south, which said nothing about his current whereabouts. He could be anywhere. The former High Collector was unquestionably a threat, much more so than Killdeer would have been. Juniper had his best trackers cover every inch of the Combs and Nightshade. They found nothing, not even a lone white hair.

  One more story still made the rounds—one that Juniper considered most unsettling of all. Many said Billycan had dug under Nightshade, deeper than any Trillium rat had ever gone. Living the life of a hermit, patiently biding his time, he waited for the right moment to return to enact his bloody revenge—one final showdown with Juniper Belancort. For everyone’s comfort, the earthworms patrolled under Nightshade regularly. Thus far, no trace of life had been uncovered, but the story still haunted the residents of Nightshade City, who swore Billycan had dug himself so deep that he would never be found.

  Juniper settled into his recently finished quarters. He had made a pair of rocking chairs for himself and his new bride, and he thought today would be the perfect afternoon to try his out. Mother Gallo had taken all the boys but one to visit Suttor’s younger brothers for the afternoon.

  Upon the discovery of Major Lithgo deep within the confines of Killdeer’s compound, the Nightshade rats had come across a skeletal infant rat, wrapped in a tattered cloth, nearly dead from hunger. He was found hidden in a corner in the quarters of Killdeer’s sisters. Texi knew nothing of the child and assumed that her sisters had hidden it from her, worried she might accidentally reveal the birth to her brother, who strictly forbade his sisters from consorting with males.

  Mother Gallo missed having a baby in the house and begged Juniper to take the foundling infant in. Begging was not necessary. Juniper happily accepted his new ward, hoping that one day the boy would call him Papa.

  Juniper sat in his chair next to the fire. He held his son in the crook of his arm, rocking him tenderly. Juniper drifted between reality and dreams. His cloudy thoughts shifted to Billycan and the night the white rat had whittled out his eye as a gruesome souvenir. He fell asleep.

  Juniper slept like the dead, his infant son curled next to him, murmuring peacefully. The boy’s miniature tail and feet were snugly tucked under Juniper’s dense winter fur. The fire smoldered softly, infusing the room with a warm caramel glow, the ideal setting for a midday nap. Juniper had earned his rest. The battle was over, and for the first time in a long time, life underground was calm.

  A noise interrupted Juniper’s sleep—a dull scraping against the planking of his chamber door. “Who is it?” he called out. Juniper sluggishly looked up from the rocking chair, hoping that the anonymous knocker would go away and that his much-needed nap could continue. He listened for a reply; no answer. It appeared that the stranger at the door had given up. Letting his muscles once again relax, Juniper settled back into his slumber, his substantial arm cradling the tiny boy.

  A low, raspy voice whispered, “Juniper. Juniper, wake up.”

  Juniper half opened his eye and for a second time looked towards the door, now a bit bothered. “Whoever is there, please come back tomorrow. I’ll be more than happy to talk to you first thing in the morning. I promise you will have my undivided attention.” He waited for a response; again no answer. The stranger had gone. “Thank the Saints,” Juniper said. The room was silent, apart from the baby, who squeaked softly as Juniper shifted in the chair and once again drifted off.

  “Juniper!” railed the voice, jolting him from his tranquil state. Juniper bolted from his chair, and plucking up his son, he reached into the fire pit for the hot poker, but it had vanished. He looked frantically for a weapon, quickly grabbing a knife off the table. Trying to follow the voice, he blindly swung the dull blade into the shadows.

  There was a crash. Juniper jerked around. His leather satchel had been ripped from its hook and had fallen to the hard dirt floor, its contents sprawled everywhere. Unable to see in the hidden corners, Juniper spun wildly in a confused circle. He hollered angrily into the dark. “Come out! Come out and face me, coward! I know why you’ve come!”

  Finding a match, Juniper swiftly lit the wall torches, illuminating all things unseen, and still clutching his sleeping boy, he scoured the room.

  No one was there.

  Confident his quarters were secure, Juniper gently stroked the boy’s long snout and spoke to him softly. “It’s all right, son. You are safe with me.”

  The fire had faded. Juniper found the blanket Mother G
allo had made for the baby and swaddled him in it. The baby briefy woke, giving a soft little squeak. His eyes opened for just a moment, revealing a bright flash of fiery red.

  “There, there, Julius,” whispered Juniper as the infant’s eyes once again closed. “Papa’s here.” Feeling a draft, he pulled up the child’s blanket. All that could be seen from its woollen folds was the baby’s snow-white nose.