The Island of Whispers (2 page)

As he and Fat
One moved through the Common lair towards its central platform,
Twisted Foot noted that most of his Outer Circle comrades had
already gathered for the Assembly. The returning hunting pack had
created the usual stir among them, and more than a hundred pairs of
greedy, slit eyes were now fixed on the pack’s kills, which had
been placed enticingly in the middle of the platform. Bristling and
growling, a ring of Protectors surrounded the platform, ready to
pounce mercilessly on any who might dare to breach the circle.

The appearance
of Long Snout at the entrance to the Protectors’ lair brought the
commotion to an abrupt halt. Twisted Foot and Fat One scurried
through the throng to join the ranks of the Watchers. The Assembly
had begun.

–
o –

–
Chapter Three –

Flanked by two
rows of Protectors, the long procession of Rulers led by Long Snout
crossed the Common lair and stepped up to the platform. Close to
one hundred of them crowded its flat, smooth surface. Most kept to
the edge of the circle, while the spacious nucleus was occupied by
the elders, together with White Muzzle, the King-rat, and his
immediate family.

Like his now
hushed companions, Twisted Foot gazed in awe at this spectacle. The
superior bearing and sheer majesty of the Rulers never failed to
fascinate him. There were so many features which set them apart
from his own kind. In stature, they were broader and much longer,
with skinny tails that stretched the same distance as their bodies.
In contrast to the uniform blackness of the Outer Circle, their
coats were lighter in colour, varying in shade from the dull stone
of the lesser Rulers to the rich earth that signified royalty.
Their eyes, too, were very different: rounder and fuller, and
always seeming to reflect the blood colour of a dying sun.

From the
centre of the platform, Long Snout, ancient Chamberlain of the
underworld, stood erect on his hindquarters and slowly surveyed the
audience around him. Now pointing his muzzle to the roof and
revealing his yellowing, but still fearsome, fangs, he emitted a
long, piercing screech, which reverberated round the Common lair,
reinforcing and accentuating the stillness therein.

‘
Comrades of the Secret World!’ he began. ‘Countless Cycles
ago, our forefathers came to this place on a Two-Legs vessel which
had crossed many dark, cold waters from a land far away. Searching
for a new home, they braved the icy water to reach the world above.
There, they came upon the black Scavengers and their vile, warlike
ways. Our forefathers were few and the Scavengers were many, but
the Scavengers were defeated and enslaved.’

‘
Not that story again,’ Fat One sighed to himself. His eyelids
drooped heavily as he settled his bulk between Twisted Foot and
Long Ears, resigned to what threatened to be yet another protracted
Assembly.

‘
Comrades of the Underworld!’ the Chamberlain continued. ‘Our
forefathers drove the slaves to create this warm and secret place,
this world of darkness and sanctuary. But much more was required.
Our forefathers were ageing. They had need of many loyal warriors
to protect them, to feed them and to keep watch on their enemies.
Careful breeding with the she-rats of the Scavengers produced a
race of strong, black-furred warriors. Thus evolved our present
society: the Inner Circle of Rulers and the Outer Circle of
Protectors, Hunters and Watchers.’

Long Snout
paused to sniff the air. Eyes ablaze, he scoured the Outer Circle
rats, compelling their attentiveness. His whole body stiffened
suddenly when he spied Fat One, now fast asleep in the midst of the
Watchers.

As the
Chamberlain pushed through the others on the platform to obtain a
closer view of this transgression, both Twisted Foot and Long Ears
were desperately prodding Fat One with their snouts.

‘
Wake up, you fool!’ cried Long Ears in his familiar,
high-pitched squeal.

In the same
moment, Neck-Snapper, a particularly sadistic young Protector,
leapt snarling into the ranks of the Watchers.

‘
Let me wake the fat idiot,’ he growled and then lunged towards
Fat One.

Old Sharp
Claws, the Chief Watcher, moved nimbly to block the path of the
Protector.

‘
Back!’ warned Sharp Claws through bared teeth. ‘I’ll deal with
this!’

Neck-Snapper
hesitated for some moments, snorted in disgust and retreated slowly
to the ring of Protectors.

Sharp Claws
then turned to glare at a thoroughly shaken and wide-awake Fat One.
‘Later!’ he hissed.

Fat One
shivered. The punishment, he knew, would not be a violent one, but
he would still pay dearly. Many long, freezing watches on the
outside world would be a worse fate.

Satisfied that
a penalty would be paid, and content that the incident itself had
succeeded in rousing his audience, Long Snout returned to his place
in the centre of the platform. His Inner Circle colleagues, on the
other hand, had watched the episode with their usual disdain.
Matters like this one were commonplace and irksome, serving only to
interrupt the Assembly – and to delay the feast that lay ahead.

The
Chamberlain resumed his oration.

‘
Comrades of the Dark World! The society created by our
forefathers has endured many hardships through many generations.
Yet it has survived – and it has prospered. It has survived because
we are a disciplined society and because we are ever-vigilant. Yes,
discipline and vigilance: these are the rules which govern our
every way.

‘
Discipline and vigilance,’ he repeated slowly, this time
directing the words at a very attentive Fat One.

‘
Comrades, our secret world remains hidden from the marauding
Two-Legs because our lives are disciplined. Our presence on the
world above is controlled carefully, kept to only a few Hunters and
slaves each time – and always when darkness covers the land. Our
time here in the underworld is spent in comfort. We do not allow
our numbers to overrun the lairs. Unlike the Scavengers, who couple
incessantly, we mate only during the Cold Cycle. The Selection also
rids us of the weak and useless among our broods, keeping our
society strong and able.

‘
In the same way,’ continued Long Snout, ‘our sources of food
are managed carefully.’

His words
acting like a trigger, the attention of the Outer Circle rats
switched immediately to the heap of gulls sprawled between the
Chamberlain and the handsome forms of White Muzzle and his two
sons, Red Coat and Fire Eyes.

‘
Yes, comrades, our Hunters plunder the nests of the white
birds. But they do so sparingly. Because the kills are not
excessive, the white birds remain on the world above, a constant
source of tender young flesh for the Inner Circle.

‘
So it is with the grey-furred swimmers who emerge from the
waters during the Warm Cycle. Only the weakest and least defended
of their young are carried off by the slaves. There is no alarm, no
fear. The No-Legs always return to breed again.’

Long Snout
paused now to regard the six Scavengers who had accompanied the
hunting pack on its recent foray. Quivering, terror-stricken,
surrounded by fierce Hunters, the slaves huddled together, seeking
some solace from their closeness. They had been to the outside
world, had learned its secret. They had sensed freedom there. Their
fate was clear – and imminent.

‘
Warriors of the Outer Circle!’ cried Long Snout. ‘Your source
of food is also plentiful and controlled with care. The Scavengers
are the slaves of our society. They carry for us and dig for us.
They are also your sustenance. We allow them to breed freely and to
infest their lair. They devour each other to still their hunger.
But those who survive are strong and well-fed, their flesh well
able to satisfy your own appetites.

‘
However, we must never forget, comrades, that the Scavengers
are warriors like us. There are many of them. They must be watched
over constantly here in the dark world and on the world above.
Remember, warriors, without vigilance there will be insurrection by
the Scavengers! Without vigilance there will be discovery and
destruction by the Two-Legs!’

Sensing that
the Assembly had come to a close, many in the Outer Circle began to
shift restlessly, eager for their share of slave meat.

‘
Hold, comrades!’ screeched Long Snout, the sheer ferocity of
his cry commanding renewed attention.

‘
Recently, our Watchers have reported sightings of many
Two-Legs – many more than usual – on the giant which steps over the
waters and casts its shadow on our world. We sense danger. We fear
the prying eyes of the Two-Legs. Until the danger passes, more
Watchers will be posted on the outside world. Be vigilant,
Watchers! Keep us informed of the Two-Legs’ movements.’

The
Chamberlain paused, his eyes locking on Sharp Claws. The Chief
Watcher bowed curtly, signifying his acknowledgement of this new
command.

‘
Now, comrades!’ Long Snout cried with a flourish. ‘The
Assembly is over! Let the feasting begin!’

–
o –

–
Chapter Four –

Excitement
spread through both Inner and Outer Circles, although the cause of
the excitement in each case was quite different. On the platform,
White Muzzle, as befitted his rank, was first to claim a gull,
seizing the bird in his massive jaws and dragging its carcass
closer to Red Coat and Fire Eyes. There, the King-rat and his
princes proceeded to rip open the bird’s soft belly and then bury
their muzzles deep in its exposed and spilling stomach. In similar
fashion, some of the elders led by Long Snout claimed another of
the gulls, while the last was snatched away and set upon by a group
of lesser Rulers. Salivating freely, the remaining members of the
Inner Circle waited eagerly, ready to pounce on the carcasses once
the others had taken their fill. Later, the remnants of the
carcasses would be carried through to the Inner Circle lair to be
picked clean by the she-rats. The bones would be chewed on, and the
feathers would be used to line the Rulers’ nests. Nothing would be
wasted.

Events on the
floor of the Common lair were no less exciting. As the Outer Circle
rats looked on in anticipation, a band of Protectors closed in on
the trembling Scavengers. At the head of the band were Jagged Fangs
and Neck-Snapper, both skilled executioners. Once slain, three of
the slaves would be claimed by the Protectors, whose lair numbered
more than a hundred rats. The carcasses of the other slaves would
be shared by the smaller lairs of the Hunters and Watchers.

Jagged Fangs
was first to move. Jaws snapping, he leapt at the throat of the
nearest slave. His victim struggled momentarily and then fell limp,
blood gushing from its gaping neck. In the next instant,
Neck-Snapper lunged towards another slave, but this time the
intended victim was too quick. Side-stepping the attack, the slave
sprang suddenly at the Protector’s eyes. A great shriek of pain
erupted from Neck-Snapper. Just as unexpectedly, the slave sprang
away from the line of Protectors, literally propelling its body
into the startled crowd of Hunters and Watchers, and then flew past
them towards the tunnel that led to the outside world.

Quick to
recognise their route to salvation, the other slave-rats also leapt
into the crowd. Desperately clawing and gouging any who blocked
their way, they, too, broke free and sped towards the tunnel. In
total uproar, almost two hundred Outer Circle warriors raced after
them.

‘
Wait!’ screamed Long Snout.

The power of
his command seemed to bounce off the walls of the lair,
overwhelming the din from the chase. The pursuit came to a sudden
halt. ‘Fools!’ he roared, his muzzle still dripping blood. ‘By now,
the Scavengers will have escaped to the outside world. It will be
too light – and therefore too exposed – to hunt for them. We must
wait until darkness.

‘
One Eye,’ he turned to the Chief Hunter, ‘send your best
warriors when darkness falls. Bring the slaves back to
me!

‘
Until then, more Watchers are needed above. Sharp Claws, make
sure you send your best. I want reports of the slaves’
movements!’

With an angry
snort, the Chamberlain returned to his carcass.

–
o –

–
Chapter Five –

Long Snout had
been right. The return to the Common lair of the two entrance
tunnel guards, bleeding and shamefaced, confirmed that the slaves
had made good their escape. Now the worst was feared for Small
Face. The tiny, unsuspecting Watcher would have stood little chance
against the onslaught of five vicious and desperate Scavengers.

Sharp Claws
chose three Watchers for the daylight duty. To mark the start of
his period of punishment, Fat One would replace Small Face at the
top of the entrance tunnel. The tasks assigned to Twisted Foot and
Long Ears were more wide-ranging and dangerous. Their job was to
scour the island, locate the escapees and observe their activities.
Before nightfall came, they would return to the underworld to
report on what they had seen. Quietly, efficiently, the Hunters
would then move in for the capture.

Although he
was deformed and still very young, Twisted Foot was noted for his
keen intelligence and for his coolheadedness in the face of danger.
These qualities had impressed Sharp Claws on more than one
occasion. Like Twisted Foot, Long Ears was barely two full Cycles.
Although on the small side, he was nimble and quick-witted. As his
name implied, his ears were exceptionally large, rendering his
appearance floppy and comical. His ears, though, were also his
greatest attributes, providing him with a sense of hearing that was
second to none in the Watchers’ lair.