Rat Song

Chapter 27

William and his father arrived in Aerzen with their cart filled with wares to sell. Though Father said the main purpose of their visit was to replace the equipment William had broken, he'd also forced William to load everything from pots and pans to an assortment of horseshoes into the back. "Worst off we'll have to unload everything again when we're back in Hamelin and sell it at the market," Father had said. "Might as well try to make some copper while we're here."

Though William knew full well Father had merely used this as an excuse to force him to wake up well before dawn and haul all manner of metal until his back throbbed with the burning intensity of the forge itself, he paid the pain no mind. Nor did he protest when Father dismissed him soon after he bought the equipment they needed, telling him that he did not care what he did so long as he stayed out of his way.

To the unobservant eye, the marketplace hadn't changed much since his last visit to Aerzen. Too-wide smiles baring far too many teeth still dominated the townsfolks' faces, and the crowds still flowed with a rhythm William could not hope to understand.

But that rhythm was no longer as smooth as it once was. Customers pushed and shoved their way to any stalls selling food, swarming the vendors until naught but crumbs remained. Where once the customers had waited in perfectly regimented lines, now the rats with the biggest, burliest hosts forced their way to the front, baring their teeth at anyone who dared to challenge their claim to the food.

Aerzen's guardsmen did little to quell the chaos. Rather than chastising those who brought disorder to the market, they instead took whatever they pleased without giving the vendors a single copper in return. No one questioned the maroon-clad officials as they pilfered from the sparsely stocked stalls. Instead, they squabbled amongst themselves, paying William no heed as he slipped through the crowds on his way to the rooftop where he'd meet Thomas just before the town's meeting.

With disunity spreading amongst the town like a swarm of weevils through wheat, it was no wonder the Piper would soon attempt to take over Hamelin. As powerful as the Hymn of the Whole was, not even its nefarious notes were a match for the persuasive power of ravenous hunger.

The climb to Thomas's hiding place was far more difficult to manage alone. After dragging himself up the rope the older boy had left hanging from the side of a building, William heaved himself onto the rooftop with a grunt, panting for breath. Though years spent in Father's forge had gifted him with strong arms, they were not accustomed to such unorthodox activity.

To William's surprise, he found Thomas waiting for him with his arms folded and an easy smile playing on his lips. Though Thomas had promised to keep an eye out for him so they could share information about the Piper and his rodent army whenever William came to Aerzen, he had not expected to see him so soon. Thomas had only promised to meet him around the time the town held its weekly meeting in the square, not well beforehand.

"Glad to see you again." Thomas approached William not with the nimble surefootedness he'd expected but with an awkward shuffle as if he was afraid the lightest breeze would knock him over. "How has your sister been?"

"The same as the last time I was here." William couldn't tell him the truth. Not when the too-wide grin on his friend's face bared far too many teeth. He took a step back, silently cursing himself for not bringing something to defend himself with. "You're not Thomas."

That uncanny smile stretched into a snarl. "Is it still that obvious? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. This boy has been less than cooperative."

As if to prove his point, a garbled shriek passed Thomas's lips as his hands flew to his abdomen, clawing at his stomach as if he could rip the rat out. William darted forward, only for Thomas to yell, "Come any closer, and I will throw him off the roof!"