Chapter 3 Victoria
“Mom! What is it? Are you okay-?” I burst into the kitchen and stifled a cry of fear and astonishment.
On the cool stainless steel countertop, sat a brown rat. It had bright, twinkling eyes-like an oil slick, and it sat there, as bold as daylight, whiskers quivering. It had a large piece of bread clutched in its paws.
“I got it!” Wyatt shouted, lunging for the rat with a colander in his hands. In the blink of an eye, the rat raced away and disappeared underneath a table.
“What’s this? A rat? Susan, if I see another rat in this hall, we shall just have to find another cook and housekeeper.” Mayor Wulf said, barely fitting through the kitchen doors. He seemed to inflate as he stared at my mother, who was fighting not to snap back at the mayor. I could just imagine what she was about to say; “Fine! Go find another suitable housekeeper and cook! And good day to you, I’d had enough anyway.” I looked at her just as someone else interrupted the silence that had overtaken the kitchen.
“Mayor Wulf, if I may.”A reedy voice that belonged to none other than councilor Steneken cut into the silence. “Mr. Wulf, that’s not necessary. It’s just one rat.”
“Mayor, it’s nothing to worry about.” Councilor Roth inquired.
“Just one rat, mayor.” Councilor Wilkes said.
At their words, Mayor Wulf deflated a bit. “Susan, I want that rat out!” he stormed out of the kitchen- or tried to, he waddled, more like, with the councilors at his back.
Will and I watched him go. “Wow. Pleasant man, isn’t he?” Will whistled quietly. I rolled my eyes. “Tell me about it.”
My mother clicked her tongue at us. “Now now, he’s the one that gave us the jobs. Let’s not complain.”
My anger flared. “That man’s just pushing you down, but you don’t even complain? Dad would have done something, why don’t you?”
I heard warning bells go off in my head as she turned towards me slowly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Wyatt and Richard shaking their head quickly, as if to say, ‘too far! Backpedal!’, but I ignored them.
But when she faced me, it was not the anger I was expecting, but a sullen expression of pain and grief in her eyes. And then I knew.
She was still mourning the passing of my father.
And then, just as she opened her mouth to speak, I heard a chorus of screams through the open window. It was beautiful and haunting at the same time-just until I heard what they were all shouting:
“RAT!”
***
Will and Natalie left for their own homes, and my family was just cleaning up when we heard the councilor speaking with the mayor.
“…seems like an invasion, but people are doing what they can to get rid of the rats.” Councilor Roth quipped.
“But they managed to steal enough food to feed a family for a week! We need help, Wulf. And we need it now.” Steneken said.
“Help? Now, listen, friends. The feast is in a few days! It demonstrates our pride and the cleanliness of our town.” The mayor said airily, waving a hand in the air. “And besides, the people might just be overreacting. The rats will be gone by next week.”
***
But they weren’t.
By the third day, there were rats everywhere. In our house, in town hall, in the streets, skittering around without fear. By the fifth day, they had tired the cats and dogs into submission. And by next week… the rats outnumbered the humans. It was common to open your pantry and find that half of your sugar was gone, to go down into the cellar and find rat’s nests everywhere. And the rat traps we set up caught not one, but ten rats under the propped up box, all the rats vying for the same piece of bread. We had to get Richard and Wyatt to stay home catching rats and guarding our food until my mother and I got back from town hall, still preparing the feast- Mayor Wulf insisted. On the way to town hall, my mother would point out interesting things; the way a dewdrop was poised to fall off of a petal of a chrysanthemum, a magpie sitting amidst a pile of overturned sugar and a loaf of bread, sitting on a windowsill left to cool. When we arrived in town hall, the mayor and the councilors were talking to each other.
“…to hold the feast inside, we can’t do this outside with the rats and all.” Roth said quietly, submitting to the truth.
“Yes.”
“Agreed.”
‘Too many rats!”
“We need a solution…”
My heart leapt in my chest. As if this problem could be resolved, the rats were coming by the droves! I was about to enter the kitchen after my mother when the doors opened with a bang. All the councilor’s eyes swiveled to meet the familiar figure in a red and gold shimmering cloak. Will.
“Boy! We are on official business! Leave!” Mayor Wulf thundered.
“I doubt you’re on ‘official business.’. You’re talking about the rats, aren’t you?” Will asked quietly.
Mayor Wulf sputtered silently for a minute. “You- You eavesdropped on us?”
Will smiled faintly. “No. I just thought you might need a solution.” His flute made a faint whistling sound as he spun it between his fingers. “I can help.”
“Right. Call us back if you find a rat poison that can drive them away instead of killing them and leaving their bodies to rot on the streets.” Herman said wryly.
“Hush, Herman. We’ll do anything to get rid of the rats in time for the feast, just get out there and-” Mayor Wulf started.
“You’ll do anything?” Will’s brow creased slightly.
The councilors and the mayor nodded simultaneously.
“Then I would like 1000 £ for my job later, when the rats are gone.” He said. I saw a quick smile pass across his face.
Mayor Wulf laughed, the cavernous hall ringing with sound. “We’ll give you 5000£ if you can get rid of them all!”
“We’ll give you anything!” councilor Roth cried.
“Well? Go on, get rid of the rats!” Herman said.
“Alright then.” And with that, Will smiled and strode out of the hall.
