In his dream, Giles was trapped in the butcher's trashcan, and he couldn't escape. The corpulent human regularly dumped fresh, delicious meat scraps right on top of him, however, so it was actually quite nice. When a barely perceptible breeze tickled his whiskers, and alerted him that someone was coming into the chamber, he awoke in a rather grumpy mood.
Seeing his mate Alice's, dirty, whiskered snout poke up from her tunnel didn't cheer him, either. She sniffed a few times and climbed up beside him, her hot breath whistling through her partially clogged nostrils.
"Where's Jimmy?" she snarled, apparently unconcerned for the other rats sleeping nearby in warm beds of grass and leaves. She shook her body from snout to tail, showering the room with dust and bits of fresh dirt, and then bit into the remains of an unfortunate earthworm.
Giles' goals for the evening didn't include fighting with his mate. She was so much fun to tease, however, that he couldn't resist goading her a little bit. He'd remind her of her place later, when they'd have a larger crowd. If she still chose to disrespect him, he knew a great spot to leave her bones.
"Jimmy's been gone for days," he said in his usual plodding manner. "I assumed you had him down in your tunnels. No? Then, I'm sure we'll find bits of him in a mound of that new terrier's droppings. It''s the same to me either way, but how is it any business of yours? You're not sweet on him, are you?"
"In my ... ? Sweet ... ? You miserable ..." Alice''s fur bristled and she involuntarily squeaked in anger.
Giles rolled to his feet, his tail flicking with pleasure at her reaction. He had only been taunting her, fishing for a reaction, but he seemed to have hit a nerve.
Alice and Jimmy, eh?
"You know I'll rip him to pieces, don't you? Yes, of course you do." He paced as he spoke, watching her reaction. "Then, again, if that thieving plague-rat wants you, maybe I should give you to him. No, not give. I heard he found a fresh human grave beneath those tunnels you've been digging. I'd give ten of you for just a bite of a fresh human. Do you think it still has its heart? That's the best bit."
"Alice ain't sweet on no one, least of all Jimmy. He likes to dig more than's proper for a buck. Digging's doe's work."
The way she always said her own name when talking about herself grated on his nerves. "Why are you so worried about poor, missing Jimmy, kitten? Is he not sharing his find with you after everything you've been through together?" This was too easy. Her ears flattened against her head, and her back was arched, practically in a fighting posture. The other rats looked up their nests to watch.
She took another vicious bite of her earthworm, and then pointed the oozing stub at Giles like a weapon. "Does Alice look worried to you?" she asked in her annoying nasal growl. "It's Jimmy needs to be worried. If he shows his pointy face again, you tell him we ain't forgot. You tell him Alice'll get her due, or he''ll get his!" She ended with a strong, loud voice, looking around to make sure everyone heard.
Giles grabbed the leaky end of Alice's worm and pulled it tight. "You growl at your king like a sunburned badger, little kitten. Shall we find out if you bite like one, too?"
Alice's fur bristled, and she gnashed her teeth a whisker's width from his nose. "Alice ain't no bald little kitten, love, and even if you is still King, you ain't half the rat you once was. Now, let go of Alice's snack, or you'll wish she was just a badger." Her back definitely arched this time. Her hair bristled, and dirty spittle sprayed through her bared teeth.
Another rat looked down from a ledge above Alice's tunnel, and clicked her tongue. "Aw, look, Terry. They're so sweet together, aren't they?" she asked, nudging the rat beside her. "They still care enough to fight. Your lover's spats are always fun, Giles, but all of this squeaking and hissing is making my tail twitch, and the Queen's voice is annoying my fleas."
Terry stopped scratching his ear long enough to point at her and laugh. "Heh. Hilary has fleas."
She swiped at him, nicking his ear with her claw. "Pike it, Terry. We all have fleas."
"Some King!" Alice said. "Your brother and sister don't even show you respect. You've been the top rat a long time, love. We all knows you've gone weak. Kingin' is hard work. Maybe you need a breather."
"Enough of this!" Hilary said, jumping down from the ledge to her brother's side. "Are you going to put this little wet nurse in her place?" She glanced around at the watching faces with a knowing, sympathetic smile.
"Mind your own whiskers, Hilary," Giles said. He lunged sideways at Alice. Still gripping her worm in one claw, he jumped halfway onto her back and bit the nape of her neck.
"Don't ..." she sniveled, "Don't be cross with your Alice, love. She was only showing off her king's strength and speed. It was all for you. All for you!" She let go of the worm, and screeched even higher as she continued to grovel and flatter him.
"Of course it was, kitten. Go tend your young." He shoved her back towards her tunnel and glared at the expectant faces of the watching rats until they returned to their nests.
With a chitinous flapping sound, Skit landed on Giles' back and whispered to him. Giles nodded, smiled, and let the roach nibble Alice's end of the worm.
Terry hopped down from the ledge and started talking at the same time as Hilary.
"That could have gone better, Giles," Hilary said, as Terry cuffed his shoulder, saying "Good job."
"Gah! What did you expect me to do, Hilary? Kill her? She's still nursing my kits," Giles said. "Her time will come."
"Expect? Only what every sister expects of her brother; what every rat expects of her King. I expect you to be strong and to lead your pack with hard claws, sharp teeth, and a heart of stone!"
He knew exactly what she wanted, and there was nothing sisterly about it. She was twice as ambitious as Alice, and ten times more dangerous. Alice was just a stupid, crude bully, and was easily controlled. Hilary, however, was too smart for her own good. A master politician, she was respected and feared by the pack. She was orchestrating his demise in some elaborate plot that would never lead back to her. After whatever unfortunate accident she had in store for him, she would step up as the pack's reluctant, but capable new leader. She would make a fearsome queen.
He looked around the dark chamber at the rolled up lumps of fur and scaly, twitching tails. How many of the rats in this room had already sided with her? How many other conspiracies were twisting through their greedy little minds. He was surrounded by his pack. His family. His enemies! Any one of them would finish him off at his next sign of weakness.
They made him proud. Even the weakest of his Alley Rats would be a strong king in another pack. That's how the game was played. But no rat alive could outplay him, not even Hilary. The sight of her made his tail twitch.
Not even you, sister. I'd see our idiot brother in charge before turning it over to you.
"Where's he going?" Hilary asked, as Skit left through the alley tunnel. Her voice was low, and her tone so perfectly casual that she might have been merely curious. He knew better, though.
"What? Don't you know?" Giles whispered.
"Oh, a secret?" she whispered back. "No, I already know all of your secrets, brother. I really don't care what your little bug is up to."
"Of course you do. That's your weakness. You always have to stick your runny nose into everyone's business. Every rat in this warren is covered in your snot."
"Have you noticed where we live? This place is a real rat's nest. It pays to know what's going on down here. I know, for instance, that your little crawler stalks Alice through her tunnels. Are you going to raid Jimmy's fresh human grave, or are you looking for a nice new corpse of your own?"
"You're slipping, sis. I'll give you this secret for free. With the stash Skit and I have discovered, we don't need to bother with Jimmy or his poxy human. We've found enough food to fill Alice's tunnels, preferably while she's still in them. Skit's making sure the way is clear right now. Come along, if you want. It'll be you and me, like old times. Decide now. I can't wait for you." He turned away and went up the tunnel after Skit.
She followed, watching him carefully, as if her mere gaze would reveal his angle. "What are you up to? You don't give anything away without a reason. You need me, or you wouldn't have said a word. What's my place in this adventure?"
He stopped and looked back over his shoulder. "You see too much, sometimes, Hilary. But that's precisely what I need. I need someone competent at my back. Someone I can trust. But, alas, I've already killed all of those rats, so I'm stuck with you. If you are with me, we'll both come out on top this time, so forget the scheming for one night, and keep your ears open. It'll be dangerous up there."
"Up where? Where is this stash of yours? Is it far?"
"No questions. Come find out for yourself, if you want a share. Stay if you don't. And keep your gnashers closed until I return. I don't want any unwelcome company."
"I'm not going to the surface before nightfall without Terry. He's rather helpful when the fur flies, and if you had any part of the planning, then this will be a dangerous adventure."
Giles pretended to consider her suggestion. He wanted Terry to come, too. He just didn't want her to know he wanted it. It would be better if she thought it was her own idea. She trusted no one, least of all Giles, so her bringing their soft-headed brother along was a sure thing. He nodded his approval.
"We'll meet you at the top," she said, trying not to look rushed as she went back for her bodyguard.