Nightshade City (20 page)

Juniper muffled his voice and called down the tunnel. “Vincent,” he said, “come up here, son. I need your help.” Juniper crouched down on the edge of the hole and put a paw out to Vincent, pulling him up. Vincent looked around the room. His eyes briefly halted on Clover. He couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment. He glanced quickly and looked away. It was clear why Killdeer had chosen her.

He saw the black and white rat, still passed out on the floor, his body seemingly lifeless. Vincent knelt over the rat and briefly studied his face.

“It seems we’ll have an additional traveler tonight,” said Juniper. “Vincent, this is Suttor. One of the unfortunates gobbled up by the Kill Army.”

“I know him! I know Suttor,” whispered Vincent excitedly. “We were friends when we were children. We used to play together. What happened to him? Is he all right?”

“Apparently the boy bumped his head and knocked himself out cold. He’ll be held responsible for Clover’s desertion. They’ll make an example out of him. He must come with us. It’s the only way to shield him from Billycan.”

“He’s got two brothers he looks after. What about them?”

“I’m aware,” said Juniper. He tiredly rubbed his brow, already thinking of how to get Suttor’s brothers to Nightshade. “We’ll get them out; I’ll see to that, but for now, Suttor must be our priority.”

“What about Billycan?” asked Vincent. “What if he comes after Suttor’s brothers?”

“Don’t worry about him,” said Juniper. “We’ll make it look like Suttor was an innocent victim. Billycan will think we kidnapped him. His brothers will be left unharmed.”

Oard thrust his head through the wall. “Listen to me, everyone! We are in trouble. Noc has reported numerous footsteps not
far from our location and getting closer. He says they’re thundering down the corridors in military step, on their way to this sector. Juniper, I’m afraid we’ve been found out. We have to get out of here now!”

“No need to be quiet now, I suppose,” said Juniper at full volume. He looked down the hole and shouted down to the Council. “All right, then, first things first. Cole, Virden, stand underneath the hole while Vincent and I lower Suttor down to you.”

Juniper grabbed Suttor under his arms and Vincent grabbed his legs. They lowered the limp rat down to Cole and Virden. “Careful, now,” said Juniper. “He’s got a nasty wound on his head.” Cole and Virden cautiously put him in a wheelbarrow on a soft bed of powdery dirt.

“Clover, it’s your turn now,” said Juniper. “Vincent, you hop back in and help Clover down.” Vincent jumped in the tunnel. Juniper threw down his satchel to Vincent, who tossed it over his shoulder and held his paws up to Clover. She knelt down on the edge of the opening, and Vincent gingerly lifted her down. As he set her on her feet, they briefly made eye contact. Vincent’s chest suddenly tightened and he felt quite woozy for a moment—exhaustion, he thought. Clover’s eyes reminded him of his mother’s lemon preserves.

Mother Gallo trembled in panic. “Juniper, how do I contend with Billycan?”

Oard interrupted. “Juniper, the army is close on our heels. They should be here any moment. We must go now!” he pleaded.

Juniper grabbed Mother Gallo’s shoulders. “Maddy, this will sound odd, but please just listen and do as I say. Lie down on the ground, facedown. Do it now!” Mother Gallo did as Juniper asked. He grabbed Clover’s blood-stained sash and tied Mother Gallo’s wrists and ankles behind her. “I’m sorry to do this to you, Maddy.
You need to look above suspicion, and there is no other way to protect you from Billycan. You’ll be alone. No one can prove false anything you say. You tell him me and my men were here. You tell him we took Clover.”

Mother Gallo understood. “Make them tighter! Billycan will check the knots—hurry!”

Oard grew frantic. “Juniper, time is wasting. You must be off! We still need to backfill the hole.”

Juniper quickly tightened the knots. They felt authentic. “All right, Maddy, I’m going to cover your mouth. I have to.” He took a rag and knotted it tightly around the back of her head.

He grabbed a piece of parchment and Clover’s quill pen. He scribbled something on it and tucked it under the knot on her wrists. “You tell Billycan a gang of large rats barged in here and took Clover and Suttor. Say you didn’t recognize any of them but one. You tell him the rat looked like Juniper Belancort. You will come out of this unscathed and unsuspected.” Juniper groaned in frustration. “Maddy, I’m sorry, but I’m doing this for your own preservation. Lift up your head.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek so that she wouldn’t know what was coming. He opened his paw and cracked her hard on the side of the head, knocking her senseless. She lay unconscious on the ground. “I’m sorry, Maddy. At least you’re safe for now.”

“Juniper, apologize later. Get out of here!” said Oard.

Juniper jumped into the tunnel. The worms made fast work of the hole. The Nightshade rats kicked back the dirt under the gaping hole as the worms propelled the excess earth back in from the ground above. After the hole was filled, the earthworms twirled and rolled their vine-like bodies against the floor of the quarters, smoothing away any trace of disturbance to the ground.

“They’re here!” called Noc. The earthworms evaporated into the walls of Clover’s quarters just as Billycan and his soldiers approached the door.

Suttor was nowhere to be seen. Billycan cursed and spat as he and the pack of soldiers reached Clover’s door. “Where is that softheaded lieutenant?” he screeched. He kicked the door in, ripping it off its hinges. The door flew across Clover’s quarters, smashing against the back wall.

He all but tripped over Mother Gallo. “High Mistress?” he said, nearly stepping on her. She lay flat on her belly, prostrate on the ground. Her head was stretched out in front of him. “Lieutenant Carn, help me with her.”

Carn grabbed a stool, and he and Billycan hoisted Mother Gallo onto it. Still unconscious, her head fell on her chest. Billycan sniffed the air. “Waterchip—over there,” he said, pointing a knobby digit. “Bring me the vile root.” Lieutenant Carn quickly grabbed the root and gave it to Billycan, who dangled it under Mother Gallo’s nose. Billycan spoke to Mother Gallo as he tried to revive her. “C’mon, my pet, let’s wake up, shall we? Billycan has many questions for you, questions only you can answer.”

Lieutenant Carn untied her while Billycan balanced her on the stool. The rolled parchment fell to the ground. Carn picked it up and handed it to Billycan. “Sir,” he said, handing him the note.

Billycan read the document. His nostrils flared as his whole body quaked with anger. Crumpling the paper in his fist, he let out a baleful wail, a grunting, guttural howl from deep within his chest. He sprang to his feet and began tearing Clover’s quarters apart.

Lieutenant Carn caught Mother Gallo before she fell, and
he carried her out of the room before Billycan could take out his rage on her.

The pack of soldiers stood in the doorway and watched as Billycan shattered everything in his path. He saw the carving of Duchess Nomi on the wall and furiously clawed away at it until blood dripped from under his nails. He threw Clover’s parents’ bed across the room, smashing it into kindling. Snatching up matches, he lit the dry wood ablaze. The fire quickly engulfed the room. Billycan looked around without direction; his pupils glazed over, shifting color, in league with the flames.

Lieutenant Carn stepped in and reached for him. “Commander—please—you must come out now! Sir, the flames will eat you alive!” Billycan did not respond. “Commander, please listen to me! You must get out of here!” Carn boldly grabbed Billycan by his shoulders, shaking him, trying to bring him back to reality. The flames licked at Carn’s ankles and tail. “Commander, wake up!” he yelled in one final attempt to rouse him. Carn fled the room and watched in horror as the flames climbed the walls.

Billycan finally snapped to. His eyes darkened, returning to the world of the living. He ignored the inferno he had created and exited the room, now strangely calm. He turned to Carn and looked at him blankly, his voice a monotone. “Put that fire out.”

He aimlessly drifted down the corridor, leaving the scene. Carn quickly directed a dozen bewildered soldiers, who scrambled about the sector, banging on doors and shouting for help, yelling for water. Rats ran from all directions to aid the soldiers, passing Billycan with buckets and jugs overflowing with water, milk, whatever they could find to help put out the rising flames. Billycan didn’t seem to notice. He just kept walking. Turning a corner, he
disappeared from view. The contents of the note played over and over in his head.

Your Chosen One sends her regrets. The Minister is not to her liking. Your lieutenant has been taken captive, courtesy of Nightshade City.

—J. Belancort

Juniper pushed Suttor in the wheelbarrow himself. He didn’t want the Nightshade rats to do any further work, unless it involved bringing a mug of ale to their lips. Suttor must have been comfortable in his bed of dirt, as he began to snore—loudly. Everyone held in their laughs, not wanting to wake him.

The earthworms had gone home. They had proven themselves more valuable than Juniper ever thought possible. There would surely be no Nightshade without them.

Vincent and Clover lagged behind the others. They were deep in discussion about their fathers, two best friends with children who’d never met, at least not that they remembered. Juniper glanced back at the pair. He liked the way they looked next to each other, and it was nice to see them both smiling for a change.

The Grand Speech never took place. Disgraced and embarrassed, Killdeer lurked about his compound all night and early into the morning, pickling himself with Oshi. Billycan left the Minister alone, as he was more useless than usual in his current state.

Billycan sat in an uncomfortable wooden chair in the center of his barren den. He compressed his paws into tight, bony fists, peeling open
his self-inflicted wounds from the night before. The blood dripped from beneath his claws in small droplets, ticking his snow-white fur with scarlet dots. Billycan watched as the beads of blood dribbled between his paws, one by one by one.

Mother Gallo’s sons had gathered around her. Lieutenant Carn had assured them that their mother would be fine, but the boys stood watch through the night, much concerned for her well-being. Mother Gallo had not stirred once. She finally shifted a bit. The boys sat up in eagerness, glad to see her move about. She slowly turned over on her back and stretched her arms and neck. She opened her puffy morning eyes and yawned. As she focused, she realized her three sons were staring closely at her.

She jolted up, alarmed. “Boys, what on earth is the matter? Why are you looking at me so?”

Her youngest son, Hob, answered. “You hurt your head, Mother. Don’t you remember?”

“I hurt my head?” She looked around the room for a second, gathering her wits. “My head—I remember now.”

Like their mother, Tuk, Gage, and Hob were gray, but to varying degrees. Little Hob, the baby of the family, had an identical hue to his mother, soft ash gray. Tuk, the oldest, was a dark bluish charcoal, almost black, while Gage was mottled, his coat speckled with lead and silver.

“Mother,” said Tuk, handing her a mug of bitonberry juice, “you do understand you were attacked last night, don’t you? Someone hit you over the head, and that Chosen One, Clover—she’s missing; Suttor too. You don’t think Suttor did it?” Tuk and Gage had known Suttor and his brothers years before they had been claimed by the army, but they could only guess how a few years in the hands of the majors could change them.

Mother Gallo took a drink of juice. Until Juniper could devise a clear-cut escape plan for her and her children, she thought it best to keep the truth from the boys. It was only a matter of time before Billycan would come calling. The mere mention of Billycan unsettled her boys enough as it was. Billycan could easily read faces, especially those of scared little ones. He knew it if a young one tried to hide something. Her boys were not experienced liars and would never forgive themselves if they unintentionally gave their mother away.

“Now, Tuk,” she began, “Suttor is the same boy you knew before his parents died. He would never hurt anyone, especially me or an innocent girl. We were all ambushed. They tied up poor Suttor and stormed into Clover’s quarters, hitting both Suttor and me over the head. I don’t know why they chose to take him. I’m just lucky they left me in one piece.”

Mother Gallo sent her boys out. She explained to them that Billycan would be coming to talk to her about last night and she needed quiet time so she could concentrate on the details. Her boys were more than happy to oblige. They’d heard about the Collector’s bizarre behavior and the fire he had set. The boys had no desire to meet the creepy white rat with the monstrous reputation.

Mother Gallo was reaching for her toast when she heard the telltale scraping against her door. “Already?” she mumbled to herself. “No rest for the weary—or the wicked—I suppose.”

Billycan called from the other side of the door, his voice feigning concern. “Mistress Gallo,” he purred, “are you awake? Billycan does need to speak with you, urgently, I’m afraid.”