There was a gasp from Peaches, but Dangerous Beans went on, in a small voice: “The world is big and dangerous, indeed. And we are weak, and I am tired. Together we can be strong.”

Indeed!

“But what of those who aren't strong, please?”

The weak are food. That is how it has always been!

“Ah,” said Dangerous Beans. “How it has always been. Things are becoming clearer.”

“Don't listen to it!” Peaches hissed. “It's affecting your mind!”

“No, my mind is working perfectly, thank you,” said Dangerous Beans, still in the same calm voice. “Yes, the proposition is beguiling. And we would rule the rat world together, would we?”

We would… co-operate. And Maurice, on the sidelines, thought: yeah, right. You co-operate, they rule. Surely you can't fall for this!

But Dangerous Beans said: “Co-operate. Yes. And together we could give the humans a war they won't believe. Tempting. Very tempting. Of course, millions of rats would die…”

They die anyway.

“Mmm, yes. Yes. Yes, that is true. And this rat here,” said Dangerous Beans, suddenly waving a paw towards one of the big rats that was hypnotized by the flame, “can you tell me what she thinks about this?”

Spider sounded taken aback. Thinks? Why should it think anything? It is a rat!

“Ah,” said Dangerous Beans. “How clear it is now. But it would not work.”

Would not work?

Dangerous Beans raised his head.

“Because, you see, you just think for many rats,” he said. “But you don't think of them. Nor are you, for all that you say, the Big Rat. Every word you utter is a lie. If there is a Big Rat, and I hope there is, it would not talk of war and death. It would be made of the best we could be, not the worst that we are. No, I will not join you, liar in the dark. I prefer our way. We are silly and weak, sometimes. But together we are strong. You have plans for rats? Well, I have dreams for them.”

Spider reared up, quivering. The voice raged in Maurice's mind.

Oh, so you think you are a good rat? But a good rat is one that steals most! You think a good rat is a rat in a waistcoat, a little human with fur! Oh yes, I know about the stupid, stupid book! Traitor! Traitor to rats! Will you feel my… PAIN?

Maurice did. It was like a blast of red-hot air, leaving his head full of steam. He recognized the sensation. It was how he used to feel before he was changed. It was how he used to feel before he was Maurice. He'd just been a cat. A bright cat, but nothing more than a cat.

You defy me? Spider screamed at the bowed form of Dangerous Beans. When I am everything that truly is RAT? I am filth and darkness! I am the noise under the floor, the rustling in the walls! I am the thing that undermines and despoils! I am the sum of all that you deny! I am your true self! Will you OBEY ME?

“Never,” said Dangerous Beans. “You are nothing but shadows.”

Feel my PAIN!

Maurice was more than a cat, he knew. He knew the world was big and complex and involved a lot more than wondering if the next meal was going to be beetles or chicken legs. The world was huge and difficult and full of amazing things and…

… the red-hot flame of that horrible voice was boiling his mind away. The memories were unwinding and whirling into the darkness. All the other little voices, not the horrible voice but the Maurice voices, the ones that nagged at him and argued amongst themselves and told him he was doing wrong or could be better, were getting fainter—

And still Dangerous Beans stood there, small and wobbly, staring up into the dark.

“Yes,” said Dangerous Beans. “I feel the pain.”

You are nothing but a rat. A little rat. And I am the very SOUL of ratdom. Admit it, little blind rat, little blind pet rat.

Dangerous Beans swayed, and Maurice heard him say, “I will not. And I am not so blind that I can't see darkness.”

Maurice sniffed, and realized that Dangerous Beans was widdling himself in terror. But the little rat didn't move, even so.

Oh, yes, whispered the voice of Spider. And you can control the dark, yes? You told a little rat that. You can learn to control the dark.

“I am a rat,” whispered Dangerous Beans. “But I am not vermin.”

VERMIN?

“Once we were just another squeaking thing in the forest,” said Dangerous Beans. “And then men built barns and pantries full of food. Of course we took what we could. And so they called us vermin, and they have trapped us and covered us in poison and, somehow, out of that wretchedness, you have come. But you are no answer. You are just another bad thing humans made. You offer rats nothing except more pain. You have a power that lets you enter people's minds when they are tired or stupid or upset. And you are in mine now.”

Yes. Oh, yes!

“And still I stand here,” said Dangerous Beans. “Now that I have smelled you, I can face you down. Even though my body is shaking, I can keep a place free from you. I can feel you running round in my head, you see, but all the doors are closed to you now. I can control the dark inside, which is where all darkness is. You have shown me that I am more than just a rat. If I am not more than a rat, I am nothing at all.”

The many heads of Spider turned this way and that. There wasn't much left of Maurice's mind to do any thinking now, but it looked as though the rat king was trying to reach a conclusion.

Its reply came in a roar.

THEN BE NOTHING!

Keith blinked. He had his hand on the latch of one of the rat cages.

The rats were watching him. All standing the same way, all watching his fingers. Hundreds of rats. They looked… hungry.

“Did you hear something?” said Malicia.

Keith lowered his hand very carefully, and took a couple of steps back. “Why are we letting these out?” he said. “It was like I'd been… dreaming…”

“I don't know. You're the rat boy.”

“But we agreed to let them out.”

“I… it was… I had a feeling that—”

“Rat kings can talk to people, can't they?” said Keith. “Has it been talking to us?”

“But this is real life,” said Malicia.

“I thought it was an adventure,” said Keith.

“Damn! I forgot,” said Malicia. “What're they doing?”

It was almost as if the rats were melting. They were no longer upright, attentive statues. Something like panic was spreading through them again.

Then other rats poured out of the walls, running madly across the floor. They were much bigger than the caged ones. One of them bit Keith on the ankle, and he kicked it away.

“Try to stamp on them but don't lose your balance, whatever you do!” he said. “These are not friendly!”

“Tread on them?” said Malicia. “Yuk!”

“You mean you haven't got anything in your bag to fight rats? This is a rat-catchers' lair! You've got plenty of stuff for pirates and bandits and robbers!”

“Yes, but there's never been a book about having an adventure in a rat-catcher's cellar!” Malicia shouted. “Ow! One's on my neck! One's on my neck! And there's another one!” She bent down frantically to shake the rats loose and reared up as one leapt at her face.

Keith grabbed her hand. “Don't fall over! They'll go mad if you do! Try to get to the door!”

“They're so fast!” Malicia panted. “Now there's another one on my hair”

“Hold still, stupid female!” said a voice in her ear. “Hold quite still or I'll gnaw you!”

There was a scrabble of claws, a swish and a rat dropped past her eyes. Then another rat thumped onto her shoulder and slid away.

“Right!” said the voice at the back of her neck. “Now don't move, don't tread on anyone and keep out of the way!”

“What was that?” she hissed, as she felt something slide down her skirt.