All that stands between him and a lifetime of food is a Queen, his sister, and a surface world overrun by vampires. Will the King of Alley Rats risk everything for his throne and his pack, or leave it all behind for a pretty mouse in distress?
An excerpt from
King of Rats
As his cockroach spy and only friend, Skit, scurried away down the earthen
tunnel, King Giles of the Alley Rats enjoyed a rare moment of contentment. His
age had been showing lately. He was indecisive at times, and had even been seen
showing mercy. In a king, these were unfortunate signs of weakness, and in his
warren, the weak were shunned.
Four
of his subjects had vanished. They had either fled or been taken by
an enemy. Either way, it was an insult to the pack and an unanswered
challenge to the King. Worse, yet, someone had been stealing food
from the pack’s hoard, forcing the smaller rats to go hungry. This
meant Giles was no longer feared, at least by some of his subjects.
For a king, these were unforgivable signs of incompetence, and in his
warren, the incompetent were killed.
Giles had even been seen
backing down from his mate, Alice, as she publicly berated him for
showing weakness. The irony of it was delicious. He let her live
because their newest litter of kittens was still nursing, but to be
honest, he was running low on patience with them, too. He suspected
they weren’t really his, anyway. But that issue needed to ripen a
bit. He’d let her grow more attached to her offspring before doing
anything drastic.
It had taken longer than he hoped, but his
performance had finally paid off. Skit had identified several rats in
his pack with very high aspirations, but insufficient subtlety to
keep their plots against him secret. They, along with their mates and
recent offspring, just to be safe, had been brutally and publicly
tortured, murdered, and butchered for his larder. That should firmly
reestablish him as a rat worthy of respect, and a king to be feared.
Skit’s recent news raised his spirits even more. His plot
to ambush and kill his final, and most dangerous, rival was ready to
hatch. His ever-reliable companion had even found a stash of dried
food bigger than they used to have on the farm! In a single outing
they could eliminate the greatest threat to his power, and return
with enough food to feed even the runts for most of their lives. He
would be more than a king, he would be a hero!
Everything was
in place. They’d have to leave before sunset, when they would
visible to humans and all sorts of other monsters. He hated going to
the surface, especially while the sun spilled its horrid light over
everything. It was almost enough to make him reconsider.
He
wondered if he could go back to being a country rat; living in a
comfortable hole on a farm, near a stream where he could swim, fields
with endless supplies of food, and a pretty little mate to dote on
him. Bah!
I’d go crazy of boredom in a day!
Feeling almost young again, he returned to the main nesting
chamber for some rest before his outing.
#
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. “Aww, 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
lunged sideways at Alice. Still gripping the 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’s,
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.
Here's what
Fans are saying
I first read this story in the Tales from the Mist anthology. Like others of this author's works, King of Rats introduces a creative, believable world beyond (and better than) my limited imagination! I especially enjoyed the unique perspective and plot.
I absolutely loved this story! It's unique and imaginative, with a touch of humor - well written, with great character development. So great in fact, Mr. Carrico had me routing for a disgusting RAT. Full disclosure: I read this story in the TALES FROM THE MIST anthology and am one of the authors in the book. This story was definitely one of my favorites and I've read Mr. Carrico's other works as well. I highly recommend Mr. Carrico's books if you like horror and sci-fi.
Gregory Carrico is an Amazon.com Best Selling horror and science fiction writer, and HFA Author of the Year 2013 Finalist. He enjoys crafting bad guys that readers will both care about and despise.
When not creating new worlds and plotting their destruction, he advocates for adopting rescue dogs, and politely urges slower drivers to get out of the passing lane.
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Gregory Carrico is an Amazon.com Best Selling horror and science fiction writer, and HFA Author of the Year 2013 Finalist. He enjoys crafting bad guys that readers will both care about and despise.
