Chapter 22- This Could Be a Tricky One
A low rumble sounded, and Edwin felt his legs tremble; but he wasn’t sure if that was because of another earth tremor, or his shock at seeing Slinker in the Pit.
“What happened to the others?” asked the weasel, keeping himself between Edwin and the Key.
The trembling ceased. Edwin tried to compose himself. “The tunnel collapsed,” he replied, his gaze locked on Slinker’s single eye. “The rats and spiders are trapped, along with Bryony and Stubby. Now what do you want?”
“I would have thought that was obvious,” said Slinker. “I want you to get me out of this hell-hole.”
“I won’t do that,” vowed Edwin. “You’re a criminal.”
“So is the Widow Splicefinger, but you made a deal with her.” Slinker’s eye had a knowing glint. “I caught your scent mixed with the spiders some way back. I guessed you must have come to a mutually beneficial arrangement, or they would have eaten you on sight.”
“That was different,” insisted Edwin. “The Sisterhood have my stepdad held hostage. I had no choice.”
Slinker chuckled. “You think you have a choice now?”
Edwin heard another groan, and saw that Moll’s condition had worsened. Her mouth hung open, and her breath escaped in heaving gasps.
“Let me have the Key,” he pleaded, switching his attention back to Slinker. “Moll has been bitten by a spider. She’ll die if I don’t use magic to save her.”
Slinker shrugged, seemingly unmoved by Moll’s plight. “Then all the more reason to do as I say.”
“We could do a deal,” suggested Edwin.
“I’ve already made a deal,” said Slinker. “That’s why I’m here.”
Edwin nodded. “With Bryony, I bet.”
“Not Her Ladyship,” said Slinker. “Let’s just say it was with another mutual acquaintance. But the deal was made, and I’ve fulfilled my part of it. So now I want my share. I want out of here.”
Edwin was growing increasingly confused. “You’re trying to trick me. First I need to help Moll. Then we can talk about a deal.”
Slinker looked at Moll, his single eye cold and uncaring. “It’s too late for her. She can never leave this place.”
“No.” Edwin adopted a defiant posture, balling his fists and puffing his chest. “I’m the real Principle Guardian. I use magic to help people. Good people. And good animals. I won’t let Moll die, not after she risked her life to help me.”
“Noble sentiments,” observed Slinker. “But you’re not so different from your stepsister as you like to think.”
Edwin bridled at Slinker’s words. “Bryony only thinks of herself. I think of others.”
“You only think of the power,” hissed Slinker. “And helping others is just an excuse for you to use that power.”
“That’s not true! I don’t…” Another groan from Moll helped focus Edwin’s mind. “Just let me cure Moll, then I’ll help you.”
Slinker shook his head. “I told you to forget Moll. You don’t know who she is, or what she’s doing here. But I do. And I’m telling you…”
“There they are!” A shrill cry echoed through the Pit. “Slinker and the boy!”
Edwin wheeled round to see a mass of dark shapes swarming into the Pit. He glimpsed a tail or two, and a multitude of spindly legs; but it was only when the mass split into two separate groups that he was able to distinguish what they were.
Rats. Spiders. Rats and spiders.
The Ratello Mob formed a crescent to the left of Edwin, whilst the Sisterhood adopted a similar formation to his right.
“This is a surprise,” said Slinker, his single eye shifting its beady gaze from the rats to the spiders. “I had no idea you’d all be joining us.”
“Wasn’t in your plans, I bet.” Pipsqueak glowered at the weasel. “Thought you’d seen the last of us back at the ravine, huh?”
“That was an accident.” Slinker raised his front paws in a gesture of innocence. “But let’s not worry about that now. I continued the mission on your behalf.” Slinker moved aside to reveal the Key behind him. “Ta dah!”
A chorus of gasps and chitters went up from the rats and spiders.
“There it is,” rasped Wincella. “Sisters, our deliverance is at hand.”
“Oh I see.” Slinker nodded at the spiders. “You want it too, eh? Hmm. This could be a tricky one.”
The rats and spiders stared at each other. Standing between the opposing gangs, Edwin felt the air bristling with tension. There was another fight brewing, but he couldn’t afford to wait for the outcome.
“Moll is ill,” he cried, swapping his pleading gaze from the rats to the spiders. “I need the Key’s magic to save her.”
“We have a deal,” said Wincella. “The magic belongs to the Sisterhood, and shall not be used to help a rat.”
“She’s a mouse!” An indignant cry echoed from the far side of the Pit, and Edwin saw Stubby running towards the crowd. Behind him came Dagger Tooth, and a dark haired girl…
Bryony! Edwin’s heart sank. Trust her to turn up and ruin everything.
“Edwin!” Bryony ran to her stepbrother. “Edwin, are you OK?”
“Stop,” warned Edwin, thrusting his palm in the air.
Bryony showed no sign of stopping, until Dagger Tooth grabbed her shoulder and hauled her to a standstill. Stubby carried on, and rushed to where Moll was lying.
“What’s happened to her?” asked Stubby, cradling Moll’s head in his paws.
“She was bitten by a spider,” explained Edwin, shooting an accusing glare at Wincella.
“We have bitten no rats,” protested Wincella.
“She’s a mouse,” tutted Stubby, examining Moll’s body. “I can’t see a puncture wound,” he murmured, twitching his whiskers doubtfully. “Are you sure she was bitten by a spider?”
Moll’s eyes flickered open to gaze up at Stubby. “Is that you, handsome?”
“It’s me,” said Stubby, sounding a little embarrassed. “It’s all right, Moll. We’re going to help you.”
“It’s too late.” Moll closed her eyes again. “Too late now.”
“She’s dying.” Edwin pointed at Pipsqueak. “Let me use the Key’s power. Tell Slinker to stand aside.”
“No way,” said Pipsqueak. “You’re in league with the Sisterhood. This is just a ploy to seize the Key for them.”
“Then it seems we have reached deadlock.” Slinker’s solo gaze swept the assembled rats and spiders. “Perhaps it’s time to negotiate.”
“Slinker’s right.” Shrugging off Dagger Tooth’s grip, Bryony stepped forwards to stand midway between Edwin and the rats. “Why don’t you all share the Key’s power?”
“We will never share the power with the rats,” said Wincella.
“And we will never share the power with the spiders,” said Pipsqueak.
“But you worked together to clear a way through the rockslide,” said Bryony. “You made a really good team back there.”
And Bryony meant what she said. The rats and spiders had proved an efficient workforce, and had cleared a way through the tunnel in no time at all. Bryony had been amazed how well everyone had worked together. And she included herself in this, because she’d played her part helping clear the rubble away from the dig site. Her nails were all broken, her hands laced with cuts, but she felt a real sense of achievement at being involved. Even Stubby had got stuck in now and then, although for the most part his involvement had been limited to a “high level consultancy capacity”, whatever that meant. There had been the occasional tremor, but the spiders’ webs had prevented any further rock falls, allowing the rats to dig away with no fears for their safety.
But now all sense of teamwork had been forgotten. The rats and the spiders were mortal enemies once again.
“The truce is over,” said Wincella. “Now we shall claim the power and avenge the death of our sisters and our Great Mother.”
“The power is ours,” countered Pipsqueak. “A
nd with it we shall avenge the murder of my pa, Boss Ratbags.”
The rats chittered in agreement. Bryony sensed they were restless, eager for battle. And in the vast arena of the Pit, the rats knew they had a more even chance of success.
“We didn’t lay a mandible on your father,” said Wincella. “In all the time we have been on this island we have never harmed a rat.”
“And we have never hurt a spider,” replied Pipsqueak. “Although that might be about to change.”
As Bryony listened to the unfolding argument, she had an idea…
“Wait!” she shouted, raising her arms. “I know what did it. It was the monster. The monster in the Pit.”
“Monster?” Pipsqueak looked around him. “I don’t see no monster down here.”
“Me neither,” agreed Wincella. “It would appear the monster of the Pit is no more than legend after all.”
Bryony noted that the Pit did seem remarkably monster free. “But we saw the writing on the wall. And Slinker thinks the monster did it, too.”
“More than that,” said Slinker, as everyone looked at him. “I know where the monster is.”
Moll emitted a shrill wail of anguish.
“It’s all right,” crooned Stubby. “We’re going to save you, Moll.”
“Save yourselves,” cried Moll. “Save yourselves from the monster. He’s here in the Pit.”
“Here?” Pipsqueak looked around. “Where?”
“He stands before you,” croaked Moll, lifting a trembling paw. “The murderer.”
It took a few seconds before Bryony figured out who Moll’s quaking paw was aimed at. “Slinker?”
“Me?” Slinker seemed as surprised as Bryony.
“He slew Boss Ratbags,” groaned Moll. “And the spiders. He wanted to start a war, he wanted to divide and conquer so he could rule the island.”
Bryony frowned. As much as she distrusted Slinker, she couldn’t see him as a cold-blooded murderer. But then again, he’d shown little regret when the Ratello Mob had fallen into the ravine. And he had told her that he only cared for himself.
“The weasel is the murderer,” gasped Moll, letting her paw fall limply to the ground. “Slinker is your monster.”
“Don’t listen to her,” said Slinker. “You can’t believe a word she says.”
“But it all makes sense,” said Pipsqueak, glaring at Slinker. “Pa disappeared just after you turned up on the island. And you tried to gain control of the Mob after he died.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” said Slinker. “It wasn’t me who killed your pa, or the spiders. But I know who it was. It was Moll.”
The accusation was met with a mixture of shocked gasps and derisory laughter.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” snorted Edwin. “Moll wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Pipsqueak shook his head at Slinker. “Even by your standards, that’s pretty low. You murdered my pa.”
“And our sisters,” rasped Wincella, similarly outraged. “And you shall pay for those crimes.”
“For the first time I agree with you,” said Pipsqueak. “Get him!”
Slinker was already halfway across the Pit by the time the rats could react. For a moment Bryony thought the weasel would make good his escape, but she hadn’t seen the spiders scuttling up the walls. There was a command from Wincella, and suddenly Slinker was pinned to the ground by a mesh of sticky webs.
The rats and spiders swarmed around their prisoner, hissing and squealing in triumph.
“You’ve got the wrong animal,” protested Slinker, struggling to escape his web bonds. “It’s Moll you should be worried about!”
“Enough of your lies,” shrieked Pipsqueak. “It’s time for me to avenge my father’s murder.”
“We must execute him now,” hissed Wincella. “He must suffer for what he did to our sisters.”
“No!” Bryony hared across the Pit to where Slinker lay trapped between the rats and spiders. “He should have a fair trial.”
Pipsqueak laughed, and so did all the rats and spiders. “You forget where we are, kid. There ain’t no justice on the Isle of Lost Souls.”
“But she’s right,” said Dagger Tooth, standing behind Bryony. “Getting your own back on Slinker will achieve nothing. You can’t even be sure he’s guilty.”
“I’m sure enough,” said Pipsqueak. “And what’s gotten into you these days? First you don’t want to fight, then you go all soft on the vermin that slew your old leader. I’m beginning to wonder if you belong in my gang.”
“Me too,” said Dagger Tooth, shaking his head.
Pipsqueak hesitated, and then turned his attention back to Slinker. “I was going to kill you here and now, but that would be too easy. So I’m going to take you back to the lair, and there you’ll suffer the cruellest and most lingering death imaginable.”
“Hold!” screamed Wincella, as the rats went to seize Slinker. “The weasel killed our sisters. We have the right to execute him.”
“He is our prisoner,” countered Pipsqueak. “And we’re taking him to our lair.”
“We shall take him to our nest,” said Wincella.
“Over my dead body,” said Pipsqueak.
“If you insist,” said Wincella, flexing her mandibles.
Silence fell, and the rats and spiders stared at each other once again.
“It’s nice to feel wanted,” said Slinker, meeting Bryony’s fretful gaze. “But don’t worry about me. It’s Moll you need to keep an eye on.”
Bryony looked round and saw that Edwin and Stubby were carrying Moll towards the Key. “It’s OK,” she said, turning back to Slinker. “Edwin will use the Key to heal her. Everything will be fine.”
“Oh no it won’t.” Slinker lowered his voice as the rats and spiders edged closer to him. “The Wise Ones imprisoned her, and only the Wise Ones can set her free.”
“What are you talking about?” Bryony frowned at Slinker. “Moll’s innocent.”
Slinker shook his head. “None of us are innocent, even sweet little Moll. Do you know how she wound up here? She says she was shipwrecked, but no one knows if that’s true. Because Moll was on this island first, before anyone else.”
Bryony’s lips parted in silent astonishment. Then she looked round again, and saw that Edwin had reached the Key.
When she turned back, Pipsqueak and Wincella were standing above Slinker, each poised to strike the first blow.
“Forget about me,” cried Slinker. “Stop the boy. Before it’s too late!”