Blackwhiskers

[Thrayjen]

Part One

Thrayjen?s heart stopped in his chest. His body trembled as the nursery door opened with unsettling slowness.

?What in all of River Moss?? a stern voice growled out, and the young marten whose mouth spoke with practised patience followed. ?...is going on out there??

Behind the twisted marten, the sound of chatter grew louder and louder. High pitched squeals, giggles, and the familiar noise of children playing stirred the rat?s stomach. For a horrifying moment he barely managed to swallow the whimper that clawed up his throat.

The marten peered up at Aldridge, then Rinam, and finally he rested on Thrayjen. The rat could not look away from the squinting youth.

?I know you,? Marik said as he crossed his arms. ?You?re the Blackwhiskers.? The marten?s easy smirk betrayed his nature. ?One of my dibbuns told a bedtime story about you. Then none of them could sleep for a week! Thanks for that!?

?Sorry,? Thrayjen shrugged, unable to help himself from smiling. Dramatic stories of evil pirates and the awful Blackwhiskers, of bold heroes and saved innocents reeked of his own weaving.

?What?re you doing here, anyway? Slaves aren?t supposed to be here,? Marik pressed, eyeing the collars around their necks.

Thrayjen lifted his wrist, the metal band flashing. The marten snorted.

?You lost?? The scolding mirth vanished. ?Those don?t mean anything here at the top. Any level of the Crater but this one. You?ll have to go back down below now, or I?ll be forced to report you. I?ve got to finish feeding these rascals lunch, so if you?ll excuse me??

?Wait, please!? Thrayjen stepped forward. ?My chi-?

Marik shook his head, turned away, and shut the door with a click.

Thrayjen stared at the door, numb with indecision. A familiar heat flared in Thrayjen?s chest and he raised his fist to the door.

thud-THUD Thud thud

The rat?s knocking echoed down the hall. Within seconds, the door creaked open again and Marik scowled at him from behind the threshold.

?Look, I know what you?re going to ask, and the answer is ?no?, you can?t come in.?

?Please,? Thrayjen started softly as he gestured to himself. ?My children, I?I don?t even know if they?re alive?I?ve heard nothing.?

The marten softened, tilting his head as he looked from the rat to his hopeful companions. With a heavy sigh, Marik pinched the bridge of his nose and grumbled, ?What?re their names, then??

?Helix!? Thrayjen immediately answered. ?And Verna. They?re-?

?Hedgehogs,? Marik?s scowl deepened. ?What?re you playing at?? He eyed the rat curiously, scratching at his neck in thought. ?You?re not the first to come asking questions about those two.?

Thrayjen?s sandy tongue was sluggish in his parched mouth and, lost for words, he stood gaping down at Marik. The marten shifted uneasy and took a step back as his paw, still on the door knob, twitched.

?Please,? Thrayjen pleaded, his voice low and shaking. ?Let me see them. Please??

The marten once again looked from Thrayjen to Rinam and Aldridge. The white mouse smiled hopefully, her paws clasped together over her stomach as she stood beside the anxious but silent stoat. Marik looked behind him then, into the nursery, his face creasing as sympathy and frustration wrenched his brow every which way. Finally, he groaned and stepped aside.

?Be quick,? the marten hissed, looking down the hallway. ?The guards are coming by soon and there?s absolutely no one allowed in here without Nire?s written permission!?

?Truly?? Thrayjen squeaked, sure the marten would begin to laugh at any second and close the door again.

?Hurry up,? Marik insisted as he rolled his eyes.

?Go on,? Rinam urged, and her voice stirred him.

The floorboards creaked beneath Thrayjen?s feet and somehow everything felt?sticky. The rat was overwhelmed by the scent of sticky fur, dripping noses, and fresh baked cookies. Every bit of furniture was half the size of one an adult would use and Thrayjen couldn?t stop himself from chuckling as he saw dozens of pictures tacked only a few paw lengths up the wall.

At least a score of dibbuns crowded around a table on the far side of the room, their voices unified as they counted and sang and bickered. While the older children carefully poured ladles of hot soup into wooden bowls, the younger dibbuns banged their spoons and cheered as a fat hedgehog lad with a very serious frown divided out cookies between them all.

Breath wheezed from Thrayjen?s lungs, hot and mournful.

?Helix??

The hedgehog looked up, a cookie poised just above the plate of an eager otter lass. He dropped the treat and an enormous smile spread across his face.

?Papi Thrayjen! Verna, Verna! Papi Thrayjen?s here!?

The hedgehog shoved his chair back and grabbed the paw of a smaller lass with a woolen shawl tangled in her quills. Helix dragged her from her chair and charged forward, past the crowd of his playmates and letting go of his sister?s paw as he squealed in sheer delight.

Thrayjen?s muscles moved on their own accord. Thrayjen?s arms stretched out as he stooped, feet carrying him forward as Helix reached expectantly with chubby paws towards the enormous rat. Emotions flooded his mind and heart as he scooped the little hedgehog?s round body up and pulled him tightly against his chest. Panic, indignation, disappointment, fear, and utter joy smothered and choked the rat until his eyes poured and conversation was foreign.

?Helix, my sweet Helix, oh my boy, I?ve missed you so?? The name, clutched to his tongue as tightly as the child himself, was repeated over and over with unleashed happiness. Action seized him and the rat?s claws combed through the hedgehog?s quills, brushing crumbs and hidden snacks from between the rows, grooming his whispers with spit, all in between tight hugs and kissed cheeks. The giggling child squealed the whole time, tickled with affection, but eager to return the embraces of his long lost guardian.

?Are you all right??

?I-?

?Do they feed you??

?I-?

?Has anyone hurt you??

?N-?

?Papi???

Such a soft voice was barely heard above the onslaught of questions but it ground Thrayjen?s jaw to a stop. His dark eyes raised to meet her soft grey ones and the child?s face bore a look of lost confusion.

?Verna?? Thrayjen whispered, shifting Helix in his arms. She trembled as she looked from him to Helix.

?My little Sweetnose,? Thrayjen said with quivering lips. ?My little Verna, come see me? Please??

Still she hesitated.

?I told you he?d come back, Verna!? Helix said cheerfully. ?I told you he wouldn?t forget us!? Helix looked up at the rat and gestured towards the door and the winding halls of the Drag. ?We saw you light up the magic fire one night! Marik let us stay up late because he said that the fire show was safe for us to watch because he doesn?t want us to watch the fighting shows because Marik said that it could give us nightmares!?

The child laughed, grinning from ear to ear.

?I told everybody a bedtime story and they had nightmares. I didn?t, though! I?m braver than everybody. Fable has lots of nightmares. Verna said she saw the Blackwhiskers through the window when me and Fable and her snuck out one time, and she had nightmares! I didn?t see, though??

Thrayjen couldn?t help but hold Helix tighter, wondering with amazement when the hedgehog had learned to form his words properly. Gone was the infant?s accent. He was bigger, both in girth and in height, and his quills had grown longer and darker.

Gone, too, was Thrayjen?s happiness. Verna wouldn?t come to him. She was frightened.

Frightened of you?

?Verna, please,? Thrayjen said, his pitch rising with the cracking of his voice. ?I?ve missed you so much??

?You need to go, now.? Marik nervously eyed the door.

?No,? Thrayjen insisted. ?Verna, Sweetnose, come here. It?s all right, it?s just me??

?The guards will be by on their patrol and they check in; you need to go now,? the marten insisted.

Aldridge stood over him, looking down with uncertain eyes at the rat who steadfast refused to look away from the hedgehogs.

?Nooo!? Helix clutched tightly at Thrayjen, who looked despairingly at Verna. Aldridge?s paw upon his shoulder loosened Thrayjen?s arms but it was Verna who coaxed him to let Helix go. Her tears rolled down her face and an otter lass embraced her in a careful hug, prompting the small child to wail.

Marik straightened himself as much as he could and tried soothing the crying hedgehog.

?Say good bye, babies,? Marik murmured, taking up Helix?s paw and nodding to Aldridge as the stoat began to pull Thrayjen away.

?I?ll come back,? Thrayjen croaked, holding onto Helix?s clinging paw even as Aldridge guided him away. ?I?ll come back!? the rat promised once more.

?But I wanna to go home,? Helix said, his lower lip shaking as he pulled himself away from his marten caretaker and curled his paws towards himself. ?I wanna see Nan!?

?You will see them again,? Aldridge urged, murmuring into Thrayjen?s ears as the rat gasped and hesitated. ?But not like this. We?ll work something out. We?ll get you back to them.?

Fresh tears, cold without joy, blurred Helix?s form as Thrayjen followed the stoat. He felt numb, barely able to lift his head and look back as Helix?s crying carried him out the door and into the hallway. The door clicked shut and a deadbolt lock slid into place with a resounding clank.

?Are you all right??

Thrayjen nodded at the question, trying to convince himself that he had gotten more than he had hoped for with the short visit. The pain of hope still clung to him, unwilling to stop its rampage since it had seized him the day he discovered his hedgehogs might just be alive. To know they not only lived but to feel Helix?s warmth still on his paws, to know the children lay just on the other side of a simple door?

Fire in his chest spurred Thrayjen to clench his teeth and hiss. He seethed as anger boiled within.

?We should go, though.? Aldridge?s voice sent writhing tremors down Thrayjen?s spine. The rat?s whiskers twitched. ?Coins can only buy so many minutes for us.?

?You stopped us,? Thrayjen said, his voice so quiet that Aldridge walked several pace before realizing he was being spoken to. ?At the top of the stairs,? Thrayjen continued, his voice rising and suddenly he was marching down the hallway towards the stoat.

?You stopped me. You didn?t want me to see them, after?after everything??

?Blame not the bowyer.? Rinam?s voice, stern and kind, halted the rat. ?All That Is demanded a moment, but still gave you time with your loved ones. Be grateful for what you gained. It?s more than most will ever know.?

?IT WASN?T ENOUGH!? Thrayjen?s scream sent Rinam recoiling.

?Easy,? Aldridge scolded. He frowned, reaching to comfort Thrayjen with another paw upon his shoulder but the rat smacked him away.

?You stole my time away. I could have seen more of them! I could have reached Verna. She was scared and she just needed ANOTHER DAMN MINUTE!?

?Thrayj-?

?QUIET,? Thrayjen roared, stepping towards Aldridge and thrusting his chin into the stoat?s face. ?She needed me and I couldn?t help her. I didn?t have time and it?s your fault!?

?Ridiculous. Rinam?s head was full of Adeen?s ink, and that alone would have taken you both into the grasp of the tyrant with no thought for your own survival. More time would have left you dead.?

Rinam nodded in agreement, but to no avail.

?YOU DON?T UNDERSTAND!?

The yelling attracted beasts that craved dramatic entertainment. From the suites along the hallway?s length, various beasts opened their doors and stepped outside in curiosity.

?Don?t you dare pretend to,? Thrayjen warned. ?You don?t? know what it?s like to lose your family. You couldn?t possibly know what it?s like to have someone torn from you when all you wanted to do was care for them!? The rat?s lips curled back until all his teeth were bared viciously at Aldridge. ?Just like with my father.?

The stoat gaped, holding up his paws in protest. ?Currathalla died naturally, and well, and he loved you til the end."

?Oh?? The rat?s head tilted to such an extreme angle his entire body seemed crooked as he backed Aldridge down the hall and towards the stairs. ?Every piece of advice I tried to give Curathalla?every single time I tried to help him, there you were, whispering things into his ears, telling him you knew best, undermining me as I tried to help my father!?

?Slaughter doesn?t work forever. Rebellion always rises. The beasts of Rogues? Reach rose against your father three times in twelve seasons, and you would have had him slaughter everybeast there. And yet when the theatre was built and the playwrights got to work, did they rise again? I helped your father, where I could.?

?You made him weak,? the rat growled, shoving the stoat backwards to accentuate his point, to intimidate, to cow, to prove to the stoat that he would not let him get away with his meddling.

?That?s the Blackwhiskers talking,? Aldridge snapped sharply, his own teeth beginning to slide out. ?That?s the selfish prince who wanted the world. That?s not you, Thrayjen.?

?We both know that?s a lie,? the rat said, voice low and sultry. A smirk curled towards his eyes as he began to roll his sleeves up. ?You don?t believe the Blackwhiskers is dead. She doesn?t, either.? He jabbed a claw in Rinam?s direction. His tongue slathered about his maw. ?Nobody does. Why should I keep bothering, then? The Blackwhiskers gets what he wants.?

The crack of his fist off Aldridge?s jaw rang like a bell and immediately the beasts in the hallway divided themselves. Some called for bets, for the stoat to fight back, for the rat to put him in his place. Others hollered for guards.

Aldridge stumbled back and fell; Thrayjen leapt after him with claws and fangs and lashing tail. Rinam tried to stand between the two males, calling for order, only to be flung back as her comrades collided.

They swung at each other, stoat falling to a sweep from Thrayjen?s tail. Aldridge attempted throwing Thrayjen from him, but the rat gleefully perched on the stoat?s chest and delivered punch after punch. Blood and fur flew through the air as they rolled and bit into each other, hides scarring with fresh marks and gouges appearing in the floorboards when their claws missed.

The jeering in the hallway grew louder but the heavy sounds of boots came louder still. A tray dropped, glasses shattered, and beasts snapped and groaned as guards fought through the crowd of spectators.

?What is goin? on here?!?

The voice was foreign, drowned out by Thrayjen?s rage. Paws grabbed at his arms and tried to haul him off of the stoat, but the rat merely cracked his tail against whoever had dared try to pry him from righteous wrath. Still the guards tried, and he turned from Aldridge as his patience wore out. The rat reared up and slammed his fist into the pretty face of a blue eyed ferret.

Immediately, everything stopped.

?Oh no,? Thayjen breathed. Aldridge echoed the statement through a bloodied nose. Every ounce of anger fled from Thrayjen?s body and his mind cleared. He stepped back and raised his paws to his mouth.

Blue sprawled on the floor, her cheek split from the rat?s knuckles. Her paws scrabbled at the floor as she searched for her balance. Behind her, guards in Crater uniforms shoved aside the crowd of bystanders. Redshore the otter headed them, smirking when he saw Blue on the ground.

?I?m?so sorry, Miss Blue,? Thrayjen whispered through clenched teeth.

?Not yet you?re not,? Redshore informed him. He stabbed Thrayjen in the side and Thrayjen grimaced, looking down at the familiar blue dart that would send him into a dead sleep. His vision blurred, from regret or from the sleeping serum, he did not know. Aldridge and Rinam were no longer there, but their shadows lingered on the stairwell long enough for Thrayjen to catch Blue?s sharp eyes and silent tongue blessing the subtle escape.

?I didn?t mean it, Miss Blue,? Thrayjen beseeched the ferret as she finally stood. ?I?m sorry. I?m sorry??

The rat begin to feel the pull of the dart?s ambitious alchemy. It had taken two to bring him into sleep the first time, as well as a bash to the head, but Thrayjen simply let himself sink to the floor.

~*~

The hours crawled along. Thrayjen lingered in a state of half-consciousness until the cold and damp coaxed him into waking. He lay on his side, soaking in a pool of water that trickled in through a crack in the stonework, and simply stared into nothingness.

Nan. Helix. Verna.

Each name, once a glorious symbol of his abandoning the influences of his heritage, became desecrated.

Verna was scared of you. Scared of the Blackwhiskers. Of you. Scared of me?of what I?ve done for her?

He had not attacked Aldridge for the hedgehog lass, or her brother, or their safety. Aldridge?s pain had been for him, and the Blackwhiskers had enjoyed every second of the stoat?s suffering. Every word Curathalla spoke to Aldridge instead of Thrayjen, every smile that should have been his, had broken out and in doing so had broken him. The Blackwhiskers won; he always got what he wanted, and he wanted blood.

I?ve ruined everything. I couldn?t stop myself. Every beast I?ve hurt for Nire, everything I?ve done to find my family?

Thrayjen slowly sat up.

I didn?t want any of this. The rat?s tongue nudged against his gold tooth. I didn?t want to hurt any beast? His notched ear flicked. Oh Nan, what have I done?I?m just a filthy vermin after all.

Nire. The lynx would use the hedgehogs, Thrayjen didn?t doubt, and demand carnage from the rat. Together, they would be used up and worn out and thrown away when the Crater sands called for blood.

And I?ll keep giving him what he wants. Whatever my loyalty could have bought was thrown out the moment I struck Blue. Helix, Verna my Sweetnose?you were safer without me trying to find you. I should have left you alone, like Blue said?

The screaming of unoiled metal from down the corridor failed to stifle Thrayjen?s despairing thoughts.

I?ve lost.

Two sets of paw steps approached, though Thrayjen only recognized the hard falls of Hargorn?s peg leg. The weasel eyed Thrayjen as he stopped directly in front of his cell, looping his claws into his belt and spitting at the slave.

?Nice manners an? fancy titles ain?t helping you? Poor widdle ratty,? Hargorn chuckled at his own joke.

Thrayjen stayed his gaze low and missed the second body that followed Hargorn.

?Eh, well, yew?ve still got some friends, though, ah?? The weasel leaned against the cell bars, watching Thrayjen carefully. ?Yew wouldn?t catch me near the Blackwhiskers, not without that there collar ?round yer neck and a short leash attached??

The weasel ushered the second beast forward with prodding paws. He meandered back down the corridor as he eyed the orange fruit bat who looked upon Thrayjen with large, curious eyes.

?Mister Hracken???

He was unable to stop the small smile. An evening spent at the bar, sharing drinks with Sly while Kentigern swung Kali around the room in a ferocious dance, was his fondest yet of the Crater. Both Sly and Kentigern were dead, though, and Thrayjen assured himself he?d be not long after his former drinking mates.

?Miss Kali,? Thrayjen greeted her gently, barely raising his eyes except to see if she was truly there.

The bat stood silently, rubbing her neck with her wingtips, glancing every which way except at him. Several times she opened her mouth to speak but not once did she speak.

?Is there something you?d like to hear??

It was surreal to see Kali, the epitome of enthusiasm and glee, with a collar of her own around her neck; Thrayjen pitied the poor beast?s fate.

Kali drew a deep breath, holding it until her plump cheeks quivered.

?Is what they say true??

?Aye,? Thrayjen sighed.

?I?ve heard some nasty things, from guards, and slaves, and even some beasts in the stand.?

?It?s true, Miss Kali,? Thrayjen said, his insistency turned to irritation. Was she hoping he?d tell her that what she?d heard were all lies? That he was just the sweet gentlerat that rubbed her back and held her ears back as she vomited up her attempts at carnivorous intimidation?

Before today, you could have told her ?yes?.

?So,? Kali said, her lip turning up. ?You really did eat babies??

?No,? Thrayjen answered quickly, eager to dispel what was, in fact, myth. Kali sighed in relief, but the rat only shook his head. Sweet Kali deserved to know.

?There was a village I suspected of harbouring thieves that stole a pay cart on its way to one of the iron mines. I had every infant under five seasons skinned alive and their hides turned into gloves and hats.?

Kali had to physically close her jaw as she reared back, a single toe keeping her from scattering across the ground.

?I made their mothers watch so that nobeast from that village would dare contemplate stealing from my father?s coffers again."

?You?MONSTER,? Kali shrieked. ?I thought you were a NICE guy!?

?I thought so too, once,? Thrayjen stated, shrugging. ?Now I know better. I?m where I belong down here, Kali. I hope that brings you some comfort?

Thrayjen went to turn away, unwilling to further destroy Kali?s perception of him. It hurt to see her face wrench in disgust, to know she had come to hear him sooth her concerns only to break her heart.

?How can you just?just SAY it like that?! Like it was nothing? You murdered babies! Y-y-you murdered babies, and you touched me! You BABY EATING FIEND! Aug!?

Kali flailed her wings, brushing her fur as though she could clean the memory of Thrayjen?s paws away. The rat closed his eyes again.

Celine tried that, too.

?How did you pretend to be so nice for so long?!? the bat demanded, still twisting as she combed her fur. She managed to twist herself until she fell with a yelp, her rump hitting the ground hard.

?I didn?t pretend,? Thrayjen said quietly, repeating himself when Kali squinted in question. ?I?I left those dark days behind, a long time ago. I left home, I left my kingdom, my culture, my family, and I made a new life for myself.? He steadied his jaw, holding himself up as he tried to coax his regret back down. ?And those days are gone now, too.?

Kali shuffled forward, dragging herself along the ground until she wrapped her wingtips around the metal bars that separated them.

?Gone where??

?Here,? Thrayjen said. ?The Crater. With the other broken hopes and dreams of every beast that bears a collar.?

?Why??

?You foolish little imp,? Thrayjen cursed. He leapt to his feet and paced towards the wall. ?Nire. Nire takes everything from everyone. He took my family, he took away my peace, my freedom?Our lives will join his collection soon enough, Miss Kali. The sooner the better, personally. I never wanted to be the Blackwhiskers again. Never wanted to hear that damned name, but Nire brought it back to life and here I stand!? The rat gestured to himself and barked out a single exasperated laugh. ?Doing everything he says so that I can try and save my children.?

The rat let himself topple, landing with a shallow splash and dropping his head into his paw.

?I never should have told him. I should have just kept lying. I?ve been an idiot. I played his game too long and I lost, Kali.?

Thrayjen flexed his fingers, the bruises and broken skin a reminder of how far he had fallen into the cat?s paw.

?And I?ve hurt the only beasts who wanted to help me.?

The bat sneered, standing and drawing herself to her full height. ?You?re an idiot, all right. Blabbering about a big secret like being a miserable baby murdering, blood loving, nasty tyrant.?

Thrayjen shrugged.

?You should go, now.? Thrayjen cupped his paw into the water, slurping from his palm. ?A bright beast like you can?t thrive in this kind of darkness. Don?t think of me anymore, Miss Kali. It was kind of you to visit, but I?m not the fellow who sang with you and showed you sympathy once upon a time. He?s just another victim of the Crater. Think of the Blackwhiskers; maybe he?ll be the one to kill you one day.?

Kali backed up, her wings loosening from the cell bars.

?You can?t mean that.?

Thrayjen brought another pawful of water to his lips.

?I came here for a new beginning,? Kali whispered. ?I thought this would be my grandest stage yet, but all I?ve found here is misery and hopelessness.?

?Hope is a plague.?

?No, it isn?t,? Kali growled. The rat at last looked up, taken aback by her tone and furthermore by the expression of sheer determination on her face.

?Eleven beasts had hope that I would save them,? Kali continued, her gravelly snarl simmering into anger. ?Eleven beasts, and I saved one.?

?I?m sorry, Miss Kali,? Thrayjen offered half-heartedly.

?That one beast is why I won?t lose hope, Mister Blackwhiskers. Hracken. Thrayjen. Whoever you are! There?s one beast alive because of me, and that means all the world to her! One beast can make a difference! It only takes one beast to help another, and when there are many helping many then things can change!?

Thrayjen?s ears twitched. Her words were the lyrics of forgotten songs, melodies of hope and of freedom. Those songs were no longer sung.

?That sounds suspiciously like propaganda,? the rat said, eyeing Kali through narrowed eyes. ?You haven?t been speaking to Trainer Hapley, have you??

For a moment it looked as though Kali had been excited by the mention of the tod but she quickly collected herself. Clearing her throat, she mumbled a slow, ?Nooo???

?That doesn?t sound convincing.? Thrayjen frowned at her. ?I?m going to warn you, like I did Kentrith. Kali, look at me. Look at me. No, that?s a spider. Kali!? The rat whipped his tail; it sliced into the pooling water and the smacking noise startled Kali to strict attention.

From down the hallway, Hargorn coughed.

?Rebellions never prosper,? Thrayjen whispered slowly, enunciating every word.

?But-?

?No, Miss Kali,? Thrayjen interrupted her, biting back his annoyance. ?Rebellions fail. Beasts die. The world moves on. Business as usual.?

The rat sighed, his frustration spent. He hung his head again, despair curling his shoulders down until his nose frothed against the stone. Minutes passed in tense silence, the soft dripping of water timing their breaths.

?Would you rather die a villain,? Kali began, her voice cracking as she bravely restrained angry tears. ?Or would you rather die trying to help those who deserve better??

?I?ll do whatever I have to?to protect my children,? Thrayjen replied lowly.

?Then help the resistance,? Kali whispered. ?They want to help, and they?re trying. They?re trying to help so many beasts here??

The bat reached between the cell bars, urging Thrayjen to take her thumbclaw.

?Hope is what you make it, Mister Thrayjen. You wanted to become a better beast, then let somebody help you fight what Nire wants you to be.?

Thrayjen stared at her outstretched wing. She was unwavering, the leathery skin and thin bones completely still. Her eyes, wide and earthen and bright as summer, gleamed with hardened determination.

?Please??

Kali pleaded softly, patient as she offered him all of her hope and her dreams and her forgiveness in a single look. It shook the rat?s very soul, easing away his regrets and his despair, offering him a chance that he had not tasted since Nan opened her door to him for the first time.

?Because you?re worth it,? Kali cooed, nuzzling the rat?s scarred face. ?Every life is worth the bother.?