by Amy Cross
***
“This wasn't here before!” Kate exclaimed as, half an hour later, they came to yet another junction. She turned, shining the light from her torch back the way they'd just come. “It wasn't! You both remember, right? It's different! Or am I just losing my mind?”
“This is starting to freak me out,” Didi replied. “If you're playing some kind of trick, now's the time to -”
“Does it seem like a trick to you?” Kate asked, rounding on her. “Seriously? The walls are moving! That's the only way to explain any of this!”
“Moving walls?”
“We're not idiots!” she continued. “There's no way we could get lost! Something's tricking us!”
“But... moving walls?”
“She's right,” Alice said. “It's the only possibility.”
“Walls don't just...” Didi sighed. “Okay, so whatever the reason, we've got a problem right now. We've been down here for a few hours now, and we don't seem to be getting anywhere. I'm not saying I've got any great ideas, but I think we can scratch the idea of just wandering around. That's a dud and a half.”
“The island's only so big,” Kate pointed out. “There are only so many kilometers of tunnel that can fit!”
“Unless we're under the sea by now,” Didi replied. “With how far we've walked -”
“We haven't gone down far enough,” Kate insisted. “If anything, we've gone up from our entry point, which means we must be somewhere in the hill at the center of the island. If that's the case, we just have to go up at every opportunity. There has to be some other way out of here. Think about it, why would someone build a huge set of tunnels like this and not have multiple exits?”
“Unless the moving walls stop us,” Didi said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“There it is again,” Alice added suddenly. “Don't you hear it?”
“Hear what?” Kate snapped, before realizing that this time there was something in the distance. Turning to look along one of the corridors, she listened for a moment to the faint scratching sound. It sounded almost rhythmic, like a machine, but with enough variation to suggest that it was being caused by something more organic.
“That's good,” Didi said after a moment. “That's really excellent. Just what we needed, mysterious noises somewhere nearby. I'm liking this more and more.”
“We have to follow it,” Kate replied. “It must be an exit. If there's a noise, there must be people. There's either a way out, or a crack or something that we can use to call for help.”
“You can't be sure of that.”
“Would you rather wander around this goddamn place for hours and hours?”
“I'd rather have not come down here at all!” Didi replied, before turning to Alice. “See? This is what happens when you trust a brain-box. I thought Kate Langley was some kind of academic genius, and now she's led us down into some kind of hell.”
“This way,” Kate said, heading along one of the branching corridors.
“Hey!” Didi called after her.
“If you don't agree, don't come!” Kate shouted back at her. “This is better than nothing!”
She picked up the pace, still shining the torch straight ahead as she heard the noise getting closer. Whatever it was, it sounded like something rustling, almost as if someone was brushing against dead leaves. She was convinced that it had to be a way out, maybe another exit hidden somewhere on the island, and when she reached the next junction she realized that the noise was coming from the other side of an arched entrance just a few meters away. It sounded more chaotic now, as if it wasn't just one noise but, instead, the collective sound of lots and lots of smaller noises.
“I really don't like this,” Didi said as she and Alice caught up.
“No-one likes it,” Kate replied. “That's not the point.”
Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, shining the torch through the archway. She stopped after a moment as she realized that the stone floor gave way to the side of a ledge, and the rustling sound was coming from down in some kind of pit. With a heavy heart, she edged closer and shone the torch down into the darkness, until eventually she saw something moving below. It took a moment for her to make sense of the squirming, wriggling mess, but with a mounting sense of horror she finally realized what she was seeing.
“Is that what I think it is?” Didi asked, with fear in her voice.
A couple of meters below them, a sea of rats was swarming in a huge stone pit. The rustling sound came from their bodies crawling over one another, and there were occasional squeaks as the rats seemed to be fighting one another. As Kate moved the torch, it became clear that there were hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of them down at the bottom of the pit, climbing over one another and trying desperately to scramble up the stone walls.
“Okay,” Kate said tensely. “At least we found out where all the rats went.”
VI
“Mr. Beecham was undoubtedly killed by some kind of wild animal,” Doctor Young explained as he read back over his notes. “I'm afraid I can't really speculate as to the precise nature of the animal, though. I simply don't know enough about Thaxos and its wildlife population.”
The bones of Jeremy Beecham were laid out on the metal table in Doctor Young's surgery. Standing at the other end of the table, Inspector Cavaleri stared at the dead man's fractured skull.
“There's nothing on Thaxos that could do this,” she said after a moment. “No bears, no wolves. Nothing. The only dangerous animal on Thaxos is mankind.”
“If you say so,” Doctor Young replied with a faint, knowing smile. “Sounds a little melodramatic if you ask me.”
“This is a cold case,” she continued. “There's no point getting distracted. I'll speak to Father Henderson and arrange to have these bones buried in the cemetery, but beyond that... Even if Mr. Beecham was murdered, his killer is undoubtedly long gone by now.”
“If you say so,” Doctor Young muttered, setting his notes back down.
“What's that supposed to mean?”
“I'm sorry?”
“If you say so,” Cavaleri continued. “That seems to be your answer to everything, and don't think I haven't noticed that smirk. If there's something else you want to say, then say it. I don't have time to mess around.”
“I'm sure I don't know anything,” he replied as he began to carefully fold the sheet over Beecham's bones. “I've only been on Thaxos for a short time, and anything I might have noticed is, at best, conjecture.” He paused for a moment. “It just seems to me that Baron Le Compte has a great deal of influence over the entire island.”
“He's a friend of yours, I believe?” Cavaleri asked.
“I wouldn't say that, exactly.”
“Then what would you say?”
“Merely that I believe I know him quite well. We have been around one another for quite some time, but...” He paused again. “I've seen him out in the world, in some of the most spectacular cities. I've seen him move through high society, and I've seen him carve his way through people. He can be a wonderful host, and he can be truly generous, and I'm afraid that these qualities can be rather dazzling. Not for me, though. I'm certainly not blind to his faults.”
“No-one could be,” she replied.
“He has a malign influence on this island, doesn't he?” Doctor Young continued. “I doubt he ever gets caught in the act, but still, bad things happen when Edgar Le Compte is in town. The rats, the attack on Ms. Langley, the illness of Ms. Marco... At some point, do we not have to accept that perhaps these are not coincidences? The man drags a heavy shadow in his wake. Tell me, what was Thaxos like before Baron Le Compte returned?”
“Peaceful,” Cavaleri replied. “Dull, almost, but definitely peaceful. The town just kept on toddling along. A few tourists came every year, but never enough to overwhelm us. Things were pretty good.”
“And everyone was happy?”
“Everyone got on with their lives,” she continued. “Sure, not much happen
ed. I sat in my office and barely received a single visitor a week, and even then it was usually something trivial. Sure, that way of life isn't for everybody, but most people here were content to get on with their lives.”
“And were the Le Comptes ever discussed?”
“They were mentioned once or twice. People used to joke about them coming back, but I don't think anyone really thought there was much danger. And then one day, about five months ago, some men arrived on the island and they went straight up to the mansion. We all hoped that it meant someone else had bought the place, but soon enough we learned that the Le Comptes were coming back to claim their ancestral home. There was nothing anyone could do to stop them. I mean, the house was still their property, and technically the various titles were still in place. It was like...”
“Like a dark shadow fell across the whole island?”
“That about covers it,” she replied, before pausing for a moment. “You surprise me, Doctor Young. I thought you were in Le Compte's pocket.”
“I need a job,” he pointed out. “I've spent a lot of time around Baron Le Compte, and in that time I've come to understand that he tends to hurt people. Now, I'm not for one moment suggesting that anything should be done to... expedite his departure from Thaxos. You're an officer of the law, and I'm a medical man, so in a way we're both respected members of the community. Still, I suppose what I'm saying is that if there ever arose a kind of movement that was devoted to the task of ridding Thaxos of this man on a permanent basis, I would like to be afforded the opportunity to...”
He paused, letting his voice trail off in the hope that Cavaleri would still understand what he meant.
“You mean a lynch mob?” she asked.
“God, no. I suppose I don't really know what I mean. I just figure that at some point, certain people on Thaxos are going to decide that they've had enough.” He took a moment to seal the sheet. “Then again, perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps there's no-one on Thaxos who has the strength to take control and do what's right for the community.”
“You'd be surprised,” she replied. “There are people here who have that strength.”
“Such as?”
“I'm not at liberty to say.”
“Smart people, I imagine. People of integrity.”
“I'm really not at liberty to say,” she told him again, although a faint smile crossed her lips for a moment.
“Quite,” he continued. “But please, if you happen to speak to such people, please let them know that I am a man who thinks in much the same way. And as someone who knows Baron Le Compte fairly well, I might be of some assistance. I like Thaxos, and I would like to stay here, and I would also like the island to be a happy place rather than one that lives in constant fear.”
“I'm not sure that this conversation is a good idea,” Cavaleri replied, taking her gloves from her pockets and slipping them onto her hands, “but hypothetically speaking, if there were like-minded people on Thaxos who were considering a proactive move against Le Compte, I'm sure they would learn of your interest. Of course, they would naturally be suspicious. After all, you did come here as the man's friend.”
“Then I shall have to prove myself in some manner.”
Cavaleri stared at him for a moment, trying to work out if he could really be trusted.
“I have a lot to do,” she said finally. “Someone will be along tomorrow to make arrangements for the proper Christian burial of this man's bones. In the meantime...” She paused. “A few of us meet up in the cantina every week to discuss issues pertaining to the island's current direction. It's a very informal group, but we have definite ideas about the future of the community here and we're always interested in new voices, especially people who understand the need to take direct action. If you're interested in coming along, we'll be meeting tomorrow night at nine.”
“I'll be there,” he replied, “and thank you for welcoming me so quickly into your community.”
“We'll see how it goes,” Cavaleri muttered. “Like I said, it's just an informal group. The island needs someone to keep an eye on things, right?”
“Is there no mayor or elected official?”
“Nothing of the sort,” she replied. “In the old days, the Le Comptes were in charge. After they left, things sort of ran themselves. And now... Well, now we're basically governed by a group of concerned citizens. Very concerned citizens.”
Once she had left, Doctor Young headed over to the window and looked out at the street. Moments later, Inspector Cavaleri emerged from the front of the building and made her way toward her office, and Doctor Young couldn't help but smile as he realized that he'd managed to at least begin the process of getting her on his side. He was convinced that Cavaleri was an idiot, but he also knew that idiots could be useful. If he was to achieve his goals, a few humans could easily be sacrificed along the way.
“Oh father,” he whispered with a smile. “You're not going to know what hits you.”
VII
“Don't get too close,” Alice hissed. “Kate!”
“It's fine,” Kate replied, inching forward on her hands and knees as she stared down into the pit of rats. “I just want to see what that thing is in the middle.”
As the rats scrambled over one another, it was becoming clear that they were actually fighting to get hold of some kind of mass that was barely visible beneath their bodies. Peering a little closer, Kate finally realized that it was some kind of meat, with pieces of bone sticking out, almost as if someone had tossed something down for the rats to eat.
“I really hope that's a cow,” she whispered, watching as the rats tore small strips off the piece of meat.
“Okay,” Didi said suddenly, “time to go.”
“You don't like rats?” Kate asked, turning to her.
“No, I love them. Like every sane person on the planet, I can't think of a better way to spend my time than standing on a narrow stone ledge above a pit full of thousands of hungry rats! We should come back some time with a goddamn picnic basket! Jesus Christ...”
As Didi headed back through to the next corridor, Kate got to her feet.
“She has a point,” Alice said after a moment. “So how do you think they all got down here?”
“They all seemed to vanish from the town overnight,” Kate pointed out. “For it to have happened that fast, it must have been deliberate. Someone lured them down here, and now they're being kept alive. There's some kind of meat in the pit.”
“Do you think Baron Le Compte is responsible?”
“Edgar? No, he...” Pausing, Kate realized that it was the only likely explanation. “I think we should keep an open mind,” she added finally. “If there's one thing we've learned today, it's that Thaxos still has the capacity to surprise us.”
