The rat stopped in front of a group of battered garbage cans. It sat on its haunches and waited for the man and dog to come along side it. “Hello, Dr. Borsch. You're out early,” it sneered, its long yellow fangs protruding from its mouth, its whiskers quivering.
“Good morning, Snout,” replied the doctor coolly. “Have you any information for me?” The rat sat for a while as if it were in deep thought. Dog growled in his throat. He hated rats.
“Well,” Snout finally said, “I did see a falling star last night.”
He watched the doctor's face become anxious.
“Fell further over in the east, right over those old houses. They're going to be knocked down today. Probably very soon. Maybe right now, in fact,” said Snout, darting off into some hidden hole and making a high squealing noise that passed for a laugh. A rumble filled the air, and the alley vibrated as if hit by an earthquake.
“What's that, Master?” asked Dog, cowering with fear.
"They've started a day early,” muttered the doctor through gritted teeth. “I was promised the council would leave this area for another three days. Come, Dog, run!”
Dr. Borsch, scarf flapping like wings on a crumpled crow, lifted his long skinny legs and shot off to the end of the street. Dog crawled as fast as he could on his caterpillar tracks, built for toughness, not speed.
The black box bounced up and down as the doctor's feet hit the old cobbled pavement. Its low hum increased in volume as they went. By the time they entered the street that had once held Ghost Doll's house, the box was almost shrieking. The doctor dodged around the large machines, ducking and weaving, until he stood on top of a large heap of rubble. Dust rose around him like steam from a bath, and the foreman was screaming for him to get out of the way. Dog trembled with apprehension for his master's health and safety.
“What do you think you're doing, man?” yelled the foreman with a large, ruddy face, dressed in a bright orange vest and wearing a hard hat on his head.
“It's gone!” cried the scientist in despair. “There is only an aura of it left here. Who took it?” He whipped around to face the group of workmen, standing shocked at this loony old man and his funny toy dog.
"Come on, Sir,” said the foreman, lowering his tone to one of gentle concern, for obviously the old man was completely crazy. “There's nothing here for you. The houses have gone now. Nothing's left. Come on, Sam will take you home. It's not safe here.” He escorted Dr. Borsch off the pile of bricks onto the level ground. Shaking off the hand from his arm, Dr. Borsch shook his box, listened, and readjusted the settings. The frantic shriek became a quiet hum again.
“Of course,” said the doctor. “It's fallen into a car or something. It's moving away, back the way we came. I should have thought of that and factored it into the equation. Come on, Dog.”
The strange pair set off again, up the alley and back into the shadows.
The foreman and his crew stood for a few more minutes, shaking their heads. “Must have wandered away from the nursing home,” said Sam as he hauled himself up into the cabin of his wrecking ball truck and turned the key in the ignition.
Chapter 5
The sound of the wrecking ball echoed down the road after Ghost Doll and Jasper. Dust chased them, covering them with a fine, powdery sheet. By the time they had put two or three streets between them and the demolition gang, Ghost Doll and Jasper felt the vibrations die away, and they slowed to a walking pace. Ghost Doll looked at Jasper, gasped, then laughed.
“You look like me, now,” she said. Jasper was white from head to toe, only his two yellow-green eyes showing that he was Jasper.
“What?” he asked, shaking himself to dislodge some of the dust. He peered at himself in a darkened window and saw two pale figures reflected there. It was quite funny, he had to admit, and they both began giggling.
“Hmm,” said Jasper at last. “Can't say it particularly appeals to me. Although it suits you fine,” he added hastily when he saw the sad expression on Ghost Doll's face.
They spent a few minutes in the shade of a stack of cardboard boxes while Jasper did his best to restore his coat to its normal color. Ghost Doll peered up the alley.
“What's that noise?” she asked, as Jasper finished his grooming.
“What noise?” asked Jasper.
“That roaring noise. Is it the sea?”
Jasper let out a rasping laugh. “The sea? You are joking, aren't you? That's just traffic. It's rush hour.”
Ghost Doll had a blank look on her face, so Jasper came over and rubbed against her, as much as he could with her insubstantial form.
“Traffic, rush hour. It's cars. People are driving to work in cars. Have you ever seen a car?”
“Of course I have,” said Ghost Doll huffily. “My family had a car. But it didn't make that kind of sound.”
They wandered up to the main road. Before they stepped onto the street, they stopped. Brightly colored cars of all shapes and sizes whizzed past them. People bustled along, carrying briefcases and umbrellas. Many of them held little gadgets to their ears and talked into them as they walked. Ghost Doll gazed in wonder.
“What are those things?” she asked Jasper in a whisper.
“What things?”
“Those little book things they have to their ears.”
“Oh, cell phones,” said Jasper. “Everyone has a cell phone. You can talk to people, text people, check your email and messages.” Ghost Doll stopped listening to him—it wasn't a language she understood.
“Look how short those skirts are,” she said. “And those heels! How can they walk like that?”
“Come on,” said Jasper. “We can't stay here. We can be seen by everyone. Let's find somewhere quieter to spend the day. But first, I have to get some breakfast.”
They found a quiet park. Jasper delicately ate his fish head, scavenged from a bin behind a seafood restaurant, and followed it with a couple of cold fries. Ghost Doll watched him in fascination.
“Want some?” he asked, but Ghost Doll shook her head.
When he'd finished eating, Jasper had another bath, mostly around his face and head area. After that, they strolled across the empty green space.
“Don't people ever come here?” asked Ghost Doll.
“Not on a school day, usually,” said Jasper. “It tends to get a bit busy around lunchtime though, so we'll have to hide somewhere. But we're okay for another hour or two.”
Ghost Doll tried to swing, but her new starlight form made it a bit tricky to stay on the seat. She wasn't completely see-through and she wasn't completely insubstantial. She couldn't walk through, walls, for instance. In the end, she hovered over the swing, and Jasper, standing on his hind legs, gave the swing a push.
The monkey bars were better. Ghost Doll darted in and out and over and under the rungs while Jasper walked along them like a tightrope walker.
The sun was climbing to its midpoint. Jasper suggested they find a quiet, secluded spot to rest while people came and ate their lunches in the park. They found a hidden nook down by a creek, sheltered by tree roots and overhanging grass. Jasper curled up in a ball and closed his eyes.
“Are you going to sleep again?” asked Ghost Doll sadly.
“Uh, you got a problem with that?” he asked.
“I thought we could talk, that's all. And we need to make a plan, don't we?”
Jasper sat up again, then tucked his paws under his chest and settled into that sort of lounging position that cats do so well.
“We need to find you a new home first,” said Jasper. “I wonder if we could find you a little girl.” Ghost Doll glared at him. “Suppose not,” he said. “I guess a see-through doll might be a bit scary for a little girl. We could find you a rabbit hole or an empty squirrel's nest to live in.”
“Couldn't we find an empty house? I'm not sure how I'd like living outside in the rain and the snow.”
“We might find a warehouse,” said Jasper, his eyes closing with sleepiness in the afterno
on sun. “I think I will have to have a little snooze. I'm so sleepy, I'm afraid.”
Ghost Doll let him sleep. It was warm in the sun, and she had a friend. She had plenty of time to make a plan and ask her questions. The sun glittered on the water. A duck waddled down to the creek from the farther shore and launched itself off with a small splash. Ghost Doll sat and watched it, enjoying memories from long ago when she and her little girl would go to the park. It was very pleasant to think about, but also quite sad.
Chapter 6
Dog cowered in his kennel. Dr. Borsch raged about his laboratory. “Where is it?” he shrieked. “Where could it have gone? It was there. It was there in that house, and then it was gone.” The black box lay in pieces on the floor where it had been thrown and jumped on in the scientist's rage.
“Useless junk!” he said and kicked it across the floor. “If it had fallen on a car, we should have been able to trace it. When we got to the main street the signal stopped.” Dr. Borsch strode up and down, trying to work out where he went wrong. Finally, he stood over his workbench and began to tinker with objects, tidying them up. Dog tentatively put his nose out of his kennel then crept over to his master.
“Maybe all those cell phones and computers interfered with the signal,” Dog said quietly. Dr. Borsch kept fiddling with the things on the bench as if he hadn't heard. Dog was thinking of retreating when the scientist stopped and turned around.
“Dog, you are brilliant! Of course, radio signals, technology, interference. I need to readjust those settings. Good boy.” Dr. Borsch gave Dog a half-hearted pat on the head before picking up the shattered box, pulling its insides out, and laying them on the table.
The signal was there, but it was very weak. The transmission was intermittent.
“Stupid thing!” the doctor said, twisting the knobs viciously. “Piece of trash.”
Dog stayed out of reach. The doctor moved to the window and stood there for ages. The afternoon sun was setting, and long shadows drifted across the street below. A movement caught the scientist's eye, a tiny, sneaky shift in the gloom. Suddenly, Dr. Borsch whirled around, clapped his hands to his head, and exclaimed, “Of course!” He darted across the floor to where a rubber tube hung from a hook on the wall. It had a funnel shape at the end, and the scientist lifted this to his mouth.
“Good evening,” Dr. Borsch said into the funnel. “Am I speaking to Trattorus? I think we should meet. I have a proposition for you.”
“Jasper, Jasper.” Ghost Doll tried to shake the cat awake. “It's getting late.”
Jasper opened one eye and then another, stretched out one paw, two paws, then flexed them. He sat up and let his eyes grow huge in the dim light.
“Ah,” said Jasper, “that's what I call a sleep.” He licked his left leg and pulled a paw over one ear. “Right, let's think…shelter for you, food for me. Food first, come on.”
Jasper stalked towards the streetlights, where the hum of traffic was still constant, but not roaring as before. He slipped through the back door of a store and meandered down a hallway until he came to a light-filled room full of noise. It was hot in there, and Ghost Doll crept under a table.
“Two steaks and fries, no salad,” called a female voice.
“Here's the chicken soup for number five,” called another voice. Feet went back and forth and around the table. The clink of glasses and plates made it necessary for people to shout to each other. Another, more muted noise came and went as the feet retreated through a swinging door on the far side of the room. Jasper weaved his way around legs, rubbing his head and meowing piteously.
“It's Kitty,” said a deep voice. “Watch it, or we'll tread on that tail of yours.” Jasper left trails of fur on black trousers. A large hand came down and scratched his head. “You want some dinner then?”
Jasper hardly needed to answer. A bowl was put on the floor and filled with steaming chunks of meat covered in thick gravy. Jasper purred. Ghost Doll moved closer to the cat as he delicately chewed his way through the stew. When the bowl was licked clean, Jasper sat and groomed himself yet again. Splashes of gravy had to be removed from his coat and then his whiskers. Ghost Doll couldn't help thinking that although Jasper took great care of his fur, he still looked extremely mangy.
“That's better,” he said at last, and with a farewell meow to the kitchen staff, Jasper sauntered out the door with Ghost Doll close beside him.
“You sure you don't want something to eat?” he asked.
Ghost Doll shook her head. “Where would I put it?” she asked.
“Good point,” said Jasper. “Now, we need to get down to business. A home for you. Somewhere safe, dry, and warm. Comfortable and preferably with company—suitable company that is. Let me think.”
The roads were getting quieter. Ghost Doll felt more relaxed. She was tired now. It had been a long, strange day. They drifted down a side street full of houses. Curtains were pulled across windows. Stars winked in the sky.
“They're so bright,” said Ghost Doll, pointing upwards. “I've never noticed them before.” Jasper stopped and craned his head to look as well.
“They are, aren't they,” he said, then looked toward Ghost Doll.
“They remind me of you,” he said. “Maybe you are made of starlight.” Ghost Doll smiled at him and kept her eyes on the stars.
“I can hear them singing,” she said.
“Come on,” said Jasper finally. “We need to find you a home.”
Chapter 7
In the dark tunnels and sewers below the city lived rats. This was their domain. They could hurry and scurry from east to west and north to south, all out of sight of the sun and the humans who would wipe them from the face of the earth. Close to one of their many entrances, a large rat sat on its haunches on a stone base. Its mean red eyes glowed evily, and its snout sniffed the air eagerly.
“He's nearly here,” said the rat. Below it sat one hundred rats, silently waiting. “Let's see what he has to offer us.”
Dr. Borsch ducked his head as he entered the tunnel. The walls were dripping with green slime, and he held a handkerchief to his nose. The rats watched and waited.
“Where are you, Trattorus?” asked the doctor, peering through his thick glasses into the murky dark.
“What do you want, Doctor?” said Trattorus, sitting up straighter so the scientist could see him. “We are busy and haven't got time to wait around for humans.” Dr. Borsch bent his head to take a closer look at the rat king. Long yellow teeth and greasy whiskers quivered, taking in the man's scent.
“I need a favor,” said Dr. Borsch. The rat stared at him with his piercing eyes, trying to decide whether this was a serious request or a setup.
“We're listening,” said Trattorus, and on the floor a hundred squeaks backed him up.
“I've lost something,” said the doctor. “It is essential to one of my experiments. I need your help in Ending it.”
“And what's in it for us?” asked the rat. “We're not a charity, you know.”
“Of course,” said the doctor. “I always pay my dues. What do you need the most?”
“We need medical expertise,” the rat said. “Some of our best fighters are injured. There has been a rise in the number of cat attacks lately, and our ranks are depleted with the dead and wounded. You are a man of science. We know what you seek and what you aim to do with it. We'll help you locate it, and in return you will give us something to make us bigger and stronger, so we can win our war with the cats.”
Dr. Borsch straightened up, stroked his chin, and thought. “I see I will have to be more careful in the future about keeping my work secret. You must have spies everywhere. All right, I agree to your terms. You find me the stardust, and I will build you an unconquerable army.”
The doctor put out his hand as if to shake on the deal, but the rat turned his back and scampered off into the dark.
“Well, I don't know,” said Jasper at last. “I'm running out of ideas.” They'd been walking for hours.
There was nowhere he could think of that would make a suitable home for Ghost Doll. They'd looked in all sorts of places: backyards with dog kennels, chicken coops, garages, warehouses, and even an old car with no wheels. Ghost Doll had shaken her head at all of them.
“I can't live with a dog,” she said. “They smell and have fleas.”
Jasper had to agree with her on that.
“And the hens are noisy and they stare at you with those round eyes. And the warehouse? I'm sure I saw evidence of rats and mice in there.”
“What about the car?” asked Jasper, but he knew what her answer would be, and he couldn't blame her. It had been miserable.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Let's find a place to sleep for the night and we'll have a fresh eye on things in the morning.” Ghost Doll nodded and followed him behind a pile of dumpsters. Jasper curled up on some old newspaper and went straight to sleep. Ghost Doll lay on her back and gazed at the stars. Their light was fading as the night gave way to dawn, but she could still hear their singing, faintly, high above her, and she wished she could join them in their great dance across the sky.
In the morning, Jasper said, “I've had an idea,” while licking the last traces of cream from his lips. The empty carton lay on its side, wedged against a wall where Jasper had pushed it so he could clean it out. Ghost Doll didn't say anything, but she was losing faith in Jasper's ideas.
“You're a toy, right? At least you were once,” said Jasper. “You are something a bit extra now, but essentially you are a toy; a doll, to be precise.”
Ghost Doll and Jasper: A Graphic Novel Page 2
