CHAPTER#41

"I guess we need to go in there." He looked at the rats. "I guess do you have some rope or a ladder we could use?"

"Go get them some," the king commanded. The rats scurried off, leaving the group behind. Once the others were gone, he turned to face the group. "Your friend murdered her way through our tunnels and we discovered, quite by accident, that the church weakened her. We sealed her in the crypt beneath, but she still managed to smash up the place. I really hope that you can convince her to forgive the actions of our late king."

"We'll do our best." Beth crouched down, a smile on her face. "I think the new king will do a much better job, don't you?"

The new king pawed at his cheek bashfully. "Yes. My ascension is quite unorthodox, but not entirely unheard of. I fear that the doll is but one of your many allies. The previous tenant of your home was quite formidable indeed."

"Emily." Mike sat on the floor. "You knew her?"

"I have been the mouthpiece of the king for many years. I was present for their negotiations." He stood now with pride. "I could tell you many things, if you wished."

"I wish." Mike cocked his head.

"And once you present something of value for trade, I will gladly give it to you."

He fought the urge to grab the rat by the scruff of his neck again. "Excuse me?"

"It is our custom. Emily promised us ownership over your home upon her demise in exchange for our services." His whiskers twitched.

"Yeah, well she was planning to screw you over. She was trying to become immortal." He sighed. "And cause me headaches, apparently."

"Can the trade be anything?" Beth asked.

The rat nodded. "Something of equal or greater value."

"How about a name? A human name to symbolize our friendship." She smiled. "Friends call each other by their names."

"Um... what kind of name?"

"How about Reggie? It's short for regent, which is kind of like a king."

"Reggie?" His nose twitched. "I think I like that name."

"So Reggie." Mike leaned against the wall, his arms crossed in front of him. "You've got a name, we want information. What was the deal that Emily made with your people?"

"My kind are able to chew holes in the fabric of reality. There are certain rules we have to abide by, hence why the portals are not always perfect." He pointed to the one in front of them. "She found us by making a portal of her own, a process which can take quite a long time for even a powerful sorceress. For the rats, it can be a matter of minutes if pressed for time."

"And?"

"Emily had us chewing holes into some very old, very forgotten places. Places that had been sealed away, either by accident or on purpose. She was hunting down powerful artifacts and didn't have the time to search via portals of her own."

"So what was she looking for?"

Reggie shook his head. "She never told us. She simply gave us descriptions of where she wanted to go and we did our best. The walls of this place are like magic, enabling us to chew almost anywhere. We quickly discovered hazards in some of these places, and she used her magic to keep us protected.

"Did she find what she was looking for?"

"I think so. One day, we chewed our way into a tower, a place overlooking a large valley of green with a river down the middle. Her description. We were warned that a dangerous foe lurked inside who would kill us on sight, and that she would handle it from there. She was gone for several days before returning."

"And what did she have with her?"

The rat pointed at Beth. "My king spotted the gemstone in her possession, but only briefly. She promised us more work soon, but needed some time. A few days later, she tried to purge us from the house, but rats are clever. We had several tunnels hidden all through the house and she sent terrifying beings after us that were easily lost. A small tunnel, no bigger than a rat, was chewed into a place she called the Vault. It was there where we reclaimed the emerald in hopes of buying peace, but our king discovered it could be used to animate furniture and chose to wield it as a weapon."

"So all your traps were for her?"

"Or for the creatures she sent." Reggie shivered. "We built our tunnels to keep the colony safe and sealed the doors on our floor. Then, one day, the attacks stopped. We tried to venture out, but could no longer step foot past the stairs. Many of our old tunnels would suddenly turn back on themselves and we were forced to remain and wait."

Mike leaned forward. "Wait, she just disappeared?"

"Yes. We had always been forbidden to leave the second floor, but had free access to come and go as we chose if we stayed unseen. But then we couldn't leave at all, forced to remain in the tunnels we already had."

"The spell." He looked at Beth. "She made herself forget."

"How would that accomplish anything?"

"The geas. Until the Caretaker discovers that part of the house, it's like it doesn't exist."

"But the second floor has always been there. Even if Emily forgot about it, the others would still have access."

"True." Something was nagging him, an idea in the back of his mind. "The house expanded when you moved in. Do you think it would collapse again if you moved out?"

"Doesn't change the fact that you would still remember the rooms. It seems like much of the home's magic operates on memory. The expansion maybe relies on some sort of minimum occupancy, or something similar."

"Tink, what do you—" He cut himself off. Tink was catching a catnap next to the portal, her club clutched tightly to her chest. He would ask her later. "Based on your logic, what would happen if you moved out? Would the house shrink? What if I made myself forget the second floor after you left?"