King Rat Part 30

When Saul had finished the story, he sat up on his haunches and looked into the ring of faces. Row upon row of anxious eyes, gazing at him, demanding that he command them. They oppressed him.

There was so much that Saul wanted to do. He had a letter to Fabian in his pocket. Fabian would be leaving hospital soon and he would find it waiting for him, some tentative overtures, hints at explanation g and a promise to contact him when things had calmed down.

Saul wanted to find a permanent base. There was an empty tower in Haringey he wanted to investigate.

There was shopping that needed doing. He had his eye on a very flash Apple Mac portable computer. Leaving the human world behind certainly made things easier as far as money was concerned.

But he could not operate like that as long as the rats hung on his every word, followed him everywhere, desperate to do his bidding. His revenge on King Rat had trapped him with endless ranks of adoring followers from whom he was eager to escape. And there was always the chance that the rats might start lis418 tening to King Rat. He was out there, skulking, plotting, destroying. Saul had to ensure that his revenge would last.

He had to change the rules.

'You should all be proud of yourselves,' he said. 'The nation scored a great triumph.'

The gathering basked.

'It's a new dawn for the rats,' he said. 'It's time the rats realized their strength.'

Excitement swept the a.s.sembly. What announcement was this ?

'And it's for that reason that I abdicate.'

Panic! The rats ran from side to side, beseeched him. Lead us, they said to him with eyes and screeches and claws, take us.

'Listen to me! Why don't I quibble with King Rat's right to that name? Listen to me! I abdicate because the rats deserve better than a King. The dogs have their Queen, the cats their King, the spiders will throw up another sovereign, all the nations fawn before leaders, but let me tell you all... I couldn't have defeated the Piper without you. You don't need champions. It's time for a revolution.'

Saul thought of his father, his fervent arguments, his books, his commitment. This one's for you, Dad, he thought wryly.

'It's time for a revolution. You were led by a monarch for years, and he brought you to disaster. Then years of anarchy, fear, searching for a new ruler, 419.

the fear isolating you all so you didn't have faith in your nation.' A frisson pa.s.sed momentarily up and down Saul's back. He was suddenly alarmed. Jesus, he thought, / wonder what I'm unleas.h.i.+ng. But it was too late to stop and he plunged on. He felt like an agent of history.

'So now you know what you can do, the rats will never kow-tow to the whims of kings again. I do not abdicate in favour of another.' Saul paused theatrically.

'I declare this Year One of the Rat Republic.'

Pandemonium. Rats tearing around the room, terrified, excited, liberated, aghast. And above the hubbub and confusion, Saul's voice continued, his speech nearly at an end.

'All equal, all working together, respect going to those who deserve it, not just those who claim it... Liberty, Equality ... and let's put the "rat" back into "Fraternity",' he concluded with a grin. This way, he thought, maybe I can get a bit of peace.

He raised his voice over the clamour.

Tm not Prince Rat, I'm not King Rat.... Let the Betrayer cling to his outmoded t.i.tle if he wants, pathetically hankering for the past. From now on there are no kings,' said Saul.

'I'm just one of you,' he said.

'I'm Citizen Rat.'

420.

Alone again.

I've done this before. You can't keep me down. Watch your back, Sonny.

I'm the one that's always there. I'm the one that sticks. I'm the dispossessed, I'll be back again. I'm why you can't sleep easy in your bed. I'm the one that taught you everything you know, I've got more tricks up my sleeve. I'm the tenacious one, the one that locks my teeth, that won't give up, that can't ever let go.

I'm the survivor.

I'm King Rat.

421.