Nightshade City (10 page)

As the two walked, Vincent took in the enormity of Nightshade. He couldn’t believe how much Juniper and the Council had accomplished already. He felt so comfortable in Juniper’s company that he thought it all right to ask him a delicate question, one that had been nagging at him since they met. “Juniper, I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what happened to your eye?”

“I don’t mind at all,” said Juniper. “It’s rather a timely story, I suppose.” They walked into the hall that Vincent and Victor had first come through, the rotunda with the three entrances and the unusual symbols.

“What is this place called?” Vincent asked.

“We were going to name it after the city, it being our main gateway and all, so I assume it will be Nightshade something or other,” said Juniper. “What would you call this place?”

“Well,” said Vincent, looking thoughtfully around the hall, “how about Nightshade Passage?”

“He’s a genius, just like his father!” said Juniper. He gave Vincent a good-natured slap on the back. “I like it!”

“I like it too,” said Vincent, studying the room. “The symbols posted at each archway, what do they mean?”

“As you can see, each symbol is different. If you look at the carving by the entry you boys first came through, you’ll see it looks like a Topsider’s house—a bit crude, mind you, but a house all the same. It indicates the Topside corridor. Now, this entrance, the one you and I just came from, has the mark of Mighty Trilok, an
M
with the
T
centered through it. It honors the original Ministry and marks the passageway to our fair city. Last but not least,” said Juniper, walking towards the third entrance, “this is the mark of Killdeer, those three jagged scratch marks, rather childish for a grown rat, if you ask me. His infamous mark obviously represents the Catacombs.”

Juniper gazed down the unfinished corridor, then went on. “The Catacomb tunnel is not yet complete. That will be done the day of the invasion. When the time is right, we’ll swiftly excavate the remainder of the corridor that leads to the many quarters of our supporters still in the Combs. With the Ministry and its army none the wiser, we’ll break through the ground of these quarters, which lie scattered all over the Catacombs. I’m hoping for one mind-boggling surprise. I want that crusty white rat’s mouth to drop,” he said firmly. “It won’t be long now.”

His voice lightened. “I believe I cracked you on the cranium at this very doorway,” he said, regarding the scuffle marks on the floor. “I followed you boys the whole way down from the Reserve.”

“I
knew
I smelled someone familiar,” said Vincent, “someone from Father’s time.”

“That you did! Now about my eye. That, my boy, is a classic. Come sit with me on this hard and uncomfortable floor, and I’ll let you in on the particulars.” They sat in the center of the rotunda. “Well, now,” he said, “just so you’re aware my eye is not damaged, dead, nor simply crossed, the fact is, it’s gone, carved unceremoniously out of my head and coldly splattered against the wall of some dark, lonely corridor in the Catacombs some eleven years back now. This happened just days before the Bloody Coup, staged by Killdeer, Billycan, and their unseemly band of miscreants, who, apart from Billycan—who was a Topside lab rat—had all been expelled from the Combs, banished years prior by Trilok.”

“Why were they cast out of the Combs?” asked Vincent.

“Many, including Killdeer, had committed murder. Trilok banished the lot of them for terrorizing citizens. He thought banishing them Topside would be enough of a punishment, even though we all pushed for imprisonment. Ragan and Ulrich predicted they’d be back to claim their revenge, and—of course—they were.

“Your father, Julius, my brother, Barcus, and I fought constantly to keep Killdeer and his growing splinter-group at bay. Not counting a few broken ribs and a scratch or two, Julius and Barcus got out unscathed, at first anyway. I, on the other hand, did not. The three of us had been planting booby traps in and around the entrances of the Combs, basically anywhere we thought Killdeer or someone from his circle might try to slip in. Trilok had the entire Catacombs on lockdown, nobody in or out. We had stockpiled food so no one needed to leave nor risk getting killed by the teeth of our deadly traps.

“As it turned out, we had a traitor in our camp, a saboteur—Jazeer Newcastle. Jazeer told Billycan of everyone’s whereabouts, what sectors of the Catacombs we patrolled, and that I had constructed the deadly traps. It seems Billycan had promised Jazeer a title in the new regime, but instead he killed him as soon as he had the information he needed and, from what we know, the entire Newcastle Clan.”

“So that’s what Cole meant,” said Vincent. “When he spoke Father’s secret corridor, he said it was away from traitorous ears, ‘or so we thought.’ He was speaking of Jazeer. And Ragan mentioned that he and Ulrich had only been wrong about one rat—Jazeer Newcastle—that’s who he meant.”

“Yes,” said Juniper, nodding. “We believe Jazeer snuck Billycan in to kill me. With me dead, Killdeer and their troops could easily gain access.”

“But even if you were out of the way, wouldn’t the traps still be waiting at every entrance?”

“Jazeer was intelligent. He showed Billycan how to deactivate the traps, allowing their troops to invade from all sides. The Bloody Coup took place in concert with the first wave of the flood. With so many of our citizens trapped Topside, fighting for their lives in the Great Flood, we never stood a chance.” Juniper sighed. “Your father
was especially heartbroken about Jazeer. Never once had we been so wrong about another. Jazeer had been a good friend to all of us. He and I were especially close friends. He knew you as a child, same as me. In fact, you played with his children.”

Vincent tried to remember back. He remembered the unusual name—Jazeer. “He was a tall brown, wasn’t he?”

“Yes. It’s remarkable you remember that. The entire Newcastle Clan was dark brown from head to tail.” Again Juniper sighed. “You can never really know someone, I guess.” Juniper looked tired.

“Do you still want to talk about your eye?” Vincent asked. “You don’t have to—”

“Of course I do! That’s the meat of our tale. Every fellow loves a good gruesome yarn!” Juniper readjusted on the floor. “That night, Billycan lay in wait like a specter, tucking himself in the shadows of the sector I patrolled. He jumped me as I came round a turn, striking me square in the throat, rendering me unconscious. When I came to, Billycan was thrashing me in the face with his claws and his blasted billy club. My nose gushed with blood, coating my eyes, so I was blind to his rage. I reached up and dug into his face as he dug into mine. Regrettably, I only
caught the corner of his eye with my claw. I gouged in as hard as I could, hooking my nail under his skin. I ripped the flesh from the corner of his eye, across his muzzle, finally ending at his mouth, where my claw broke free, which is how he got that striking black scar he’s so proud of.

“Blood gushed from his wounded face, soaking his white fur. The demented ghoul laughed at the sight of his bloodied coat. He started cursing me and struck my face with such power I cannot describe. Billycan was a ferocious opponent, his attack sadistic, his fury primeval. The most disturbing thing about the encounter was his demeanor. He wasn’t just trying to kill the enemy; without a doubt, he reveled in my agony. To this day I will never forget the crazed delight, the laughter.

“That’s when he dropped his club and went straight for my eye with those needle-sharp nails. He sliced my skin to ribbons, as if carving out a Hallowtide pumpkin. He threw my eye against the wall of the Combs with such force it splattered everywhere. I was so jolted, I didn’t even feel the pain. That would come later. I raised my arms and clasped my paws around his bony throat. I dug my claws in deep, squeezing as hard as I could. Billycan started to struggle, so I just kept pressing, rallying all the strength I had left. That’s when I saw it—I saw the fear, even through the cloud of blood. I saw his terror. Though it was brief, I saw it—sheer terror.

“After that, I thought I was done for, so far gone I kept fading in and out. Sometime during the scuffle, a citizen saw the attack and alerted Ragan and Ulrich. They made it to me just before Billycan bashed my skull in with that hellish club of his. As they raced to my aid, he fled down a corridor, disappearing before anyone could catch him.”

Juniper looked exhausted. “Now, that, my boy, is why I wear this fetching patch, so as not to frighten little children or sicken other rats from finishing their meals.”

Vincent scratched his head. Something had been bothering him
since Juniper’s speech. “Can I ask you one last thing? It’s about something you said earlier.”

“Certainly. What is it, son?”

“When you were giving the speech tonight about Nightshade, you said you witnessed the fire of one great rat put out and brought back in two others—myself and Victor. Who did you mean just then—’one great rat’? Did you mean my father? Did you see him die?”

Juniper furrowed his brow in confusion. “Why, yes, I meant your father.” Juniper thought the reference to Julius was quite clear. “But Vincent, I didn’t see Julius or any of your family die. I had barely come around from my own injuries. The Coup and the flood happened simultaneously. During the takeover, Ragan and Ulrich took me Topside, out of harm’s way, and the others went in search of survivors from the flood. Virden and Cole found the remains of your family. The nature of their deaths changed us all forever.”

Vincent’s ears wilted. “So, you’re saying the Council found my family Topside
after
they drowned in the Great Flood? Victor and I had always hoped there was a chance our father and the rest of our clan had made it through the flood, lost somewhere Topside, unable to find their way home. I always knew deep down that they drowned. It’s about time I accepted it—Victor too.”

“ ‘Made it through’?” said Juniper. He moved towards Vincent and put his paw on his shoulder. “You mean you didn’t know how your family died? You were never told?”

“Told what?” asked Vincent.

Vincent watched Juniper’s contented face contort, draining of its usual humor, his tone now deadly sober. “I don’t believe this. In all this time, no one’s told you? I suppose everyone in the Catacombs assumed you knew.” Juniper paused for a moment, trying to think of the right words, trying to be soft. “I don’t know exactly how to put
this. I honestly had no idea you and your brother were unaware, no idea at all. Vincent, your family died, but not as a consequence of the Great Flood. They were murdered—eliminated. You and Victor were spared
because
of the flood. You were the two they couldn’t find that night.”

Vincent’s insides turned to watery knots.
“Who
couldn’t find us?”

“Vincent, Billycan and his majors killed your entire family. They followed you all Topside. Killdeer ordered the executions himself. Billycan convinced him the entire Nightshade Clan was too tainted, too loyal to Trilok, and the new establishment would never get the citizens’ full support with your family still alive in the Catacombs. Billycan hated your father. Born with a pure heart, Julius was the exact opposite of Billycan in every way, even down to his raven fur. Simply put, Billycan got rid of a problem. Despite the deadly floodwaters, Billycan returned Topside with the sole purpose of slaughtering your mother and father, while his cohorts, now his high majors, finished off your siblings, using the flood as their cover. Your family never stood a chance. You and Victor were the two they couldn’t locate, swept away by the force of the flood. A rat who survived the flood saw you. She said you swam the entire way with Victor holding on to your neck, managing to find your way back to the Catacombs. Do you remember that?”

Vincent’s voice deadened. “Yes, I remember,” he said. “Victor screamed and cried the whole way.”

“After that, you and Victor remained unharmed because of my brother, Barcus. Billycan brought him in front of Killdeer shortly after your family’s killing. Killdeer told my brother that Billycan would kill his wife and children in the same manner as your family if Barcus did not openly support Killdeer and the new Ministry. Barcus had no choice but to comply, agreeing to show no further resistance, but he agreed on one condition. He insisted that the two remaining Nightshade children remain untouched. Killdeer agreed. What harm could
two scrawny boys of four and eight do? They allowed my brother to live to show their subjects that the new High Ministry could show mercy, even to a Trilok Loyalist. Killdeer would not allow Barcus to take you in or have further contact with you. Luckily, you boys had your guardian. All this time I thought you’d been sent to the army—if only I’d known.

“Sadly, Barcus and his family still lost their lives to the hands of cruel fate, taken only one year later by the second wave of the Great Flood. They had gone Topside in search of Stipend when the second wave hit Trillium. It had been very cold. My niece, Clover, about your age now, stayed behind with a case of the sniffles, asleep in the Catacombs—safe. She is Barcus’s only child left. She too shares you and your brother’s heartache, the heartache of a thousand children.”