The Sewer Rat With a Silk Purse
Posted: Tuesday, January 17, 2012
by Christofer French
Rain Dancer Associates, LLC
Beneath the long arched bridge near the Palace is a population of lost children, bums, derelicts, and people who have lost all knowledge of who they are.
This group moves about through the many stone corridors that wind through the city; along with the seething brown four-footed armies of rodents – mice and rats, mad dogs and things that growl and grunt and disappear into places that no one ever follows.
This unique little civilization does absorb new people, but they know their own. Those who are lost, but young, vital but destitute, find their way into the groups, often divided from block to block by little bosses who are older and know how to control, extract the behavior they want, and maintain the concourse of commerce below: food acquired from garbage, items and clothes acquired from garbage, pennies, coins and food derived from begging, thieving and pick pocketing.
Each boss and captain examines the take for each day. They secure the occasional real wealth and allow the young to survive, be fed, not be abused or sexually terrorized. The loss of this protection is what all the little ones fear. If they are separated from the protection of the group for any reason, they try to go independent until they can join a new group or shrivel into utter starvation, exposure and disease and then die from various causes.
The Palace Guards Descend
Into this dark wet underground city two Palace Guards stomped like cleansing fearful dragons. From corridor to corridor they moved with two torches, their swords gleaming in the light of the flames. Their shiny uniforms made them stand out, even from far away. Their thick covering purple robes absorbed droplets of mud and water as they marched firmly but casually, without fear into every dark corner they encountered.
Reynold, the surprisingly sturdy thirteen year old stood in front of his little clan. He was not resisting the guards, he was enveloping his group in a quasi protection that was not really reassuring, but it did have a way of organizing the team. He had two eleven year olds, two eight year olds and a little six year old mute.
“Hey there kid. This your group?” One of the guards had long lean limbs and his muscled arm extended a beautiful sword that sparkled in the Sewer atmosphere.
“Yes.”
“I remember you from a year ago. Back then you helped us grab the Corning Rapist.”
“Yeah. He thought we were afraid of him. We showed him where to hide. Basically we put him in a spot that was like “storage”. When I tell the boys to put him in “storage”, they know what I mean. We wait for the authorities and we hand them over.”
The Palace Guards smiled at each other. “Yes, you have a reputation up there in the street above.”
Have You Seen Him?
“Well, we are looking for someone. Maybe you have seen him. He is not a criminal, but he is lost. We think he ran a way, or just drifted into a group of kids, and then lost his way back.”
“The Queen and King are quite upset. Just to be clear, our lives are in danger. If we can find him, we will be rewarded, and we can enrich you too. If not. It’s been weeks and we fear he is gone.”
“These are my kids. Go ahead and look. The newest one is that little one at the end. He is a mute. I have saved him from drowning. I pulled him up out of the mud when three from the Tangeray Bend were trying to rape him and strip him of his stuff.”
The Palace Guards pulled the runt forward.
Reynold went on, getting comfortable. His fear melting a bit. “He is completely dirty. His hair is not brown, it’s actually red. That purse of his is all wet and filthy. Inside the purse is a big old coin. I mean it is the size of a small pancake. But it’s just lead. Now I want you to know that all of us have saved this kid from being beaten, raped, torn apart and messed up in a hundred different ways. Because he is mute, we have taken a liking to him. I like people who aren't makin' noise all the time. The only thing he is good for is begging. We just put him on a corner at the start of the day. He looks at every one with those big saucer eyes. He makes quite a bit by the end of the day. He is a sweet kid. He doesn’t give me any problems. We call him our “good luck buddy”. Ever since he joined us, things have gone our way. And believe me; he would be absolutely dead or so hideously tortured you wouldn’t recognize him --- if it were not for us.”
“Oh, we believe you kid. We believe you.”
The shorter and kinder Palace Guard squatted down and reached out for the Mute. He pulled him forward. He washed his face with his spit, then poured more water out of his water bag and completely cleaned his face.
Porcelain Skin and Red Hair
“Porcelain skin underneath this reddish tan.” He pulled up the burlap shirt and compared his shoulder to his face. His shoulder skin was markedly different.
The other guard gently washed little bundles of his tight curls. It cleans up red, just like he said.”
Both guards were becoming excitedly positive, almost giggling with positive bubbling effervescence.
“Come here boys, gather ‘round. We want you to see something.”
All the boys gathered in a circle and the light of the torches illumined the group in a kind of heavenly show. “See this dirty, wet, stinking filthy purse --- you know what it is?”
He took it gently off the boy’s wrist and washed it with their drinking water. He squeezed it tightly several times, then waved it around to half way dry it. “As you can see, once it’s cleaned, this is a beautiful silk purse, made many miles from here. The purse and this old coin go together.”
Then with a weighty drop into his palm, a gray and black leaden coin fell out of the purse.
“And”, with a flourish, because now he was giddy. His partner was gleaming with full eyes, tears almost pouring from the rough customer's weathered face.
“You just take this here little knife and you work this coin over and you discover”…
He stopped talking as he worked everyone’s eyes were glued on the coin, divesting itself of it cover. As he cut off the “skin” a bright golden glow emanated from it.
The Dirty Stinky Wet Purse is Actually Silk, and The Coin?
“This, my children is a priceless coin belonging to our little Prince”.
Silence followed. They felt they were in a hallowed place; even though it was still the same dank, stink ridden, hard to breathe, hell of a place of suffering.
Reynold, and his crew smiled like the entrepreneurs that they were. They looked at their Mute Prince with wonder.
“Except, our Prince was not mute. He was a precocious talker, who was being taught two languages from his toddlerhood.”
A long pause followed. The long lean guard investigated his neck, and peered into his mouth. “You didn’t cut out his tongue did you?”
The two eight year olds rose in indignation. “We didn’t let no one touch him. We slept on each side of him. When we got him, we knew he was special. We let him stay dirty so he wouldn’t look so good to these human rats that we live with.”
The two eleven year olds pushed themselves forward. The taller talked. “We fought five kids all on our own to keep him from getting took!” We were both bloody from toe to head, but the little kid was not taken!”
Why Is He Mute?
Reynold had to calm them all. “Dear Officers, we don’t know why he don’t talk, but it ain’t from us harmin’ him, or anyone else harmin’ him under our care. Maybe he is froze with fear, and can’t talk because his tongue has been stolen by the Banshee.”
“It’s no Banshee. I just decided not to talk. I noticed it seemed safer when I was silent.” The Formerly Mute Prince spoke elegantly, and precociously.
The Palace Guards looked at each other with the Joy of two who had received a lifting of a beheading and the announcement of wealth – all in the same moment.
The boys jumped together and laughed and squealed and felt the wonder of the mystery solved. Reynold, trying to keep up his authority gathered the kids in his arms and started to cry. His thirteen years could not carry his “false maturity”. So, he lifted his head upward and wept generously.
The Formerly Mute Prince sat down and smiled. He was not gleeful. He knew the truth all along. But he did have something on his mind.
“My parents must know, that one of the reasons I got lost is because I craved companionship and the love of brotherhood. These servants protected me night and day in so many ways; it will take a month in the telling. I will return to my Palace and my Former Life of Glory, but Reynold, Allyn, Gramercie, Mudahoon, and Shariff must come to the Palace with me and share my Glory with me for the rest of my life. They are free to leave if they want, but for me, these 5 will be my lifelong companions.”
The Guards nodded. The kids looked at each other in breathless appreciation.
No Greater Love
“You loved me and gave your life for me over and over again. There is no greater love than this. You have not purchased my love. It’s far greater than that. I offer it with all my heart.”
The boys emerged from the Sewer and entered the Life of the Palace. For years the boys traveled in the same carriage. The Palace Guards were appointed as Personal Attendants to the group, and this Group of Eight travelled the City and moved through the Palace as a loving unit of Brotherhood for all their days.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Exquisite story. Well done.Thanks very much.
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