LUCEM
Chapter IV

“I don't think that's true, Marby.”

“Ah, yes... too dangerous, dangerous and difficult to handle.” Marbella Mumbles.

Really, he shouldn't.how can a mayor be stupid because of the unreasonable competition that drags on.

I stared at the little albino rat, the commander of the army with his snow-white fur and his small eyes. “Ah, you even look wiser.” Mumbles.

This rat, he's already too myopic because of age. Of course, being almost blind doesn't do much harm to a species that spends most of its time in the dark and has an excellent sense of smell, as far as I can understand. For example, the Rat always turns to face me and stares directly at me as I speak. And the rat is also capable of speech, he's smart, very smart, that's amazing, James.

James is not a head rat. That was Jiso's job. Jiso is big, fierce, and slightly scabbed, and he doesn't particularly like newcomers, he obviously doesn't like talking to cats either. But the authority still belongs to James. He didn't ask for respect but he got it.

I left a silent talk about James.

Mayor of Jhonatan. He needed all his tricks when dealing with master Adam. 'It's amazing, the things I know.'

I turned to Marbella who was looking at the window “However, it's a beautiful city. Looks rich to me. Now, all we're gonna do is- ”

“Hmmm...” Marbella cut my speech. Deheman which means he'll say something, things that will upset him. “Iya?” said sharp. 

“Do we really need to keep doing this?” my continue.

"Well, of course not" said Marbella. “We don't have to be here at all. We're witches, aren't we? We are two witches with our talents. Huh! I can get a comfortable job with a magician. Or a stomach-talking expert, maybe. There's no end to the things we can do, right, because people love magic. But, because of being amazing, you know, stupid and kind, I decided to help a group of beasts who, to be honest here, are not the number one favorite, which is humans. Now they are part of our species.

”Your favorite, Marbi,” bye, “but-”

“Money. That's right, then what can we get with money?” He looked around at the rats. “Diawali with P, Boat.” Marbella pushed her words.

“Marbi, but-”

“And then there is all the equipment you need, and food, of course-”

“There are jewelry and gold,” connect me with a stupid look, while polishing the flute.

“Oh, does someone speak?” Marbella said with a cynical smile towards me. “What do you know about it, Dik?” His face was made indifferent.

“You get jewelry and gold,” I squint at him. “On remote island. A salesman told me.

“How?” Inquiringly. He thinks I'm guessing too much. 

“I don't know. You just got it.” I shrug my shoulders.

"Well, yeah. It's obvious, isn't it?" said cynical. “Sheesh, I just don't know what you guys are going to do without ... anyone?”  He glared at the group. 'Start with T.'

“You, Marbi,” James said, returning a judgmental gaze from Marbella. “But, look, what we think, really-”

“Iya?” with a flash in Marbella's eyes.

“Khemm,” a deheman war breaker from me. 

Marbella groans.

“What does a rat mean,” sounds the words James, “is about all the grains and cheese, who stole this and the hole that gnawed at the wall is, well ..” James looked into Marbella's caramel eyes. “Not morally correct.”

“But that's what rats do!” marbella.

"But we don't think we should" James replied. “We have to make our own way in the world!”

“Yeah, oh my gosh,” said Marbella while shaking her head. “Ho for the island, eh? Rat Kingdom! Not that I laugh at your dreams,” he added in haste. 

“Everyone needs their little dream.” James said.

Marbella was like that too. If you know what people really want, you almost control them. Sometimes I wonder what I want. Nothing, as far as Marbella can tell. He was allowed to read many books and left alone. 

But. well, it's like the thing with James.  Often the rat pulled out something that suggested he was listening all along. Such people or animals are difficult to control. But Marbella is good at directing people or animals. 

***

James thought about the good old days before his brain started to hiss like fireworks. She would appear at the University kitchen door and look sweet, and then the cooks would try to figure out what she wanted. That's stunning! 

They will say things like “Do you want a bowl of milk, from the workspace? Do you want a biscuit? Do you want nice pieces, as a nest?” And all James had to do was wait patiently until he got the voice he recognized back.

But he was sure he never ate anything magical. James was an educated and well-preserved albino mouse. There's no such thing as chicken innards and magic ducks, is there? It was the rats that ate the magic thing. The trash can they called 'home' and also called 'lunch' was at the back of the University, and after all it was a university for witches. 

The young James did not pay much attention to people who did not hold the bowl, but he was aware that people in pointy hats were making strange things happen. And now he knew what was going on with the items they were using as well. It was thrown against the wall when they were done with it.

All the old, worn spell books and the rest of the dribbly candles as well as the rest of the green bubble material in the cauldron all ended up in a big trash can, along with old cans and boxes as well as kitchen waste. Oh, the witches had put up signs that read 'Dangerous' and 'Toxic', but the rats couldn't read at the time and they liked the tip of the candle that dribbled. 

James never ate anything out of that dumpster. The motto of a good life, according to him, is: do not eat anything that shines. But he also became intelligent, at about the same time as humans. It was a mystery. Since then he has done what humans have always done. He directs people. Before it finally ends up in Marbella's coat pocket.

***

Now some rats are counted as humans too, of course. But people are human, even if they have four legs and call themselves Spider-Man, which is the opposite name to the shape of a spider with more legs.

Learn to read before you understand the true meaning of all those words, and read the notification and remove the rusty old tin label and give it a name you like. The problem with thinking is, once you start, you keep doing it.

And according to Marbella, the rats think too much. James was bad enough, but he was so busy thinking stupid thoughts about how a rat could build his own country somewhere Marbella could handle with him. 

I am the worst. Marbella's usual trick of just talking fast until people get confused doesn't work at all on me. A smile expands in my mind.

“Hmmm,” he started again, “I think this should be the last time.” Marbella staring. The other rat retreated slightly, but James just stared back.

'This must have been the last time we did the ridiculous "rat outbreak" trick, ' James said. "And it's final."

"And what does Jiso think of this?" ask Marbella. He turned to the head of the rat, who had been watching them. It's always a good idea to catch Jiso's attention when James gives him trouble, because he doesn't like him very much..

“What do you mean, think?” jiso. 

“I ... Sir, I think we should stop doing this trick,” James replied as he lowered his head in respect.

“Oh, you think so, right?” jiso looked at me. Everyone thinks today. I think there's too much of this thinking, that's what I think.”

“We never thought to think when I was a kid. We will never finish anything if we think first.” He looked at Marbella too. 

Jiso doesn't like Marbella. He doesn't like a lot of things that have happened since the change. 

Marbella wonders how long Jiso will last as leader. He doesn't like to think. He included the days when a rat leader had to be big and strong. The world is moving too fast for him now, which makes him angry. He's not very lead now as if pushed.

“I ... Jae, sir, I believe that we should think to settle down, sir,” sounds the voice of one of the rat troopers. 

Marbella pouts. Jiso doesn't want to listen to Jae, and he knows it, but James is the closest thing a rat has to a witch and even a big mouse listens to him. 

"I thought we'd take a boat and find an island somewhere" Jiso said. “A very shabby place, boat,” she added, approving. Then he continued, with a slightly nervous and slightly irritated look at James.

“Ethis, Sir,” says James. 

“That sounds unpleasant to me. It doesn't seem to be my opinion that means anything, '' Jiso said.

"We have enough money, sir," I said.

“We already have a lot of money. We got a lot of money, don't we, Marbi.” That's not a question; it's some kind of accusation. 

“Well, if you talk a lot -”Marbella starts. 

"And it turns out we have more money than we thought," Jae's voice again sounded still with the same tone of voice. It was very polite, but it kept going and asked all the wrong questions. 

The wrong question for Marbella is one that no one wants to ask. I made him cough a little again. 

Jae continued his words, “The reason I said we have more money, Miss Marbella, is you said the so-called "gold coins" it sparkles like the moon and "silver coins" it sparkles like the sun, and you will save all silver coins.” In fact, that's wrong. It was a silver coin that glittered like the moon.

Marbella thought of a harsh word in human language, which had a lot of harsh words. But what good is education, he thought, if people come out after that and use it? 

“So we thought, Sir,” James told Jiso, “that after this for the last time, we should share the money and be together or part ways. In addition, it is increasingly dangerous to keep repeating the same tricks. We need to stop before it's too late. There's a river here. We should be able to get to sea.” It's an old deal between James and Marbella with my incitement behind her.