'I've seen them, Mr. Milton,' the girl said, trying to keep her voice calm. They're down by one of the ponds.'
'What are, Jenny? What are you talking about?'
'Jenny's seen the rats, Mr. Milton,' Will said anxiously.
Milton glanced at him, then back at the girl. 'You have?'
Yes, yes. I'm sure they were rats. But they were so big,' the girl said, her face earnest.
'Sit down, Jenny, and just tell us exactly what you saw.' The Warden indicated a chair opposite Fender's and as she sat, the girl noticed the rat catcher for the first time.
'It's rather opportune, really,' Milton said. This is Mr. Fender, Jenny. He's been sent from Ratkill. I'm sure he'd very much like to hear what you have to say. Jenny Hanmer is one of our tutors.'
Fender looked at the girl and, now that he could see her face fully, realized she was very attractive, not at all 'tutorish'. She brushed her shoulder-length hair back and gave Fender a faint smile, her mind too busy with what she had just witnessed to pay him much attention.
'Now, Jenny, tell all.' Milton smiled benignly at the tutor.
'I took my class down to the small pond the one before you get to the Wake Valley Pond. We'd only been there a few minutes when one of the boys saw something swimming across the water. I couldn't make out what they were at first, but there were three of them.'
'Not necessarily rats, then?' said the Warden.
'We got a better look at them when they were climbing out. The boy threw something at them and they changed direction and made for the bank. We saw their whole bodies then.'
'But it is rather, er, gloomy down there, isn't it? I mean, are you sure they weren't some other animal? A water-vole would be the obvious choice.'
That was my first thought. They were too big, though.'
'Big enough to be dogs?' said Fender. Black dogs, mistakenly taken as the giant Black rat, had caused several scares over the past few years.
'No, I'm sure they weren't,' the girl said, looking directly at Fender.
They had long pointed heads, and their ears were long too, and pink.
Their tails ... their tails were horrible.'
'Did the children see them?'
'Yes, and their teacher, Miss Bellingham. I didn't imagine them, Mr.
Fender.'
'Where are the children now?' The Warden had a worried look on his face.
'I brought them back right away. Miss Bellingham's with them in Class Two. It's all right, they're not frightened; we played it down, told them they were coypus.'
Fender grinned. 'And they believed you?'
'Most of them did it was rather shady down there. It's not so unlikely anyway. Coypus live mainly in Norfolk and Suffolk, so it's not improbable that some should find their way south. A few of the children were a bit doubtful, though.'
'I think I'll just go along and have a word with them,' said Milton, rising. We don't want them spreading false rumours about the forest until we've checked this out.'
We may have to stop people coming into the forest anyway,' Fender said quickly.
'Stop them? That would be impossible, Mr. Fender. Have you any idea how wide an area the forest covers? And what about those who live here?'
They'd have to leave.'
'Now just a moment, let's not jump the gun. Let's find out if these monsters really do exist first.' Milton looked down apologetically at the girl. 'Not that I doubt your word at all, Jenny. It's just that you may have been mistaken.'
'I wasn't. They were rats and they were over two feet long.' The tutor's face was set firm.
'Yes, well, that's what Mr. Fender is here to find out. I'll have to inform the Superintendent of the Forest, Mr. Fender. No doubt he will want to see you.'
'Fine. But first I'd like you to take me back to this pond, Miss Hanmer.' All eyes turned towards Fender.
'Do you think that's wise?' asked the Warden.
These ... animals, whether they're rats or not, haven't attacked anyone yet. I don't think there's any danger in going to the spot where Miss Hanmer last saw them they'll be well away by now. We might find some evidence which would help identify their species.'
'It's up to you, Jenny,' the Warden said.
'I'll take Mr. Fender there, I know the pond,' Will volunteered.
'It's okay, Will,' Jenny said. 'I'll go. I can show Mr. Fender the exact place.'
'I'll go with you then,' the young man offered.
'No, you'll have to take charge of Jenny's class,' said Milton. 'I really don't want the children or their teacher to think there's a problem.'
'But Miss Bellingham...' Jenny began to say, before Milton interrupted.
