What happened, Fender?' asked Whittaker. 'Could rats really have done that?'
'I think the Black rat could. It's obvious they were after the dead body, although how they knew there was a fresh corpse down there beats me. The other person if it was the vicar presumably disturbed them and they got him too.'
'But, rats digging?'
'I know. I've never heard of it either. But it sure as hell wasn't the vicar digging the body up no spades around.'
'Fender, may we have a word?' It was Whitney-Evans' voice calling.
'Be right there,' Fender answered. Then he turned back to the two tutors. Why don't you take Jenny back to the Centre,' he said to Whittaker. 'She should rest after a shock like this.'
'I'm okay, Luke,' the girl said.
'He's right, Jenny.' Whittaker looked concerned. 'Let's get away from here.'
She reluctantly agreed but gazed up earnestly into Fender's face. Will you be coming back, Luke? I'd like to talk to you.'
Fender nodded. You'll be seeing a lot of me from now on, Jenny.'
Whittaker frowned, unsure of the meaning in Fender's words. 'Come on Jenny, let's go,' he urged, and gently led her away from the church grounds.
Tender.' Whitney-Evans again.
'Coming,' the rat catcher said wearily, and walked over to the superintendent and the Warden of the Conservation Centre.
'What caused this?' Whitney-Evans demanded to know.
What the hell do you think caused it?' replied Fender, anger broiling.
You think it was the rats?'
'I'm bloody sure it was.'
There's no need to adopt that tone, Fender. I'm only asking your opinion.'
'My opinion didn't count last night'
'Of course it did. We took the correct action.'
'We could have avoided this.'
'Perhaps. I still maintain, from the knowledge we had at the time, that we took the appropriate action. Now, is there definite proof the Black rat was involved in this terrible business?'
Fender stared at him in disbelief. 'No,' he said deliberately. 'I believe there's a tribe of cannibals living in this forest and last night or some time this morning, they decided on a little feast.'
The superintendent's face became outraged. There's absolutely no need for your ill-manners, Fender. Just who do you think you are to talk to me in this way?'
Fender controlled his anger and ignored him. He turned to the Warden.
'I suggest we set up an operational HQ at the Centre immediately, Mr.
Milton. If you could start by sending any classes you may have back to their schools, I'll get things organized from the Ratkill end. I've asked the constable to get his station inspector over here I think he should be put fully in the picture ...'
'Aren't you exceeding your authority?' Whitney-Evans interrupted.
'My job is to prevent another Outbreak, Mr. Whitney-Evans, and I answer only to my organization and the government in times of emergency. My authority overrides that of any outside bodies. If you want me to produce the official papers giving me that power, they're in my car. I can
That won't be necessary. But I think there should be another meeting before you put any plans into action.'
'Oh, we'll have another meeting all right. And another. Then another.
But while we're talking, I'm going to make sure something is happening.
You can help by calling in all your staff. Anyone connected with the forest, not just the keepers. Someone, somewhere, in the forest must have seen signs of these rats. I want to know when and where.'
This time Alex Milton spoke up. 'Why, Mr. Fender? How will that help?'
We have to find a pattern. We have to know their haunts, their hunting-grounds. Rats are scavengers and if they find a good source of food, they'll stick to it until it runs out.'
'But we've had no reports of damage or losses,' said Whitney-Evans.
'Not serious losses, anyhow.'
Fender shook his head. 'No, that's what I don't understand. I'll need to speak to the farmers I questioned this morning again. I think one or two may not have been exactly honest.'
'Surely not?' said Milton. The farmers know how serious the vermin problem is.'
'Yes, and they know how serious it is to have their farms put in quarantine. They'd suffer heavy losses.'
What then?' asked Whitney-Evans. What if someone admits they have had trouble?'
Then we can start pinpointing locations on a map. We already have three the Centre itself, the pond and this graveyard. We can begin to work out their boundaries, trace their movements. It'll give us a more defined area to work in. You see, to eliminate the rats, we have to find where they're coming from, we have to rout them out. So
