Over two feet in length more than three, counting the tail; long, pointed head with deadly sharp teeth the incisors are particularly large; ears pink, naked, pointed. The fur is actually dark brown, but mottled with specks of black that give it the appearance, from a distance, of being completely black. It's much like the normal Black rat apart from its size, the main difference being its large brain and strangely humped back powerful hindquarters, you see. Its claws are lethal.'
One of the forest verderers had gone deathly white. 'My God, are they all like that?' he asked.
For a moment, Howard seemed flustered. 'What do you mean?' he said.
'Are they all that size? It's monstrous.'
'Yes. Afraid so. All that size.'
Fender hadn't missed the research director's reaction and he was puzzled by it. He could have imagined it, but Howard had almost looked shifty for a moment. As though he had been caught out. Now he seemed relieved that the question was only to do with size. Fender frowned.
'I have a question.' It was the police commissioner who spoke, a straight-backed, sombre looking man.
'Yes, Commissioner?' said Thoraton as Howard swept the photograph from the table and placed it behind his chair.
'Earlier, Mr. Lehmann was puzzled by the fact that the rats had remained hidden for so long. Someone else asked why their noticeable activities seemed to be on the increase. It all appears to be pointing to one thing, doesn't it?'
He left the question unanswered and there was silence around the room.
Fender cleared his throat. 'Er, I think I know what the Commissioner is getting at. There does seem to be an escalation in the rats'
activities. Why have they been seen lately after all these years of hiding? What's given them their new boldness?'
'And your explanation, Mr. Fender?' Thornton asked.
'One of two things; or perhaps a combination of both. At the time of the Outbreak the mutant rat was motivated by the desire for human flesh. The new breed may also have decided it would no longer be dominated by man, or fear him as it had in the past. It decided to strike back.
They possessed a new brain-power and soon they had the essential ingredient which gives any army the confidence to become the aggressor: the power of numbers. Perhaps that was the real turning-point for them.'
'I see what you're getting at, Mr. Fender,' the defence secretary said. 'You're suggesting the rats in Epping Forest have reached a sufficiently high number to bring out that aggressiveness.'
'As I said, it may be a combination of two factors. They have the strength now, although I doubt they've reproduced in the quantity Mike suggests the forest would be overrun with them if that were the case.
These are a mutant strain: their reproductive capabilities may be different to that of a normal rodent. We know from the few groups left after the Outbreak that their reproductive system had been impaired either by the ultrasonic sound waves or their mutant genes, so it may well have become an inherent thing. The other factor is that the old blood lust has returned. Their strength in numbers may have triggered it off, or the taste of fresh animal flesh may have awoken an old memory, a desire that's been lying dormant for years. And if that's the case, the attacks are going to get worse. Remember, they've now tasted living, human flesh.'
The statement caused a stir and once again Thornton was forced to use his fountain-pen as a gavel.
'I think it's time we got down to the details of the operation,' he said. 'I shall inform the Minister myself of what has happened and what action we shall take. There is no way we can keep this from the media, but I suggest that all statements are issued directly from my offices; perhaps then we can avoid alarmist reactions. Fortunately we have been alerted to the danger in good time; we are in a position to control the situation. There has been only one human killing so far let's restrict it to that number.'
The next half-hour was spent discussing plans for the forthcoming operation, Fender and Lehmann putting forward their requirements for dealing with the vermin, the police commissioner and Major Cormack agreeing on the most effective ways in which to deploy their separate forces. Maps were brought in and ruled off into sections, phone calls were made, certain members left on various assignments, lists were drawn up. Things, Fender reflected with some satisfaction, were beginning to move.
He hardly noticed the Conservation Centre's secretary-cum-girl Friday when she nervously entered the lecture hall. She whispered something into Whitney-Evans' ear and he quickly left, his expression one of concern. He was back within seconds and brought an abrupt halt to the proceedings with a message that sent a chill through everyone present.
'I'm afraid I have some rather distressing news,' he began, his voice grave, devoid of its usual pomposity. 'One of my forest keepers has just returned. As you know, my men have been out warning the forest residents to stay indoors. He ... he visited a small holding not far from here, within a mile. The door to the farmhouse was open, but when he called out, nobody answered. So he went in. In the hallway he found two ... bodies, presumably those of the owner and his wife, a Mr.
and Mrs. Woollard. Identification was not possible because the bodies had been eaten; not much of them was left.'
ELEVEN
Fender tapped lightly on the door. It was late, well past eleven, and there was nothing more anyone could do that night. The lecture hall was deserted now and only a few lights shone in the working area of the Centre itself. He had left the main building and walked over to the separate residential annexe. He knocked again, a little louder.
Who's there?' he heard Jenny's voice say.
'It's me. Luke.'
The door opened and Jenny peered out at him.
'I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Jenny. I couldn't get away any sooner.'
