I.
The French landfill rose from all corners of the ground area with a big, bright blue horizon that soared over it with a vast array of possibilities that bared testimony to the wonders of limitless opportunity and ingenuity. That was, at least, how Emile viewed all the junk as he and thirty of his ratty buddies surveyed the area. He turned to them, a smile on his muzzle.
On his signal, the group divided up into two teams of fifteen. One went to search out piles of trash and debris while the other went to pillage the recycle bins. Leonardo took the lead for the team that was searching out the recycling plant and arriving receptacles while team Emile took their time with combing around for bottles, cans and other useful supplies. And his team, of course, indulged a little by returning to their rat roots. When noontime arrived the two teams met back at a garbage truck heading down to Remi's restaurant with twenty small blue recycle bins filled to the brim with materials for Emile's secret, rag - tag project.
"Psst, hey, Emilster," Leonardo held up an old empty tomato can with a long piece of old white thread connecting to another old can, "You gonna tell us what this is all for buddy?"
Emile sank back onto a small pile of trash him and the others shared, nibbling an old pair.
"That's a big N. O. , good buddy." He said into his end, laughing a bit.
ooo
As the sun had shifted several paces of it's course across the sky to near mid - afternoon, a lone figure appeared before an unoccupied mouse trap. Raising and moving the old metal nail file above his head so that it gleamed a little in the light, Emile reared back and threw it like an expert marksman so that it caught and activated the simplistic trap. With a sharp snap the tiny square of cheddar flew from it's cold wired clutches and into the rat's paws.
"Ha - ha!" Emile held it up in victory. That's when he noticed a family of mice watching.
The sweet taste of said victory became a tad bitter.
He bunched his forehead in realization and looked down at the suddenly meager piece of food sitting in his pink palm. Sighing softly, the brown rat was about to hand it over when a tap to his shoulder revealed that his friends were behind him - and with a giant sign that said 'Cheese Factory - Liquidation Sale'. Emile nodded an impressed nod, tossed the little piece away casually and motioned for them to roll a whole wheel of Swiss cheese over to the foursome. They gave little cries of cheer and ran over to embrace him; Emile smiled at this, pecked Winona on the cheek as she came to stand by his side and took off a big bite.
"What can I say?" He spoke with his mouth full. "I have a well - rounded personality."
She rolled her eyes and propped his lower mouth up to close it.
ooo
Everyone who'd had their day off previously worked well into the night with stocking up an old shed building full of bottles, bags and other odds and ends. Emile stood well out of the way as he guided everyone in from the outer wing by the opened left shed door, using a pair of light green garnishes to keep the process going when suddenly he saw that some of his friends were stumbling under the weight of a sack of yeast. Grimacing worriedly, he fled from his post and caught the end that was about to collapse, relieving those under fire.
As soon as the next to last bag was in, Emile hurriedly rushed those who were still gasping for breath over to take a cup of grape juice and some cheese. He peered up and saw most of his friends were exhausted and panting heavily, making him knot his big brow and stare down at the ground in guilt. A hand touched his shoulder and he looked up to see Winona looking into his dark brown eyes reassuringly with her deep blue ones. He smiled warmly.
"Thanks, dear."
She giggled. "No problem. Now," the small rat skittered in front of him and the others. "I think all we need to gather are grapes, right?" she said in a loud, in charge voice, turning to the others who nodded and then to Emile who did also, surprised by her assertiveness.
"Come on, everybody." He brought up the rear and motioned them over one shoulder to follow him to a new place just down the block. "I know Remi's opposition," Emile made little quotations with his fingers, creating a ruckus of laughter from everyone. "to stealing food. But this is about a fine wine tavern and bringing back garbage as a delicacy. It 'aint no La Ratatouille moral - of - the - week story. Now, come one! WHO'S WITH ME?"
The rats began to cheer loudly at the round rat's declaration and in a swarm the small but resilient pack swarmed to the Italian restaurant like starving locusts. Emile, Leonard, their rather muscular brother Bruno and Winona led the way to the tall private fence that rose a concerning height of over seven feet. Their ratty inspirer received a fist to the forearm for stalling by Leonardo before he chuckled slightly and scaled a brown plank to the very top.
His nerves were quickly replaced by a sense of esteem as the rat surveyed the many swaths of grape vines draping down and along a large grape arbor encompassed on three sides by the privacy fence. With the sun starting to peek over the night - shed horizon, deep colors of royal purple, light olive green and dark crimson materialized from a brief haze of bright yellow daybreak. Emile rubbed his paws together excitedly, grinning from whisker to whisker.
"Uh, Emile." Leonardo's suddenly hesitant voice reached his ears.
"Yeah, guys, wha-?" When he turned he saw that all the rats that had joined him most of the day yesterday weren't following him. "What's wrong everybody?" he asked, clueless.
Their heads turned together as one over at a familiar sight one block down.
La Ratatouille stood tall, proud and strangely foreboding as the shadows of night faded.
"Guys…" Emile looked from hand to hand at the thought of working alone before he took a deep breath and released it with his arms dropping to his sides. "Go on, I'll be fine here."
Their bodies turned in the direction of the restaurant but they didn't budge.
"Go." He waved them on. "Really, it's okay. I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Emile?" Leonardo spoke up after a moment as the rats murmured amongst themselves.
"We don't want you getting into trouble either." Bruno told him.
The rats didn't move.
"Go." Emile said deliberately.
Sadly, but with a promise to the other rats and Remi, they all took off… most of them.
Emile watched as she motioned him with her two paws. He started, retreated and finally motioned the small rat to leave him be with his palms directed at her. Winona widened her eyes at him telling her to go, but he insisted anyway, not wanting her to be on the streets. As the sun started scaling the skyline of France, she shook her head slightly and left Emile. The urge to go after Winona was strong but the sweet aromas of grapes caught his scent.
To be continued…
~Lavenderpaw~