Chapter II: Saturday Morning
Side note: This story is also inspired by the song: "What If" by Five for Fighting
Rat woke the next morning, his head throbbing and his feet aching but otherwise as fresh as a daisy. Walking into the living room he noticed that Mole wasn't up yet and Badger was snoring in a chair. The sleeping animal had a three week old newspaper over his head and was resting rather uncomfortably on the back of the chair, which was wooden. Rat, being good natured, grabbed a nice blanket from the linen closet and a pillow from the water chest and situated Badger to a more comfortable position. That done, Rat walked over to the fireplace, gathered the necessary wood and match and started a cooking fire. He grabbed the pot that always hung over it, filled it with carrots, potatoes, herbs, spices, some beef, a bit of onions, and a dash of salt and pepper. He was preparing a stew for lunch. It was a Saturday and Rat didn't have any particular errands to run so he figured that Mole was due for a much needed break from cooking and house cleaning. "I'll give him the day off," Rat said quietly to himself, "besides, I might grow to like cooking and cleaning house anyway."
Badger snored, loud like a cave bear and sounding as if he was choking on his own salvia and mucus. Rat rolled his eyes, rather annoyed at Badger's constant uncontrollable reflex. "I will never get used to that." Rat said. He got up, walked over and tried to shake Badger awake long enough to get to a bed. "Badger!" Rat shook his friend who was still in his non-moving state. "Badger!" Rat shouted as loud as he could. The Badger shot up from the disturbance, and got into a defensive position. "We're under attack, quick to the bunkers lads!" He screamed. Rat laughed to himself, "Calm down Badger, it's only me."
"Oh," Badger said, straightening himself out. "you need to get this week's newspaper."
Rat nodded, "Mole usually reads them, and then throws them away, I don't much care for news to be honest."
"Don't much care for news!" Badger exclaimed in disbelief, "Why the news is information, who knows, it might save your life one day."
"The day it comes to that," Rat replied turning back to his stew, "will be the day London goes up in flames and we're all praying for mercy." He stopped himself from going any further. Badger was stupefied, and gave Rat a look that no animal should witness. The look of death, fear, and anger, in one deadlock stare. "I'm sorry," Rat said, "I shouldn't have said anything." He felt low, as insignificant as the dirt that served as his floor. The Badger stood and towered over the sorry Rat, screaming, his lungs puffed to their full extent, "How dare you say the death of your country will bring about your salvation! How dare you, a veteran of the service disown your flag and country by that evil statement. How dare you call yourself a Captain! How dare you call yourself a water rat, I bet your brethren are ashamed of you and cursing you name, and how dare you deserve to live!" Badger grabbed the nearest pot and swung at Rat with all his rage and anger rushing to his arm. Rat scrambled away to safety only to find a broom to be suitable weapon. "Badger," Rat said, as they began to circle, "I don't want to hurt you." Badger laughed, a hardy laugh of experience, "Nothing you can do to me will harm me! Come at me you fascist!" The old badger advanced with his pot and swung at Rat's head again, Rat blocked the attack with the tip of his broom handle.
"Badger! Ratty!" It was Mole.
The two looked over and saw Mole, dressed in his best clothes, for Saturday was the day he walked around the village and said hello to everybody, animals and humans alike, and he wanted to make sure he looked his best. With his slick fur and his shiny new pair of Sunday dress shoes, which he would most likely wear tomorrow morning, Mole walked into the room and tore the two apart. "What is the meaning of all this foolishness?" He asked. "Ratty here just insulted the crown." Rat threw the broom on the floor and straightened himself up. "I simply was making a statement Badger, I meant no offense by it." Badger smiled, and for the third time in his life, broke a promise, "Bullshit." Badger replied, breaking his promise to not curse in front of Rat. This was an agreement the two of each other made right after Badger scared the living out of the poor creature.
"Any case," Mole said, trying to change the subject, "what was the letter about Ratty?"
"Yes, you gave us quite a shock there yesterday Mr. Rat, did something happen?" Badger asked.
"Oh nothing for you two to worry over," Rat assured with a smile, "just family business is all."
"We're your family Rat," Mole answered, trying to get some information out of him, "you can tell us anything, it's not like that we're going to blabber it to the whole world."
"Quite right, if there's anything that would incriminate you, it will be kept safe I can assure you that." Badger said, for he too was curious about the letter. Rat smiled, sensing their game, "I appreciate it really but it really is a personal matter that I will personally deal with, but if the need arises where I do need help, believe me you two will be the first to know." Badger nodded, satisfied and motioned for the door, making sure he grabbed everything that he brought with him. "Thank you for the visit Mr. Badger." Mole said with a smile. Badger tipped a hand toward Mole's direction, "Likewise Mole," he turned towards Rat, "take care of that business quickly Rat, before Toad finds out. You know he's bound to." Rat smiled and laughed a bit, "I'll make hasty arrangements then."
Rat walked towards Badger, grabbing a coat and hat and putting it on. "Are you taking care of this business now?" Badger asked a bit worried that his friend was going to rush into these things. "Yes Badger, I am going to take care of this business now, for it is better to be proactive than to be a procrastinator." Rat said as he walked back into his room, grabbed the letter from his bedside table where he placed it the night before, stuffed it in his pocket, and hastily made his way out the door following Badger. Mole followed.
"Ratty!" He called. The Rat looked back and smiled. "When will you be back?" Mole asked. "Not for some time I suspect, for this business requires me to travel."
"Travel, where to?" Mole looked at his friend, puzzled, and feeling disheartened, for if Rat wasn't going to be there for him, then he would be utterly alone again. "America." Rat answered, realizing that he was taking Toad's adventure, the one that he said only yesterday was so crazy and downright foolish.
"America!" Mole exclaimed, a bit surprised that Rat would ever think of this. "This is a personal matter," Rat assured, "nothing to concern yourself with." He looked towards Mole, "I am concerned about it Ratty!" Mole cried, a bit unhinged, feeling that his friend was leaving him. "What if I never see you again? What if something bad happens to you? What if you die?"
"Then I shall take it full heartedly and warm spiritedly." Rat answered with a smile and a hug for Mole. "Don't worry," he said, "I'll be back soon enough." He let go of his friend, who waved goodbye a final time before disappearing once again into the burrow.
Badger and Rat walked down the small path from Rat's little burrow to the main road. "Tell me what's going on Rat." Badger said. "I told you," Rat replied, "that this was a personal matter, and I have full intent on keeping it that way." Badger was not convinced, there was something that Rat wasn't telling him. "Walter Pearson James Rat," Badger said, using Rat's full name. "What did the letter say?" His voice instantly became parental, rather demanding. Rat nodded, finally submitting the truth to him. "It's my brother," Rat answered, "he's deathly ill and his final wish is for me to see him. Apologize for all the grief he's caused." He looked at the Badger, "Angus," Rat said continuing, "he mentioned you."
"Let me see the letter." Badger said. Rat pulled the letter out from his pocket and handed it to him. The Badger skimmed the letter quickly, his face growing from curious to concern to deep sympathy. When he was finished, Badger nodded and handed the letter back to Rat.
"Go and see this business done." Badger said. Rat nodded and walked towards his little boat on River. "Oh and Rat!" Badger called.
"Yes?" Rat asked, looking back.
"Be sure to come back," Badger added, "I don't think we could bear to see you gone, myself included."
Rat climbed into his boat, waved to Badger and shoved off towards the nearest town.
"Why River," Rat said, "you're awfully quiet this morning, something the matter?" River of course said nothing, he just conversed with his fish and moved his rocks and water in an orchestra of nature. Rat rowed his boat rather expertly and slowly, as if trying to fit in with River's symphony. He moved along past the bridges, the banks, the place where Pan visited him, all of those memories flushing back at him like a fierce wind. For a moment, he thought he could still hear Pan's music.
"No," Rat said, shaking off the euphoric feeling, "Pan has been dead for years. Best press onward." Rat moved past Cyril's stable. The faithful horse was grazing near River's bank. The horse looked up and smiled.
"Why hullo Ratty, where you shoving off to?" Cyril asked, rather eagerly, mostly because he was bored and needed something to occupy his time.
"I'm off to America, Cyril." Rat replied.
"America!" Cyril cried, jumping back a bit in surprise, "Don't you realize that you're going to have to cross the ocean Rat? Surely you can't expect to get there in that boat of yours?"
Rat smiled, "I'm going to Dover and taking a ship from there. Isn't that where Toad said he was shipping off to anyway?"
Cyril replied, "Yeah, but if you're off to see him, let me come with you, it's not good Ratty."
"Why," Rat said, "something worse than wrong over there?" He laughed a bit. Cyril sighed with a roll of the eyes, "It's not good Ratty!" He shouted, becoming serious and straightforward. "How serious is serious, it is Toad we're talking about here." Rat said, a bit skeptical of serious situations for the simple reason that these so called serious situations involved Mr. Toad playing a dirty prank of some sort that involved Rat developing high blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and even a slight tumor, but luckily it was a one time ordeal that was properly handled before anything grave happened.
"I think he's dead." Cyril said.
Rat smiled, not believing anything, "Heard that one before, what was it this time, jumping off the roof? Or a rope? Or what about choking on newspaper? Ha! That one was my favorite!" He was laughing his head off, too busy with himself to notice that Cyril had said the word 'gun'.
"It's a gun Ratty!" Cyril cried for about the third time in a row. Rat heard it this time and became immediately straight, for Toad has never, ever considered using a gun before. He didn't even think he had one.
"Alright then," Rat said, "let's go be quick about it!" Quickly, the Water Rat abandoned his vessel, got on his steed and headed to Toad Hall.