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Show 39 them that I will need their help tomorrow. When I give the word, they must come to the riverbank, where we will have a wonderful sport." They ran off as though they were carrying a message from King Rudolf himself. I wondered why he would need all the children, but he said, "Wait and see. Not even the simplest-minded knight tells all his plans to his squire." So I had to be content with not knowing. That night as I lay waiting for sleep on the floor next to the oven, I noticed the unusual quiet. Since the rats were so stuffed after their feast, there wasn't any need for them to skitter and search for food the way they usually did after dark. I tried to say my prayers because I still felt bad about missing my special mass and I thought how disappointed Father Johann would be that I hadn't come. But my mind wasn't on praying, and after a while I fell asleep. I wakened before the first light had begun. Then I heard the rats. They were leaping to the top of the water jug, scraping and clawing as they tried to tear off the cover that was weighted down by a heavy stone. I could imagine their thirst, but because they were such hateful creatures I didn't feel sorry for them. As I prepared the dough I noticed that the rats paid no attention to it. Instead they were frantically searching for the smallest bit of moisture, but the heat of Wednesday and Thursday had dried up the dampness from even the darkest corners. When I hurried down to the riverbank, the sun was once more blazing with an unholy heat. "Now we will see a spectacle," Gast promised. "Go find the twins and tell them that they are now my captains. They are to |