A smell of rubbish and wet animals filled the room. The man stoodmotionless, watching Saul from across the floor.

‘You’re safe.’

Saul started. He had only dimly seen the man’s mouth move, but theharsh whisper echoed in his head as if those lips were an inch fromhis ear. It took a moment for him to understand what had beensaid.

‘What do you mean?’ he said. ‘Who are you?’

‘You’re safe now. No one can get to you now.’ A strong Londonaccent, an aggressive, secretive snarl whispered right in Saul’s ear.‘I want you to know why you’re here.’

Saul felt dizzy, swallowed spit made thick with phlegm by theatmosphere. He did not, he did not understand what was happening.

‘Who are you?’ Saul hissed. ‘Are you police? Where’s Crowley?’

The man jerked his head in what might have been dismissal, shock,or a laugh.

‘How did you get in?’ demanded Saul.

‘I crept past all the little boys in blue on tippy-toe slidhugger-mugger under the counter and I sneaked my way to your littlequeer ken. Do you know where you’re here?’

Saul nodded dumbly.

‘They think…’

‘The constables think you killed your daddy, but you didn’t, Iknow that. Granted, you’ll have a fine time getting them to Adam andEve that… but I do.’

Saul was shaking. He sank onto the bunk. The stench which hadentered with the man was over powering. The voice continued,relentless. ‘I’ve been watching you carefully, you know. Keeping tabs.We’ve a lot to talk about, you know. I can… do you a favour.’

Saul was utterly bewildered. Was this some casualty off thestreets? Someone ill in his head, too full alcohol or voices to makeany sense? The air was still taut like a bowstring. What did this manknow about his father?

‘I don’t know who the fuck you are,’ he star slowly. ‘And I don’tknow how you got in…’

‘You don’t understand.’ The whisper became a little harsher.‘Listen, matey. We’re out of that world now. Two more people and nomore people things, get it? look at you,’ the voice harsh withdisgust. ‘Sitting there in your borrowed duds like a fool, waitingpatiently to get took before the Barnaby. Think they’ll take kindlyto your whids? They’ll bang you up till you rot, foolish boy.’ Therewas a long pause. ‘And then I appear, like a bloody angel of mercy. Ispring your jigger, no problem. This is where I live, get it? This isthe city where I live. It shares all the points of yours and theirs,but none of its properties. I go where I want. And I’m here to tellyou how it is with you. Welcome to my home.’

The voice filled the small room, it would not give Saul space ortime to think.

The shadowy face bore down on Saul. The man was coming nearer. Hemoved in little spurts, his chest and shoulders still tight, heapproached from the side, zigzagged a little, came a little closerfrom another direction, his demeanour at once furtive andaggressive.

Saul swallowed. His head was light, his mouth dry. He fought forspit. The air was arid and so full of tension he could almost hearit, a faint keening as if the sound of the door hinge had never diedaway. He could not think, he could only listen.

The stinking apparition before him moved a little out of theshadows. The filthy trenchcoat was open, and Saul caught sudden sightof a lighter grey shirt underneath, decorated with rows of blackarrows pointing up, convict chic.

The angle of the man’s head was proud, the shoulders skulking.

‘There’s nothing I don’t know about Romeville you see. Nor GayParee, nor Cairo, nor Berlin, nor no city, but London’s special tome, has been for a long time. Stop looking at me and wondering, boy.You’re not going to get it. I’ve crept through these brick when theywere barns, then mills, then factories and banks. You’re not lookingat people, boy. You should count yourself lucky I’m interested inyou. Because I’m doing you a big favour.’ The man’s snarlingmonologue paused theatrically.

This was madness, Saul knew. His head spun. None of this meantanything; it was meaningless words, ludicrous, he should laugh, butsomething in the curdled air held his tongue. He could not speak, hecould not mock. He realized he was crying, or perhaps his eyes werejust watering in the stagnant atmosphere of the room.

His tears seemed to annoy the intruder.

‘Stop moaning on about your fat dad,’ he spat ‘That’s all over,and you’ve more important things to worry about.’

He paused again.

‘Shall we go?’

Saul looked up sharply. He reached his voice at last.

‘What are you talking about? What do you mean?’ He waswhispering.

‘Shall we go? I said. It’s time to scarper, it’s time to split, toquit, to take our leave.’ The man looked about him conspiratorially,and hid his mouth behind the back of his hand in a melodramatic stagewhisper. ‘I’m Breaking you out.’ He straightened up a little andnodded his head, that indistinct face bobbing enthusiastically.‘Let’s just say your path and mine cross at this point. It’s darkmansoutside already, I can smell it, and it looks like they’ve forgotabout you. No Tommy Tucker for you, it seems, so let’s bow outgracefully. You and I’ve got business together, and this is no placeto conduct it. And if we wait much longer they’ll have banged you upas a member of the parenticide club and eaten the key. There’s nojustice there, I know. So let me ask you one more time… shall wego?’

He could do it, Saul realized. With a terrified amazement herealized he was going to go with this creature, was going to followthis man whose face he could not see into the police station, and thetwo of them would escape.

‘Who… what… are you?’

‘I’ll tell you that.’

The voice filled Saul up and made him faint. The thin face wasinches from his, silhouetted by the bare bulb. He tried to seethrough the obfuscating darkness and discern clear features, but theshadows were stubborn and subtle. The words mesmerized him like aspell, as hypnotic as dance music.

‘You’re in the presence of royalty, mate. I go where my subjectsgo, and my subjects are everywhere. And here in the cities there’re amillion crevices for irrjH kingdom. I fill all the spacesin-between.’

‘Let me tell you about me.’

‘I can hear the things left unsaid.’

‘I know the secret life of houses and the social life of things. Ican read the writing on the wall.’

‘I live in old London town.’

‘Let me tell you who I am.’

‘I’m the big-time crime boss. I’m the one that stinks. I’m thescavenger chief, I live where you don’t want me. I’m the intruder. Ikilled the usurper, I take you to safekeeping. I killed half yourcontinent one time. I know when your ships are sinking. I can breakyour traps across my knee and eat the cheese in your face and makeyou blind with my piss. I’m the one with the hardest teeth in theworld, I’m the whiskered boy. I’m the Duce of the sewers, I run theunderground. I’m the king.’

In one sudden movement he turned to face the door and sloughedthe coat from his shoulders, unveiling the name stencilled crudely inblack on the back of shirt, between the rows of arrows.

‘I’m King Rat.’