used to establish what the rats would do when they were unable to get what they wanted. The drug, Serena, was supposed to keep them calm, coolheaded—able to control themselves.
The rat reached the end of the maze, a thick pine door lying between him and his prize of liver. He sniffed the air, so close to what he wanted! Suddenly the white rat threw his body forward, hitting the door with his shoulder and chest. The lab tech’s face went slack as he watched the wood give way, cracking down the center. The rat promptly plucked the liver into his mouth, crushing it with razor-sharp teeth.
“Why, Billy, you broke the rules!” said the lab tech, laughing heartily. “You are something, aren’t you, an independent thinker—a real leader. And every leader needs a special name. No more Billy, number 111—far too common for the likes of you. From now on you are Billy -can, because I’m beginning to think you can do anything!”
The technician put on his safety gloves and picked up the lively rat, which squirmed in his tight grasp. “Easy, now,” said the man. “Don’t worry, you’ve already had your shot for the day. We know how you hate those!”
The man brought the rat back to the wall of cages. He stretched up on his tiptoes, set the rat in the open cage marked number 111, and locked it.
As soon as the man’s bald head disappeared from view, the white rat raced to the wire window on the side of his cage. “Did you see it, Dorf?” he called excitedly. “Did you see what I did? I broke the maze! I got the liver!”
Dorf craned his small neck to gaze up at the white rat. “Billy, how did you do it? That door is solid wood, for goodness’ sake!”
“I don’t know. I just knew I had to have the liver … I had to have it.” He sighed. “Meat is so tasty.”
“Yes,” said Dorf, nodding toward his ceramic bowl. “It’scertainly better than the bitter kibble we’re forced to eat here.”
The white rat’s eyes brightened. “Dorf, guess what else.”
“What?”
“I’ve a new name!”
“A new name?” asked Dorf.
“Yes! The man says from now on I’m to be called Billy- can. Do you like it?”
“Billycan,” said Dorf thoughtfully. “Yes, I do like it—very distinctive indeed. I think it suits you rather well. When I met you, you were so small, barely able to speak. Now look at you, bigger than most full-grown rats, even by Trillium standards, and you speak as well as I.” He laughed. “Perhaps better.”
“The man said he thinks I can do anything!”
Staring down at the broken maze on the metal table below them, Dorf nodded in agreement. “I think he may be right.”
“Dorf,” whispered Billycan. “Dorf, wake up, I need to ask you something.”
The little rat rolled over and looked up toward the window. “What is it, Billy?” he asked groggily. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know, but it’s important.”
“Well, then, what is it?”
“It’s about our lessons,” said Billycan.
“Yes?” Dorf yawned.
“What you told me, about Trillium’s great leaders, how those humans came to Trillium and took the land away fromthe weak, building this enormous city. They were strong, yes? They took what they wanted because they could—because they had to have it.”
Dorf sat up and cocked his head. “Billy, yes, they were strong … but those were dark days for Trillium. Most of Trillium’s so-called leaders were nothing more than unsavory villains—criminals and crooks. They hurt the citizens of Trillium, using their cunning and strength to take what they wanted, leaving people to starve and suffer. Why do you ask about this now?”
“Because today, at the maze, I took what I wanted, because I knew I could! It was so easy. It made me feel like them, like a great leader, like maybe one day I could lead a city like Trillium—a city of rats. The men who made Trillium were better than everyone else. That’s why they could take things. That’s why they won.”
The rat reached the end of the maze, a thick pine door lying between him and his prize of liver. He sniffed the air, so close to what he wanted! Suddenly the white rat threw his body forward, hitting the door with his shoulder and chest. The lab tech’s face went slack as he watched the wood give way, cracking down the center. The rat promptly plucked the liver into his mouth, crushing it with razor-sharp teeth.
“Why, Billy, you broke the rules!” said the lab tech, laughing heartily. “You are something, aren’t you, an independent thinker—a real leader. And every leader needs a special name. No more Billy, number 111—far too common for the likes of you. From now on you are Billy -can, because I’m beginning to think you can do anything!”
The technician put on his safety gloves and picked up the lively rat, which squirmed in his tight grasp. “Easy, now,” said the man. “Don’t worry, you’ve already had your shot for the day. We know how you hate those!”
The man brought the rat back to the wall of cages. He stretched up on his tiptoes, set the rat in the open cage marked number 111, and locked it.
As soon as the man’s bald head disappeared from view, the white rat raced to the wire window on the side of his cage. “Did you see it, Dorf?” he called excitedly. “Did you see what I did? I broke the maze! I got the liver!”
Dorf craned his small neck to gaze up at the white rat. “Billy, how did you do it? That door is solid wood, for goodness’ sake!”
“I don’t know. I just knew I had to have the liver … I had to have it.” He sighed. “Meat is so tasty.”
“Yes,” said Dorf, nodding toward his ceramic bowl. “It’scertainly better than the bitter kibble we’re forced to eat here.”
The white rat’s eyes brightened. “Dorf, guess what else.”
“What?”
“I’ve a new name!”
“A new name?” asked Dorf.
“Yes! The man says from now on I’m to be called Billy- can. Do you like it?”
“Billycan,” said Dorf thoughtfully. “Yes, I do like it—very distinctive indeed. I think it suits you rather well. When I met you, you were so small, barely able to speak. Now look at you, bigger than most full-grown rats, even by Trillium standards, and you speak as well as I.” He laughed. “Perhaps better.”
“The man said he thinks I can do anything!”
Staring down at the broken maze on the metal table below them, Dorf nodded in agreement. “I think he may be right.”
“Dorf,” whispered Billycan. “Dorf, wake up, I need to ask you something.”
The little rat rolled over and looked up toward the window. “What is it, Billy?” he asked groggily. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“I know, but it’s important.”
“Well, then, what is it?”
“It’s about our lessons,” said Billycan.
“Yes?” Dorf yawned.
“What you told me, about Trillium’s great leaders, how those humans came to Trillium and took the land away fromthe weak, building this enormous city. They were strong, yes? They took what they wanted because they could—because they had to have it.”
Dorf sat up and cocked his head. “Billy, yes, they were strong … but those were dark days for Trillium. Most of Trillium’s so-called leaders were nothing more than unsavory villains—criminals and crooks. They hurt the citizens of Trillium, using their cunning and strength to take what they wanted, leaving people to starve and suffer. Why do you ask about this now?”
“Because today, at the maze, I took what I wanted, because I knew I could! It was so easy. It made me feel like them, like a great leader, like maybe one day I could lead a city like Trillium—a city of rats. The men who made Trillium were better than everyone else. That’s why they could take things. That’s why they won.”
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