I put up a hand to ease Ratcatcher.

“Let them both go then,” Ratcatcher said. “I’ll cooperate.”

“No,” Tattletale said. “We’ll figure this out.”

“They’re my friendth. I trained them to use the litter boxth, and they bring me thnackth if I’m in bed and I don’t want to get up. Ratthputin is my betht helper and Templeton is a cuddler.”

“Maybe—” Chicken Little started.

“Don’t cave,” Tattletale warned him.

“Maybe he wasn’t going to cave,” I said. “If he has a suggestion let him think it through. It’s his power.”

“I was going to cave,” Chicken said.

Tattletale extended a hand, as if to say ‘see?’.

Well fine, then.

“I’d rather not hurt people’s pets, and I did this because you were rushing me and telling me I had to do it now, I had to learn to think on the fly, and so I did, but now I’m doubting myself.”

“Don’t,” Tattletale said. “You’re better than you think.”

Ratcatcher wrung her hands while Tattletale talked to her protege. Her head turned, as if she was considering an escape route, then turned my way, looking me up and down. As if she was considering an attack.

Fuck.

“Snuff?” I asked. “Can you watch Ratcatcher? I’ll help.”

Snuff left Chicken behind to take hold of the door. I backed away, into the alley, then flew up to where the two hawks roosted on a length of pipe.

This felt weird to do. I put my hands out, and I gingerly held the rat and the bird’s talon all together.

Feet like a fistful of knives, was that what Chicken Little had said? Beaks like a sharp, fast moving knife.

With the other hand, I held the rat but not the talon.

“I’ve secured one of the rats. Try releasing?” I asked.

“You’re sure?”

“I think so.”

I felt the animals move beneath my hands. With one hand, I ensured a hawk didn’t let go or lose the rat. With the other, I pulled a rat away. I suspected they were as clean as any pet, but Ratcatcher was just far enough off the beaten path that I wasn’t ruling out fleas or other hygiene questions. I was glad for the gloves I wore.

“And secure. Back to what you were doing before.”

“Okay. Done.”

I backed off. One of the two roosting hawks had a rat pinned and gripped in talons. I carried the other down to Ratcatcher.

“Thank you,” Ratcatcher said. She lifted the rat up to her shoulder and adjusted her shirt collar so it served as a partial blanket.

Tattletale approached, and we entered the side door of the building, stepping into the hallway and letting the door close behind us. Snuff and Chicken Little were left to wait outside.

“Where are we?” Tattletale asked.