Rat Song

Chapter 28

The people of Hamelin were equal parts surprised and delighted when Aerzen's residents offered their aid. With more hands out in the fields, preparations for the Harvest Festival proceeded at a much faster pace. Mr. Farnsworth and the other farmers filled countless wheelbarrows with perfectly plump pumpkins, bright red apples, and enough oats to feed an army. The sweet scents of sugar and cinnamon emanated from the bakery as Mrs. Norton prepared plenty of pies, and children pranced through town wearing flower crowns and the brightest smiles William had seen on their faces since they came home.

But not everyone was excited about the festivities. William hummed the Hymn of the Whole to himself all morning, silently swearing whenever he missed a note. Despite the weeks he'd spent practicing with Burdock, the ability to control multiple creatures still eluded him. How could he hope to defeat the Piper when he could barely command anything more than a rabbit?

Father's mood did little to soothe his nerves. He lumbered out of the fields with a scowl branded onto his face as sweat rolled down his forehead in a glistening stream. Like many of the other adults in Hamelin, he'd been called upon to help with the harvest. When he wasn't laboring under the sun's blistering heat, Father was stuck mending farming tools until William half expected him to order the farmers to kneel in the soil and use their bare hands instead.

For once, Father was the least of William's worries. Now that the Harvest Festival had finally arrived, so too had the Piper.

The Piper was even more striking up close. His brightly colored cloak billowed around his tall frame, each of the individual patches blending seamlessly into a single unified whole. Whether he was waving to the gathered crowds or bending down so little Peter Farnsworth could whisper something in his ear, he flowed from one movement to the next with all the natural grace of a river.

As the church bells struck nine, all of Hamelin's citizens began filing into the place of worship so Pastor Abrams could deliver their thanks to the Lord before the official start of the festival. William lingered near the back of the crowd, observing the people of Aerzen as they milled about the square and stared blankly at the people entering the church. Only when the Piper played a quick tune on his flute did they fall into step behind him and file inside.

William sidled into his family's pew, taking his place between Father and Emma. She pressed herself close to Mother's side, as far from Father as possible. Yet, despite her nervousness, Emma still spared William a fleeting smile. Among the Piper's swarm, she alone showed him the faintest inkling of warmth.

The rest of those who were under the rats' control squirmed in their seats, their eyes darting around the church as if they would be attacked at a moment's notice. They all clustered together on the far side of the room, but try as they might, they could not avoid sharing pews with Hamelin's citizens. With everyone so tightly packed together, the air hung thick with their collective body heat and the scent of unease.

Pastor Abrams strode to his podium in the center of the church, with the Piper standing beside him. "Thank you all for coming, everyone," the pastor said. "We are gathered to give thanks to the Lord for everything with which He has blessed us."

"Praise be to the Lord," chorused Hamelin's citizens. The people of Aerzen stared at them blankly, their lips unmoving.

"We give thanks for the bountiful harvest. Just as He delivered us from the plague of vermin that devastated our fields years ago, He has once again blessed us so that we will not go hungry during the long winter."

"Praise be to the Lord."

"More than keeping us free from hunger, we thank the Lord for returning our children to us." Pastor Abrams paused to wipe a tear from his eye. "We believed them to be lost forever, but thanks to the Lord's mercy, families that were once broken have been made whole once again."