The Rat Catcher's Secrets

Critque wanted. This is a prologue to a work in progress.  I will be publishing the first two chapters this month.  The purpose of printing it here on Gather is to receive honest feedback, suggestions for improvements, even if it is just changing one word here or there.  I being the author, am bias, thinking this is pretty good. Other people have said it is very good, even people who do not really like SF or adventure. I need people to tell me what might be improved, or how would they add humor to it.  One of the hardest things is for me to add humor that other people will love. For ratings, give it what you think it really earned, instead of justing giving it a 10 because you do not have time to read it. Only give it a 10 if you think you would want to buy it as a paperback for $5.00.

     Milo's adrenaline surged as he spyed the dustline, the clear demarcation between where the ancient river periodically flowed in this tunnel, and where it did not. If Milo could make it to the dustline, he would be safe, for now. After Milo finally reached the low banks of the dustline, he paused and panted to regain his breath, and listen for them following him. Silence. He eased quietly off his bicycle and sat down on his faded white knapsack. He quickly regained his composure, energy and breathe. Milo's mind raced as his best estimate is that he had half an hour lead on who knows how many paid assassins that were following him.
     As Milo sat, his brown eyes were drawn to the hundreds of sets of footprints, from the eons of time, going to the empty riverbed. Most of the footprints came from one clear path that retreated as far as the eye could see into a gradually higher part of the tunnel.
     Before he could even guess what this might mean, he felt a surge of warm fresh air, as if the air was being pushed through the tunnel by a giant bellows. Milo instinctively flattened himself against the dust while cluching his knapsack. 
     The sound of the air surge immediately increased until Milo could barely hear himself think. It sounded as if it was a very loud toilet being flushed in an echo chamber. At the start of the sound, he had heard human screaming. No doubt that means the men  or women who were paid to kill him are no more.  The wind seemed to increase in intensity. Milo could feel himself starting to slide. There was nothing to grab on to except the ultra fine dust. A wave of fear started to creap into Milo's thoughts. The Tunnel provided no traction as his speed started to increase slightly. His speed was still increasing. He did not know where this wind would take him, if he went with it, except certain death. As suddenly as it started, the wind stopped.  Milo came to a gradual stop. His heart was thumping madly. Of course to Milo it seemed to last for an hour, but it was only 7 minutes. A watched teapot never boils.
     When Milo rose, he brushed off some of the thick layer of dust from his knapsack and himself. The dustmarkings showed that the bicycle had been blown into the riverbed. The bicycle was gone as well as the seven minute river.
     "There's no going back now." Milo smugly laughed to himself, as if there had been an option to go back before.
       Milo ate some more of the provisions he had hastily packed. Knowning that anyone who was paid to do him permanent harm, was undoubtly dead, put him at easy for the first time in two weeks. It also reminded Milo that he was hungry.  While eating some dried steak, he started to follow the bulk of the footprints. After about two miles, the dust turned to ash. The footprints were not as distinctive as before, but they were easy to track. They led to a wall with no visible seems, for the wall to move. Yet the footprints clearly showed that the walled did moved, somehow.
      There was an impressive grey statue of a man holding a single white rose. The Statue bore this plaque: "Even though peace is needed most by the poor and weak, it makes all mankind stronger because it is what humans should seek. We should not think as a man of this nation or that nation but as men of one race, the HUMAN race. This Statue is dedicated to the peace of all nations as one nation for millenniums to come." It also bore a date which had no meaning to Milo.
      Milo thought " It is a shame that war wiped out almost all trace of that race with that lofty thought. I do not think that anyone will miss a leaf from from the rose of this statue. The man of this statue has long since vanished." With that, Milo tapped a leaf of the rose, which looked like it was about to fall off anyway. The rose leaf did not yield. So Milo took his duralite sword in two hands and swung will almost all of his might at the rose pedal. THUNK! With a careful examination, the leaf did not have even a scratch. Milo looked at his duralite sword and was shocked that it had a very tiny, nick at the edge of the blade. That is the first time he had heard of a duralite sword being nicked by anything other than another duralite sword. "Maybe this ancient was not to presumptive after all. How could something be that strong?" thought Milo.
      Since Milo was about to start a new page in the book of life, he decided to take inventory of exactly what he had on him before he left the tunnel.  One pair of lightweight waterproof green hiking boots, two pairs of waterproof white socks, a standard pair of green jeans, a green cotton undershirt, a green waterproof overshirt, two pairs of white cotton boxers, a bike helment, many forms of identification and licenses, a balanced throwing knife with a duralite blade, advance lockpicking tools in the hollow handle, the sheath of the knife, a compass, and two flint rocks for starting fires.
      In his favorite knapsack he had two more quarts of water in old fashion canteens and a 4 pieces of beef jerky wrapped in white cotton hankercheives. A clear glass jar of highly effective anticeptic which looked like, felt like and smelled like whale oil. The jar said whale oil, so no one should be the wiser.  The knapsack contained twenty-three silver one troy ounce bars and fifteen gold troy half ounce coins as well as two and a half troy pounds of semi -precious stones, two intricately carved ivory chess pieces that he received as inheritance from his grandfather on his mother's side, 2 kilos of salt, half a kilo of crushed habanero seeds, other seeds,  and six small tubes of oil based paint which he had been planning to use for tracking purposes, and just forgot to take them out. The last item in the knapsack was some duralight cutting string in a secret flap.
      Milo took out all the identification, licenses, photos, money and contact information, as well as the bicycle helment and left them by the statue.  Judging from the type of tracks leading to the river, there would be little in the way of civilization from now on.
      It took a while to figuare out, but finally Milo twisted the arm of the statue out. A wall in the tunnel silently moved up. Milo looked at the stars from inside the tunnel and could see that it was a crisp clear night for a clean start. Milo had only been pondering a minute, wondering where he was going to, when he walked outside the tunnel, and the wall quietly and quickly closed.

  Chapter 1    The tunnel wall silently slid back into place into the mountain. Milo's eyes adjusted to the lack of light outside the tunnel. Moonlight and stars partial obscured by trees were the only light source.  He heard a heavy panting and someone trotted by without noticing him. Milo was hidden with the very faint shadows of the mountain. He observed a shapely female, in her 20's or early 30's, dressed in an eighteenth century garb made of many skins. She was sweating. Milo judged her to be married, from the red earrings.
     "That wolf is attacking her..." Almost as fast as Milo could think it, he, with a very practiced motion remove the duralite dagger from it's sheath on his back, and whirled it at the wolf. Even though Milo could always hit a stationary target in the center, the banded wolf was hardly stationary. The dagger entered the wolf's eye and sunk into the wolf to the hilt of the blade. "The light could have been better, but that is no excuse for missing."  thought Milo in a scolding manner. When you are as skilled with dagger as Milo is, if the blade does not enter exactly where it was intented, that is counted as a miss in his mind.
      The wolf pierced the silence with a pitiful howl. It tried to scamper off and it went about twenty yards before it collapsed dead. Milo retreaved the knife and scraped the excessive blood from his dagger onto the wolf's carcass. He was glad that he did not lose it in a wounded wolf. He carefully studied the detailed neckband on the wolf. Then he push in at two different places at the same time while twisting the handle of his knife. The handle glided off and he retrived one of the picks in it. In less than 10 seconds Milo heard the click of the lock on the wolf's band. After assembling the knife firmly together he took a closer look at the silver and gold band with a two symetrical carvings at each side of the lock.
      The writing stated that this was a band of friendship, representing the Philia that they shared, for the Prince Jethro's pet, from prince Devon. 'Uh oh, this can not be a good thing.' thought Milo. Before he could study it and ponder, the woman came from yonder.
      The Woman tried to greet Milo with a kiss. Milo turned his head at the last moment to duck the deep kiss of gratitude. He then held her warm shoulders at arm's length to keep her glistening lips at bay. Milo then stated sternly. "I do not kiss married women. It leads to trouble."
      Ester gave a warm curtsy. "My name is Ester and I'm single. I just wanted to express some thankfulness. I am in your debt, for as long as you may live. That should not mean so much, since you have kill Prince Jethro's hunting wolf. When 'they' find it and you, my sentence will be assigned to you."
      The Ester's attitude quickly changed.  "Better be off, and quickly at that." she noted with urgency.
      Milo asked "Why do you wear red earings, if you are not married? Who is 'They'?" Ester responded quickly, but puzzled. "That means that I am a woman for the hunt. They are the King's court, the King's guards, and the King's Laws.You do not know? How is that possible? What is your name stranger. NEVER MIND! It is bettter that I do not know. Be off kind stranger."
      Milo could now hear the faint sound of a herd of horses in the distance. He returned the collar to the carcess and he ran out sight from the woman. Then he took a few items from his knapsack. He then hid his knapsack near a large oak tree, toward the moldy side. After that Milo took to running, but it was futile. He was only 400 feet from where he had hidden his knapsack and the King's guards, with Jethro leading them, had overtaken Milo.
      Jethro was wearing the attire that identified him as a prince on a hunt. Milo noted that Jethro flashly rings on his left hand, but his right hand was bare. At least he puts his hunting ablilty above his looks, mused Milo. Rings get in the way of pulling back a bowstring.
      One of the guards had brought Ester from where she was hiding.   Jethro addressed Milo "This condemned woman, my game, says you killed my precious Pilt, my hunting wolf." "That is true. That wolf was about to attack her, so I killed that wolf. I did not know she was a condemned woman, or even that was a hunting wolf."
      One of the guards named John struck Milo with the back of his hand and stated sternly. "You will address Him as Prince Jethro, unless given permission otherwise."
      Jethro commented. "Johnny, there is no need for that, yet." John replied, "Yes, my Prince."
      Jethro pressed. "Could anyone in my Father's kingdom could be so ignorant? What is your name, O ignorant one?"  "Prince Jethro, my name is Milo Taylor. I am not from your Father's kingdom. I just made the difficult journey from the other side of the mountains."
      Jethro continued "That you willing admitted to protecting that 'woman', and killing my dear Pilt, lends a great deal of crediblity to your story. Your clothes are made of a material I have never seen, and in a slightly diffenent way, especially that half sewn front metal flap on your trousers." Milo blushed a little and zipped up his zipper all the way up. Jethro continued. "As well as your slightly strange accent. You did not address me as Prince Jethro, which is a mistake that few people from this kingdom would make. I am inclinded to believe your seemingly impossible story."
      Milo respectfully asked "Prince Jethro, why do you say it is seemingly impossible?"
      Jethro "There has not been someone who has come from outside the kingdom since my Grandfather's time.  They came in a group, and only 3 finally made it. Where is your heavy gear needed to cross the mountains?"
      Milo sadly replied and lied."I did not start this journey alone, but with a group of five. When we were just a day's journey from this kingdom, when it happened. We were setting up camp when an avalanche took us by all by surprise. It is my guess that my close friends fell victim to it as welll. I  was pushed off  the ledge by the wave of snow and down the mountain. Finally I landed into a fast cold stream. I had to throw away my boots, and coat just to escape the strong currents. Even then, I was very lucky to escape with my life.
      Without my coat, boots, mittens or even a compass, I knew that I could not go back looking for my friends. Since I was now below the permafrost line, and miles from our last camp, I made a small fire to warm myself. It would make it possible for any of my friends who were still alive to find me. After a few hours I knew that I had to press on alone. I traveled downward, until I came upon that woman. Frankly, I am hungry. I thought not only of saving the woman, but having a large meal of wolf."
      Jethro gasped. "You thought of eating Pilt?"
      Milo "Yes, Prince Jethro."
      Jethro "No matter, Pilt will be buried properly. What was your occupation on the other side of the mountain, and why did you want to come here?"
      Milo "Prince Jethro, I am a rat catcher. I did not want to come here, but I wanted to leave there. I was visiting another village for business, and the house that my parents were living in burned down. So I am an old orphan, and do not want reminders of the past, but want to look to the future with a fresh start."
      Jethro eyes widened and a small smile was briefly seen on his face. Jethro voice raised slightly as he asked "A rat catcher? How skilled are you as a rat catcher?"
      Milo paused and replied gently. "Prince Jethro, I am effective." Then Milo added with a bit of humor ."Once I catch and kill a rat it remains dead."
      Milo then arched his right eyebrow shrewdly asked. "How many rats does an expert in this Kingdom catch?"
      Jethro stated . "When my Father was young, Sir Guy, and his team of 3 others caught 217 rats from the castle in a week. That is the most for a team of 4 or less. Of course, most rat hunters work in teams of 6 or more today, for safety."
      Milo asked briskly "Prince Jethro, does the castle still have rats?"
      Jethro replied with exasperation: "Of course, rats are everywhere in the Kingdom!"
      Milo then asked. "Prince Jethro, How many castle rats would I have to kill, for my life to be spared?"
      Jethro pondered for a moment, then said. "Since you are now in this Kingdom, you are to follow our customs and laws.  If a person protects a person of the hunt, the hunted's judgement falls upon that one. That is the law of our land. Not even my father can change it after the fact. If are an effective rat Killer as you claim, you and a team of  3 others, kill 200 rats in a week, I will give you an extra week before the hunt. If you and 3 other can kill 800 rats in a month, hehe, I will see that you get to fight for your life in the Arena, instead of  being doomed in the hunt. If  you somehow kill 800 rats, I would hate to lose you, but a month is all our laws permit the punishment to be delayed."
      Milo's inquired, "Prince Jethro, you will provide supplies for the hunt, won't you?"  Prince Jethro "Of course, I will supply you with what you need, except for the 3  men of your team."
      Milo continued  "Please answer me one final question.  What happens if, and I say if, my team kills 800 rats before the month is up. May I practice my craft elsewhere in the kingdom, until the end of the month?"
      Jethro was anger for a moment  "What! You think that your 4 man team can kill 800 rats in a month, and you might do it before a month is up? What a conceited braggart you are, or a total stranger to this area.  If you are really kill 800 rats, within a month, with just yourself and 3 others in your team, before the end of the month, I will pay you one piece of silver for each additional rat killed by your 4 man team. You may come and go as you please thoughout my Dad's Kingdom. At the end of the month, you must be back at the Arena for the Fight, or else I will have put Ester in the Arena, as Ester's punishment must be meted out to someone. Milo, I hope that you are half the rat killer you think you are. When you fight the rats of the castle, you will lose that smile of yours."
      The Captain of the Guard, John Fishman, asked Jethro privately on the way back to the Castle "Why are you offering the prey twice of what is usually offered per rat?"
      Jethro replies "I do not want to look cheap. Besides, his team has to kill 800 rats before they start to get paid anything, which is a mighty deed for a team of just 4 men, and I like his bravado.  Also, in his haste to kill rats, the rats should kill or injure him."