аааааа ааааааааааRATMAN.

Jim Dole,а aа leadingа engineer inа oneа well-known companyа wasа sleeping inа his bedroom. Heа saw a strangeа dream. As if he, a handsome man at the age of 42,а becameа aа rat. A very disgustingа creatureа with aа longа white tail. As ifа heа wasа lying inа hisа cosyа bed, wantedа toа press hisа favourite Annа and atа thisа moment hisа strongа armsа becameа frontа pawsа of rat. Heа wantedа to cry УAnnФ butа heа movesа hisаа lipsа withoutа saying aа word. Insteadа ofа thatа heа only hisses.

Afterаа thatаа heа sawа anа enormous crowdа ofа ratsа underа theа groundа andа noticedа himselfа among these disgusting animals. He cries У Let meа go!Ф . Noа result.

Theа nextа picture looked like a real horror film.

Heа saw hisа comfortable house,а children, Annа and suddenlyа robbers, rushing in theа house. Theyа beat AnnЕMuchа bloodа everywhereЕ

УNoФ, criesа Jim like aа woundedа animalа andЕ heа wakes up.

-                            What is up, honey? You haveа cried inа yourа dream!

-                            Ah!,- he wavesа his hand,- Thisа silly dream again. It is the third one for this year!

-                            You should go to the psychologist.- advicesа Ann.

-                            Let me alone! It is nothingа special. It isа timeа toа get up.

ааа He gets upа andа goes to the bathroom to take a shower.

а Whileа heа is washing and shaving,а Annа prepeares breakfast andа speaksа with littleа Sam about hisа school. Hisа elder sister Jane isа helping her motherа to lay the tableЕ

ЕAt his office Jim types something on the keyboard,а looking at theа screen. From time to time heа murmurs himself У DamnФ. He makes mistakes because he thinksа about his strange, unpleasantа dreamЕ

Е.Atа midnightа Jimа has just turned offа TV andаа falls asleepЕ

Twoа rats appearа inа theа room. Oneа ofа themа climbsа Jimа bed andа bites him lightly,а then theа rat touchesа him with itsа tailЕ Andа theа sleepyа manа becameа aа ratаа withoutа wakingаа upЕ

Е It isа night.а Twoа rats areа carryingа theааа thirdааааааа one (who isа unconsciously) alongа theа empty streetsа of theа darkа town.

After that theyа begin toа slideа down the canalizationЕ

ЕJim found himself in theа small tidyа room. Aа strangeа man aboutа 60 was sittingа inа front of him and looking at himа withа interest. Heа had a greyаа suitа on.

-        Where am I ?-а asked Jim

-        Atа your friendsФа place.-answeredа stranger withа smiling.

-        Still Iа want to know!- insisted Jim.

-        аWell! Lookа here!- said the stranger and turnedа to theа computer screen.

ааааа After aа fewа minutes Jim sawааа

аааааааааааааааааааааааааааа hisааааааааааа bedroom onа theа screen, thenа twoа rats inа theа room, then howа one of them bit him and touched him with itsа tail.

Jimа was in a silent for some time, thenа he asked

-        Who are you? You areа aliens,а areа notа you?

-        It does not matter. The mainа things what we do andа not ourа names.

-        What do you want me to do? You wantа to make some experiments on me, do not you?

The stranger smiled again.

-        Weа know about you more than you about yourself. We even can give you some medicine ifа youа want. In fact, we need your help. That isа all.

-        What kind of help do you want, if you are soа powerful? Andа explain me whatа youа do.

-        You are here as a guest of the kingdom of Ratmen.а Now you willа see what we doЕThe life onа the earth would beа impossible without us.

Thereа is aа lotа of invalids inа different countries whoа canа not supportа themselves. And atа theа sameа time thereа is aа lot of rich people whoа haveа enormousа sums ofа money. Theyа canа live without suchа sums veryа easily.

We, ratmen,а try to keep balance between these twoа categories.

Our Lord loves every his creature. Itа does notа matter weather itа is an idiot or an outstanding scientist.

Look here, Jim! It is the simplest kind of distributionЕ

ЕThe fashionable room appears on the screen. There is a diamond bracelet on the dressing table. Theа room is empty. Suddenly a rat appears in the room, comes up to theа table, jumps up on it, takes bracelet intoа its mouth and climbs down the same way.

After that Jim saw overcrowded streets ofа one of the poorest district of Delhi . Suddenly the sameа brownа rat got out of the rubbish and ran as quickly as possible toа theа nearestа bushes. After a few minutes aа well-dressed man went out of the bushes. When he was passing by the rubbish, he bent, picked something up, put it into his pocket. Nobody noticed nothing around him.

This man came into the jeweler shop. Jim sawа through the shop-window how this strange soldа that bracelet, tookа money and went out.

Next Jim saw how thisа youngа man was walking along theа streets and distributingа moneyа the poorestа people.

-        Of course, there are otherа different ways toа getа money from the current accounts.- the stranger went on explaining.

-        What do you want me to do?

-        Recently we have lost one of our brothers. He was killed during one operation.

-        Tell me your name, Mr. Alien! Ц said Jim

-        You can call me Commodore

-        OK. What will happen ifа Iа refuse to help you? I have got a family, a good jobЕ

-        аMost of us left all these on the earth for the sake of more important.

-        I do not care!- cried Jim angrily.

-        You ought to help us!

-        Why?

-        You love your family, do not you?

-        Suppose, you are right

-        LetТs see what will happen with your family after 2 days. We can forecast future for 80 per cent, - and Commodoreа pressedа some buttons on the keyboard.

аJim saw his house on the screen. Ann is going to sleep. After a few minutes the door opened and some menа in masks entered the roomЕ

Then there were cries and screams and much bloodа everywhere.

-        I Сve already seen it.- murmured Jim.- It canТt be.

-        What a pity! But it will be.- answered Commodore.

-        IТ llа call to police.- replied Jim.

-        ЕAnd tell that you have been become a rat and saw yourа future. They will advice you to go to see a doctorЕ

аJim was in silent.

аCommodore went on:

-        LetТs do so. You will go home. When you see that your family is in danger, our brothers will help you. But next time we will wait for the same from you.

Jimа had to agree with him.

-        You will go there as a rat.- went on Commodore:- But donТtа show your feelings when you will see your wife. Remember, the main thing is suddenness.

-        How I can become a rat? Ц asked Jim.

Commodore passed him aа short wire.

-        If you want to become a rat you will twist it round you hand or leg. If you want to be a human, do the same. LetТs try!

Jim trains. Everything is OK.

-        There is a method of communication in your tail to speak with other brothers and me. There is an electric charge on its end. You can defend yourself. We have a lot of enemies around us.- said Commodore.

-        Why have you chosen a rat for your purposes?- askedа Jim.- They are the most disgusting animals on the earth.

аCommodore turned on some buttons and Jim saw a film about rats on the screen. Commodore gave commentaries:

-This animal can swim, jump up, climb the trees, eat everything, live on every continent. A rat is much cleverer than the dog. It can easily graw wood, wire andа so on. YouТll know what we can. And what is about its beauty, our Lord created a rat as beautiful as an Arabic horseЕ well, itТs better to discuss some detailsЕ

It is JimТsа house again, Ann hasа just said УGood nightФ toаа the children. Nowа she is reading some book before sleeping. Jim-rat is watching her being under the sofa. He thinks :ФWhat a wonderful smell goes out from my wife! I didnТt suspect that there are so much аdifferent kinds of smell around us!Ф The door opened on the ground floor very quietly. Ratman turned to the door. Ann heard nothing . Suddenly one man in mask withа a pistol in his hand rushed into the room.

-        Shut up!- ordered he and hit Ann to the faceЕ

Theа next man in mask appeared in the room. He glued the scotch to AnnТs mouth. At this time Jim-rat appeared behind them. In a minute he became a man. At once he struck one of the robbers with a chair. Their fight wasnТt long. Very soon Jimа had to give up.

One of the robbers was holding aа pistol and said with laughter:-а What will you say now?

They put him handcuffs onа fixed JimТs hand to the table leg. The third robberа dragged little Sam and Jane.

Jim was trying to move but one of the robbers hit him so strongly in the stomach that Jim howled with pain.

While robbers were busy with his children Jim reached to the wire- УtailФ, that was lying on the floor nearby, twisted it round his hand andЕ Jim-rat hid under the bed. Empty handcuff were fastened to the tableТs leg. Next second the rat jumped and bit one of the robbersТ leg. The man in mask cried with all his might.

Sam ran downstairs at once. One robber followed him.

There were sounds of fight on the ground floor. One of the rats, waiting for lucky chance, became a little Chinese Li Uan. He was moving like aа lightening, attacking robbers. The other rat become a girl with golden hair. Her name wasа Diane. She was a good fighter too. She rushed into the room and hit the chief robber so strong that he dropped his weapon.

Very soon robbers were tied up tightly and laid on the floor.

Li Uan called to the police.

Everything is OK but Diane is wounded. One of the guests cut her hand with a knife. The wound is stillа bleeding. Three rats leftа the house, surrounding with three police cars.

It is early morning. Two brown rats and a grey one are running along the empty streets. The grey rat often stops. This rat is licking its bleeding paw. Sometimes a brown male licks her paw too. They are speaking.

-        Soon we must enter the canalization.- saysа li Uan nervously.- I am afraid of blood infection.

аHe kept licking DianaТ s paw.

-        Will it help?- asked Jim suspiciously.

-        The ratТs drivel is much more antiseptic than humanТsа one. But we must hurry up. The nearest downstairs is tooа far.

At the moment they heard from their tails:

-        Attention! If you are near to the square K-41!!! On the 7-th avenue, block ╣ 89, 35-th floor the maniac is waiting for his victim.- CommodoreТs voice was trembling.

-                   We are just here!- exclaimed Li Uan. Thenа he turned hisа head to Jim and Diana

-                   You stay here! I amа going alone!

-        IТll go with you! Ц offered Jim.

-        аGo, boys!- saidа Diana.- DonТt be worry about me!

Two brown rats ran to theа pointedа skyscraper.

аThe front door opened and they rushed into the hall. A man who was coming in cried:

-        Oh! Look at them!

аHe was surprised and frightened at the same time.

- Hold on! cried Li Uan-rat,аа DonТt damage your tail withа the door! Follow me!

аJim, as a usual rushed to the lift.

-        Not there!- hissed Li Uan, - Only on foot upstairs! Quickly!

аThere was nobody on the second floor and they became men again.

-        Now we can use a lift,- explained Li Uan.

They were in the cabin while Li Uan kept talking.

-        Do as I! You only help me! DonТt be surprised if you will see something unusual.

аThe lift stopped, they went out and found themselves before 4 rooms. One of them was halfclosed. Li Uan approached to the door, made a sign andЕ 2 rats smelled the airЕ It wasа smell of fresh blood.

-        We are late. Said Li Uan in aа lifeless voice.- He has just gone away. I must catch him! Follow me!

But instead of that, Jim came to the door closerЕ If he only knew!... It would be better not to come inЕ It was something aufull to look at the tortured young bodyЕ

Jim looked up. He couldа hardly believed his eyesЕ

аThe young girl, like that one who was lying on the floor, looked at him, standing in the airЕ

-        Jim! Quickly! It is the ghost!- Li Uan cried from the tail.- DonТt pay any attention at her. She will do nothing! Follow me!

Jim obeyedа automatically and ran. From time to time he smelled Li UanТs feetsteps.

аа When he reached the brave Chinese, it was the end of the fightingЕ. Li Uan hit strongly a tall man with a freckled face by the hand and the killer dropped his pistol.

ааа Jim, forgetting that he was a human, jumped up and bitа killerТs leg withа his teeth. He remembered that he was not a rat only when he swallowed warm blood. The killer fell down with a loud cry. The Chinese struck him with a right leg andа tall man stopped аmoving.

аJim was feeling sick. To swallow strange blood twice a day is too much for him.

Li Uan tiedа upа killerТs hands with a belt and said:

-        Soon the police will be here. We have done our work. Come on!

Jim didnТt remembered how he went back. Sometimes they were going along the streets, sometimes they were slidingа down in the canalization.

The white room again. Commodore shook JimТs hand:

-        Congratulationа Jim. It is your first win. Now you must rest. It was a difficult night for you.

Jim fell asleep at once. When he woke up, he saw Commodore besideа his bed.

-        IТm very grateful to you. But I must come to my family. Said Jim.

-        I knew you would say that. But remember, you place is here! Now go! I think we Сll meet very soon.

а(The end of the first chapter)

 

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