He wore a long dark cloak, trailing on the floor so its edges were all dirty and greasy.
On his head was a helmet with a spike coming out of the top (it would have looked really scary, except that somebody had stuck a bit of used chewing gum on the top.)
He had long sticky whiskers, and a big black cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth, with ash dribbling off it. (It stank, just like he did!)
His total fashion look was completed by a pair of baggy trousers with some mucky stuff on each knee, and a VERY grubby Britney Spears T-shirt. (Why?)
It was Mr Fruity, king of the cyber rats!!
“I was just - ” said Cruncher, trembling so that his ratty knees knocked together. Scared to death!
No good! Mr Fruity reached out grabbed one of the cyber rat’s ears, twisting it hard to one side (you could see Cruncher hadn’t cleaned that in a long time too!)
“Ow ow OWWWW!” went Cruncher. All the other cyber rats who’d gathered round hoping for a bit of fun fell about laughing. They really are a horrible lot!
“Now what did we say Cruncher you clot?” bellowed Mr Fruity, twisting the cyber rat’s ear so hard he was nearly doubled over backwards. “WHAT did I tell you?”
Cruncher gasped with pain. “Don’t… mess… with… the money!”
“Louder!” shouted Mr Fruity.
“DON’T – MESS – WITH – THE MONEY! OW OWW OUCH!!!”
“Right!” With a final, cruel twist, Mr Fruity let Cruncher go. The rat slumped down on the floor, rubbing his sore, red ear and whimpering to himself. Mr Fruity looked down at him and laughed. Then he jerked his thumb towards Dot and her friends.
“This ‘orrible bunch of cleanies are gonna give us access to Phargon – all of it! Then, anyone who wants to access memory on the Internet is gonna have to come through us! So right now we need ‘em in good shape – even that flop-eared mutt!”
“GRRRRRRRRR!” went Wizzy. Dot reached down and stroked him. Just you wait, Mr Fruity she thought, gritting her teeth. Just you wait!
Mr Fruity looked at her and curled his ratty lip, showing one long brown fang. Then he swept his cloak round him and pointed at Dot and her friends.
“ ‘Cos THEY are going to make those stoopid Zildiths give it up for us - Phargon, those blasted kids of the Casement or whatever they’re called – the whole lot! THEN we have the power! At last! Cyber rats rule! CYBER RATS RULE!”
“CYBER RATS RULE! CYBER RATS RULE!” all the rats shouted, air punching and stamping their paws, so that clouds of dust rose up from the floor of their cavern.
Enough, thought Dot. ENOUGH!! Now it’s MY turn!
“And what makes you think we’ll help you do that, you… you… slimeball!” she shouted, so angry, she didn’t care about the risk she was taking.
“Oo-er!” went Mr Mouse, slipping back under the shoulder of her T-shirt.
All the cyber rats suddenly shut up. They were in shock. Even Cruncher stopped his whimpering from where he was curled up on the floor. No-one had EVER spoken like that to Mr Fruity before – certainly not in his own lair!!
Mr Fruity stared at Dot, his eyes narrowed to slits. Then he leant forward towards her – right up close, so his little ratty nose was almost touching hers. His lips curled back in a kind snarly smile (or smiley snarl.) A cloud of his smelly breath came out. Aarrgghh!
It was horrible, but Dot refused to move. Not a centimetre, no WAY!
Then Mr Fruity reached out with one scaly claw and tickled Dot under her chin.
“I’ll show you why, Dotty girly” he said. “You’ll soon see! Follow me!”
Then he turned round, his cloak swishing behind him, and marched off, all the cyber rats making way for him as he stamped along towards the back of the cave.
“Come on Wiz!” said Dot, still angry, with two hot red patches high on her cheeks. “We’ll sort this out!”
“I’ll sort him out!” growled Wiz.
Without turning round, Mr Fruity laughed, sneeringly. “Oh no you won’t, flaptail” he sneered. “Not if you want out of here in one piece!”
Now they were near the end of the cavern. It was dark here, and there
was a dripping sound – like water was coming in somewhere, only you couldn’t see any… just green and black slimy trails down the rough walls. Where were they going?
Then, without warning Mr Fruity stopped. The cave was really narrow now, and it looked like there was no further to go – only Dot couldn’t be sure, because it was so dark. It was cold, too, and there was that kind of smell you get when you leave a towel scrunched up all night after your bath so it doesn’t dry properly (and you get into trouble with your mum!)
“Now then!” said Mr Fruity. He reached out in front of them, and grabbed a kind of torch that was hanging down on a string from a rusty hook.
He switched it on and shone it on the walls, running it down till he found what looked like a kind of huge wart on the wall. Not something you’d want to touch!!
He did though. And as he did, there was a groaning, slithering sound, and a shape started appearing – pushing out from the wall of the cavern like a mummy from an Egyptian tomb.
Mr Fruity looked down at Dot and grinned, his eyes almost disappearing into little slits.
“Get THIS Dot!” he said. “You’ll help us all right!”
