"This is where our Chief's usually to be found," said the first rabbit. "I'll go in and tell him you're here. His name's Burdock, by the way," he added before disappearing down the nearest of the holes.
Burdock, when he came out to meet them, immediately struck El-ahrairah favorably. His manner was not at all unfriendly, and he seemed to think it only natural that a couple of hlessil should want to stay in his warren for a while.
"We have hardly any trouble with elil here," he said, "and so far we've been left alone by men. I suppose you've come from quite a long way off, havent you? No other warrens anywhere near here, as far as I know. You can certainly stay here as long as you like.
El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle settled in comfortably and found the warren so much to their liking that they felt in no particular hurry to move on. The rabbits were as friendly and sociable as anyone could wish. Burdock in particular showed himself glad of the visitors company and of the opportunity to learn more from them about the world they had come from. He and several of his Owsla often came to silflay beside them of an evening, and would ask them to tell of their adventures out in the Beyond.
In his replies, El-ahrairah was always careful to say nothing about the Black Rabbit, and as their hosts were too polite to ask about his mutilated ears, he was able to avoid the whole subject of their reason for wandering and of whether they had any particular destination in mind. They obviously felt respect both for him and for Rabscuttle as rabbits who had traveled far and wide and survived all manner of perils.
"I could never have done all you've done," said Celandine, the captain of Owsla, as they lay on the bank together one sunny evening. "I like to feel safe, myself. I've never felt any wish to go anywhere outside this warren."
"Well, none of you have ever been driven to it, have you?" replied Rabscuttle. You've certainly been lucky there."
"Why, have you been driven to it?" asked Celandine.
Rabscuttle, catching a warning glance from El-ahrairah, merely answered, "Well, you could say so," and, as Celandine did not press him, left it at that.
It was past sunset one evening a few days later, and most of the rabbits were about to end silflay and settle in for the night, when yet another hlessi, a total stranger, came limping along the bank and asking to be taken to the Chief Rabbit. When it was suggested to him that he might stop and feed first, he became frantic, insisting that his news was urgent, a matter of life and death. Then he collapsed on the grass, apparently exhausted. Someone went to tell Burdock, who came at once, accompanied by El-ahrairah, Rabscuttle and Celandine. At first they could not bring the stranger round at all, but after a time he opened his eyes, sat up and asked which was the Chief Rabbit. Burdock told him kindly to take his time before trying to talk, but this only agitated him still further.
"Rats," he panted. "The rats are coming. Thousands of rats. Killers."
"Coming here, do you mean?" asked Burdock. "Where are they coming from? Are you saying we're in danger from them? We're not afraid of rats as a rule."
"Yes," answered the hlessi. "Your whole warren's in danger. You're all in deadly peril. This is a mass migration of rats. They're not more than a single day away from here. They're killing every creature they find in their way. It was long before dawn this morning--it was in the middle of last night--when all of us--every rabbit in our warren--woke up to find them in among us. No one had heard or smelled them coming. Some of us tried to fight, but it was impossible. There were a thousand rats to every rabbit. Some of us did our best to clear out and run, but I think I must have been the only rabbit who managed it. I couldn't see much in the dark, but when I got outside I couldn't hear any other rabbits. There were rats everywhere--every rat in the world, you'd have thought. There was no chance of looking for other rabbits. I simply ran. As it was, I had to run right through a whole crowd of them. I've got bites all over my legs. I don't know how on earth I managed to get clear. One moment I was kicking and biting--just frantically, no thought of anything except that I was terrified--and the next I realized they'd apparently left off and I was alone in the grass. I'm afraid I didn't stop to look for other rabbits, and neither would you. But later--a long time later--I looked down from where I'd got to and saw the rats down below me, crowds of them, coming this way. You couldn't see the grass for rats. I'd say they're bound to be here by tomorrow. Your only chance is to get out, and quickly."
Burdock turned to Celandine with a look of dismay and uncertainty.
"What are we to do, do you think?"
But Celandine seemed equally daunted.
"I don't know. Whatever you say, Chief Rabbit."
"Should we call a meeting of the Owsla and put it to them?"
At this, El-ahrairah, who had so far said nothing, felt that he must interpose.
"Chief Rabbit, you haven't got the time to spare for a meeting. The rats will almost certainly be here before ni-Frith tomorrow. You've got to go, and quickly too."
"If our rabbits will come," said Burdock. "They may refuse. They haven't heard anything about rats yet."
"You've got no choice," said El-ahrairah.
"But where can we go?" asked Celandine. "On two sides of this warren there's a river much too broad to swim. The rats would catch our rabbits on the bank. And on the sunset side there's nothing but the marsh."
"How wide is that?" asked El-ahrairah.
"None of us know. No one's ever crossed it. It wouldn't be possible to cross it. There are no paths. It's all pools and quagmires. We'd only sink in the mud. But the rats wouldn't. They're so much lighter, you see."
"Well, from what you've told me, I think we'll have to try. Chief Rabbit, I'll undertake to lead them through the marsh myself, if you'll back me up and tell them they've got to follow me."
"And what in Frith's name do you know about it?" said Celandine angrily. "A brainless hlessi, who's only been here a few days."
"Well, please yourself," said El-ahrairah. "You haven't suggested anything else, and I'm ready to do my best for you."
Then Burdock and Celandine began arguing with each other to no purpose whatever, impelled, as El-ahrairah could see, by nothing but their own fear and by a sort of panic-stricken notion that if only they could go on talking, something would happen.
"Rabscuttle," he said quietly, "go round everywhere as quick as you can and tell the rabbits about the rats. Then tell them that you and I are going to guide them across the marsh and that we'll be starting fu Inle. Tell them they're all to meet me by that plane tree over there--do you see the one I mean?--and that there's no time to lose. If some of them say they won't come, you can't stand about arguing. You'll just have to leave them. And above all, don't let them think you're afraid. Act as calm and confident as you can."