Ex Rat Continued

The pool man after waiting patiently at the edge of the pool for the water bottle to bob towards him, scoops it out of the water, shaking the excess back into the pool.

"Anyway."

The woman sits on the edge of her lounger and scrolls through her emails.

"Anyway what?"

The man squats down at the edge of the pool and then quickly stretches out to do a few press-ups in quick succession

The pool man walks slowly up to where the line of loungers are set out for members, pristine white cotton each with a lotus flower placed on the head rest. Quietly he moves to within a few metres. The rat doesn't see him until too late

The pool man retraces his steps. He seems happy with his catch.

The man finishes off his series of press-ups with a few mid-air hand claps before he pushes himself up to standing.

The woman finishes scrolling.

" What time are we meeting for dinner?"

"Meeting? Who?"

" Hurlupta and her husband."

"Where?"

"At dinner."

"And why?"

" The vice counsel is due to be there."

"Oh. Best be there in good time."

The rat is uncooperative as the pool man plunges him into the bottle. He squeaks forlornly, his tail twitching,his wet fur pressed against the sides but with a few more shoves he is in. Squashed and forlorn.

"Anyway maybe we can ask someone at the dinner."

"About what?"

"About a maid who doesn't steal."

"Maybe its someone else."

"Who?"

"I don't know, the guard?"

"Don't we pay him enough?"

" It's all taken care of."

"Someone is taking care of themselves all right. A helping hand helping themselves."

The pool man smiles at the rat in the water bottle. With the tip of his pen he pierces the plastic giving the rat an airhole. His squeak sounds louder now and the pool man looks around. There is no one to hear except the two foreigners at the side of the pool. The pool man watches the man and woman, his stare unblinking for some time. The rat is shifting in the bottle, his small claws scrape at the plastic. The pool man shifts it from one hand to the other as he watches the man and woman. The squeak gets louder.

Gently he lowers the rat in the bottle into the water, gently making waves in the direction of the man and the woman.