As
he watches, he can hear the fire spread. It's not long before its'
tongues are licking at the windows and stretching for the thatch.
The snap and crackle of wood splintering herald the appearance of a
middle aged woman, ushering her children out through the door into
the rodent infested night. Her cries for help are soon attended,
other townsfolk appearing in the street among the rats, to form a
line from the well to her door. In a mere matter of moments water is
being moved to combat the flames.
The
rats, however, have other ideas. A large group breaks away from the
main body, engulfing the well: biting the extremities of all who
approach, gnawing at the ropes a pulley, leaving a wake of havoc and
sabotage. A second group sets itself the task of spreading the
flames, running into the fire, only to emerge seconds later, all
ablaze and stampeding towards other buildings.
