The Xagthrath was patient. It had learned the hard way that patience was the best way to catch a biped. That’s how it had acquired the extra camouflage of socks, jeans, and shirts that seemed to attract them so well.
The bipeds were great because they were filling. The one biped was worth several of the small quadrupeds with the sharp teeth that it normally captured. And, usually, just being very still and waiting for them to touch it was sufficient to snare one.
This one was different, though. It seemed to be more wary than the others. The Xagthrath had really disliked being poked with that stick. He probably shouldn’t have reacted by swatting at the biped with it, but it had HURT. He wasn’t used to being hurt.
And now the biped seemed to be more wary than before. It was making sounds with another biped, and they were both looking at him. He hoped one or both of them would stick around and try again. He would try to avoid doing anything else to frighten the biped.
He would wait. He was good at that. He had learned to be patient.
After she left I looked back at the pile of clothes. What could she possibly have meant about the Super being in on it. In on what?
While I was thinking, I heard a scratching noise coming from behind the rack of washers and a rat poked his nose around the corner. I held very still, tightening my grip on the broom handle in case it decided to come my way. It was tentatively sniffing the room and moving farther away from the machines. There wasn’t a sound but its claws on the tile.
It decided to check out the wet pile of clothes. It moved closer, sniffing.
Suddenly it’s feet started furiously scrabbling back against the tile. It started squealing, but a sock wrapped around its head and shut off the sound. The rat was frantic now, but it was being pulled inexorably toward the pile.
After a few minutes its head was no longer visible. It stopped struggling and went limp. But it kept being pulled. Slowly it disappeared until only the tail was left. Then that disappeared, too.
Some people might have been shocked, but I’ve seen a lot in my years. There was that amusement-park scale I had to disassemble after some guy floated off it. But if I start telling those stories I won’t finish this one.