Chapter 3. “A tail with a head that sees with his nose and smells with his tongue”

When Eve got back to her tank, she told her whole family about the strange creature called a snake with no body and no whiskers and whose head was attached to his tail. Most of the family was skeptical, and Phineous announced that he didn’t believe a word of it. “You’re just making up stories because you really didn’t do anything interesting tonight.”

Eve was squeaked at him and tried to bite his tail, but her mother interceded. “Now, Eve, try to get along with your cousins. Remember they won’t be here forever.”

“I’m not a liar,” she pouted. “I really did meet him.”

“I believe you, Eve,” said Athena, but Eve could tell that even Athena wasn’t sure.

Only her father, Moses, seemed to have no doubts about her story. But his reaction was not at all what she had expected. “Eve, you must never go near that creature again.”

“But, father, he’s not a cat!”

“No, but I think he is dangerous.”

“He’s in a tank,” laughed Eve. “What can he do to me?”

Her father didn’t answer for a moment. “Long ago,” he said at last, “when I lived in the pet store, I heard some rumors about snakes. I think you should stay away from it.”

Of course, as soon as he mentioned the pet store, all of the youngsters paid attention and began to beg for a story. So he told them about living with many other rats and seeing many kinds of people and sometimes other kinds of animals. “If you are a good rat, someday the boy will come and take you away to start a family of your own,” said Moses, “just as he took me from the pet store and brought me here.”

“I don’t see what being good has to do with it,” grumbled Eve, still in a bad mood. “Everyone gets taken away when they get old enough whether they’re good or not.”

But the young rats were busy asking questions about the strange people and animals, and they told her to be quiet.

The next night Eve went to see Malachi again. The snake was curled up under his log, and Eve had to tap and squeak to get him to come out. She was afraid of the cat, but she reminded herself of what Malachi had said: “The cat never comes on my shelf.”

When Malachi finally woke up, he came to the glass and looked curiously at Eve. “You’ve come again.”

“Yes,” said Eve. “I wanted to ask you a question.”

Malachi dangled his head over the edge of his log. “And what is your question?”

“Did you ever live in a pet store?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“My father tells all kinds of interesting stories about the pet store. It sounds like an exciting place.”

Malachi flicked his tongue. “If you have never been anywhere else, I suppose it is an exciting place.”

Eve looked surprised. “There are other places besides here and the pet store?”

Malachi’s bright little eyes looked amused. “Eve, there are more places in the world than there are hairs in your fur.”

Eve’s eyes grew round. She sat on the shelf while Malachi told her about a place he called “the outside.” He talked about trees and grass and wind and sky and sunshine.

Eve interrupted. “I don’t understand grass. Is it like carpet in the house?”

Malachi thought for a moment. “No. No, it’s more like fur…fur that grows on the ground.”

“And a tree… Is it like a chair?”

“No… But I think perhaps chairs are made of trees.”

“What about sun. Is it like the lamp on the desk?”

“Yes, only more so.”

Eve thought all this was very odd, and she wasn’t sure believed Malachi, but she liked to listen, and in the days that followed she came back often. Sometimes the cat was in the room, and this prevented Eve from visiting Malachi, but she was becoming adept at crossing the room quickly, and many nights she spent beside the tank on that shelf against the wall.

Malachi seemed to know something about everything. He told her stories about the “outside,” about humans, and about other animals like birds and lizards.

Sometimes he said strange things. One day Eve asked him why he stuck his tongue out all the time.

“To smell,” said the snake.

“You smell with your tongue,” said Eve doubtfully. “Malachi, that’s silly.”

“It’s true. I see with my nose.”

“What?!”

“I see heat with these pits around my snout. I can see your body because you’re giving off heat.”

Eve started to laugh so hard that she nearly fell off the shelf. “A tail with a head that sees with his nose and smells with his tongue!”

Malachi frowned. “I’m very efficient!” he growled. “You wouldn’t laugh if you—“

Eve sat up, still snickering. “If I what?”

Malachi curled his head back against his log. “Never mind.”

“Oh, don’t be a grouch. What were going to say?”

But the snake only flicked his tongue. “Nothing.”

“You would be happier if you had a family,” said Eve. “Why don’t you have a family, Malachi?”

“I don’t know. Probably because snakes are expensive to keep.”

“What does ‘expensive’ mean?”

“Nothing.”

“You say that a lot.”

He pretended not to hear her. “Why do you think I should have a family?”

“Because we rats always have families. When we get to be old enough, they take us away to have families.”

Malachi looked uneasy. “Oh?”

“Yes, that’s what happened to my parents, and when I get old enough—“

“It’s late, Eve,” he interrupted. “You should go home.”

She twitched her whiskers. “Well… Alright. Goodnight, Malachi.”