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Speaker 1: Hello friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. We have

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Speaker 1: a special story to share with you today. Over the

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Speaker 1: next few weeks, we are going to share excerpts from

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Speaker 1: The Rat King by Patti Larson. The Rat King is

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Speaker 1: an exciting continuation of the Cat City story, an adventure

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Speaker 1: we produced previously on sleep Tight Stories. Many of you

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Speaker 1: have asked if we would be producing more now that

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Speaker 1: the adventures of Susan and Tucker are continuing. In Cat City,

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Speaker 1: we were introduced to a world where cats and humans coexist,

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Speaker 1: and our main character, Susan embarks on thrilling adventures with

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Speaker 1: her cat friends. In the The story picks up where

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Speaker 1: Cat City left off, with Susan showing signs of magic

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Speaker 1: outside the city and the rats plotting more conflict. The

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Speaker 1: Rat King is a story best listened to by older kids,

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Speaker 1: but don't worry, we have edited out the older kids

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Speaker 1: stuff for sleep Tight Stories. This story is so much

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Speaker 1: fun that we have given it its own podcast. So

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Speaker 1: if you love Cat City and want to listen, talk

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Speaker 1: to your parents and follow The Rat King on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

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Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thank you. Tucker has

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Speaker 1: seen Susan and heard all about her dreams. He is

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Speaker 1: not sure what they mean, but knows he needs to

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Speaker 1: talk to the council about it. When he returns to

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Speaker 1: the city, he tells Vinnie what Susan told him, and

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Speaker 1: they worry that it is magic, which Susan shouldn't be

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Speaker 1: able to feel outside the city. The Rat King Chapter three,

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Speaker 1: Tucker considered going home first. His mother had, after all,

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Speaker 1: taken a place on the council, so he had access

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Speaker 1: to her, at least in theory. However, knowing Cynthia's attitude

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Speaker 1: towards Susan had him dashing through the city streets, leaving

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Speaker 1: home and such thoughts behind him. Experience with the previous

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Speaker 1: council had taught him well. After all, the cats would

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Speaker 1: only listen if he forced them to. Tucker, he slid

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Speaker 1: to a halt at the familiar voice calling his name,

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Speaker 1: waiting as the huge tabby cat caught up. Finnie shook

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Speaker 1: out his full mane, tufted ears, twitching as his gold

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Speaker 1: eyes glinted with concern. He was head and shoulders taller

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Speaker 1: than Tucker and massive as most of his breed, But

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Speaker 1: Finni had always been a kind and caring friend and

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Speaker 1: one of the only cats Tucker trusted without question what's wrong.

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Speaker 1: He glanced sideways at a pair of Siamese who hurried

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Speaker 1: past after a quick look their way. Only then did

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Speaker 1: he realize he must have appeared as upset and frantic

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Speaker 1: on the outside as he felt on the inside. Tucker

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Speaker 1: took a moment and a breath to pull himself together

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Speaker 1: before answering his big friend, Tonight was the first time

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Speaker 1: I got to go above since I took Susan home,

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Speaker 1: he said. Vinnie seemed surprised by that, frowning enough that

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Speaker 1: Tucker decided his friend hadn't been in on the arrangement

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Speaker 1: to keep him here in Cat City. If anything, it

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Speaker 1: seemed the Guard Captain had been in the dark too,

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Speaker 1: despite his rank. I just found out Susan's been having

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Speaker 1: nightmares all along. He kept his voice low, walking on

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Speaker 1: at a more sedate pace as Vinnie joined him on

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Speaker 1: his journey, Tucker looked up at his favorite statue on

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Speaker 1: the way past the fountain in the central Garden, the

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Speaker 1: sweet young woman holding her cat, the pear frozen in

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Speaker 1: white marble, forever calming him somewhat as he passed. But

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Speaker 1: I don't think they're just bad dreams. Vinni, the big

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Speaker 1: tabby shook his head again, but not in denial. You

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Speaker 1: think she's still connected to the rats. Vinny seemed to

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Speaker 1: think he wasn't smart, but Tucker never believed him, and

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Speaker 1: in making that connection, proved it. But he frowned, then,

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Speaker 1: slowing his steps, face scrunching as if he fought against

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Speaker 1: something inside him. You're sure, never mind, he chuffed softly

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Speaker 1: under his breath in apology. One more big shake, sending

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Speaker 1: a soft cloud of shed fur flying Phinny's normally kind,

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Speaker 1: in caring expression back to normal. Of course you are.

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Speaker 1: For a moment, Tucker considered asking Vinny what just happened?

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Speaker 1: Hadn't he just seen the main coon go through some

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Speaker 1: kind of inner turmoil? What was that about? Instead, he

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Speaker 1: chose to carry on, grateful for his friend's confidence in him,

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Speaker 1: and knowing the big cat loved Susan as much as

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Speaker 1: he did. Tucker quickly told Finny what Susan told him,

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Speaker 1: their pace naturally picking up as they neared Center Square

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Speaker 1: and the home of the council office. We have to

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Speaker 1: do something, he finished, as they paused outside the Long

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Speaker 1: building's main door. When a full meeting was called, everyone

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Speaker 1: gathered in the square below the teared steps, acting like

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Speaker 1: a kind of theater, but day to day inquiries were

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Speaker 1: held behind closed doors. In the long marble office beyond

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Speaker 1: the tall gold doors where the two friends spoke, Tucker

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Speaker 1: did his best not to let his nerves get the

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Speaker 1: best of him, despite knowing what he had to do next.

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Speaker 1: If she's starting to hear the rat King's voice in

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Speaker 1: her night, it has to be magic, Vinnie hissed softly,

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Speaker 1: ears flattening sideways as his whiskers drooped. They're not going

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Speaker 1: to like that, Tuck, they said. She wouldn't have access

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Speaker 1: to magic outside the city. His friend's reaction only made

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Speaker 1: Tucker more determined. They don't have to like it, he said.

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Speaker 1: In fact, I don't want them happy. I want them

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Speaker 1: to listen for once. The rats aren't done and Susan

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Speaker 1: is in danger. Seeing Vinnie's hesitation only deepened Tucker's determination.

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Speaker 1: He was surprised to find his words had come out

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Speaker 1: in a snarl. Normally he'd be embarrassed at his show

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Speaker 1: of emotion. A gatekeeper of the Great Gate to Cat

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Speaker 1: City was meant to be professional and calm at all times.

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Speaker 1: He took a lot of pride in his position, especially

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Speaker 1: since only his mother was purebread, and while being a

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Speaker 1: gatekeeper had been a lifelong dream only realized thanks to

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Speaker 1: the support of a fallen trader, Tucker refused to judge

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Speaker 1: himself for standing his ground when the council suggested he

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Speaker 1: step aside. It wasn't his fault that former councilor Kai

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Speaker 1: had betrayed them all to the rats. It was only

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Speaker 1: the fact Tucker and Susan had saved Cat City that,

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Speaker 1: in short, he retained his place. He was sure of that,

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Speaker 1: but he'd even give up that coveted position if necessary,

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Speaker 1: if it would mean they would finally pay attention to

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Speaker 1: the warnings he'd been talked out of the last week.

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Speaker 1: They had to listen. They just had to, no matter

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Speaker 1: his seeming resistance. When Vinnie finally nodded, Tucker was relieved.

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Speaker 1: I've got your back, Vinnie said, his giant, bushy tail

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Speaker 1: winding around Tucker's as the massive main coon nodded slowly.

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Speaker 1: His often gentle and playful personality had vanished, replaced by

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Speaker 1: the powerful leader and warrior he'd become, and Tucker was

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Speaker 1: suddenly very happy to have him on their side, not

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Speaker 1: just because Vinnie was his oldest friend, but because the

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Speaker 1: Guard captain was so well respected that surely the council

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Speaker 1: would have to listen. Whatever you need, Tucker, you know

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Speaker 1: I adore Susan too. Tucker swallowed hard, his throat now tight,

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Speaker 1: eyes slowly blinking tears away as he headbutted his big friend. Thanks, Vinny,

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Speaker 1: he said, voice cracking, before he cleared his throat and

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Speaker 1: wared his shoulders, ears alert, head high. I'm glad you're here,

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Speaker 1: Vinnie chuckled, puffing out his full mane, almost doubling in size,

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Speaker 1: casting a broad shadow. Hey, you're the brains of this friendship,

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Speaker 1: he said, I'm just the muscle, so if it's backup

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Speaker 1: you need, I'm always your cat. There was a belief

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Speaker 1: of his Again, Tucker wanted to argue Vinnie was far

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Speaker 1: from stupid, and his butterscotch friend hated it when the

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Speaker 1: big Maine coon talked about himself like that, but this

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Speaker 1: wasn't the time or the place for that conversation. Grateful

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Speaker 1: for the support, Knowing what he was walking into, even

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Speaker 1: if he held out hope otherwise, Tucker bobbed and nod

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Speaker 1: to his friend and approached the gold door. It opened

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Speaker 1: at the touch of his nose. Swinging silently inward, Tucker

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Speaker 1: inhaled slowly of the cool, fragrant air inside, taking one

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Speaker 1: more moment to steady his nerves before entering the quiet

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Speaker 1: interior of the Council Office. And that is the end

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Speaker 1: of this part. Good night, sleep tight,