That afternoon, Sara Crewe was out of the house. A very strange thing happened in the attic. Only Melchisedec saw and heard it. Melchisedec was the rat that lived in the wall. He was very afraid. He ran to his hole and hid there. He watched through a small crack with his bright eyes.
The attic was very quiet all day. The only sound was the rain on the roof. Melchisedec found it very boring. When the rain stopped, the rat came out to look for food. He found a small bread crumb on the floor. Suddenly, he heard a sound on the roof. Something was moving near the skylight (a window in the roof).
The skylight (a window in the roof) opened slowly. A man with a dark face looked into the room. Then another man looked in behind him. They were very quiet and careful. The men wanted to enter the attic. One man was Ram Dass. The other man was the secretary (a person who helps with work and writing). The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) worked for the Indian gentleman.
Ram Dass moved very quickly and quietly. He climbed down into the room. He did not make any noise. Melchisedec was terrified. The rat ran back into his hole. He knew Sara Crewe was kind. Sara Crewe gave him crumbs and whistled softly. But these men were strangers. Strangers were dangerous.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) climbed into the room after Ram Dass. He saw the rat's tail disappear. He asked if there were rats in the attic. Ram Dass said there were many rats in the walls. The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) was surprised. He wondered why Sara Crewe was not afraid of them.
Ram Dass smiled. He said that Sara Crewe was a friend to all things. He told the secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) about the girl. Ram Dass said he often watched her from his own window. He saw her talk to the birds. He saw her feed the rat. He saw her help the poor servant, Becky.
Ram Dass said that Sara Crewe was a special child. He said that Miss Minchin was a very mean woman. Miss Minchin treated Sara Crewe very badly. But Sara Crewe always acted like the daughter of a king. Ram Dass knew many things about Sara Crewe's life. He knew when she was sad or hungry.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) asked if Sara Crewe would come back soon. He did not want her to see them. He did not want to ruin the plan of Mr. Carrisford. Ram Dass said that Sara Crewe was out with her basket. She would be away for a long time. Ram Dass stood by the door to listen for footsteps.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) took a notebook and a pencil. He walked around the small, cold room. He wrote down many notes. He went to the small bed and touched it. He said the bed was very hard. He said they must change the bed one day.
He looked at the thin blankets and the old sheets. He saw the empty fireplace. He said the room was very cold. Ram Dass said that Miss Minchin never gave Sara Crewe a fire. Miss Minchin did not care if Sara Crewe was cold. The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) wrote everything in his notebook.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) asked who started this plan. Ram Dass said it was his idea. One night, he listened at the skylight (a window in the roof). He heard Sara Crewe telling a story. She pretended the room was warm and full of beautiful things. The story made her feel better.
Ram Dass told the story to Mr. Carrisford. Mr. Carrisford was very ill and sad. The story about the girl made him feel interested. Now, Mr. Carrisford wanted to make Sara Crewe’s stories come true. He wanted to change the room while she was asleep.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) asked if Sara Crewe would wake up. Ram Dass said he could move very quietly. He said he would bring things through the window at night. When Sara Crewe woke up, she would think it was magic. It would be like a story from the Arabian Nights (a famous book of magic stories).
The men did not stay long. The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) wrote notes about the floor and the table. Ram Dass said he put some small nails in the walls. They could use the nails to hang things later. The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) said Mr. Carrisford was a kind man.
The secretary (a person who helps with work and writing) said it was sad that Mr. Carrisford could not find the lost girl. Ram Dass said that perhaps God would help him. Then the two men climbed back out of the skylight (a window in the roof). They were as quiet as cats.
Melchisedec felt much better when the men were gone. He waited for a few minutes. Then he came out of his hole. He hoped the men dropped some food from their pockets. He looked for crumbs on the floor again. He was happy to be alone in the quiet attic.