Clockwork Rat

"Come with me. I know the city and the dark. I can find you safe places to sleep, and food to eat, after a fashion. I can be the best friend you could ever imagine, if only you will put me down."

- Clockwork Rat

The Clockwork Rat is a fictional character in Perdita's Story, an introspective parable by the Sleeping Princess, in which he serves as the chief antagonist.

Physical Description
The Clockwork Rat is, as his name implies, a mechanical rat built from various mundane objects. His ears are made of open safety pins; his tail is made from a rubber wiper-blade; his whiskers are made from wires; his eyes are made from ball-bearings; his claws are made from surgical scissors; his teeth are made from the scraps of tin from under Perdita's father's workbench. Additionally, the rat's voice is a high-pitched metallic squeak. While without an actual sex, the rat is often referred to with male pronouns.

Role
The Clockwork Rat is a deceptive and manipulative character, a representation of Dr. Catherine Halsey. When caught by Perdita, he promises to help her survive and eventually find her way to her family. However, the rat secretly destroys the trail of red balloons she leaves, and in time alters her into a hideous cyborg while she sleeps.