the best laid schemes

There was a squeak by his foot, and Crowley cracked one eye open to see the rat from before sitting in front of him, clutching a small, tarnished key in its mouth. Crowley blinked. “Huh,” he said. He was used to his schemes coming back to bite him in the ass, but this was the first time something demonic he had done seemed like it would actually end up helping him. The rat squeaked and then scurried up his arm, depositing the key to his manacles into his hand before returning to the floor. “Well,” Crowley murmured, a plan forming in his mind as his fingers curled around the key. He snapped his fingers, freeing himself with a miracle, and collapsed with a grateful sigh to sit properly on the floor. “Now,” he said, looking at the rat in front of him with a sharp smile. “How many friends might you have on this ship?”  [Over the years, Crowley's made some furry friends. Having an army of rats comes in handy, sometimes]