"It's not fair!" Etcetera wailed.

Even Victoria nodded; sweet Victoria who avoided conflict any chance she had. She put a supportive arm around her sister.

Plato responded, in a tone that was part exasperated, part smug, and part guilty:

"It's tradition. Only toms get to join in the annual Snowball War. Munk told me."

Jemima piped in, feistily: "I can hardly believe that! Surely the queens above us have played?"

Pouncival shook his head solemnly.

"Surely they're protested this?"

"Mac told Demeter 'No' and she did whatever Mac said back in those days, and Bomba was going all crazy about it until she found out Tugger would be sitting out. Then," Pounce continued with a smirk, "she decided it wasn't that big of a deal, really."

Electra spat, "Well, that's one great big step forward for females."

Tumblebrutus put in, "Bit of a step backwards, I would think."

Electra gave him a withering look. "Sarcasm, Tumble."

He shrank a few inches.

"Anyways," Plato said loudly, exasperation taking over, "there's no way around it. Boys only."

"Unfair!" Etcetera wailed. Her bubbly holiday spirit was crushed. All was not right in the world if she didn't get to throw snowballs. "We want to play!"

Pounce patted her shoulder. "It's for your own benefit. Things are rough out there-Admetus broke some ribs last year. We," he gestured to himself, Tumble, and Plato, "only get to play 'cause we're big now. Think about it. If Munkustrap or Alonzo hit one of you sweet little queens-" his look passed significantly over Jemima, Electra, Victoria, and Etcetera-"we'd be scraping you out of the snow."

Jemima flushed especially at this comment.

"But Plato," she insisted, "girls can compensate in other ways! We can be sneaky, or smarter-"

"Or hide!" Victoria chimed in, because her brilliant white coat was nearly indistinguishable in the snow. She gazed at Plato as if this was the solution to all their problems.

Plato shifted uncomfortably. Letting down Victoria was like telling a kitten that milk was secretly made of blanched beets. Crushing.

"Sorry, girls," he said (the first time in the whole discussion),"but Munk told me so." He turned abruptly and strode away. Pounce took his paw from Etcetera's shoulder, where it had been gently patting the whole time, and followed. Tumble hesitated, looking very guilty. But he too followed Plato.

Etcetera pouted. Electra sighed, "We're brand new queens, and what do we get? No snowball fight, I'll tell you that much."

"C'mon," Jemima said, shaking a light dusting of snow from her fur and striding with purpose towards main gathering area of the Jellicle junkyard, "Let's talk to Munkustrap ourselves. Plead our case. He's not a jerk. He might let us play."

"Alonzo won't," Etcetera said with certainty. "Or Plato. Or even Pounce. And I thought they were our friends! I mean, we've had playfights, and snowfights, since we were all kittens!"

Electra bit her lip. "They do have a point."

Victoria asked, "And what's that?"

"Since they became full-grown toms, like Rumpus and Mistoffelees..." she looked sheepish. "They are a lot bigger than us."

Jemima sighed dramatically. "Enough about that."

Victoria furrowed her brow. "They do play awful rough...Pounce nearly crushed Etcy the other day, and he's the smallest one." Her steps grew decidedly slower.

Etcetera shrugged it off. "I should have dodged. That's why we should play! We're a lot quicker than they are!"

"Up here?" Electra tapped her head. "Yes. As for the rest of it-" she gave a significant glance to the other queens, from head to tail. "Not really."

"But-" Jemima said, still marching, "Demeter is the fastest cat."

"Queen. Not cat. Tugger (if he had the inclination) could run laps around her."

"That's kind of unfair," Victoria said. "To be the biggest and the fastest?"

Etcetera giggled. "Well, he is awesome."

"Electra, whose side are you on?" Jemima asked in exasperation. She stopped dead and turned to face her adopted sister.

Electra sighed. "I don't mean to be down on you. I want to play, too. But before I was a Jellicle-" Everyone knew Electra had been a stray who grew up on the streets-"that was the law of the streets. You didn't get into it with males."

Jemima nodded slowly. "That must be why Demeter is so fast."

"I assume so."

Jemima pounded her paw with a fist. "Damnit, that's why have to play!"

The other queens were a little shocked to hear dirty language from sweet little Jemima. But their ears perked up in interest.

"Electra survived the streets! So did Demeter-and Bombalurina! We are plenty capable of fighting, and winning. Snowball fight, or the game of life itself! We are queens, and we can do anything toms can do. Probably better."

Etcy clapped enthusiastically. Even Electra was convinced. "You're right. We'll throw clumps of frozen water-and-dust-and-pollutants at the boys because we can!"

Jemima beamed. "What are we waiting for? Let's hurry and talk to Munk! They're almost starting!"

"If Munk doesn't listen, you can always bat your big beautiful brown eyes at Alonzo, and he might let us play!"

Jemima whirled around, but Victoria seemed innocently sincere. Sometimes it was hard to tell with the white queen. Jemima twitched, and looked back ahead to where they could see the tall tomcats starting to gather, full of laughter and good spirits. She picked out the black coat of Mr. Mistoffelees, the darkest thing in the junkyard come winter. She took a deep breath. "Let's go to war."