Chapter 1

"Wasn't Old Deuteronomy something?" demanded Tumblebrutus, hopping up and down as he remembered the events of the previous night with his Tom friends. Tumble, the white and brown patched kitten with a distinctive brown patch over his nose and right eye, was sitting with his two best friends and Admetus, their guardian for the night, in a patch of moonlight in the Junkyard.

The Jellicle Ball had been the night before, the most exciting thing to happen in their short lives, there had been singing and dancing, and even an attack on the much-loved Old Deuteronomy. It had been a night full of drama.

"Yeah, the way Deuteronomy got us all dancing together, it was like we were one cat!" agreed the youngest Tom, the fluffy bi-colour tabby Carbuckety.

"The Everlasting cat!" yelled Pouncival, an excitable brown, black and white patch cat with a comet of brown that ran from his temple across his left eye.

"And then he got all the cats to forgive Grizabella by giving that speech!" grinned Tumblebrutus, doing a forward roll in his excitement.

"I didn't get that, even when Jemima sang it for us," complained Carbuckety, batting at his ears in confusion, then grabbing his tail to chew on the tip.

"That's because you're dumb," Pouncival told him, poking out a cheeky tongue.

"He's not, he's just young," scolded Carbuckety's brother Admetus, tossing his white centre lock of fur out of his eyes. "And 'Buckets, he wanted us to look inside ourselves, and the memories we share with the Everlasting Cat, to see that happiness is a cycle. We can always turn to the sun again."

"Cool," said Carbuckety, giving his older brother a smile. Carbuckety was almost a copy of his older brother, except he didn't have the lock of white fur that Admetus liked to show off.

"Yeah!" enthused Tumblebrutus, still thinking about the Ball. "And Grizabella remembered her happiness and she got her hope back and Old Deuteronomy sent her to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn! One day I want to be like Deuteronomy."

"Live long enough and you might," agreed Alonzo coming up from behind the kits gathered in the moonlight. "But to do that I think you had better not be late for Jennyanydots lessons."

"Yes Alonzo!" the kits chorused and quickly scampered away.

"You are such a kill joy in your old age." Admetus told his friend, falling into place besides the black and white patched Tom as he headed for the Junkyards front gate.

"I had to get you away from them somehow – you're the best of us Toms at mice-ing," the other Tom told him.

"Except for Mister Mistoffelees. But I guess I am kinda good at what I do," Admetus admitted modestly. "Speaking of which – that was quite a show he and Tugger put on last night. Really amazing!"

"Yeah," Alonzo didn't sound as happy about it as his friend was. "But Macavity isn't going to let it rest, Misto' put a target on himself. Munkustrap is already setting him curfews, he's gotta have an adult with him all the time, like young kits do, and Tugger is supposed to stay close to the yard too. Would not like to be one of them for the next few months, that's for sure."

"Yeah, I guess. The sparkles were still pretty though."