"Oh, Boss is gunna be so angry wif us!" Whined the first shadow. The second, who was obviously the one in charge, gave the first a cuff on the head, "Stop ya' whinin', ya twit! 'Ow many toimes do Oi gottta tell ya—this is all par' of the plan!"

"'E di'int look none too pleased," the first replied in a small voice.

"It's Macavity; 'e's neva pleased," retorted the second. The first gave a wise nod of the head. Apparently what the second said was true.

"Oi jus' know they are gonna blame us," the first whined again, turning around nervously in small circles. "They know all abou' yore wicked deeds—sing abou' it allatime. They'll know it was us who helped 'im take Old Dee."

"Shut ya 'owling screamer for jus' one minnit, will ya?" the second's voice was filled with exasperation. It had been a long night. "Eva'lastin' Cat, you are the wo'st pah'na Oi've eva hadda put up wif."

"Oi! Not fair! Grid's wo'se than Oi am—she sheds!"

"Alroight, alroight—y'are betteh than Griddlebone. But no' by much."

"Oi!"

"Will ya keep it down?"

"Soirry," the first whispered, crouching a bit lower and clutching her bag of stolen goods. After a pause, she spoke again, her eyes turned expectantly to her partner, "Wot do we do now?"

"Oi'm still thinkin' on tha'," came the reply.

A silver tabby approached the two. The second swore under its breath, "Great. 'ere we go."

"Demeter?" Munkustrap stepped into the darkness hesitantly. The second pushed the first towards the light.

"I'm right here, dear," Demeter smiled, losing her cockney accent. It was hard, dropping the accent that she had carried for most of her life, but it was necessary—all part of her cover-up as a Jellicle.

"You're positively pale," Munku noted with concern. His voice became low, "I suppose seeing Macavity again shook you up pretty badly, huh?"

"Y-yeah," Demeter feigned fear. Another part of the cover-up: she was supposed to fear the tom who was not only her boss but her lover—a lover she shared with her partner-in-crime.

Munkustrap looked around, "Are you out here alone?"

"Of course not," the second figure appeared from the shadows, her voice dropping into her trademark purr. "I was protecting her."

"Bombalurina," Munkustrap gave a soft smile. He always assumed the two were close friends, almost sisters—if he only knew how close the two really were, Bombalurina thought with a wicked grin. Munkustrap shook his head slightly, "I should have known."

"Yes," Bombalurina said in a cool tone that held a little amusement and the slightest hint of disdain. "You should have known."

~Le Fin