Are you blind when you are born?
Chapter 1, The Search
Munkustrap was fighting Alonzo. Alonzo was a very good student and he had learned much from Munkustrap. He noticed that his teacher's focus was elsewhere and decided to use that to his advantage. Alonzo landed a good shrike to the side of Munkustrap's head and at the same time a good kick to his flake that sent the Protector flying unconscious through the air. Alonzo relished his moment of victory. He had wanted to try that move for ages and he had been so fast that Munkustrap didn't it coming. Then his goddamn conscience reminded him that the only reason why his teacher didn't see it coming was because he was obviously distracted by something. Then it also reminded him that Munkustrap's mind had been somewhere else for weeks.
When Munkustrap came around, Alonzo pounced on him asking, "Hey, why have you been so distracted lately? What's wrong? Whatever it is, I want to help."
Munkustrap opened his mouth and closed it quickly. His heart was screaming at him, "Don't be evasive! Face it! You NEED his help! He WANTS to help you! You have gotten NO where! If Macavity does have my mate Demeter, what in the name of the everlasting cat could he be doing with her?" Munkustrap took a deep breath, looked Alonzo in the eyes and told him what had happened.
3 weeks ago Munkustrap had run to their den. Bombalurina had told him that Demeter had some very important news for him and she wouldn't tell Bombalurina what it was before she told him. When Munkustrap got home he found Grizabella on the floor with wounds that spoke of a very violent fight , the smell of Macavity and his blood and his fur was in Grizabella's claws and on the floor, and the worst smell of all, Demeter's blood. Munkustrap had followed Demeter's blood trail to the river. He wasn't the only one, Macavity had also followed Demeter's blood. And just like Demeter, his scent ended at the river bank.
Munkustrap had been looking for Demeter ever since and so far hadn't found anything. When he allowed himself to rest, he had the worst nightmares. Nightmares with Demeter screaming his name, her sobbing as Macavity raped her, Macavity killing her by tearing her apart or setting her on fire. Munkustrap know well that his brother was all too capable of doing all three. Macavity had always hated the fact that Demeter had fallen in love with his younger brother and not him.
Alonzo wasn't sure how to react when Munkustrap finished telling him what had happened. He knew very well that Munkustrap and Demeter loved each other. Alonzo got on well enough with her. He also knew that when Demeter was much younger, Macavity had kidnapped Demeter and had raped her, repeatedly. And Munkustrap had rescued her. Alonzo thought her a couple of minutes before asking if Demeter's parents or if her sister had seen her. Munkustrap said the Skimbleshanks had gone on a train tour of England with Jennyanydots. They'd left 2 days after Demeter went missing and he didn't know if there were back yet. Munkustrap hadn't come across Bombalurina in his search and he hadn't really gone looking her, he was just looking for Demeter and Munkustrap didn't believe that Bombalurina could point him in the right direction.
Alonzo said, as delicately as he could, that it was Bombalurina who told Munkustrap that he needed to go home, being Demeter's sister she may know a couple of hid outs that Munkustrap didn't know and seeing as he had had no success in his search for Demeter, Bombalurina was their best chance of finding her now. Munkustrap nodded in agreement and mentally kicked himself for not thinking of that himself.
Munkustrap and Alonzo started their search for Bombalurina at midnight, and at midday they were still searching just as vigorously. But it was night before they found their quarry. Bombalurina was hunting a pack of rats, more rats than she could eat. One rat darted from her pounce and dashed straight to Alonzo who caught it. Munkustrap, normally very polite to the opposite sex, got straight to the point.
"Have you seen Demeter?" Bombalurina was not about to cut Munkustrap any slack, as it had taken him this long to come looking her.
"Good evening to you too, Munkustrap. Could you please tell Alonzo to give that rat back to me?" Bombalurina said, knowing that she would enjoy tormenting Munkustrap.
"Why do you need so many rats, anyway?" Alonzo asked out of idle curiosity, but also knowing that this might stop Bombalurina from teasing his teacher.
"They're not all for me." Bombalurina said faking meekness.
"Well, who are they for?" Munkustrap growled at her, trying very hard to control his temper. Alonzo began to wonder just how much more his teacher could take. Clearly not an awful lot.
"Well, me, my mother, and my father and…" Bombalurina paused to see if Munkustrap would die in the suspense, "My dear sister Demeter."
Munkustrap's mind nearly exploded.
"Has she been with you all of this time! Where is she? Is she okay!" Munkustrap screamed at Bombalurina, with tears welling up in his eyes, tears of terror, with just a hint of relief. Bombalurina turned her face to his. She was about to say something cruel and witty, until she looked in to Munkustrap's eyes and saw the fear and terror in them. A wave a pity and compassion took hold of her and she drew a deep breath before she spoke.
"Demeter is staying with our father in a new den. Macavity attack her 3 weeks ago, he left her unable to hunt easily and she is still very much rattled from that fight. And she is not thinking all that straight. If you and Alonzo will help me carry all of these rats, I will take you to her." Bombalurina had barely finished her preposition before Munkustrap started gathering the rats.
Skimbleshanks' new den was about half way between the railway and the junk yard at the closest point. When they got close to the den, Skimble rushed out, thinking that it was Macavity coming for his daughter. When he saw that in fact it was a very worried looking Munkustrap, a confused looking Alonzo and Bombalurina was looking at Alonzo with a grin on her face that made her father hope that she wasn't planning on taking advantage on Alonzo's tender years.
Skimbleshanks apologized for charging out at the toms and he apologized for not telling Munkustrap where Demeter was as he was afraid that if he left her, Macavity would attack her again. Munkustrap said that all he wanted was to see Demeter. He and Skimble walked into the den, Munkustrap couldn't see Demeter but he could smell her. The Gumbie cat looked relived to see Munkustrap.
"It's alright Demy, it's Munkustrap." Skimbleshanks said calmly. Jennyanydot stepped aside and Demeter emerged from her hiding place and ran into her mates arms, crying how sorry she don't go looking for him.
"I was just so scared for our children!" Demeter sobbed into Munkustrap's neck.
"Our children?" Munkustrap breathed. Demeter took a step back and Munkustrap looked down and saw Demeter's slightly swollen pregnant belly. He put his paw on her belly and an enormous grin grew on his face. He hugged Demeter and kissed her and went down on his knees and kissed her belly. Then, however he saw to the deep scratch marks on Demeter's arms, paws and legs. Demeter, seeing at what Munkustrap was looking at, she decided to tell him what happened 3 weeks ago.
Demeter explained that a while after Bombalurina left her, Macavity burst in. He wanted to kidnap her again. But this time she fought him much harder that she had ever fought in her life. Demeter know that if Macavity found out that she was pregnant to Munkustrap, he would kill the kittens and probable her too. As she fought she screamed for help. The only one to hear her screams was Grizabella. Grizabella run in and attacked Macavity, when she cut Macavaity's leg and clawed his paws, she told Demeter to run for her life. And that's what Demeter did, she didn't know where she was running to, she just knew that she had to get as far away from Macavity as she could. When she got to the river she stopped and tried to get her bearings, until she had Macavity behind her. She jumped in the river and swam up river, because the river flowed near the railway. Macavity jumped in after her, but Grizabella had done quite some damage to him because he can't swim against the flow no matter how hard he tried.
When she got to the railway, she stored away on the train as she knew that her parents were on it. When her patents found her, she tried to stay in the shadows and she told them that she wanted to join them. Her mother was surprised that Demeter wanted to suddenly join them on their holiday tour. Her father didn't mind too much. Until he smelled her blood and saw her wounds. Demeter broke down, telling her parents what happened ant that she was pregnant and something told her that she might be safe from Macavity in a train that was on tour around the country with her parents. When they got back four days again Bombalurina was at the railway to greet her parents and they told her all of what happened.
Skimbleshanks explained that Jenny, Bomba and he had been guarding Demeter ever since. Two of them would stay with Demeter while one went out to get food. None of them had been thinking particularly straight for days. They had just been praying the everlasting cat for some sigh that Macavity was dead or if he was going to attack Demeter again. Munkustrap confessed that he had found no sign of either but he hoped that the former was true. Demeter said that she felt much safer now that Munkustrap was with her now. She and Munkustrap hugged each other as though they were never going to let go.
Meanwhile, outside the den, Alonzo placed back and forward as he tried to make sense of what he had just been told. He had not been allowed to go in because it was a "private family matter." so he stayed outside with Bombalurina, who explained all that she knew of what was going on. After much pacing, Alonzo still didn't have a clear understanding on what had been going on and why cats were acting the way they were. The only thing that Alonzo was clear on was that he wished that Macavity would just do everyone a favour and die. And Bombalurina wanted something from him. Alonzo wasn't quite sure where she was going with the mentioning of Alonzo much be such a brave cat and how good a fighter he was, even though he was quite young. Alonzo's current theory of where Bomba was going, sparing the specific details, he would enjoy it and Munkustrap would properly would get pissed off if he found out. As, it turned out his theory was turn, Bombalurina was trying to get him to sleep with her. Consequentially, her den was not in fact too far from her sister's new den and Bomba knew he was young and was corruptible through his igneous, or at least she hoped so.
Back in Demeter's new den, Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots had gone to sleep, curdled up together at the entrance of the den. Skimbleasnhks had made the den so if someone jumped over whoever was asleep on watch duty, would hit the wall no matter which way they turned. Munkustrap and Demeter where on the bed together. Demeter had fallen asleep in her mate's arms. Munkustrap was finding it hard to stay awake and on watch, just in case Macavity came. But contented with the fact that his beautiful Demeter was safe, pregnant with his children and he knew where she was, his heavy eyes eventually closed and he got some seriously badly need sleep.
