The Jellicle's Creed

IV

Family Ties

Extracts from the journal of Munkustrap Grayhame

Sequence 01

Memory 01: The Day before the Fire

16 May, 2011

1

Two days ago I should have been pledging to the love of my life. But it has came and went. My fathers House, the same house I grew up in, is naught more but ash. Black smoke rises from the burnt timbers long since collapsed onto itself. With all the other Mansions throughout St Andrews Square, it stands out now like a rotted tooth in the gumline.

For the time being I fled St Andrews Square. I found a nice house, nicer then the place my brother owns. On the Thames River. It has its own dock. And though it is a nice house and a roof over my head, My world is completely destroyed. And even though my father is gone, and my old home burnt to cinders, There is that to be thankful for. Here I will stay, shocked, in limbo, like a troubled ghost. Until my fate is decided.

The blaze also ate my journals, so writing this makes me feel as if I am starting with a clean slate. I am not sure anyone would want to read my old journals anyway. Most of it was schooling related nonsense that I now regret taking on many levels. So, that being the case, I think I should begin with the most basic of things, such as my name. Which is Munkustrap, an Arabic name for an English tom whose home is in London. And who from birth until two days ago lived an idyllic life in the English countryside sheltered from the filth of the city.

From the place where my father kept our house with my mother and brother we could see the smoke over the river, the thick fog and stink that even hit everyone else, which I can only describe as "wet horse". As a boy I was kept sheltered away from the stench, the smog, the fog, the everyday rabble that wandered the streets constantly.

Thankfully my brother and myself never got ill. Each night we had a nursemaid, a Healer, that tended to us to make sure we here safe and healthy, and then mother would come in and kiss us both good night. Yes, we were the lucky ones I guess, we had a mother who came and gave us a kiss good night. A father that did it too. Each night they'd come and see us before we went to sleep. My brother and I. Not like those other ones that had to work in factories and up chimneys

They employed teachers, nursemaids, anything to educate me and my brother. Who was the problem child. Always skirting his lessons and leaving them for me. You see, Father was a leader of a good group of people. We're Jellicles. A race unlike humans, yet we appear to humans as just that, humans. Our home, a very nice, somewhat large for the area it was placed in, Victorian mansion in a less high class neighborhood. Junk was piled the streets were many, once very nice houses were left abandoned long ago until my father took one and rebuilt it. Buying the land around it, the homes and parks left unattended since the Great Plague of Pilo three decades before.

I wondered sometimes, if they had friends. Those other children. If they did then while I knew better then to envy them while my standard of living was so well off compared to them I envied them for but one thing; their friends. Me I had none. With only a brother nowhere near my own age. Tugger was three maybe five years younger then I. And as for making friends, well, I was shy.

Besides, there was another problem, something that had come to light when I was seven years old.

It happened one afternoon. The mansions of King Andrews Square as our small town was known by. Where built very close together. Almost with no sides to each mansion. So we'd often see our neighbors Either out in front, in the parks, or to the rear.

On one side of us there lived a nice family. Two girls, three boys. Two of which, both of them girls, were around my age. They spent what seemed like hours outside playing in the dirt, grass and trees in their garden when I was studying, I could hear them clearly as I sat in the schoolroom under an old man of a teacher named Mr Tuttlewood, who had bushy grey eyebrows and a perchant of a bad habit of picking at his nose and cuts on his face from his past. Sometimes I often wondered if those cuts bled when they started to be really picked at.

This particular afternoon Mr Tuttlewood left the room, I waited until his footsteps were long gone before getting up from my studies and going to the window. I saw my brother talking with one of the younger boys through the fence before Mr Tuttlewood came and called to him to come in for studies work. With my brother distracting Mr Tuttlewood I was able to glance over and see the new family that had moved in over the weekend last.

Dawn was the family name. Mr Dawn was a MP, or so my father said with a slight scowl to his voice and tone. Their garden was high walled save for the fence towards the back, It was a rule to keep the rear of the garden fence low enough for the path that went between the gardens and rear yards was to be patrolled by my fathers men. For a long time while the mansions were being rebuilt we had local police keep patrols once per night to make sure everything was oki doki.

Anyway, where was I ? Oh yes, the Dawn's garden, it was high walled with tress, bushes, and many flowers of unknown kind. I was able to see small parts of it from my schoolroom window. It was there I saw her. A young thing really, maybe two or three years younger then I playing with one of her brothers in the garden. For long moments I watched her play, my studies left on the table. It was a long time until one of them saw me and looked up. Almost on reflex alone I gently raised a hand and waved. What shocked me was the smile she gave me. I could see her face clearly then. A beautiful mesmerizing mess of gold and black with white and some red. It was how all Jellicles saw each other. Humans saw us as normal humans. But we saw each other in our natural forms.

For an instant our eyes locked. I gulped then and waved again. To my surprise she called her siblings and apparently told them about what she was seeing as I felt more eyes get turned my way. Some in confusion, others in recognition I waved again. They waved back, I felt like something on display, though living and breathing. I felt weird, almost as if I were basking in the glow of what could have been embarrassment Maybe it was the start of a friendship ?

It all ended a few minutes later when one of their nursemaids, a human I could easily tell, there were no feline markings on the woman's face when she looked at me with a look I have seen in many places. You know when I mentioned how I looked on those with lesser living ability then myself ? And how my own nursemaids steered me away from other kids I'd otherwise meet up with at times ? Well I got the same look my own nursemaids gave to other kids, I never questioned it. There was no reason to question it that I could find at the time. I guess they were just protecting their children. Or something like it. I suppose it was just something that occurred and how we lived. I new better then to question it. I was just used to it really.

2

When I was nine my step mother Muriel presented me with a new set of clothing. Something rather form fitting and soft to the touch. She seemed to know I required a coat with tails on it for some reason. So she had made me such a coat. Which was good because of what I wore, and what I am. You see, all Jellicles have a tail. Slightly pointed ears as one could call an elf or the like. Barely decernable to most humans.

I emerged from behind the screen dressed in my new finest clothing. I looked absolutely amazing. Muriel called one of the maids, who in turn mentioned I looked the spitting image of my father, which I figured had to be the point. A few hours later my father came to see me. I could have sworn his eyes misted a little at the sight of me. While mother stood there almost crying apparently., seeing me looking rather hansom, like a smaller version of the man she called her husband, my father.

Standing there I felt grown up and well learned. Even as I felt the hotness in my cheeks again I found myself wondering about the Dawn girl and if she could have considered me rather fine in my new clothing, quite the gentle tom.

I'd thought of those three often. I'd catch sight of them from time to time. But never longer then scant seconds. I'd see them playing in the garden outside, or being ushered into large black trucks of some kind in front of the mansion. Sometimes I thought one had saw me and looked in my direction, no wave or smile, just a shadow of that disapproving look from the nursemaid, as if the anger was being properly handed down. I did not care.

So, we had the Dawn family on one side, those elusive dawn kids. I'd never get that smiling face out of my mind. While on the other side of us were the Baringtons. Nine kids in all, seven boys, two girls. Though I rarely saw them, My times of seeing them restricted to seeing them loading up into a large van or two. Or seeing them at a distance in the fields or St Andrews Square Park in the center of our lovely little town.

Then, one day shortly before my tenth birthday, while I was in the garden, walking along the edge of our large expansive yard. Dragging a stick along the crumbling brown brick. Occasionally I'd stop and overturn a stone with my bare feet It drove my nursemaids nuts when I went out without shoes and never once complaining of the cold or the heat. Sometimes I;d inspect for insects, or other stuff, woodlice, millipedes, worms. Whatever really.

It was then I came upon the door that separated our yard from that of the Baringtons own yard. The heavy gate was padlocked tight with an old rusting padlock. I doubted anyone could get it open. I stared at it for a while, weighing the lock in my leather padded silver furred hand for a long moment when I heard it, a whisper, boyish, clearly human.

"Say you" He said softly, I could hear him clearly. "Is it true what they say about your father ?" It came from the other side of the gate, I was sure of it. I heard it clearly enough. Though it took me a moment to place it. I stood, shocked for a moment, rigid with fear. Mostly with confusion actually now that I think about it. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I looked through the hole in the edge of the thick door. A human eye was watching me, unblinking. Again came the question. " Come on, they'll be beckoning me in any second, is it true what they say about your father ?"

Once I was calm I managed to get closer to the eye, he looked friendly enough. "Who is this ? What is your name ?" I asked, trying to sound as English as I could. Though being a Jellicle it was not easy. It was part of my studies however, to speak properly so to pass as a human.

"Its me, Tim. From next door." Came the reply. I knew that Tim was the youngest human of the brood. Though older then the two other Jellicles I kept catching sight of at times. I heard his name get called when he asked me "Who are you ? I mean, what is your name ?"

I thought for a moment, then replied truthfully, "Munkustrap." I then wondered if Tim was my new friend at that moment. After all, he had a friendly sound about him. There was little harm in thinking that I assumed.

"Strange name." Tim said thoughtfully.

"It is Arabic, it means something, my parents were never one to tell me though." I replied. I never did get told what my name meant, Other then that it is an Arabic name of some form or another.

"Guess that makes sense." Tim replied with a nod

"How do you mean that exactly ?" I asked, "How does it make sense ?"

"I'm not sure, it just does somehow." Tim replied truthfully. "And there is just you ?" He asked me.

"Well yes, me, a younger brother, mother and father." I replied

"Pretty small sort of family for a place like this." Tim said. I just nodded. "Look" Tim continued, "Is it true or not ? Is your father what they say he is ? And don't even think about lying, I can tell if you lie, I can see your eyes, I'll know if you are lying right away." he said.

So I spoke the truth "I wont lie. I do not know what they say about my father, or who they even are." At the same time I spoke I was getting an odd and not all that pleasant of a feeling. It did not feel normal, if that. If it was normal for the Grayhame family, then so be it.

Perhaps the owner of the eyeball sensed my discomfort in my tone, so he hastened to add quickly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry if I said something out of turn. It is just that there is this rumor floating around and I wanted to know if it were true or not. I mean, it'd be exciting if it is true..."

"What rumor ?" I asked him. Cutting him off mid sentence. Clearly confused and curious was my tone.

"You will think it is silly."

Feeling either brave or stupid I drew closer to the gate and to the hole, "What do you mean ?" I said, "What do people say of my father ?"

He blinked then said, "Well, they say he used to be a -"

Suddenly there was a noise from behind him, and I heard a very gruff sounding male voice rather loudly say. "iTimothy!/i"

The shock of the voice sent him backwards a bit, "Oh brother." He said quickly, "I have to go, I'll see you around I hope." And with that he was gone and I was left wondering just what he meant about our small family. What were people saying about us ?

I stood there for a long moment thinking, then I remembered, I had to go back to the house. It was nearly midday. I had studies.

Then I remembered for the first time in my young life.

I hated studying.

M. G.

Reville

"You are sure that we need Old Gus ? I mean, that was years ago. Why worry about it now ?" Tugger said, Munkus and he were patrolling along a fence line of the outer fields. Their father said that someone might come by, someone not welcome in their small town. Someone important. Someone that Deuteronomy did not want to have visit them.

It was morning on the fifteenth of May that spring day. It was clear and bright. Perfect for a nice long walk on patrol. The two toms, English older teenagers to local humans who did not know exactly what they truly were. Were walking on a lane lined with fences of the back yards of many houses. Munkus stopped as he brother spoke. Looking to him he said. "You heard the rumors! We all heard the rumors, father refuses to confirm or deny them. As far as I and you know, father is a decorated World War Two veteran. He retired and with his money he rebuilt this town. But now this rumor, this rumor must be false, father is a good man. I want to make sure it stays that way. Rumor or not. You with me ?"

For a long moment Tugger did not speak, when he finally did. He nodded, "Yeah, I'm with you. Lets find dad. See if he can shed any light on this when our patrol is over." He said. "He whoa, Munk where are you going ?" Tugger had to run to catch up to his brother. "We have to finish the patrol remember ?"

"I'm going to find dad. He can tell us more. The patrol can wait until later. I want to know more of this rumor and if it is true or not." Munkus moved through the thick hedges that formed the wall between the lane and their own back yard. Their home was the most unique house as it had space on either side. For the most part at least. The Dawn family, Munkus mentally smiled as he passed by the now empty home. He remembered them, that face. He remembered the face for just a moment before recalling the reason he was going to his home.

The Dawns had moved out, well, each of the kids in the family had moved out. One by one the had moved away. Each child left, leaving only their parents to own and live within the home. He saddened him briefly, when he was old enough he had thought to try and at least speak to the family. Maybe meet them. But it was too late.

He took the steps two at a time to the main door of the Mansion and entered. His fathers study door was wide open, the elder Grayhame sat at his desk. A large screen computer was on the wall. It kept track of money and other items. The older man turned to regard his two sons. One leopard printed, the other silver and black. "I was not expecting your return until dark. What brought you home so soon ?" Deuteronomy asked his sons.

Munkus spoke first. "You heard the rumors floating around about us, haven't you ?" He said. "About the man people claim hoarded his money and rebuilt a town with his ill gotten gains. Is it true ? Is it true of what these people are saying ?"

Deuteronomy regarded Munkustrap carefully, ever since his mother had left him holding the babe when Munkus was just mere days old he had turned his life around. After getting married a second time, he had another son, three, Max's mother had taken her son with him from the lying bastard that she called her husband, Deuteronomy. Max, the son he was to have, Munkustraps oldest brother, was renamed Macavity. And now the rumors once more began. Deuteronomy sighed. "You two best sit down." He said as he stood up from his desk and went to the large screen on the wall. Typing in a command he spoke as his two sons entered the study, out of habit alone Tugger closed the door behind them as they entered and then sat down.

"Its true that I wont confirm or deny the rumors. Because they are no more then just that, rumors, spread by those that want to slander my good name, our good name. Our family. Worst comes to worst we may have to go to court with those who wish us harm for harassment. But that will be as far as it goes." He said.

"What the rumor, the rumor of you being a war profiteer ? Killing your own men when you should have been saving them ? What of that part of the rumor. Is that true ?" Munkus asked.

"Munkus. Listen to me closely, That is false, nothing more then lies fed to the rumor to give it weight enough to spread like wildfire, don't you see it ? The lies right in front of you, yet you let it worry you enough to come here in the middle of one of your patrols of all things just to find out it is false ?" Deuteronomy shook his head. "No, it is false, nothing more then lies." It was actually true, the part of him killing his own men. But he lied to protect his sons.

Seeing how tormented his sons were before him he relented, Finally he nodded, "Very well I can see trying to at least sate your curious minds I will have to tell you something that cannot be told to anyone else." That held their attention. "Part of that rumor is true. I did kill those men. But they were prisoners of their own minds. Their own delusions of grandeur."

He opened up a file on the wall mounted computer screen. Showing pictures on a slide of sorts as he spoke. "During the last year or so before the end of the Vietnam War, we took part in the Year of Tet, during which we came upon a cache of gold and silver bars. Several hundred million pounds of it. My men knew what they wanted and started" An image in full color was seen. "The men in my squad were overtaken by their greed so I staged an ambush. Slew them all that same night before they could get anywhere with the gold."

"So you were a war profiteer ?" Munkus asked, he was slowly seeing of what his father was telling them. "You killed these men to take the money for yourself ?"

"No, but close. I killed those men because they were killing each other, and me, I reacted in self defense. Each one died by his own greed. Each one wanted that gold and silver for his own uses, to get out of the war, to get home, to buy a good amount of property. Some even wanted to buy up seats of parliament and other places of control as well. But I could not allow that. I will not allow that." Deuteronomy replied. The last image appeared. The men in his unit.

"Hey" Tugger said upon seeing the picture, he stood up and went to it, pointing to a face. "Isn't that Old Gus up at the theater ?"

"Yes" His father answered. "Of all the men in my unit, he and I are the last alive. Mostly because at the time of the deaths, Gus was back at headquarters. I sent him to take word back that the village where we found the gold after he left had been emptied of VC at the time. Why ?"

"You mean, he was there, but he had nothing to do with the deaths of the unit ? And he did not know of the gold or silver either ?" Munkus said.

"That's right. Gus only knew that the men were killed, I sort of lied to him as well because I wanted to protect him. You see three days after I went back to pick up the gold which I then moved to ammunition boxes for transport, I had managed to convince the local Vietnamese to help me transport it up to China, and then once I was done with my rotation I went to the place we left it in storage to transport home as part of rotating to home." Deuteronomy said. The images then closed as the desktop screen appeared he set the remote to the computer on the desktop.

"When Gus and I returned home on rotation I requested not to reenlist when he did, mostly because of what he did for me, he covered for me when I moved the gold and silver to China from Vietnam. I may be a rich man with two good sons. But I am not a war profiteer in any manner. As soon as I returned home I went to the local customs location and asked them about money found on duty. Since the government of Vietnam was in turmoil, the constable on duty asked no questions and let me threw easy without trouble." He said, leaning on the desk he continued "I took the money and put it in the Bank of London. Odds are your older brother, Max, or whatever he calls himself now, could be out to get it. And he could be the base of these rumors."

"So there is some truth to them, but not that much." Munkus said thoughtfully. "Why lie to us long ago then ? What purpose was that ? Because we were kids sure we could be lied to and not question anything, but now, now you cannot lie to us anymore. We're all adults here. So out with it."

Deuteronomy sighed, there was no getting around it. "I did it to protect you, you are all I have after Muriel died" He said, Tugger went visibly stiff. "But Max is out there somewhere with his mother, my first wife. Wherever they are now, they are planning something. But what it is I do not know, I know one thing though, my money in the Bank of London wont be safe or worth jack shit if something happens to any of us." He said, with a huff he then nodded "Alright, here's the deal, at this moment everything I told you does not go out of this room, Understand ?" Both toms nodded, "Good. Tugger, do me a favor and go get Gus, he should be at the theater around now. Its mid afternoon, should be opening up for the casting crews tonight."

Tugger nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Even with the servants in the massive Manor, it still felt empty without Muriel. Munkus made a mental note to talk to Tugger about that. There was not much he could do otherwise at least. Munkus stood, also to leave but his father stopped him.

"Not you son, there are a few errands I want you to do for me here around the house. Hopefully those lessons in cooking did some good." Deuteronomy was known for the meals he produced to those less fortunate more recently, since Tugger turned fifteen and Munkus twenty one, they had been more open to those with less then themselves.

"What ?" Munkus asked "You want me to cook ?"

"Don't worry, Ellen should be in the kitchen by now. I'll join you soon as Gus gets here with Tugger. Don't go far. At least get things started, then you can go on your own but stay close, I may have need of you." His father told him. Munkus nodded and left, heading for the kitchen to get dinner started.

A few moments later

Grayhame Manor Kitchen

He did not see Ellen anywhere when he entered, instead he found a few things to get the cooking started. Beef stew from a day before warmed up with pyop seasonings and some cinnamon might be perfect. He got to cooking. A few minutes after he started Ellen arrived. "Oh, hello Young Master. I see you have begun making supper ?" She said

Munkus nodded from his post at the stove stirring the mixture. "Yes, Father wants me to help hand out dinner to those less fortunate then us." He said.

"That is quite good and all, but what surprises me is that Mr Tuttlewoods teaching did any good or not these last few years." Since the death of Muriel, Tuggers mother. When Tugger was sixteen. Times hit hard for the family, their father was more focused on trying to find things out, make sure his sons were safe, and that the inheritance was to be split properly between the two. Disowning Max and his mother completely. Munkustraps mother died when he was three days old, if that. And that meant that sometimes there were setbacks. He rarely got along with Muriel, and yet, because she loved both toms as if she had birthed them both, she treated them equally all her life.

"Yeah. Mother started it all, dad figures he can keep it going every summer." He said. He stirred the pan once more then nodded, stepping away he said. "Let it simmer now, should be done by time Gus gets back with Tugg. I'm going to go think, if you need me, I'll be upstairs." With that he took his leave.

Grayhame Manor

Old D's study

At that same moment

Deuteronomy sat in his study, for a long moment he did not say anything, carefully weighing the problem at hand in his mind. He had told his sons the truth as best he was able, but he knew that he had left out quite a bit of information as well. He went to the study door and made sure it was locked from the inside. Then went to the desk and sat down. He had a bill that needed paying, and he did not yet want to open it with his sons in the room.

It was a letter. He opened it. A letter from his son, Max. It read

"Hello Father

"How are you ? I hope you are well, Mother and I are doing quite well on this side of London. Not far from Parliament in fact, Mother is a high ranking official now in there. Our place and stature out shine your own now I think. Do not think your money is safe from me when your own town is not safe from me. I will have what is mine when the time is right. Nothing will stop me then. Nothing. Do you hear me father ? Nothing will stop me from getting what I want.

"If you think you can stop me, I'd like to see you try. Because there are rumors floating about, rumors about you, and Gus. You can thank Mother for that. A shame we were unable to make it to Muriels funeral three years ago father. No matter. We had other plans. Plans that all include you and what is currently yours. We want what you owe us father. But before we can get it from you. There are a few things we need to do with you first.

"May this find you in good health old man. Because when we find you, your health wont be so good."

He threw the letter into the fireplace where it burst into flame almost in a second of being dropped into the fire. He was going to have to tell his sons about it sooner or later. The letter was signed Macavity, but there was no missing his sons handwriting. No missing it at all. Today was going to be a good day, he was sure of it.

But something in his heart told him to keep watch on everything, even himself. With Gus returning, and his sons not on patrol, that left him open to attack of some form. Any form.