Part 2
The door opened and in came Deuteronomy looking smug and as he entered he said:
"Valjean, at last we see each other plain. 'Mister Mayor' you were a different chain today."
"Before you say another word Deuteronomy, before you chain me up like a slave again. Listen to me! There is something I must do. This woman leaves behind a suffering child. There is none but me who can intercede. In mercy's name, three days are all I need. Then I'll return, I pledge my word. Then I'll return…"
"Ha! You must think I'm mad. I have hunted you for many years and toms like you never change."
"You can believe of me what you want but there is a duty I have been sworn to do. You know nothing of my life! All I did was steal some bread for my sister's child! You know nothing of our world Deuteronomy. I know you would rather see me dead but I won't allow it until I've seen justice done! I'm warning you! I'm much stronger than you and there is still power in me. There is nothing I won't dare, if I must I will kill you here!"
"Toms like you never change 24601. My only duty is to the law and you have no rights so come with me now 24601." He walked closer. "Dare you talk to me of crime Jean Valjean and what price that you had to pay. You know nothing of me! I was born inside a jail among scum like you I'm from the gutter like you!" He was about to rush Bustopher when this broke a chair and aimed the sharp pieces at Deuteronomy.
"Come closer I dare you", Bustopher said darkly and then he looked at Grizabella's soft face. "And I swear to you tonight-"
"There is no place for you to hide", Deuteronomy growled.
"-your child will live within my care."
"Wherever you may hide-"
"And I will raise her to the light-"
"-I swear to you I will be there!" Both of them said then Deuteronomy jumped Bustopher. But Bustopher was much stronger than his opponent and managed to knock him out before he ran out of the hospital and started to look for Skimbleshanks' Inn so he would find little Demeter.
A small golden and black kitten was scrubbing the floor with a huge brush she could barley handle. She was watching the moon and sang softly:
There is a castle on a cloud,
I like to go there in my sleep,
Aren't any floors for me to sweep,
Not in my castle on a cloud.
There is a room that's full of toys,
There are a hundred boys and girls,
Nobody shouts or talks too loud,
Not in my castle on a cloud.
There is a lady all in white,
Holds me and sings a lullaby,
She's nice to see and she's soft to touch,
She says "Demeter, I love you very much."
I know a place where no one's lost,
I know a place where no one cries,
Crying at all is not allowed,
Not in my castle on a cloud. - There was a loud crash behind her and she twirled around.
"Oh help! I think I hear them now", she said terrified. "And I'm nowhere near finished sweeping and
scrubbing and polishing the floor. Oh, it's her! It's Madame!"
A big gumbie cat with tiger stripes and leopard spots entered the room looking angry. With her was a calico queen kit with a pearl necklace around her neck.
"Now look who's here", the gumbiecat said. "The little madam herself! Pretending once again she's been `so awfully good'. Better not let me catch you slacking, better not catch my eye! Ten rotten francs your mother sends me. What is that going to buy? Now take that pail my little `Mademoiselle' and go and draw some water from the well!" She turned to the little kit beside her. "We should never have taken her in in the first place, how stupid the things that we do! Like mother like daughter, the scum of the street. Teazer, come my dear, Teazer, let me see you, you look very well in that new little necklace. There's some little girls who know how to behave and they know what to wear and I'm saying thank heaven for that." She turned back to the other kit and saw her stand there holding a bucket trembling. "Still there Demeter? I told you to fetch the water from the well in the wood! Stop crying, your tears will do no good."
"Please do not send me out alone", Demeter whimpered. "Please do not send me out in the darkness on my own."
"Enough of that", Madame said and held up her hand to hit the girl. "Or I'll forget to be nice!"
"Oi can go woith-" Teazer began but her mother hit her across the cheek.
"Quiet you", Madame Jennyanydots said and then turned back to Demeter. "You heard me ask for something and I never ask twice!" Teazer guides Demeter outside sadly and pushes her out the door. She closes the door and turns to her dad.
"Good night lass", Skimbleshanks said as the inn starts to fill up. "Go to bed now."
"Good noight fathah", Teazer said and hurried off.
Skimbleshanks got into the big room and bowed and greeted the guests while his wife got behind the counter rolling his eyes and muttering about her useless husband. Skimbleshanks saw a man enter and hurried up to him singing happily:
Welcome, good sir, sit yourself down
And meet the best innkeeper in town
As for the rest, all of 'em crooks:
Rooking their guests and cooking the books – The cats in the inn laughed, well the tom did and the queens stood near the gumbiecat, Jennyanydots and they all rolled their eyes.
Seldom do you see
Honest toms like me
A gent of good intent
Who's content to be
Master of the house, doling out the charm
Ready with a handshake and an open palm – He shook the paws of some toms.
Tells a saucy tale, makes a little stir
Customers appreciate a bon-viveur
Glad to do a friend a favor
Doesn't cost me to be nice – He served some whiskey.
But nothing gets you nothing
Everything has got a little price!- He made a give-me-money motion with his hand and got paid. He got some money and put it in a pocket of his waistcoat. Then he started to sing to himself in a way so no one heard. They thought he was planning something for the inn since he was writing in his pad, thing to do to get extra pay or trick people.
Master of the house, keeper of the zoo
Ready to relieve 'em of a sou or two
Watering the wine, making up the weight
Pickin' up their knick-knacks when they can't see straight
Everybody loves a landlord
Everybody's bosom friend
I do whatever pleases
Jesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end! – Everyone could hear he hummed the melody so they sang with him:
Master of the house, quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby to pass him by
Servant to the poor, butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher, and lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Everybody's chaperone
Skimble:
But lock up your valises
Jesus! Won't I skin you to the bone! – The door opened an in came a tired looking tom. Skimble hurried over to him and sang:
Enter Monsieur, lay down your load
Unlace your boots, rest from the road
This weighs a ton, travel's a curse
But here we strive to lighten your purse – This he mumbled to himself.
Here the goose is cooked
Here the fat is fried
And nothing's overlooked
Till I'm satisfied
Food beyond compare. Food beyond belief – He grumbled this while he wrote in his pad, plotting again while the customers ate and drank.
Mix it in a mincer and pretend it's beef
Kidney of a dog, liver of a bat
Filling up the sausages with this and that
Residents are more than welcome
Bridal suite is occupied
Reasonable charges
Plus some little extras on the side!
Charge 'em for the lice, extra for the mice
Two percent for looking in the mirror twice
Here a little slice, there a little cut
Three percent for sleeping with the window shut
When it comes to fixing prices
There are a lot of tricks he knows
How it all increases, all them bits and pieces
Jesus! It's amazing how it grows!
All:
Master of the house, quick to catch yer eye
Never wants a passerby to pass him by
Servant to the poor, butler to the great
Comforter, philosopher, and lifelong mate!
Everybody's boon companion
Gives 'em everything he's got
Skimble:
Dirty bunch of geezers
Jesus! What a sorry little lot! – Jennyanydots hit him on the head with her spoon and then turned to the queens singing:
I used to dream that I would meet a prince
But God Almighty, have you seen what's happened since? – She gestured to her husband talking to some tom and they all understood what she was talking about.
Master of the house? Isn't worth me spit!
`Comforter, philosopher' and lifelong shit!
Cunning little brain, regular Voltaire
Thinks he's quite a lover but there's not much there
What a cruel trick of nature landed me with such a louse
God knows how I've lasted living with this bastard in the house! – The queens nodded.
Skimble & Drinkers:
Master of the house!
Jenny:
Master and a half!
Skimble:
Comforter, philosopher
Jenny:
Ah, don't make me laugh!
Skimble & Drinkers:
Servant to the poor, butler to the great
Jenny:
Hypocrite and toady and inebriate!
Skimble & Drinkers:
Everybody bless the landlord!
Everybody bless his spouse!
Skimble:
Everybody raise a glass
Jenny:
Raise it up the master's arse
All:
Everybody raise a glass to the Master of the House!
Many hours after that the 'feast' was over and all guests had left, Teazer sat looking out of the window.
"Don' worry", she told the moon. "We woill foin' 'im somedaj, my brothah ois ou' there an' we woill foind 'im. Who knows maybe 'e loives at tha Junkyard, not on tha streets loike we do."
She looked at the pale moon.
"Oi was mean to Demetah again", she went on. "Oi didn' wan' to push 'er out of tha door but Oi didn' wanna to go moiself. Oi mean she'd done tha same to me roight?" Suddenly she heard voices from the first floor. She gently got up and crept up to the door to listen. She heard her mother say:
"Let me have your coat good sir", in a kiss up way.
"Demeter shall live in my protection", said a tom's voice, one she'd never heard before. And he was taking Demeter away!
"You are very welcome here", her father tried.
"I shall not forsake my vow", the same voice said again.
"Take a glass good sir!"
"Take a chair", her mother tried.
"Demeter shall have a father now!" the tom yelled and the door slammed shut.
Teazer hurried up to the window and saw a big tuxedo tom with white spats carry Demeter away while the kitten smiled and gently laid her head on the tom's shoulder. Teazer tried in vain to get the window open. She wouldn't last a day in this place without Demeter. But the window was locked from the outside so she couldn't get it up… but her bedroom door slammed open and her mother stormed in carrying her youngest brother on her arm.
"Up up up child", she yelled at her. "We're leaving!"
"Mum?"
"That old geezer took Demeter away, our only way of money and the police have found out we don't have clean flour in our bags."
"Mum we nevah 'ad clean flour."
"That's the point kid!" Jenny said stuffing Teazer's things into a small bag. "Hurry it up and get packing! We're leaving for the Junkyard!"
"Bu' mum 'ow are we gonna loive at tha yar' when we 'aven't got anything?"
"Well I guess you gotta live on the street dear."
"What?"
"Get packing now!" She slammed the door shut and Teazer looked at the moon.
"Tha Junkyar'", she mused and then grinned brightly and started to pack her stuff. "Oi'm coming Jerrie!"
It took Skimbleshanks and his family two days to get to the Junkyard and they stayed in a den, but they forced Teazer out on the streets to live like a bagger. Teazer worked in the gutter and was soon very hungry and very dirty. One day when she was helping clean up a sidewalk a bracelet dropped down and rolled over to her and she grabbed it.
"Pretty", she mumbled and looked around and saw a silver tabby look at the ground as if he was looking for something. He seemed to be one of those rich boys and he had a collar… and he was gorgeous! Well for a kitten on twelve years that is.
"Excuse me miss", he asked and walked over to her. "Have you seen a silver bracelet around here? It belonged to my mother and I dropped it."
"HERE!" she said and hurriedly handed it to him. "Oi foun' oit oin tha' guttah when Oi worked woith cleaning oit."
"What? You're cleaning the gutter?"
"Yes someone 'as to."
"But… you're what… ten?"
"Oight", Teazer said. "Bu' ya gotta take whot job you can ge' your 'ands on."
"But… that's not right!"
"No one cares."
"I do!" He took her hand. "Come to my house and let's have some fun!"
"Bu' moi job…"
"Don't worry I'll pay you!"
"Ya make me soun' loike a whore!"
He blushed deeply. "I… I-I-I didn't mean it like that!"
She looked at him and started to laugh happily.
"Oi was jus' joking Soilvah."
"My name is Munkustrap, not Soilvah."
"Ya shoul' you got silvah fur."
"Silvah fur…" he looked at himself. "Oh you mean silver!"
"That's whot Oi said!"
He chuckled. "That accent of yours is really cute miss… err…"
"Rumpleteazah!"
"Rumpleteazer", he said smiling and took her paw. "Come on!" She blushed but she followed him.
TBC there now that I've finished the semester updates will come quicker. Anything you recognize from Les Mis or CATS doesn't belong to me okay?
Rosebud5 - Nope sorry, no Jemi I see her as Munk and Dem's daughter so it doesn't work... Teazer on the other hand does.