CHAPTER 3- Dangerous Plans
Munkustrap, along with Skimbleshanks, Mistoffolees, and Asparagus, knew immediately what had happened to the three "Mac-trackers;" the trail of footprints, trampled plants, and broken branches was very easy to follow. They had already found the waterfall, and were now taking a break. ("Why not?" commented Skimbleshanks. "They can't have gone far.")
The three adult cats had stretched out near the creek, but Mistoffolees was still standing. He had his eyes closed, and his paw was dancing through the air as if he was drawing something. Suddenly, the paw jerked to stop, and Mistoffolees's eyes flew open. "Which way did they go from here, left fork or right?" he commanded.
"Right. Why?"
"Right? Are you sure, Skimble?"
"Sure. Why?"
"Oh, this isn't good!"
"Why?"
Mistoffolees whirled around to face the other cats. "Because, according to my Magical Mental Map, the right fork loops back around to Macavity's Lair!"
Munkustrap jerked up from a sitting position, almost loosing his balance.
---
Tugger, Pouncival, and Plato did not like the place they had come to. They'd wandered back to the city, heading for a place Pounce had thought he'd recognized. But on closer inspection, the dark alleys, dingy streets, and tumbled-down houses did not look remotely familiar. Now they were pressed close together, wandering through the remains of an abandoned bar.
"Tugger," Pouncival said in a small voice, "I think we are lost."
---
Demeter had finally managed to settle down and was just drifting off to sleep when a rat scurrying across her foot woke her up. Damnit, she thought, now I have to start all over again. But then she realized that it might not have been the rat that disturbed her sleep; someone was crying.
Demeter sat up and looked around. "Sillabub! What's wrong?"
Sillabub hurriedly wiped at her eyes. "Oh, Demeter, it - it's nothing."
Demeter got up and walked across the cell towards Sillabub. "It's something."
Sillabub gave a watery smile. "Well, yes, it is something. Demeter, I want to go home. I want to run around and get yelled at for jumping in puddles. I want to sing and dance. I want to get pounced on." She sat down and rubbed her eyes again. "I miss Pouncival. He was going to ask me to dance the Mating Dance with him at the Jellicle Ball. I heard him talking to Tumblebrutus." Then, quietly, she added, "I hate Macavity. And I want to go home."
Demeter reached through the bars to hug the kitten. "I don't like him either. No one does." She stared into space and shivered, and Sillabub knew she was remembering her last encounter with the Hidden Paw. "I know how you feel. Munkustrap... he'll be looking for me, for us, I know he will. And he'll rescue us. But until then, we have to be strong. Macavity's just a cat... he can be defeated." Demeter wasn't sure if this last statement was for Sillabub's comfort, or her own.
"I don't know any Munkustrap, but I do know we need to escape."
Demeter whirled around, then sighed angrily. "Teazer, you just did it again!"
"Did what?"
"Startled me!" Teazer just stared at her. "That doesn't seem too hard to do."
Demeter looked puzzled.
"Anyway," Teazer continued, "I think we should make an escape plan. I wasn't goin' to try on my own, but there's so many of us now... it seems a shame not to use the advantage. And after Macavity's little - display - " (Demeter winced) "I really think you especially, Dem, should get out of here. And the kittens - " she lowered her voice, " - we don't want to leave queen-kittens with Macavity for too long... you know how he gets." Demeter shuddered.
Sillabub was looking from one to the other. "What?" she asked. "What about us?" She began to pout. "I don't like people talking about me."
"You didn't mind Pouncival talking about you - "
"That was different!"
---
Munkustrap, Skimbleshanks, and Asparagus could see the city just ahead of them. Mistoffolees was scouting up ahead, and they could also see him, standing in the grass waiting for them. He was jumping up and down and waving his arms, so his three companions hurried up.
"What is it?" gasped Munkustrap.
"They're on the edges of that city! I can feel them!"
"Oh, good, finally."
"Not them, Macavity!"
---
Teazer and Demeter waited until Sillabub had gone back to sleep before they woke Bombalurina.
"Wha...?"
"Bomba, Teazer says she has an escape plan!"
"I never said that!"
Demeter turned to stare at her. "Wait, so, you decided to just up and escape from the lair of the most feared criminal in the whole world with no plan whatsoever?"
"Of course I have a plan - "
"But - "
"I just didn't say that!"
Demeter gave her an exasperated look. "The point is, Bomba, that Teazer has an escape plan that she thinks will work - "
"I never said I thought it would work!"
Demeter gave up. "Bomba, we are going to escape from here."
"Oh, well that's nice, Sis, but how? You said that last time you tried with no outside help, Macavity found you and - "
"Yes, well, this is a different plan."
Bombalurina grumbled, "Well it better be a good plan."
Teazer tapped her on the shoulder. "Why wouldn't it be? I thought of it!"
"That's what scares me."
"So what's the plan?" The three queens whirled around.
"Sillabub!" Demeter cried. "I thought you went back to sleep!"
"She didn't. She woke me."
"Victoria! You, too?"
"We want to know the plan!"
"Yeah," Sillabub added. "We're prisoners, too, you know!"
Bombalurina rolled her eyes. "Well, they're obviously not going to sleep now, Teazer, so why don't you just tell us this wondrous plan of yours?"
So Teazer did. "Well, see, Macavity lets Jerrie come see me once a day, you know, to show him I'm still alive and all that. Now, a while back, I had Jerrie slip me a lock-pick (well, all right, an old bent nail from the wall, but it'll work), and I hid it in your cell, Dem, cause that's where I used to be, see? Now when Jerrie comes to visit today, I'll mention to him that we need Macavity to be distracted for an hour or so, along with most of his Guys. Then, Demeter, You can get the nail and we'll pick the locks and get out of here."
"What about my chain?"
"Oh, that's easy. Just press the little button in the bottom of the post."
"I don't see any button - "
"Of course, he wouldn't make it obvious. It took me ages to think of looking for a hidden button. But when you press it, it makes the post release the chain!"
Then Sillabub spoke up from her cell, "But that's no good - Demeter can't run around with a great long chain hanging from her collar!"
"Oh, oops, I hadn't thought of that."
"Why not just pick the lock that attaches the chain to the collar?" Everyone turned to stare at the normally silent Victoria.
"That kit's got some real brains!" commented Bombalurina. "Why didn't we think of that?"
Demeter smiled at Victoria. "I guess it takes a young mind to see the obvious."
Bombalurina rolled her eyes again. "You sound like Deuteronomy!"