Chapter Four – Old Deuteronomy
A/N: Macavity should be happy!
It was the night. Moon broke through a suppressing barrier of clouds long enough to illuminate the cats gathered below Old Deuteronomy, and the desperate look of one scruffy ginger Macavity. The cats were supposed to be watching magical Mistoffelees produce a flood of rainbows from a top hat.
Macavity was watching Old Deuteronomy, who seemed tenser than usual. Whether it was the aftermath of his anger at Growltiger, or whether it was because he was not sure who to send up to the Heaviside Layer. Please, please let it be me Macavity prayed. Mistoffelees sat down, and Old Deuteronomy rose on shaking legs.
"It's the time we've all been waiting for!" he rumbled. Demeter cast a look towards Macavity, which he caught. She seemed all at once scathing, hopeful and sympathetic. Munkustrap hurried forward.
"It is the time – just before dawn – where Old Deuteronomy reveals the cat who will go up and come back to a new Jellicle life!"
Macavity's fur itched with anticipation. Old Deuteronomy sniffed.
"Well, I could think of only one cat. Macavity, come."
Macavity could not move. His very eyes seemed to have been glazed over. He was going! Up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer!
"Macavity!" Someone (probably one of the twins) had nudged him to his paws. He wandered over to Old Deuteronomy, and then over to the staircase. The legendary staircase. He put one paw on the first step and drew it back, quickly, as if burned.
"Macavity," Old Deuteronomy spoke in a low voice. "I'm giving you this chance, because I believe you can do great things! Don't disappoint me!" And with a little push, he urged Macavity onto the steps.
Macavity thought to look down about halfway up. The first thing that struck him was the amount of unfriendly faces looking up at him. When other cats went up, everyone cheered and whooped. The young cat felt very alone all of a sudden. The second thing was that the twins were leaping about in excitement. The third thing he noticed was Grizabella smiling benignly, and the fourth was Demeter – glaring.
But then he had reached the top of the staircase – and the Jellicle Tribe were no longer visible. He was completely and utterly alone.
The night air was much colder up here. Macavity shivered, despite his thick fur. Tall, ghostly shapes surrounded him, lights beamed yellow out of the darkness, and strange noises came from further down the alley he was in. Macavity padded forward – mist clinging to him. The ground was slick with damp, and the ginger cat almost stumbled a few times. He reached the mouth of the street, and peered out at the Heaviside Layer.
It was one great city. Huge monsters revved and groaned and shrieked in the darkness. Hundreds of people flooded the bright streets. Lights poured fake sunshine onto pavements dark with rain. Macavity was awestruck. His eyes glowed in the darkness, and he slipped out onto the main road. Noise deafened him, people blinded him. He was completely disorientated, and a few kicks were aimed his way. Skidding across the pavement he darted underneath the belly of one of the cars. Shaking – his teeth chattering in his skull – Macavity blinked out. He was in the place of his dreams, but he did not feel as happy as he ought. He was cold, bruised from kicks, wet and hungry.
Macavity did not know how long he crouched under the car, but there was quite suddenly a massive noise from above him. Letting out a little growl Macavity ran out from under the car. The street was deserted – a sliver of moon hung like a sickle in the sky above. His stomach gave a little growl to match his. Macavity sniffed the air. A scent wafted back to him.
His nose led him to a Burger King, where a packet of chips lay discarded on the doorstep. Macavity sniffed it uncertainly. Well – he thought – it doesn't smell poisonous... He took a quick bite. It was disgusting, but it was food, and Macavity was hungry. Within seconds he had wolfed all the chips down, and was slinking back down the way he had come. He darted into another alley and curled up in a ball.
Despite himself, he missed the twins, the warmth of his nest, the food. Of course he couldn't truthfully say he missed the glares, the whispered insults – but who would? As Macavity drifted off to sleep, he almost smiled sleepily, at the thought he was, at last, in the Heaviside Layer and sleeping next to a dustbin.
A/N: So this is my version of the Heaviside Layer. If you think I'm wrong about it being a city, please tell me, but yeah... Please R & R! It'd make my day!