Part 3
Ten years later
The Junkyard is worse than ever! Can you see the misery, the suffering, the dirt, the filth, the sickness, the cruelness, the unfairness, the- *looks up at rumbling sky* Okay okay I'll get on with it now shut up! Where was I? Right, ten years have passed and the Junkyard is worse than ever. Many poor cats fills the streets and a group of young toms are preparing to end it, but listen to the people sing…
BEGGARS
Look down and see the beggars at your feet
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down and see the sweepings of the street
Look down, look down,
Upon your fellow man! – A little kitten on ten years runs out from an alley. He is white with a mix of brown and with a brown patch over his right eye. His clothes are torn and he is very very very dirty. He runs out from the alley and up to a group of little kittens and he sings with a strong voice, for someone so small.
'Ow do you do? Moi name's Tumblebrutus.
These are me people. 'ere's moi patch.
Not much to look at, nothing posh
Nothing tha' you'd call up to scratch.
Thois ois moischool, moi 'igh society
'ere oin the slums of Sain' Martin
We loive on crumbs of 'umble piety
Tough on tha teeth, but whot tha 'ell!
Thoink you're poor?
Thoink you're free?
Follow me! Follow me! – He ran into the alley again and a couple of little kittens followed him.
BEGGARS
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down, look down, upon your fellow man! – An old beggar woman finds a young prostitute occupying her pitch.
OLD BEGGAR WOMAN
What you think yer at?
Hanging round me pitch?
If you're new around here, gal
You've got a lot to learn!
YOUNG PROSTITUTE
Listen you old bat...
Crazy bloody witch...
'Least I give me customers
Some pleasure in return!
OLD BEGGAR WOMAN
I know what you give!
Give 'em all the pox!
Spread around your poison
Till they end up in a box.
PIMP
Leave the poor old cow,
Move it, Bombalurina.
She used to be no better
Till the clap got to her brain. – The pimp pulled Bombalurina away during protests and the beggars went on sadly.
When's it gonna end?
When we gonna live?
Something's gotta happen now or
Something's gonna give
It'll come, it'll come, it'll come
It'll come, it'll come, it'll come – A young black and white patched tom walked out on the street. He was wearing a black dusty cap, white shirt, black west, brown worn out trousers with torn legs and old shoes. Around his waist he had a wine red scarf, at least that's what everyone thought it was. He looked around and sang angrily:
Where the leaders of the land?
Where are the swells who run this show? – From the same door that the white and black tom had come out from came a silver tabby that we all recognize as Munkustrap. He was dressed in a black suit and black shoes. He walked up to the other and put a hand on his shoulder and sang:
Only one tom and that's Gus theater cat
Speaks for these people here below.
BEGGARS
See our children fed
Help us in our shame
Something for a crust of bread
In Holy Jesus' name – A kitten with a fur mixed in grey, brown, white and black ran out on the street followed by Tumblebrutus. He had a light brown patch over his left eyes.
"In the Lord's Holy name", he said but Tumblebrutus pulled him back angrily and wait what? What Lord?
BEGGARS
In his name, in his name, in his name... – HIS name? Why I oughtta! *rolls up sleeves again and storms off* Munkustrap stepped forward.
Munkustrap
Gus theater Cat is ill and fading fast!
Won't last the week out, so they say. – the other one walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder this time.
Black and white:
With all the anger in the land
How long before the judgment day?
Before we cut the fat ones down to size?
Before the barricades arise? – He raised his arm and Munkustrap looked at him wearily. Tumblebrutus runs up to another couple of kittens and sings:
Watch out for ol' Skimbleshanks
All of 'is famly's on tha make
Once ran a 'ash-'ouse down the way
Boit of a swoine an' no mistake
'e's got a gang
Tha bleeding layabout
Even 'is daughtah does 'er share
That's Rumpleteazer, she knows 'er way about
Only a koid, but 'ard to scare
Do we care?
Not a cuss
Long loive us.
Long loive us!
BEGGARS
Look down and show some mercy if you can
Look down, look down upon your fellow man!
The beggars were circling the two young toms and Munkustrap was pushed away from the other by the crowd.
"Alonzo!" he called but the crowd led him away while the other part of the crowd pressed Alonzo away the other way. "Hey!"
"Please sir give me money sir", one cat begged. "Help."
"I wish I could."
"Please!"
"Sir!" another yelled.
"Please good sir mah famly's dying!"
"Help!"
"No help me!"
Not far from where he tried to get out of trouble were Skimbleshanks, his gang and Rumpleteazer.
"Everyone here", Skimble asked and looked around the corner. "You know your place. Brujon, Babet, Claquesous, you, Montparnasse, watch for the law. With Teazer take care you turn on the tears no mistakes, my dears."
Jennyanydots looked around the corner and saw Munkustrap trying to get free and he was helped by his friends, a grey tom named Admetus and a Siamese tom named Coricopat, both of them poor boys that had gotten scholarships so they could go to university. Jenny groaned when they saw the three of them preach to the crowd.
"These bloody students on our street", she groaned. "Here they come slumming once again. Our Teazer would kiss their feet. She never had a scrap of brain." Teazer glared at her before running up to Munkustrap happily. When he saw her he smiled.
"Hey, Teazer, what's up today?" he said. "I haven't seen you much about." She rolled her eyes.
"'ere you can alwaois catch me oin", she said.
"Mind the police don't catch you out!"
"'ere, wotcher do with all them books? I could have been a student too! Don't judge a girl on how she looks." She gestured to her torn and dirty dress and
tangled hair. "Oi know a lo' of things, Oi do!"
"Poor Teazer, the things you know you wouldn't find in books like these." He held up the book Admetus was holding.
"Oi like the way you grow your 'air", she said happily at his pretty long fur.
"I like the way you always tease", he smirked.
"Little 'e knows! Little 'e sees!" she mumbled to herself.
That's when Bustopher Jones comes down the street, leading a grownup Demeter with him.
"Here's the old boy", Jenny whispered. "Stay on the job and watch out for the law." She gestured to Teazer who groaned and then whispered to Munk:
"Stay ou' of thois please."
"But Teazer..." he began.
"You'll be oin trouble 'ere. Oit's not your concern, you'll be oin tha clear." She pushed Marius away and the other two students left too.
"Who is that tom?" Munk asked grabbing her arm as she tried to run.
"Leave me alone!", Teazer screamed.
"Why is he here?" she runs off. "Hey, Teazer!" He runs after her but bumps into someone, a beautiful black and gold queen and when their eyes meet… he falls for her and she for him.
"I didn't see you there, forgive me", Munkustrap said and hurries off again.
"Please good sir, come this way", Skimble said sounding miserable to the tuxedo tom. "Here's a child that ain't eaten today. Save a life, spare a sou God rewards all the good that you do. Wait a bit. Know that face. Ain't the world a remarkable place? Toms like me don't forget you're the bastard who borrowed Demeter!"
Skimble grabs Bustopher and rips open his shirt, revealing the number on his chest, he stares with big eyes.
"What is this?" Bustopher said angrily. "Are you mad? No, sir, you don't know what you do!"
"You know me, you know me. I'm a con, just like you." Teazer runs towards them.
"Oit's tha police! Disappear! Run for it! It's Deuteronomy!" She runs away, as does her mother but the gnag tries to fight Bustopher, that's when Deuteronomy
arrives and with the help of his constables they break up the fight. Bustopher looks around hurriedly and sees Demeter with Munkustrap. He hurries over and
grab her arm and they hurry off while Deuteronomy's attention is on Skimbleshanks and sings angrily:
Another brawl in the square
Another stink in the air!
Was there a witness to this?
Well, let him speak to Deuteronomy!
Sir, the streets are not safe,
But let these vermin beware
We'll see that justice is done! – He looked at Skimble and his gang.
Look upon this fine collection
Crawled from underneath a stone
This swarm of worms and maggots
Could have picked you to the bone!
I know this man over here
I know his name and his trade
And on your witness, Sir,
We'll see him suitably paid. – He turned around to the gentletom he had sung to but the tom was gone, as was the girl that had been seen with him.
"But where's the gentletom gone?" Deuteronomy asked. "And why on earth did he run?"
Skimble picks himself up from the ground smirking.
"You will have a job to catch him", he said. "He's the one you should arrest no more bourgeois when you scratch him than that brand upon his chest!" Deuteronomy orders his constables to look for the tom while he muses to himself:
Could it be he's some old jailbird
That the tide now washes in
Heard my name and started running
Had the brand upon his skin
And the girl who stood beside him
When I turned they both had gone
Could he be the man I've hunted?
Could it be he's Jean Valjean?
Skimble patted him on the shoulder and Deuteronomy turned to him.
"In the absence of a victim dear Inspector, may I go?" Skimble asked innocently. "And remember when you've nicked him, it was me who told you so!"
"Leave", Deuteronomy said and Skimble and his gang fled and Deuteronomy looked down the street. "Let the old man keep on running I will run him off his feet!" he turned to his constables again. "Everyone about your business! Clear this garbage off the street!" His constables started to push the beggars off of the street and Alonzo watched in disgust before hurrying off.
Deuteronomy looked down the darkening street and sang:
There, out in the darkness
A fugitive running
Fallen from grace
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield
Till we come face to face
Till we come face to face
He knows his way in the dark
Mine is the way of the Lady
And those who follow the path of the righteous
Shall have their reward
And if they fall
As Lucifer fell
The flame
The sword! – He looked up at the starry sky above him.
Stars
In your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping watch in the night
You know your place in the sky
You hold your course and your aim
And each in your season
Returns and returns
And is always the same
And if you fall as Lucifer fell
You fall in flame! – He looked down the street again.
And so it has been and so it is written
On the doorway to paradise
That those who falter and those who fall
Must pay the price!
Lady let me find him
That I may see him
Safe behind bars
I will never rest
Till then
This I swear
This I swear by the stars! – He walks away but Tumblebrutus looks out from his alley and then at the small kittens all around him. They look up at him with big eyes and he nods towards Deuteronomy's back and sings:
That oinspector thoinks 'e's something
But oit's me who runs thois town!
And mah theatah nevah closes
And the curtain's never down
Trust Tumblebrutus, have no fear
Don't you worry, little dear,
You can always find me here – He motions for the kitten to fill out and when they all are gone he takes the smallest ones' paws and lead them home. The street lies dark and empty.
TBC Anything you recognize from Les Mis or CATS doesn't belong to me okay?
Rosebud5 - I was quick this time ;) How do you like my cast?