CHAPTER SIX: The Truth

At this point, Munkustrap decided it was time to take charge of the situation,

"Well I have to admit," he began, "that wasn't exactly what I expected, but the point is everyone's safe and we've found Bomby, I suppose the only sensible thing to do now is go home."

"And Macavity?" that was Alonzo,

"Well to tell the truth, he didn't try to harm any of us, except you in direct combat. Also I hate to say it Alonzo, but you did challenge him."

"So you're gonna let him get away with kidnapping Bomby?"

"Well…"

But Bombalurina cut him off,

"Will you all please stop and actually listen to what I've got to say for a second! You rushed in there without even consulting me. Macavity didn't kidnap me and he wasn't trying to attack me either. You may find it hard to believe, but he saved my life."

"What?"

"After you and I had that argument 'Lonz, I can't even remember what it was about now, suddenly it's not important. But anyway, I stormed off out of the Junkyard and didn't even think where I was going, not that I needed to, I know this city like the back of my paw. Then I ran into trouble, something I hadn't anticipated. Those humans who just moved in down Park Avenue, they've got a dog. And believe me, he's not your average dumb pollicle either. He's a bloody Rottweiler, and Terrell, as I discovered he's called, is as smart as they come."

"What do you mean?"

Munkustrap was concerned, his father had recently passed control in the day to day running of the tribe over to him, not only this but he had become the Jellicle protector and had sworn to defend them at all costs. Any issue about the tribe's safety was a big issue for him.

"Well to begin with he didn't go insane and start barking the place down like most of them do," Bombalurina explained "no, he actually approached me. The first thing he did was to warn me off his territory. His territory? As if. You all know as well as I do that Park Avenue's been Jellicle territory for years. I told him so as well, my first mistake. He got angry then and my second mistake was to stick around, I knew I could retreat then and come and reclaim this with the rest of the tribe any time I liked. But I've got too much pride for that, especially when you consider I was still incredibly angry after my argument with 'Lonz. In fact I was boiling mad and refused to leave, I wanted to take all my emotions out on someone and here was the perfect opportunity, a slanging match with a stupid pollicle."

"I thought you said he was smart?" queried Munkustrap

"He was, only I hadn't realised it at that point, mistake number three. Anyway, he turned out to be surprisingly witty and cutting with his retaliations, then I said something that really got under his skin and basically, to cut a long story short, he attacked me. The attack was clever too though, he knocked me to the ground, which is what damaged my paw, but I had no chance to get up because he was at my throat snarling and growling. I managed to take him by surprise by scratching his face, but only for a second, I used that to get to my paws but he was already attacking again. It went on this way for some time, whatever I did I just couldn't get the better of him, he was always one move ahead. I was on the verge of blacking out, I was that weak by then, when suddenly there was a commotion and the sound of other cats behind us. The next thing I knew, Terrell had turned away. I just lay there too weak to move, I don't know what happened to him and to be honest, I don't care. After a while everything went quiet and someone lifted me up, at that point I passed out. When I awoke I discovered that someone had treated my wounds and left me to rest, and for the time being that's what I allowed myself to do. It was only later when my rescuer walled through to door that I recognised him as Macavity."

As Bombalurina told her story, she and the other cats had made their way back from the docks and were now walking along a side street near the city centre. At the end of her tale Munkustrap stopped in his tracks and looked at her in disbelief.

"Is this true?"

"What, you think I'd just make it up?"

"No, I'm sorry," Munkustrap was apologetic but still continued with his doubtfulness, "there's just a few things in your story that don't entirely make sense."

"What?"

"Well, it doesn't account for you being away for two days. I mean, one would make sense but not two."

"I spent an entire day recovering, and then I had a few questions to ask Macavity."

"Like what?"

"Like why he rescued me, you obviously find that the hardest part to believe and I agree that it's not like Macavity at all. At least, not the Macavity you know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Interrupted Alonzo,

"Never mind, so naturally I wanted to ask him. Does that answer your question Munk?"

"Yes I suppose so, but it brings up the matter of his answer, why did he rescue you? And also why was he fighting you?"

"If you'd looked closer you may have noticed that it was more me fighting him, he did nothing more than defend himself. Look, you all know I've got a past and some of you," here she shot meaningful looks at Tug, Munkustrap and Alonzo, "know also that it involved Macavity."

At this Skimbleshanks stifled a gasp of surprise and Coricopat looked a little shocked.

"Yes," she told them, "that's right, it involves Macavity. I hope you're all satisfied, I got mixed up with him when I was just a tiny kitten. Anyway, the point is that at one point in my life we were, him and I, well, we were an item. That's why he rescued me and that's why he wouldn't hurt me, because… because he still has feelings for me ok!"

She said the last bit in a great rush and turned away from the other cats. She realised it now, somewhere, deep inside Macavity must still love her; that had been why he rescued her. She knew now that him not wanting to hurt her had nothing to do with cowardice, he really cared about her, and always had.

Alonzo was the first to gather himself enough to respond,

"I see Bomb, but it still doesn't explain why you were fighting him (if that's really the way it was) in the first place."

Bombalurina quelled him with a look

"Ok," he said, "maybe that's not important."

"It would make little difference to you, what's done is done."

"Fair enough," he hastened, he could see she was on edge and hurried to change the subject, "you ought to get Jenny to look at that paw, I'm sure its broken."

"It's fine."

"But surely…"

Bombalurina cut him off.

"It's just a small fracture, caused by an old injury. That paw never healed properly since I first broke it, and yes, Macavity was involved with that. If it makes you any happier." she snapped.

"Look Bomby…"

"Don't bother pretending, I know you don't like Macavity."

"Can you really expect me to?"

"No, but what I could expect you to have done is had some compassion for him in the first place."

"What?"

"If you had given him a chance, all those years ago then maybe, just maybe he might not be like he is now!"

"What in Heaviside's name are you talking about?"

"I know that Deuteronomy sent your sister, his only daughter, to the Heaviside the day you were all born, and yes, I realise how hard that must have been for him, and for you, growing up without ever knowing her. I can understand you resenting Macavity, feeling like he was there in her place. But you could have shown some compassion. Prejudice. It's an ugly word but the only one to describe how he was treated. Its no wonder he turned out bad the way you treated him. I know the cat Macavity's become, but I also know the cat he was, and still is deep inside! Besides, you know what we believe about the Heaviside Layer, have you ever though that maybe, maybe he could have been you sister, reborn into a new Jellicle life?"

"Don't you ever speak that way about Alrya! How could you even think of comparing her that bullying, conniving EVIL cat!"

"If she was half the cat Macavity is…" she blurted out.

Then he hit her.

Alonzo's paw swung and caught Bombalurina full in the face! She gasped and her own paw shot up to the place of impact. Alonzo's dropped to his side and he stood there shaking, half from anger and half from remorse.

Bombalurina recovered first,

"Wow," she said shakily, "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Neither did I," Alonzo was still in shock but the horror of what he'd done suddenly hit him,

"I'm sorry Bomby, truly I am."

"It's ok."

"No it's not."

"Yes 'Lonz, it is. I said some terrible things about your sister and I take them all back. It's awful, what right did I have to say those things? I never even knew her."

"Neither did I. Oh Bomby, do you really blame me, us, any of us, for resenting Macavity?"

"No, but I don't take back all I said, I know both sides of Macavity's nature, he's only feline and he has emotions, he has to love. And he has feelings too, being punished for something he didn't do, time and again. He was treated that way enough that he finally decided to become what was thought of him."

She paused,

"Look, we've both said and done some terrible things so let's leave it there. Just let me get one thing straight to all of you,"

She turned to the others who had stood silent throughout the argument.

"I can take care of myself, I don't need rescuing because I'm not around for a few days and also, take time to understand what's going on, before you rush into things. I'm gonna go now, you can tell Deuteronomy I'm perfectly safe and I'll return tomorrow or the day after. Right now I've a few things to sort out. I really am sorry about what I said about Alrya."

With that she turned and left in the direction they'd just come, leaving the five toms standing there dumbfounded.

I'm not trying to make Alonzo into a bad guy here, honest, he and Macavity both have reasons for disliking each other, he just somehow worked for this story. Also, in case you wondered if I'm being sexist, putting only toms in the rescue party then you'd be right. I'm doing it deliberately beacuse it's oh-so-clear that Bomba can look after herself. The end of this chapter is slightly a rebellion against the typical 'Macavity kidnaps helpless Jellicle queen, so brave Jellicle toms run off to Macavity's lair and rescue them, ended by a love story between rescuer and rescued' fic. I've read too many of those, (even wrote one myself once but scrapped it) and I will admit that sometimes they work and are good, but others are just repetetive and irritating so I thought I'd try rebelling against that style by using it. If that makes sense. Please don't flame me for saying that though, all of us have our pet hates, I just wanted to explain my reasons. No point getting hung up on it, its not what the whole fic's about.

DISCLAIMER: Cats - owned by ALW and the RUG.