A/N: I am a psychic too, you know. You are currently on fanfiction .net and you are reading this text. (mind blown) Oh, and you want me to get on with it. Okay.
Disclaimer: Did you know 'disclaimer' is an anagram of 'acid smiler'?
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Chapter 9: No tiger can resist a nice bone
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The Tiger's Fang (aka Growltiger's barge)
During last chapter
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"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"
"The… the slave escaped, captain."
Growltiger emptied the last rum that was left in his bottle and glared at Grumbuskin with his one eye. "Who was the last one seen with her?"
"Whiskerbeard, sir."
"Bring him here."
Grumbuskin nodded and walked out of the room. Tumblebrutus was standing outside. "How did it go?" he asked.
"It looks like he got out of his depression, and you're gonna wish he never did. Go tell Whiskerbeard he has to come to Growltiger."
Few minutes later, the trembling grey cat stood on the opposite side of Growltiger at the large wooden table.
"So you were the last person who visited the prisoner?"
"Y… Yes, captain…"
"Why?"
"I… I brought her food, just like Striker had ordered me to."
"Did you help her escape? Look me in the eye while you answer!"
"N… No, sir, I didn't," he said with a shaky voice, trying to sound convincing.
Growltiger narrowed his eye. "And did you open the door?"
"No, I used the hatch."
"Did you check if the door was locked?"
"Yes."
"You didn't accidentally drop your keys in the soup or just outside of the door?"
"What? No, of course not."
"Then how did she escape? Tell me."
"I… don't know."
"Oh, you don't know? How in the name of the devil did she escape? Either you helped her, or someone else did! Or is she a magical cat, who for some reason waited until now to disappear? Or did she eat a paperclip, and then vomited it out again to use it as a lock pick?"
"I don't know, sir."
Growltiger sighed and waved his paw, dismissing him. He called for Grumbuskin, who entered the room after the other cat left. "Grumbuskin, take Whiskerbeard and Tumblebrutus with you to look for that slave. She's probably lying by the side of the street somewhere, she can't have gotten far in that shape."
"Yes captain."
While the three crew members left the ship, Growltiger watched them disappear in the shadows, leaning over the bulwark. He stayed there for a while, listening to the calming sounds of the water splashing against the wood of his ship and the bricks of the dock. The almost full moon was shining in an almost cloudless, star-filled sky, and casted white light over the streets next to the river Thames, making everything look colorless.
Suddenly, the pirate's attention was caught by a white flash on the dock. He looked silently as a pure white cat walked through the street. It wasn't the moonlight that made her look white as snow, Growltiger saw it was her real color. The purest white he had ever seen.
He slowly walked towards the plank they used to go on land, not letting the queen slip out of his gaze. "Striker," he commanded, "you're in charge while I'm away." The first mate, who was standing on a higher part of the deck, nodded, not asking why he was leaving the ship. He had been on this ship for too long to make that mistake.
Growltiger started to go faster, because the queen was almost disappearing in a bystreet. He ran until he stood about ten feet away from her.
"Excuse me, milady," he said. The queen turned around. The pirate was speechless for a moment. He had never seen such beauty. He then continued: "It is dangerous to walk the streets alone at night. May I assist you?"
The queen looked at him, seemingly considering if he was a trustworthy character. "Oh, actually I'm not really going anywhere. But you can always assist me… not going anywhere?"
Growltiger gently took her paw, and placed a soft kiss on it. "What is your name, lady?"
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The tree pirates slowly walked through the streets, looking for a brown queen. Actually, they weren't really searching , since they were chatting constantly.
"So, have you heard it? Apparently Griddlebone is on the loose," Grumbuskin said.
"Who?" Tumblebrutus asked.
"Have you never heard of Griddlebone? She's one of the most notorious local criminals. White as snow, and just as cold. She always works alone, but it is said she has the power to seduce anyone. And I mean anyone. Sometimes rich cats, who are then killed while they sleep and she takes their money, or crime bosses, if she wants them to do something for her. I bet she could even seduce Growltiger."
"Hey guys," Whiskerbeard suddenly called for them, "Take a look at this."
Small drops of blood had fallen on the concrete tiles of the sidewalk. A little bit further there were some red wipes on the floor, like she had rested there for a while, before realizing it was too dangerous to pass out so close to the river. The stains continued further through the street, though less frequently.
They followed the trail. It became rather difficult, because the traces weren't in large numbers, and the blood was starting to dry by now.
Suddenly there was a larger stain that ended the path of blood they had followed. The cat herself was nowhere to be found, but it was clear she had been lying here for quite some time.
The three pirates looked up from the dark red tile to see where they were. They gasped when they recognized the iron fences and the large piles of junk behind them.
"Oh no," Grumbuskin whispered. "Why did she have to come here?"
"If we tell this to Growltiger, he won't hesitate to kill them all," Tumblebrutus said.
"But what else can we do? Lie to our own captain, risking our lives?" Whiskerbeard asked.
The other two pirates looked at him. Whiskerbeard was a bit younger than them, and was less experienced with what to tell and what not to tell to Growltiger. Grumbuskin pointed at the fence: "Look, behind those fences is an entire tribe of innocent cats, who have been so kind to take care of an injured, escaped slave. Do you want them to get killed because of that kindness?"
"Well… We can tell them that, if they return the slave willingly, their lives will be spared?"
Tumblebrutus chuckled. "Do you even know those Jellicles? They would rather fight to their death than letting a member of their tribe fall into Growltiger's claws."
Whiskerbeard swallowed nervously. "Then what should we say?"
"Something like 'We followed a trail of blood, until we found her lifeless body, covered in rats and crows, before two humans put her in a bag and threw her into a garbage can'."
"That's gross."
"Yeah, but it's so detailed Growltiger will believe it. Come on, let's get back to the ship. Are you coming, Tumble?"
Tumblebrutus stopped staring between the scrap piles. "Huh? Yeah, I'm coming." He looked back one last time, and couldn't help but smile a little.
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"Are you sure?"
"It's not me you should be asking that question."
Deuteronomy frowned and started to walk in small circles through his and Grizabella's den. "Is she sure?"
"I don't know. I haven't talked to her since that."
Deuteronomy sighed and sat down again. "This is serious. If she is right, we must be extremely careful raising this child."
"This child? This child? OUR child! You already treat him like he's not your son!"
"Grizabella, please! I never said that! I do care about him, and I truly hope that prophecy is wrong, and he can have a normal, happy life. But… if, and I say if she's right, we will have to act." Grizabella already opened her mouth to say something, but Deuteronomy raised his paw and continued: "Of course, we will wait to see if it actually is true, and he will be innocent until he does something wrong."
Grizabella closed her mouth and looked down. "And what will we do if…"
"We will do what we have to do with every cat who commits severe crimes: he will be banished, like every other criminal." He peered between the curtains that hanged in the opening that lead outside. He watched his clan, enjoying the warm sun of the early morning. He saw his son Munkustrap playing with Skimbleshanks.
"Have you told anyone about the prophecy?" he asked.
Grizabella shook her head. "But… Pluto was in the room, but I think he was sleeping."
Deuteronomy nodded, and watched as Munkustrap leaped at Skimbleshanks, knocking the orange tabby off his paws. "They're getting old so quickly, aren't they? Both of Gus's sons are already old enough to go to their first Ball."
Grizabella didn't answer. She sat down on the large pillow that made their bed instead. She was tired, and would probably sleep most of the day.
Just before she closed her eyes, she prayed to the Everlasting Cat. Not that her son wouldn't get banished, but that her tribe would be okay.
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"We followed a trail of blood, until we found her lifeless body, covered in rats and crows, before two humans put her in a bag and threw her into a garbage can, captain."
"Really?" Growltiger didn't leave his position behind the table, but played a with the glass he was holding between his paws, making it spin on the table, while still keeping his eye on the three crewmembers. "Well, I didn't know humans put dead cats between the garbage, but I knew they were disgusting. Oh well, at least she's with those pathetic Jellicles now, isn't she?" he said, with a strangely cheerful tone.
The three pirates swallowed, and exchanged a nervous glance. "W… What do you mean, sir?"
"Well, since she's in a garbage can, they will empty it on that miserable junkyard of theirs. Oh, I wish I could see their faces when they open that bag! Hehehe!" The pirates chuckled nervously. "But," he continued, "I have better things to do, haven't I? Go, do something useful instead of wasting your time on some worthless slave!" He sounded strangely joyful with everything he said, leaving the others rather confused, but eventually, they started to shuffle towards the door, trying to hide their relief for Growltiger's good reaction.
I don't know who made that bad temper of his go away, Grumbuskin thought, but help me remember to thank that person one day. With that, he closed the door behind him, concealing what was happening in the other room.
"They are gone, milady."
The curtains moved, and out stepped a white queen, who had been hiding during the conversation.
"Oh, please, Tiger, you can stop calling me 'milady'. I don't call you 'captain', do I?"
"I don't care what you call me, every word that comes out of your beautiful mouth sounds like music to my ear." He took her paw and placed a series of kisses on it, moving up to her wrist, her elbow, her shoulder and eventually her neck.
She giggled. "Oh, Tiger, stop that! It tickles!"
I don't believe it. I actually got Growltiger, The Terror of the Thames! I'm sure I'll find a good use for this.
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A/N: Sorry for the fake-out guys! I only realized how much the beginning of this chapter looked like Growltiger's Last Stand after I wrote it! Peaceful night with bright moon, Tumblebrutus and Grumbuskin are away, Growltiger sees Griddlebone… Sorry to everyone who expected a Siamese attack. I didn't mean to troll you.
Please review if you liked it!
