TC's Fiesta Night was coming along quite nicely. He managed to teach Reine how to Samba, and Choo-Choo, Benny, Brain, Fancy, and Spook were getting better with their music cues. Jerry was still a little nervous about singing in front of an audience, but he agreed to rehearse anyway.

The only thing Martha was worried about was the rain.

"It's really been disgusting all week!" Officer Dibble shouted. "I gotta tell ya, I think people are beginning to go downtown in row boats!"

"Yeah, we could get rained out," Martha said.

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," TC shrugged. "By the way, Dib, how do you like our new name for the standard cup? We call it Cuppa Joe. We were inspired by you."

"Oh yeah?" Officer Dibble asked.

"Of course. You're always coming in wanting a cup of joe. So why not call it that?"

"Well, I'd better get back to my beat."

"You're gonna pound the beat in this rain, Dib?"

"It's a dirty job, TC, but someone's gotta do it."

TC nodded, and went to the back room to continue rehearsing.

The next day, the group continued rehearsals and all, and it was still pouring.

"Boy, like, it's ridiculous out there," Spook said.

"If this keeps up, we may have to build an ark," Choo-Choo commented.

"You guys are being ridiculous," TC said. Then he turned to Jerry. "Come on, Ol' Brown Eyes. Let me hear you croon. You're getting better, boy."

Jerry merely cleared his throat and shook his head.

"Come on, don't be so modest," TC prodded. "You sound great! You're gonna knock 'em dead! Right guys?"

"Yeah, Jerry-baby, like, you sound pretty good," Spook said.

"Right up there with Frankie Sinatra," Choo-Choo said.

"So why won't you sing now?" TC asked.

Jerry cleared his throat again, and wrote something down. He gave the paper to TC, and he skimmed it.

"I can't sing, I lost my voice," TC read. "What?! You lost your . . . . . how could you have lost your voice?!"

Jerry scribbled another note and handed it to TC.

"Too much rehearsal," he read. "Well that's no excuse!"

"Like, man, Jer, that's a drag," Spook said. "Have you tried, like, gargling?"

"What's wrong, you guys?" Martha asked, coming out of the kitchen.

"Ol' Brown Eyes has to bail out of Fiesta Night," TC said. "He lost his voice."

"And there's now guarantee he'll get it back by Saturday night," Choo-Choo said.

"I think I might have something that will help," Martha said, and she went into the kitchen. "I'll be right back."

TC, Choo-Choo, and Spook looked at each other, wondering what Martha had in mind. She returned a few moments later with one of her coffee mugs.

"Okay, Jerry, try this," she said. "It's my grandmother's recipe. She says it'll cure whatever ails you."

Jerry shrugged, and took a sip.

"Whoa!" he shouted suddenly. "What the heck's in that?! That's some strong stuff!"

"Works every time," Martha said.

"Looks like Ol' Brown Eyes is back," Choo-Choo said.

"What is this, anyway?" TC asked, taking the mug. He took a sip, and his fur nearly stood on end, and his whiskers stood straight up.

"Erk!" he shouted, as he stiffened. "Jer, you were right. This is some strong stuff!"

"I call it Grandma Manning's Honey Lemon Tea," Martha said. "There's absolutely no coffee in it. It's black tea, honey, and lemon. It's perfect for colds, sore throats, and laryngitis."

"So I've noticed," Jerry commented.

"Like, maybe we should serve it for Fiesta Night," Spook said. "My old lady, like, as in my mother, used to drink hot tea when it rained. She had this saying, like, there was nothing like a good, strong cup of tea on a rainy day."

"I think Spook's got a good idea," Choo-Choo said. "Let's try it on Benny, Fancy, and Brain once they come back from their promoting."

A few moments later, the other three cats returned, looking more like drowned rats, because of the rain.

"Still pouring," Fancy reported. "It's disgusting out there!"

"Not to mention cold!" Benny shouted.

"Well, we've got something that'll warm you guys up," TC said. "It's called Honey Lemon Tea."

Martha poured the three wet cats some of the tea, and they drank it. Immediately, they felt a lot better.

"Duh, hey, this is great," Brain said. "It makes you feel nice and warm all over."

"A little strong," Fancy commented. "But I read somewhere that strong tea is good for you."

"We have a winner," TC said.

Finally, Saturday night arrived, and the gang was all set for Fiesta Night. Even though it was still pouring cats and dogs outside, Martha's Coffee Shoppe was packed. Choo-Choo turned on a spotlight, and Reine cut the house lights. Fancy stepped out from behind the curtain, and took the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Martha's Coffee Shoppe's Fiesta Night!" he announced. "Even though not all of our acts are fiesta style, but, hey, what can you do, right? Our first act, the talented Cat Calloway!"

The audience applauded, and the curtain opened, revealing Top Cat in his white coat and tails, and that wild black wig. The other cats sat behind him, like an orchestra. TC then went into a rendition of the Cab Calloway classic, "Hi De Ho Man," though he sang it as "Hi De Ho Cat." The audience even participated in the "call-response" bits. This one resulted in a thunderous applause. TC took a couple of bows, and the curtain closed. Fancy came back on stage.

"Next up, Calvin Collins," Fancy said, and he ducked backstage as Calvin took the stage with his guitar, and ran through some of the current rock and roll songs on the charts, as well as some Elvis Presley tunes.

"So far so good," TC said as he changed out of his Cat Calloway outfit, and put on the South American shirt. "How's it coming with the new coffee?"

"Well, I've got a blend of Columbian and Cuban, with a little bit of cinnamon, and some nutmeg," Choo-Choo said. "I call it Babalu Blend. I got the idea watching you rehearse, TC. You reminded me of Ricky Ricardo on I Love Lucy."

"Good, good," TC said. "What else?"

"This is called Caramel Coffee, TC," Benny said. "It's a little sticky, but I think it works."

"Tasty, mighty tasty," TC said, sampling Benny's latest. "Fancy, you're next."

"This is called Honey Cream," Fancy said. "It's not really a coffee, or a hot chocolate. I really don't know what I was thinking, but I sort of thinned down some honey and added sugar, milk, and cream to it."

"Not bad, not bad," TC said. "Matter of fact, it's pretty good. Okay, Spook. Let's see what you've got for me."

"Like, here you go, dad," Spook said. "I added Espresso beans to my Jive Five Java idea, as well as some honey. I call it Beebee's Buzz, like, after Beebee."

"Awwwww," Fancy, and Choo-Choo said in unison, in a teasing sort of way.

"Well, it certainly gives you a buzz," TC said. "It's probably the Espresso that does it."

"Beebee's come up with something for us, too," Spook said.

"Okay, Beebee, what have we got?" TC asked.

"I got the idea from Benny's Peppermint Blend," Beebee said. "More or less. Since the Peppermint Blend is white chocolate, I decided to take that and run, and I used a lot of cream. I call it Creme de la Creme a la Alley Cats. Named after all you crazy cats."

"But mainly for Spook, I'll bet," TC said, taking a sip. "But I like it. I like it a lot. Okay, Brain. Your turn. What have you got for me?"

"Duh, nothing yet, TC," Brain said. "I haven't been able to think of something."

"Well, you'd better come up with something fast," TC said. "We promised the crowd six new flavors, and we can't deliver only five!"

"Hey, TC!" Reine shouted. "Calvin's almost through. You know you and I go on after him."

"Right, right, right," TC said. "Go ahead and introduce us, Fancy. And Brain, keep working on a coffee idea!"

"Duh, okay, TC," Brain said.

Everyone, but Brain, walked out of the kitchen. Brain began grinding Cuban beans, but he didn't know what he could do with it to make it special. As he was thinking about it, someone came in through the back door. He was wearing a trench coat, a large hat, and a pair of sunglasses and black gloves.

"Duh, who are you?" he asked.

"Huh?!" the mystery man asked, startled.

"I said, duh, who are you," Brain repeated.

"Oh, I'm, uhhh, I'm, ummm . . . . ." the mystery man said, trying to think of a good excuse. "I'm the coffee inspector. Yeah that's it, coffee inspector!"

"Coffee inspector?"

"Yeah, I'm here for a surprise inspection."

"Surprise inspection? Gee, Mrs. Collins didn't tell us about a surprise inspection."

"Now, if she told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

"Duh, no, I guess not."

"You coming up with a new drink there?"

"Yeah, I'm trying to. TC wants a sixth blend for tonight, because we promised the crowd six new drinks, but I haven't come up with one. All I got is ground up Cuban coffee beans."

"Well, I think I might have something. Just don't tell your friend TC that I came up with it. I know what the people want. They want hot coffee."

"Yeah, I like hot coffee. Especially on cold mornings. Hot drinks make you feel all nice and warm all over when you're cold."

"No, not that kind of hot. I mean hot! You know, something that gives it a big kick. Here. Try these."

The mystery man pulled a bottle of tabasco sauce, a can of chili powder, and a container of ground cayenne pepper out of the bag he was carrying, and handed it to Brain. Then he ran off. Brain just shrugged, and percolated the Cuban grounds. Then he put the pepper, chili powder, and tabasco sauce in it, just as Benny came in.

"Hey, Brain, you got the new coffee yet?" he asked.

"Duh yeah," Brain said. "Right here. Try it, Benny."

"Okay."

Benny took a sip of Brain's concoction, just as TC, Spook, and Martha came in. They saw Benny's face turn completely read, and steam came out of his ears.

"YAHOO-HOO-HOO!" he yelled, shooting skyward. He ended up hitting the ceiling, and crashing back down.

"What the heck was that, Brain?!" TC asked.

"Duh, Cuban coffee, tabasco sauce, chili powder, and cayenne pepper," Brain said.

"Not a major seller, I don't think," Martha commented.

"Brain, Brain, Brain!" TC moaned. "You idiot!"

"Like, what in the world were you thinking?!" Spook shouted. "You got some pretty hot stuff in that coffee! Yecchhh! Nobody's gonna wanna drink that!"

"But a coffee inspector said . . . ." Brain started.

"What coffee inspector?" TC asked.

"Duh, the one that was here for a surprise inspection," Brain went on.

"Surprise inspection?" Martha repeated. "I didn't know anything about a surprise inspection."

"If everyone knew then it wouldn't be a surprise," Brain said.

"Ho boy," TC groaned. "Looks like we've been sabotaged by Apollo's. We'd better get rid of this stuff before . . . . ."

Unfortunately, TC didn't get a chance to get rid of that hot coffee. Choo-Choo had come into the kitchen and left with the pot before anyone could stop him. He began to go around the coffee house, pouring it.

"Chooch! Don't!" TC yelled.

"Don't what, TC?" Choo-Choo asked, but it was too late. The man Choo-Choo had served took a sip of the coffee, and made a face.

"What's in this coffee?" he asked. "Who's responsible for it?"

"He is," TC said, pushing Brain towards the man. "Now you've done it, Brain."

"Are you responsible for this spicy coffee?" the man asked.

"Duh, yes sir," Brain said. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to . . . ."

"Well, whether you mean to or not, you're a genius!" the man shouted.

"Huh?" Brain asked.

"Brain? A genius?!" TC asked, incredulously. "Now I've heard everything!"

"I've been suffering a horrible cold all week because of this blasted rain," the man said. "My sinuses were all clogged up and nothing I tried would clear them, but this spicy hot coffee of yours did the trick! I'm going to tell everyone I know about this spicy coffee! What do you call it?"

"Uhhh, Hot Stuff," TC said.

The man nodded, and began talking to the person next to him about the hot coffee.

"Brain, I don't know how you did it, but you did it," TC said.