"Were did you get that?" Exotica asked, eyes wide in admiration as Rumpelteazer strolled up to the junkyard gate one night, wearing a lovely string of white pearls.
"Mungojerrie gave 'em to me. He found 'em lying about and thought of 'is dear sister, wearing that 'orrible old chain and got me this instead. 'ees a gentleman cat, is me brother!" She twirled the necklace and delighted in the sound of the pearls rubbing together. To her they sounded like prosperity.
"It certainly is nice," Munkustrap said uncertainly, approaching them from his spot at the fence lookout. "Um, Mungo, they won't be … missed, will they?"
The two cat-burglars gave each other alarmed looks as the silver tabby approached, but Mungo was versed in sly patter and turned to the tribes Protector with an innocent smile.
"Nah sir, was down at Kensington Court I found the pearls, no one 'll miss 'em. They 'as so many jewels an' things. They might miss that vase we knocked over though…," the Torbie Tom added, giving his sister a sly grin. She smiled back as she remembered the loud crash it had made, nearly getting them caught!
"They 'ad lots more of them too," she chimed in, "bu' in the kitchen, not the library. I liked the library. There was loads of books to scratch."
The two turned expectant eyes on Munkustrap who gave a slight nod and motioned them on in to the junkyard.
"Oh, well, that's alright then." Munkustrap kept his face neutral as the two skipped off together, thinking they had pulled the wool over his eyes.
The twins were so much more lively now, Munkustrap thought as he watched them scamper away, compared to how they had been when Bustopher brought them in. They had become playful again and seemed to have forgotten the torment they had endured under Macavity.
Macavity. Just the mention of the name made the Jellicle Protector sigh. The ginger Tom was becoming worse over time. First it was mistaking young Demeter as a normal cat just because she was born in a litter and taking her as a mate way too young, then he press ganged Mungo and Teezer. He had become an actual menace to his old tribe mates and he and his hench-cats and rats had been placed on the watch list.
It hurt, to think of his intelligent brother becoming such an evil creature. They had had such fun when they were younger, looking after Tugger. He'd been born in a year that no other kits had been and his brothers had kept him busy with walks and mock battles, hunting and dancing.
Such wonderful memories, and now….
Well, life could be unpredictable that way. But at least things were looking up for Rumpelteazer and her brother.