Woohoo! We made it to Chapter 10! The longest chapter yet! I'm exceptionally cruel to poor Tugger in this chapter, but I couldn't resist. Sorry JJ, but I happen to enjoy tormenting your idol.

Thanks, Rainbow, for being my first ever glomper. I'm just so proud... :) Cookies for you! OOO

In this chapter I hint about future events still yet to come. Cookies to whomever can guess what Calypso's suspicion about Mistoffelees is! Also, random contest: Who can pick out the best theme song for my idol, Munkustrap? Cookies to the winner! (I like cookies!) :)

Chapter 10- Attempted Murder

My next five days in the Jellicle junkyard passed in general boredom and silence. Perhaps I would have enjoyed talking to the other kittens, but when you have Alonzo glaring over your shoulder, watching your every move, it's hard to have a good time. In fact, whenever I was less than ten feet away from the other kittens, he would be lurking around, trying to catch me doing something I wasn't supposed to. Perhaps his mistrust in me was why Alonzo didn't have a shift supervising me. Because I had nothing better to do, I spent a good deal of time taking catnaps. Not that that was unusual behaviour for me. Being a cat, I slept most of the time anyways. I stayed in Munkustrap's den whenever I was sleeping, and Munkustrap or another tom was always sitting just outside, to make sure I didn't sneak off to wreak havoc. Not that I would anyways.

The toms took it in shifts to watch me. At night time, Munkustrap watched me. First thing in the morning, usually before I had woken up, the shift would switch, and Tugger would keep an eye on me. That was never very fun, because he made me follow him around while he tried to pick up various queens. Sometimes, though, he would just doze in the sun, giving me the opportunity to explore the surrounding area, provided I didn't get caught by anybody else. Halfway through the morning, Mistoffelees would take over for Tugger. I enjoyed my time with Mistoffelees. He was very shy, but once you got to know him, he was a very interesting cat to converse with. Mistoffelees usually stuck to himself, in quiet contemplation away from all the other cats, so he had a very unique point of view of the junkyard. It wasn't that he was antisocial; he just didn't like big groups. At noon, the shift switched and I would be watched by Mungojerrie, who was usually accompanied by his sister Rumpleteazer. They spoke with thick cockney accents, and liked to be mischievous, but were otherwise very nice. They spent most of their shift with me trying to convince me that it would be fun to nick Tugger's belt while he was sleeping, and then taunt the queen-kits with it, Etcetera in particular. I didn't think so. Tugger would make every shift with him living hell if I tried that. Besides, I didn't think I'd be able to get it off his body without him noticing. Although, I had to admit, the thought of Tugger running around furiously and fruitlessly searching for his belt was highly amusing. But I knew I must resist. I didn't want to make an even worse impression of myself. In mid-afternoon, there was another shift change, and I was with Skimbleshanks. He spent his entire shift entertaining me and the other kittens with tales from his trips on the railroad. Some of the older cats would come and listen too, whenever Skimble began to tell another one of his excellent tales. As evening begun, Skimble would leave, and it would be up to Coricopat and his sister Tantomile to supervise me. These times were always very uncomfortable. The twins were nice enough, but they were kind of creepy at the same time. I suspected that they communicated with each other via telepathy, for they seldom spoke with one another, and whenever I was wondering something, they always told me the answer, even if I didn't ask out loud. It freaked me out. I was always glad when, later in the night, the shift would change, and it was Munkustrap again. I enjoyed my time with Munkustrap most of all. He was thoughtful, and kind, and mature, and he understood me like no other cat did. He was one of the few who really believed that I was really a good cat, and that I would never start fights intentionally. I liked Munkustrap, and I mean really liked. He had no mate, but I knew that I was too young for him. Still, I couldn't help but fanaticize, particularly on the windy nights, when Munkustrap would cuddle up next to me for warmth.

On my sixth day of probation, I awoke in the morning to find that it was not Munkustrap, but Tugger who watched over me, or rather, shirked his duty of watching over me. Tugger had dozed off, in the early warmth of the dawn, instead of keeping an eye on me like he should have been doing. I tapped him on the shoulder, and relished his girly scream when he suddenly awoke. He looked wildly around, before seeing me, and calming down a bit.

"Oh...Calypso..." He panted, "You gave me such a fright. What are you doing up this early?"

"Actually, I wanted to ask you the same question. Where's Munkustrap? His shift isn't over yet."

"Oh," said Tugger, "Munkus? He's gone into the city. He'll be back tomorrow night." I slumped a little. As nice as Tugger was, I didn't want to spend four shifts with him. I thought the squeals of the queen-kits every time Tugger went near one of them, would drive me mad.

"Why did he go into the city?" I asked.

"He heard some nasty rumours about what our brother Macavity's been doing. They say he's got some street cats hostage. Munkustrap's gone to see if the rumours are true, and if they are, release the imprisoned cats." Tugger said in hushed tones, as if I wasn't supposed to know. I simply shrugged, and walked off, ignoring Tugger's protests, and futile attempts to follow me. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had tied him up while he slept, no doubt anticipating his reaction to be most amusing. He didn't notice he was tied up until I left, and I didn't bother to help him. This was my payback to him. Yesterday, he had spent an entire hour trying to tell me pickup lines for girls, before remembering that I wasa girl myself. I knew Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer would definitely approve of my leaving Tugger tied up. Sure enough, as I rounded a corner, I ran into the pair of them, sniggering uncontrollably.

"Oy, Calypso! Is 'e mad? Is 'e mad? I bet 'e's mad, isn't e?" asked Rumpleteazer excitedly. I nodded.

"Yep, he's pissed off. You'd better get away while you can. Once he gets loose, he'll skin you two alive..." I was cut off by a sudden howl of rage.

"JERRIE!!!!! TEAZER!!!!! WHERE ARE YOU!!!!! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU LITTLE...ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!!" Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer jumped to their feet and ran off. Tugger came storming around the corner, looking furious.

"Which way did they go? I've had enough! This isn't funny!" I suddenly realised why Tugger was so angry. I hadn't noticed before, because of the way he had been sitting, but not only had Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer tied Tugger up, they had also trimmed his mane in some places, dyed it in others, and part of it was completely shaved off. I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"Oh...my...everlasting cat..." I gasped between sobs of mirth, "I...can't believe...they...did...that...you look so...oh my...what'll the queen-kits think..." I was literally rolling on the ground laughing until I cried. My sides hurt from laughing so hard. When I had composed myself, I managed to point in the direction opposite of that which Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had gone.

"They went that way." I said, trying not to laugh again. Tugger set off furiously in the wrong direction in search of the notorious duo. I sat alone, still grinning broadly from the sight of Tugger's mangled mane, and the look of pure horror and fury on his face. It was the best laugh I had had in days. I knew Tugger would ask Mistoffelees to put it right. Mistoffelees would abide, of course, being a good friend of Tugger's, but not before the entire tribe had seen the new 'hairdo'. Even Mistoffelees had an evil side.

I sat alone until the shift change. I had watched contentedly as Tugger rooted Jerrie and Teazer out of their hiding spot and chased them all around the junkyard, throwing large objects at them, and calling out nasty insults and vicious threats. It was most amusing. I had lost track of time, and was therefore a bit surprised when Mistoffelees came up and sat down beside me.

"Did Tugger manage to catch those two?" I asked grinning.

"Nope! Old Deuteronomy intervened before Tugger had a chance to slaughter them. I'm pretty sure his intent was to kill. If there is one lesson you need to learn in life, it's this: Never, ever, ever, under any circumstances, touch Tugger's mane. He will kill you, no joke." He smiled. "Jerrie and Teazer are in serious trouble now. And yes," He added, catching the look on my face, "even adult Jellicles get punished now and then. Although Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are just barely out of kittenhood themselves. They're just a year older than me, but they act as if they were two years younger!" Mistoffelees stroked his chin thoughtfully. "But I suppose that has something to do with spending most of their kittenhood on the street. They never did really grow up. Anyways, Jellylorum told me that Old Deuteronomy is making them be personal servants to Tugger for the next three days. And, they have to be nice, sincerely nice, that is, or the sentence gets extended." He grinned mischievously. "I ended up putting Tugger's mane right, but by the time he had stopped chasing the infamous duo, every Jellicle in the tribe had seen his mane. All the kittens are laughing at him now, even the queens. I almost feel bad for him." Mistoffelees pondered a moment. "Nah. That's what he gets for being so full of himself." I nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Misto, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, anything." He replied.

"Where do you get your magic?" Mistoffelees groaned.

"Of all the questions in the world you could ask me, you had the pick the one to which I have no answer!" He laughed, and shook his head. "I don't know where my magic comes from. I discovered it at a very young age, and I suspect I've always had it. Perhaps I was born with it. I just don't know."

"Were your parent's magic?" I regretted the question as soon as I asked it, for Misto suddenly looked very down.

"They died, when I was just a kit. I was raised by my Uncle, Bustopher Jones. I don't know if my parents were magic or not."

"I...I'm sorry." I said. I felt bad that I had upset Misto. After all, he was a very nice cat, and I wanted to be friends with him. Misto put an arm around me.

"Don't be. It was a reasonable question. Had I been in your position, I would have asked the exact same thing. I probably would have asked some other tactless questions too, come to think of it." He chuckled softly. "You are a very kind queen, you know. Perhaps a tad stubborn, but your heart is in the right place, and two sizes too big. Honestly, I think that Tugger deserves a punishment far harsher than yours, for all the times he's tried to kill Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, literally and metaphorically. They do love to pester him. If there's anybody in this tribe who's good natured, it's you." I blushed a little at the compliment.

For the rest of the shift, I sat quietly with Mistoffelees, having a good heart to heart. It was nice to get to know him so well, but as the shift changed, and Misto left, I began to wonder about some of the things he had said. I had a suspicion about him. I could only hope I was wrong.

If you are one of those kind people who is going to choose a theme song for Munkustrap (because he didn't get one at the Jellicle ball, although he really deserves it!), then submit it in a review.

And while you are submitting your answer, write me a review! (Please) :P