A dozen of Macavity's henchcats entered the room and took positions behind their boss. They stood in silence, waiting for their Boss's orders.

The tan-striped queen stood to Macavity's right.

"Your payment is in the main storage unit," Macavity spoke to Krueger. He then nodded his head at the tan-striped queen while saying "Vielal will escort you there."

"Very well," agreed the Border collie. He turned to Vielal and stated "I'll follow you."

The tan-striped queen led the Border collie out of the room through the door that connected to the main hallway.

Everyone else waited in utter silence.

Once they returned, Krueger had a smug grin across his face. He remarked "It would appear that everything is in order."

Macavity nodded and said to the white and grey tom at the computer console "Tyraf, shut the garage door."

"Yes, sir," stated the tom. Tyraf used the console to close the garage door.

Once it was shut, Krueger's pack members released the strays. But none of the strays dared to make any sudden movements.

Krueger and his pack went to collect their payment in the main storage unit. Once all the Pollicles were out of the room, the dozen henchcats behind Macavity created a perimeter around the large group of strays.

One of them took a headcount of all the strays and announced to his Boss "Sir, there are twenty-eight of them total."

"Alright," Macavity nodded. He faced the group of strays and shouted "I want you all to get into four rows of seven. Anyone who fails to get into a row within the next fifteen seconds will be 'persuaded' to follow orders faster. Is that understood?"

The strays agreed and – moving as fast as possible – got into four rows of seven. They stood at least two feet apart in all directions.

"Well, at least I know you can all follow simple directions," Macavity remarked, scoffing lightly.

He stood on his hind legs and held his front paws behind his back. He looked around at the twenty-eight strays standing before him. He could tell that each and every one of them was frightened. He savored their fear; it brought him contentment.

Standing directly in front of the strays, he announced "As of this point right now, your past lives are over. This is the only life that still exists for you. I want that to sink in so that I don't have to repeat myself. Is that understood?"

All of the strays nodded timidly. There was uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Then the cat standing third to the left in the front row asked "What do you want with us?"

Macavity shot a dark glare at this cat and approached her slowly. When he was directly in front of her, he raised his paw and struck her across the face.

The cat dropped to the ground, holding her cheek. She started bleeding on the corner of her mouth and she coughed violently, trying to catch her breath. Macavity had just knocked the wind out of her.

"Did I give you permission to speak?" shouted Macavity, "Did I? I want an answer!"

The queen slowly looked up and shook her head.

"On your feet," Macavity snarled.

The queen quickly got up and got back in line. Blood was still dripping from the corner of her mouth.

Macavity addressed the entire group of strays once again: "From now on, you will only speak when you are told to speak! I want to make that elegantly clear!"

The strays all nodded their understanding again.

"Good," said Macavity drily. He took a few steps back so he could get a good look at the entire group of the strays. He announced "I will assign each of you to a different room. When I give you the name of your room, you will stand by a certain henchcat. When I am finished, the henchcat will escort you there."

Macavity let this sink in for a moment. Then he approached the cat standing farthest left in the first row. This cat was a tall young adult tom. He appeared to be in excellent physical condition and pristine health.

Macacvity seemed to give an approving nod, as if he was satisfied with what he was seeing. He pointed out one of the henchcats standing to the right of the group and told the first stray "Room E."

The first stray nodded and went to stand by the henchcat Macavity had pointed out.

The second stray was a queen. She appeared to be a young adult, and while she did not appear to be exceptionally strong, she was certainly attractive.

Macavity pointed to another henchcat on the other side of the room and said "Room C."

As the second stray went to stand by that henchcat, Macavity came to the third one. She was still bleeding from the vicious blow Macavity had thrown at her. But she was determined to keep her dignity.

Macavity stood in front of her, rubbing his chin. He was not quite sure where to send her.

"What do you think, Tyraf?" the Hidden Paw asked the white and grey tom at the computer console, "Room D? Or Room F?"

"Room F, sir, definitely," responded Tyraf.

"I agree with him, sir," stated Vielal.

Macavity nodded and pointed at a henchcat in the back of the room. He told the queen "Room F."

She obeyed his orders.

This went on until Macavity came to the last stray. The last stray was an elderly tom who had great difficulty standing on his two hind legs, but still barely managed to do it without collapsing.

Normally, Macavity would send someone like this to Room A, but he got a better idea.

He shook his head in disappointment and told the elderly tom "You may leave."

The elderly tom looked as if he had misheard the Napoleon of Crime. Slowly, he asked "A-a-a-Are you… serious?"

"Indeed, I am," remarked Macavity. He gestured for two of his henchcats to approach him. He ordered them "Escort this gentletom back into the city."

He put a notable emphasis on the last word, which both of the henchcats noted. He was sending them a subliminal message by speaking that way.

The two henchcats saluted their Boss and each took the elderly tom by one of his front legs.

"Pardon us, sir, let's help you outside," one of the henchcats stated with an unusually polite tone.

"There is no need for that," the elderly tom assured them, "I can walk on my own."

"Nonsense, let us help you!" the other henchcat insisted.

The elderly tom shrugged and said "Very well."

Tyraf opened up the garage door enough for the henchcats and the elderly tom to get outside. Once they were through, he shut it again.

Macavity turned back to face the crowd in the room and ordered his henchcats "Take our guests to their new rooms."

The strays were all led away to one of nine different rooms.

Before long, the room was empty, except for Macavity, his bodyguard, Vielal, and Tyraf.

Macavity was about to leave the room with his bodyguard. Just before stepping through the door, he looked over his shoulder and told Vielal "I'm expecting Mouveilyr's new ambassador to arrive within the next hour. I want you to wait for him to arrive. When he does arrive, bring him to my office."

"I will, sir," she agreed.

Macavity and his bodyguard promptly left the room.

Outside, the elderly tom was still being escorted around the city by the same two henchcats. They were still holding him by the sides.

"You have our sincerest apologies for this inconvenience," one of them told him.

"Yes, it was not our business to have you brought there against your will," stated the other one.

"Oh, that's… that's quite alright," remarked the elderly tom, "We all make… bad… decisions."

It did not take long for the two henchcats to conclude that the elderly tom was not only feeble and weak, but practically senile, as well.

"Did you have family in there?" asked one of them.

"Yes… yes, I did," answered the elderly tom, "I had a… daughter. She has… a mate… of her own."

"That's lovely," commented the other henchcat.

While they made a conversation with the elderly tom, they were approaching the Thames River at a quick pace.

"Have you ever seen the Thames?" asked the first henchcat.

"It's a gorgeous sight at night," claimed the second one.

"I'm sure it is," said the elderly tom, "Gentlemen, might I ask where exactly we are going?"

The two of them did not answer him. Before long, they arrived at the Thames River.

"Just look at those waters glisten!" exclaimed the first henchcat.

"A magnificent sight if I ever saw one!" shouted the other one.

"I… I… agree," stated the elderly tom.

Then, without warning, the two henchcats pushed the elderly tom forward. He fell directly into the frigid waters. He had never learned how to swim in his life, and being very old and slow-moving did not help him in the slightest.

The two henchcats chuckled as they watched him struggle.

"Isn't it odd?" remarked one of them slyly, "I've heard of an expression that claims people get wiser as they get older."

"I'm guessing that that expression was said by a VERY old person," commented the other one wittily.

The elderly tom soon died of drowning. Once his body was floating lifelessly on the Thames, the two henchcats turned around and made their way back to their hideout.

It would probably help you to learn a little more of Macavity's history.

Before his alliance with the Siamese, Macavity was one of the most feared criminals in the entire city of London. He was actually in competition with human criminals to make the list of "Scotland Yard's Most Wanted."

After Macavity and Genghis – the commander of the Siamese fleet – became allies, his domain extended beyond London. The Siamese fleet spread Macavity's name wherever they travelled on the river.

After the death of Genghis, Macavity became even more powerful when he assumed control of the Siamese army. Because their commander died on Macavity's grounds, the Siamese were compelled to follow the Hidden Paw as their new leader.

Genghis' second-in-command – a black tom named Mouveilyr – operated as the fleet commander, but all the real authority came from Macavity.

Ever since taking command of the Siamese fleet, Macavity's resources had expanded vastly. His henchcats had multiplied in number. The fear he had created beforehand doubled universally. In other words, he had become the most powerful cat in England.

A month after taking command of the Siamese fleet, he had made a decision to "cleanse" London. He intended to accomplish this by ridding it of all the stray cats. He wanted to remove this "filth" from London once and for all.

One would wonder what could possible motivate him to do something so barbaric. His logic was actually quite simple: he viewed stray cats as cowering, low-life rejects of society. He viewed them as the scum of city life. He viewed them as a disgrace to cats everywhere. He figured that by removing all the strays from London, only the cats with respectable homes, praiseworthy backgrounds, and commendable upbringings would be left.

That was why he wanted to remove the strays; so that cats in London would gain a better reputation. So that no cats outside the city (or anyone else) would associate London cats with filth or garbage, or anything found in the wastebasket of society. That was his entire plan.

He was very committed to this plan.

Macavity sat working in his office for nearly an hour in silence. At the end of that hour, someone knocked on his office door.

He looked up from his work and called out "Enter!"

Vielal opened the door and stepped inside. She told her Boss "Sir, Mouveilyr's new ambassador has just arrived."

Macavity nodded and said "Send him in."

Vielal stepped out of the doorframe and held the door open. A grey and black Siamese tom entered the room. This tom was particularly tall, especially when he stood on his hind legs. He bore an icy, emotionless facial expression and cold, piercing eyes. He also had a scar on his face which extended from just above his left eye to the right of his lower lip.

The tom bowed to Macavity and introduced himself: "Lieutenant Commander Hoagemont, reporting as ordered, sir!"

Macavity stood up and walked around his desk. He held out his front paw, shook the tom's paw, and told him "At ease, Commander."

"Sir, I must say, it is an honor to finally meet you," stated the grey and black Siamese tom, "My fleet commander speaks very highly of you."

"I'm sure he does," remarked the Hidden Paw, "I am pleased to have you here as his ambassador."

"Indeed," said Hoagemont, always speaking in his same serious military tone, "I'm very interested to know what goes on at the heart of our empire."

"Then I shall give you a tour of the warehouse myself," Macavity declared, "Come with me."

Just before the three of them walked off, Macavity turned to the tan-striped queen and asked her "Would you care to join us, Vielal?"

She shrugged and responded "I guess so, seeing as how I'm usually the one who gives tours anyway."

So Macavity, his bodyguard, Hoagemont, and Vielal started a tour of the warehouse. They began with the first floor. There, they went through the main storage unit, the garage, the meeting room, the lounge, the cafeteria, the interrogation chambers, and most of the bedchambers.

Hoagemont was not especially impressed by anything on the first floor. But when they got to the second floor, Macavity stated "We'll now be taking a look at what's become of all the strays in the city."

"I always wondered what you did with them after you captured them," commented Hoagemont, "I mean, I know that some of them end up in our control, but I assume that the majority of them remain here."

"You are correct," Macavity confirmed his theory, "The Pollicles really do know how to hunt down the scum of the city."

Hoagemont scoffed and said "I'm certain they're experts at that. But I'm still curious; what DO you do with the strays that don't end up in our control?"

"Well, there are actually nine different possible fates for the strays we bring in," Macavity responded, "Each fate is determined by the room we assign them. Come, I'll show you."

The group of four made their way to a long corridor. There were nine doors in this corridor. Five were on the left; four were on the right. A henchcat was standing guard at each of these doors.

They turned to the first door on the left and stopped there.

"This is Room A – the Extermination Room," Macavity explained, "This room is never full for too long."

"I gathered that," remarked Hoagemont, "What types of cats are put in here?"

"Usually the elderly and the newborns, as well as the diseased and the disabled," Macavity responded, "You know, the useless ones that cannot contribute anything. At the end of every week, my henchcats play a little game with them. They take everybody in this room outside and give them the false impression that we're releasing them. Instead of that, they take them to an alley and wipe them all out."

"You mean like hunt them or something?" said Hoagemont.

"Yes, you could associate this with a hunt," Vielal remarked, "It's like cat-and-mouse, only with another cat instead of a mouse."

"Here, let's go inside," Macavity announced, "We can get a good look at them. Seeing them up close always makes for a good laugh. You see, I consider the people in this room to be the lowest of all us cats."

The guard at the door to Room A took a key out from his belt and unlocked the door. Then he opened it up for Macavity and his small group to enter.

Once they were inside the room, Macavity shouted "Get in line!"

Immediately, everyone in that room got into the same format as the strays that had been brought in earlier that night.

However, an adolescent kitten failed to get in line in less than fifteen seconds. When Macavity saw this, he picked the kitten out of the group and took her out of the room. Hoagemont, Vielal, and Macavity's bodyguard followed him out, closing the door behind them. The guard locked the door once they were all out.

Macavity gripped the kitten by the arm and turned to Hoagemont. He told him "Before we visit any of the other rooms with the strays, there's something else I would like to show you. Something that I think you will enjoy."

The kitten was trembling nervously, but she did not utter a word.

After walking through a few hallways, they arrived at the arsenal. On one side of the room, there were cat-sized swords, knives, archery sets, and other similar types of weapons lining the wall. But in the center of the room, there were crates of something one would never expect a cat to possess: handguns.

There were five henchcats in the room. Two were inspecting the medieval-type weapons on the wall, two were sitting at tables designing more guns, and one was inspecting the crates of guns.

The other end of the room was empty, but the wall had plenty of bullet holes in it.

When the henchcat inspecting the guns looked up and saw Macavity standing there, he smiled and stated "Good evening, Boss. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Macavity just approached the crates and asked the inspector "Are all of these already loaded?"

"Yes, sir, locked and ready to fire," replied the inspector.

"Good." Macavity picked up one of the handguns and turned to the adolescent kitten. He instructed her "Go stand on the other side of the room with your back turned to me. Do not turn around or even look over your shoulder. Is that understood?"

The kitten slowly nodded, but she was very afraid. However, she did her best to mask her fear.

Once she was just a few feet from the wall on the other side of the room, Macavity turned to Hoagemont and told him "Watch this carefully."

Then he cocked back the slide to load the barrel of his handgun. He pulled back the hammer to turn off the safety, pointed the handgun directly at the young queen across the room, took aim with the front sight, and pulled the trigger.

One solitary bullet sailed across the room and sank into the back of the kitten's skull. She collapsed dead almost immediately.

"Nice shot, Boss!" Vielal complimented her employer's aim.

"Why, thank you, Vielal," Macavity remarked slyly. He turned back to Hoagemont and told him "I assume you are familiar with firearms?"

"Yes, my fellow officers in the fleet have been creating and manufacturing them for a while now," Hoagemont responded, "We got shotguns, rifles, and – of course – cannons. However, I myself am not very partial to firearms. I'm more of a knife-and-blade person."

"I know," Macavity commented, "It said in your profile that you're an expert swordsman."

Hoagemont nodded and pointed to the scar on his face, saying "That's where I got this scar: A knife-fight. I actually got it at Growltiger's Last Stand."

"I know, your presence at Growltiger's Last Stand was also in your profile," said Macavity, "You actually engaged the crew of the Demagogue in battle?"

"Yes, but even though we won, it was a pyrrhic victory," Hoagemont recalled, "Over a hundred of my fellow officers died in battle that day."

"I understand that," Macavity stated, "Three months ago, some of the survivors of Growltiger's crew attacked my hideout. Even though we virtually wiped them out, we suffered greater losses."

"Oh, yes, I was informed of that event," remarked Hoagemont, "Is it true? Are you really holding Grumbuskin prisoner?"

"We are, indeed," Macavity confirmed, "We can 'visit' him later. For now, let's get back on track. In fact, let's make this a little more 'fun.'"

He picked up three more handguns and handed them to his bodyguard, Hoagemont, and Vielal.

At that moment, another henchcat stepped in the doorframe and informed Macavity "Sir, there's a queen at the front door requesting to see you."

Macavity looked over at him and asked "Is it anyone we know?"

"I'm not certain," stated the henchcat as he rested his paw on the wall, "She appears to be middle-aged, but her physique suggests otherwise. Her coat is somewhat shaggy, and it is composed of shades of white and brown."

Macavity stood, trying to recall any occasion when he conducted business with such a queen. When he could not, he ordered the henchcat "Tell her to go away."

"Just a moment, sir," said the henchcat, "There's one more thing you should know: she claims to be your mother."

Macavity froze in his place and turned back to the henchcat. He muttered slowly "That's… not… possible."

"She had a feeling you would say that," the henchcat told his Boss, "So she asked me to tell you this: The last time you spoke with her, she said that your song at the previous Jellicle Ball with your late mate was what inspired her to leave the Jellicle Tribe."

Macavity remembered that conversation with his mother. He knew that only she could know that information. He told the henchcat "Let her in. I'll be down shortly."

The henchcat nodded and left the room. Two of the other henchcats in the room went to collect the body of the newly deceased kitten and dispose of it.

Macavity turned to Hoagemont and stated "I hope you don't mind if we take a break from the tour; I just need to ensure that this queen is whom she claims to be."

Hoagemont nodded, saying "I understand."

Macavity and the other three went to the main storage unit. On the ground floor, they found a middle-aged queen standing in the center of the room. A few henchcats who were working in the room eyed her suspiciously, but kept their distance away from her.

When the queen saw Macavity, the shock in her eyes was monumental.

Macavity got closer, and almost immediately, he recognized this queen. She was a famous model from the northern part of the country, as well as much of Europe.

This was Grizabella the Glamour Cat, his mother.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Macavity remarked cockily.

Grizabella folded her arms and snapped "I cannot say the same thing."

"Oh, really now, Mother, is that any way to greet your favorite son?" Macavity stated flatly, waving his arms dramatically.

Grizabella eyed Macavity, anger and frustration visible in her eyes "I did not want to believe it. I thought I was just being fed shameless lies. I firmly held my position that the rumors were not true. But I was wrong."

Macavity scoffed and asked "Wrong about what?"

"Your dishonorable actions," she replied in anger, "A few weeks ago, I was attending a fashion show at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield when I began hearing rumors. Rumors about you involving yourself in crime. At first, I tried to believe that they were just lies. But then the rumors became stronger and greater in number. I came all the way down here to convince myself that those were just lies… You disappointed me, Macavity. I am ashamed to call myself your mother."

Macavity's facial expressions turned incredulous. He glared at Grizabella angrily and told her "You've been gone for years, and this is the way you come back. You dare to barge in here and demean me in front of my subordinates?"

Grizabella looked around the room. Several henchcats shot her angry glares for the comments she had made about their Boss, but she remained totally calm. She remarked "You have gone insane."

"Insane?" said Macavity, chuckling, "I challenge you to find one single cat in this city that could match me in wits or intelligence. Just one!"

"Munkustrap," she replied, "And your father."

Macavity chortled and remarked "That black and silver buffoon has no idea what goes on behind his own back. And Father? You must be joking! It is only a matter of time before he succumbs to senility!"

"At least they're far more honorable than you," Grizabella pointed out.

There was a short period of silence. Macavity broke it when he said "Perhaps I can explain this a little more easily for you. I assume you've heard of the expression 'You Can't Go Home Again?'"

"Yes, I have indeed heard of it," Grizabella responded sternly.

"An expression can be interpreted many different ways," Macavity explained, "Some would say 'you can't go home again' means you literally cannot ever return to your place of residence if you run away. Others would say that it means home is only where one feels at peace. Others still would argue that it implies that you have to truly belong somewhere."

While he said this, he paced back and forth in front of Grizabella. She watched him closely and listened to his words. When he finished those lines, he stopped in front of her.

"But let me tell you what I believe it means," Macavity remarked, "I believe it means that there is no such thing as home. You just settle somewhere and declare it as home. And whenever you go back to one of your previous 'homes,' you find that things have changed. Nothing stays the same."

Macavity looked his mother directly in the eye and said "That is exactly what has happened here. The change is all around you, Mother. London has changed. The Jellicle Tribe has changed. The life of the average cat has changed. I have changed. I'd suggest that you face reality and admit that."

Grizabella stood there for a moment. Then she slowly approached her son. Without warning, she struck him in the face.

Macavity did not expect that. He stumbled and almost tripped over himself.

The henchcats in the room started to close in on Grizabella, but Macavity held his paw in the air to signal them to remain at their posts.

Macavity rose to his feet and coughed twice. Then he rubbed his face and glared at his mother. He told her through gritted teeth "That was a big mistake, Mother."

"On the contrary," Grizabella slyly stated, "I believe it was the most sensible thing I've done recently."

With that, Macavity slapped her across the face. Grizabella spun around and collapsed onto her chest.

Macavity walked in front of her and kneeled by her side. He stated "You wanted to see me? Well, I'll make you feel right at home."

He then seized his mother by the throat and lifted her up. He gazed at her neck. It was bare. He remarked "Well, what do you know? No collar! And I believe you do not own any land of your own. Guess that makes you… a stray!"

He dropped her and kicked her in the side.

He looked up at some of the henchcats in the room and told them "Take her to Room A."

They nodded and went over to Grizabella. Just before they could take ahold of her, Macavity stated "No, wait!"

The henchcats looked up at him. He smirked evilly and said "Put her with our 'special guest' instead. We should give the guy some company."

The henchcats then grabbed Grizabella, forced her onto her feet, and took her out of the room.

Macavity's evil smirk remained as he turned back to his bodyguard, Vielal, and Hoagemont. He shrugged and said "Let's get back to the tour."

Review please! This is one chapter I really want to have reviewed. How would you describe your reaction to reading it? Shocked? Astounded? Angered? Even if you were disappointed, I would like to know. I'll be writing more chapters like this in the future. By the way, you may have noticed that the letters in "Hoagemont" can be rearranged to spell "Amon Goeth." No, that's NOT a coincidence.