Chapter 14: Can We Finally Rest?
One week later…
Bageera walked into Munkustrap's den. Jazz was lying on a pillow, covered with a blanket. Everyone agreed that she shouldn't be moved too far, so Munkustrap and Demeter agreed to let her rest in their den until she was feeling better.
As Mistoffelees said, with rest and the right diet, Jazz was starting to feel better. She still got a little dizzy when she stood, but she was definitely getting better. Bageera sat down next to her held her close in an embrace.
"How are you feeling?" he asked once they had let go.
"I feel great," Jazz said. She reached up and rubbed the patch of green. "This is still cold, though."
"Stop rubbing it," Bageera said. "Mistoffelees said that it will be cold for a while. Blood won't start flowing through it until the rest of your body has healed."
"I know," Jazz said, letting her paw drop. "But it still feels weird, having a chunk of cold in the middle of your throat."
"I can imagine," Bageera said with a smile.
"How are things with Macavity?" Jazz asked, leaving off the title that was stripped from him.
Bageera's smile faded. "Well," he began. "Normally, if a member of the tribe consorts against the tribe, Old Deuteronomy exiles them, like he did Mungojerrie."
"But he didn't this time?"
"Nope. Old D realized that if he just exiled Macavity, he would still try to attack the tribe out of revenge."
"So what's he going to do?"
"Complete containment," Bageera said. "Macavity is going to be kept in a prison for the rest of his life."
"Really?" Jazz said.
Bageera nodded. "Uh-huh."
He reached out and felt the patch of green on his sister's neck. It was indeed cold. He smiled up at his sister. "Can you feel my hand?" he asked.
"No," Jazz said, sadly. "All I feel there is cold."
Bageera heaved a sad sigh. "Looks like we'll both be scarred because of Macavity."
"In more ways than one," Jazz said, running a paw down the scarring claw marks on Bageera's face. "What about Mungojerrie and Mistoffelees?"
"Mungojerrie was allowed to return to the tribe. Rumpelteazer is thrilled about it. I still don't think he's told her what he's done."
"And are you going to enlighten her?" Jazz asked.
"Of course not," Bageera said. "At this point, the only reason to do that would be to hurt Mungojerrie. And telling Rumpelteazer would hurt her more than it would Mungojerrie. And she doesn't deserve that."
"How nice of you."
Bageera shrugged. "Besides. I owe him one." Bageera sounded as if he hated it. "He did save my life."
"Does this mean you'll stop trying to kill him on sight?" Jazz asked.
There was humor there. Bageera was glad to see that Jazz could still joke.
"I guess," Bageera said. "For now at least." He smiled at Jazz, who smiled back.
"And Mistoffelees?" Jazz asked. "Is Old D letting him stay?"
"In a manner," Bageera said. "He's being locked up the same way as Macavity. Their cells aren't very close to each other, but still."
"That's crazy," Jazz said. "If Mistoffelees wanted to get out, he could at any time."
"That's what I said," Bageera said, offering Jazz a drink. She took it readily. "I pulled Munkustrap aside and brought it up. I also brought up how he saved Jemima and you. Munkustrap said that Mistoffelees' containment isn't permanent. If he behaves, he'll be let out and permitted to join the tribe if he still wants to."
"How long?" Jazz asked.
"I'm not sure," Bageera said. "A year at least, I would imagine."
"Does Mistoffelees know about this arrangement?"
"I would assume so," Bageera said. "A year's a long time to hope that he stays good without incentive."
"How's Jemima doing?" Jazz asked.
"She's fine," Bageera said. "Why wouldn't she be?"
Jazz snorted. "She was held hostage and was almost killed by the tom she idolized. You don't just walk away from that when you're that young."
"Oh," Bageera said, slightly embarrassed. "I hadn't thought of that."
Jazz sighed. "That's why I do the talking."
She leaned her head back against the pillow and closed her eyes.
"So who did they get to watch over Macavity?" she asked.
"What do you mean?" Bageera asked innocently.
"Munkustrap and Alonzo won't be able to watch over Macavity all the time. They each have duties of their own to attend to. So that would mean that they would need to get someone else to be on guard duty. Not to mention they need a new Rum Tum."
"You begin to sound more like me every day," Bageera said affectionately. "It's funny you should mention it, though. Many of the Jellicles in charge of that decision seem to think that since Macavity has been stopped, we should be able to settle down now."
Jazz sat up again and cocked an eyebrow. "You mean they want us?"
"Yep," Bageera said. "They want the two of us to stay here. They offered me the post of Rum Tum and said that when I'm not doing those duties, I could help you manage the prisoners."
"And have you given them an answer yet?"
"Of course not," Bageera said. "I said I would talk it over with you first."
"How considerate," Jazz said.
Bageera gave her a heart-warming smile. "So what do you think?"
"Well," Jazz said. "They do have a point. Now that Macavity has been stopped, we don't have any reason to roam anymore."
"And we really should keep an eye on him anyway," Bageera added. "Our job won't be over until he's dead and gone."
Jazz smiled. "The Rum Tum Bageera. I always did like how that sounded."
"I did, too," Bageera said. He pulled his sister into another embrace. "Maybe now we can finally move on with our lives."
Jazz hugged him back. "Yeah. Finally we can stop hunting."
xxx
A few days later, Jazz was feeling well enough to stand and even walk. They had told Munkustrap their decision to stay and monitor the Napoleon of Crime. He was thrilled. He said he was going to take them to where Macavity was being held that afternoon.
That afternoon, they set out. Alonzo was there already, watching the prisoners. It was understandable why nobody wanted to watch them. Mistoffelees was a grimalkin with powers that were quite phenomenal. And Macavity was one of the most loved members of the tribe. To think he could be Macavity was too much for some of them to bear. They would rather think that Macavity just decided to leave the tribe all together.
The prisons they were in were old wire cages that were probably meant to hold rabbits. They were still able to be closed securely so that they could only be opened from the outside and still had a few doors to slide in food and water. There was room enough inside to stretch, and exercise schedules had been worked out so that they could still get in some activity.
They came upon Mistoffelees' cage first. He was sitting in the back where it had been put under cover to supply shade and shelter if it rained. He saw them coming and came to the front. He had a smile on, but he didn't look completely happy. Who would when you were looking at them through wire?
"How are you feeling?" he asked Jazz.
"A lot better," Jazz said. "I never did get a chance to thank you for saving my life. Thank you."
"Don't worry about it," the magician said. "It was the least I could do. But you really should stop rubbing at it."
Jazz lowered her paw. "My blood is back; why is it still cold?"
"Come here. Let me see it," he said, sticking a paw through the wire of the cage.
Jazz went within reach and let Mistoffelees prod at her neck. It said something about the degree of trust she had for him, considering she didn't even flinch at his touch.
"It will never feel completely normal, but it should feel more natural in a day or two," he said, pulling his paw back. "Just keep drinking lots of water." He sat back on his haunches. "So I understand you're going to be watching us for a while." Bageera nodded. "That's great. I hope we can get to know each other better."
"Right," Bageera said.
"Where's Alonzo?" Munkustrap asked.
"Last I saw him, he was heading to check on Macavity," Mistoffelees said.
"Thank you," Munkustrap said. "We need to go check on him, too."
"Of course," Mistoffelees said. "Don't let me keep you."
He went back to the shady part of his cage and laid down to rest. Munkustrap led the detectives around an old car to see Macavity's cage. When they got there, what they saw horrified them. Alonzo was unconscious on the ground, his head in a small pool of blood. The cage that Macavity was supposed to be in was empty, one of its doors wide open.
Munkustrap knelt beside Alonzo and checked his pulse. He was alive. But Macavity had smacked him on the head pretty hard. Bageera ran into the cage and checked it. Macavity was nowhere to be found. He swore loudly as he came back to the others.
"He's gone."
"What happened?" Munkustrap asked, trying to revive Alonzo. "How did he get out?"
"Wait here," Bageera said. "And don't move."
He walked back to the cage and looked it over. Then he looked at the ground. This was a fairly unused part of the junkyard, so there were very few patterns in the dirt. Compared to the sight of the Ball, this was cake.
"Alonzo came over to check on Macavity," Bageera said, studying the ground. "He stopped here, right outside the door. They spoke for a few minutes before Alonzo turned. Macavity reached through the bars of his cage and smacked Alonzo over the head with…" he searched the area and found a large stone with blood on one side. "This. He must have snuck it in somehow. Then he forced the door open and made his escape."
"I don't believe this," Munkustrap said. "How could we have let him escape so easily?"
Jazz let out a sigh while she rubbed the patch of green. Bageera sighed with her while he took Jazz's paw and held it away from her throat.
"Looks like we don't get to retire just yet," Jazz said.
"Nope," Bageera agreed.
"What do you mean?" Munkustrap asked. "Aren't you going to stay? I know Macavity got away, but that doesn't mean you have to leave."
"That's exactly what it means," Bageera said. "We can't stop until Macavity is stopped."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Munkustrap said. "We're going to miss you around here."
"We're going to miss this place too," Jazz said as they finally managed to wake Alonzo up. They brought him to a sitting position, and he confirmed Bageera's account.
"It certainly is one of the nicest places we've been to in a while," Bageera said.
"But Bageera's right," Jazz said. "As long as Macavity is on the loose, we have to keep after him."
"Can you manage Alonzo on your own?" Bageera asked.
"Yeah," he said. "Why? You aren't leaving right now, are you?"
"Macavity ran off within the last ten, fifteen minutes, if that," Bageera said. "If we hurry, we might be able to catch up to him before he gets too far."
"How do you know that?" Munkustrap asked.
"Trust him," Jazz said. "He's usually right about these things."
"Okay," Munkustrap said. "Well then, I guess this is good-bye."
"Looks like it," Bageera said.
"If we aren't back by sundown," Jazz said, "assume we haven't found him yet and have moved on to find him."
"Okay," Munkustrap said. "Good luck." He looked down at his paws. "When you do find him…" He trailed. He paused and looked around, trying to find the right words. "I know that he must be stopped. If he has to…" H swallowed hard, as if he were trying to swallow a huge piece of food. "If he has to die in order for that to happen, please," he said, a look of pleading in his eyes, "Please. Make it quick."
Bageera and Jazz looked at each other. Then they turned back to Munkustrap.
"We will handle the situation as the situation dictates," Bageera said. "That's the best we can offer."
Munkustrap nodded sadly. "I understand," he said. "Good luck."
"Good luck," Alonzo offered.
"Thank you," Bageera and Jazz said.
With final good-byes to Munkustrap, Alonzo and Mistoffelees, Jazz and Bageera searched the area one last time to get a bearing on which way the Napoleon of Crime went. Then they left the tribe, quite possibly for good. They didn't know where their path would take them. But where ever it led them, they were never going to stop. They would never stop the hunt for Macavity.
xxx
The End.
xxx
And there you have it. That's the end. If you read this far, please review and let me know what you thought. And thank you for reading.