Note: I apologize in advance if you think this story has way too many subplots; I can assure you that eventually, they'll all tie-in to each other.
At the Jellicle Junkyard, Jemima was walking alone through the main clearing. It was very late at night, but most of the members of the Tribe were still awake. However, several were indoors.
Jemima sat alone on the hood of the TSE-1 stargazing. Normally, she preferred stargazing in the company of her tomfriend, Tumblebrutus, but Tumble was out with his friends that night, so she was left on her own.
Jemima typically preferred being in the company of her friends, but she also enjoyed having some peace and quiet time in solitude.
"Hi, Jemima!" called an excited voice a few meters away.
Jemima sat up and saw Etcetera approaching. She simply smiled softly and remarked "Hello, Cetty. How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm alright…" Etcetera replied. She slowly approached her friend and hopped onto the tire with her. Then she remarked "I want to talk to you."
"About what?" asked Jemima as she sat up a little more.
"Well…" Etcetera began a little hesitantly, "You remember six months ago, when my brother was serving under Growltiger at night?"
"Yes, of course I remember," Jemima replied, scoffing a little.
"Well, about how long did it take for him to come forth and tell you everything about his night activities?" queried Etcetera, "I know you were the first one he confided in, seeing as how you're his queenfriend and all."
Jemima lightly shrugged and said "Not long, two weeks at the most. I already had my own suspicions and theories before he told me, but none of them really quite prepared me for the explanation he gave me. Why do you ask?"
"Have you noticed that Admetus has been gone a lot at night recently?" asked Etcetera.
Normally, Jemima did not pay much attention to what the others members of the tribe did at night, but she had indeed noted that Admetus tended to be absent from the Tribe late at night. She simply nodded in response to Etcetera's question.
"I have a feeling that perhaps he's up to something," Etcetera confessed, "I have no idea what it could possibly be, but I have reason to suspect."
"Well, I'm pretty certain that he isn't doing what Tumblebrutus did," Jemima remarked, "After all, the main reason why Tumble stopped working for Growltiger was because the Siamese fleet massacred the Bravo Cat's vessel and took almost complete control of the Thames River shortly afterwards. Now there's no work for independent sailors on the docks unless they're Siamese or if they're black-market agents."
"I'm actually a little relieved to hear that," Etcetera admitted, "That was my primary concern. I'll just talk to Admetus about his night activities later. Maybe tomorrow."
"Sounds fine with me," commented Jemima.
The two queens said good night to each other and Etcetera went to her den. Once more, Jemima was left alone in the main clearing. Alone with her thoughts and reflections. She laid back down on the hood of the TSE-1 and continued stargazing.
A few minutes later, she started hearing the sounds of metal hitting metal. These sounds quickly caught her attention.
Jemima sat up and used her keen ears to locate the source of the noises. After focusing for a few moments, she was able to determine that the sounds were eminating from an area around ten meters further into the junkyard.
She decided to investigate. She climbed over the junk behind the TSE-1 and made her way through more junk until she was within three meters of the comotion. The noise was coming from the junkyard's secondary clearing. This was the area of the junkyard that the tribe would use to rest during the intermission of the Jellicle Ball. They had also decided to use this part of the junkyard as the place to perform the Ball in the unlikely yet possible event that the main clearing would be unfit for the performance. In the Tribe's history, they had never been forced to use the secondary clearing, but they still kept it in reserve.
Jemima climbed to the top of the pile and gazed into the secondary clearing. There she saw two of the tribe's most notorious member. They were two tiger-striped tabbies; one male and one female.
The female one was Rumpleteazer, Jemima's older sister. The male one was Rumple's ex-con mate, Mungojerrie. Mungo had previously been Macavity's own second-in-command for years, but he had abandoned his work with the Hidden Paw and gone to live with the Jellicle Tribe around four months earlier.
In that time, Mungojerrie had come to put the majority of his past life behind him and adapt to the Jellicles' morals and values. However, he was still a slight kleptomaniac, as he had a tendency to steal from anywhere outside the junkyard. His close friendship with Rumpleteazer improved his ability to carry out theft, as he taught her everything he knew on the subject. Despite the fact that the Tribe did not approve, the two of them proved to be rather helpful at times.
Mungojerrie and Rumplteazer were not only mates; they were also partners-in-crime. A lot of the time, Mungo acted as a type of mentor to Rumple. He wanted to share all his knowledge of a criminal lifestyle with her for the somewhat contradictory purpose of using the knowledge for good.
At this time, Mungojerrie was teaching Rumpleteazer how to spar with a knife. He had emphasized to her several times in the past how using a knife could be a great advantage to facing a hostile opponent (such as a Pollicle) as opposed to facing the adversary unarmed. Presently, he was teaching her some handy attack combinations.
Jemima found the sight to be quite engaging, so she decided to just sit at the top of the junk pile and watch.
Mungojerrie was holding his knife upside down and holding it in the defense stance. At the same time, Rumpleteazer was holding her knife straight up in the offense stance and tried to attack her mate with it from several different angles. She was not waving her knife wildly like an amateur; she was simply hacking it at Mungo. He easily parried every blow Rumple threw at him with his own knife.
"C'mon, Rump'le," Mungo playfully pressed his mate as he continued to counter her blows, "You c'an do bett'eh th'an TH'OT!"
Rumple just smirked wickedly and remarked "Ok'ay. If ya' ins'ist, Mungo."
She threw her knife upwards into the air, cartwheeled around her mate, landed on her hind feet and grabbed her knife by the hilt when gravity brought it back down. Then she hacked at Mungo's back.
Had Mungo been a few mere milliseconds slower, her attack would have succeeded. But Mungo still proved to have the upper hand (or upper paw) in the fight when he held his knife behind his back and blocked Rumple's blow. Then he spun around grabbed Rumple by the wrist, and pulled her close.
In the process, Rumple dropped her knife and Mungo turned her onto her back. With one arm, he held her upright. With his other arm, he held his knife up to her neck.
Rumpleteazer seemd a little stunned by how quickly all of this happened, as she nervously looked back and forth from Mungo to his knife. Mungojerrie had a grave expression on his face, as if he was a little disappointed.
"Ya see, sw'eet'eart?" commented Mungo, "If I w'ere one o' Mac's 'enchc'ats, I coulda cut yer thr'oat by now. Ya 'ave ta pay closeh atte'ntion to pot'ential bl'ind sp'ots."
Rumpleteazer slowly nodded to indicate that she understood what her mate was trying to explain. She stated "I unde'sto'nd, 'oney. I'll get bett'eh."
Mungojerrie simply lowered his knife and smiled down at his mate. Once he did this, Rumpleteazer returned the smile. He said "I know ya will. I 'ave fa'ith in ya."
Then he pulled her even closer and kissed her on the lips. She held onto his sides, returning the show of affection.
When they came apart, Rumpleteazer picked up her knife and Mungojerrie stated "Now let's s'ee h'ow well ya do in def'ense. I'll a'ttack you; you mus' try to bl'ock all mah blows. Got it?"
Rumple nodded and held her knife underhand. But before they could resume their practice, Mungo happened to look up and notice Jemima.
"'Ey, look w'ho's 'ere," he pointed out the young black and ginger queen to his mate.
Rumpleteazer turned around and smiled when she saw Jemima. She called out "'Ello, Jemmy!"
"Hi, Rumple," Jemima softly greeted her sister, "You don't mind if I watch, do you?"
"No, n'ot at all," answered Rumpleteazer.
"I d'idn't know you w'ere inta this t'ype o' stuff, Jem," commented Mungojerrie.
The young queen simply shrugged and said "I like exploring new subjects. They could always develop into a potential interest. You two go ahead and resume your dueling. I'll just sit here and take notes."
The two tiger-striped cats agreed and continued their round of training with their knives. Jemima watched them closely, paying close attention to the different types of maneuvers and tactics that Mungojerrie was using in his attempt to break through Rumpleteazer's defense.
Jemima was not quite certain just what it was about knife-dueling that fascinated her, but she was inclined to study it all the same.
…
Of the three cats in Grumbuskin's cell at that time, Paulina was the only one that was not too weak to stand on two feet. She looked back and forth at the two elderly cats, both of them clearly in pain. Even though her facial expression remained as emotionless as ever, she inwardly took pity on the two of them.
Grizabella did her best to drag herself across the ground towards Grumbuskin. Despite the fact that Oswald had given her a rough beating, she was worried that Macavity might have killed him.
Just before she reached him, Paulina walked over to her and helped her sit up. Grizabella looked up at the young queen nervously, as if she was certain that she would turn violent at any moment.
Paulina saw this look in the elder queen's eyes and told her gently "Do not be afraid, ma'am. I will not harm you."
That was all Grizabella needed for the moment. She turned her eyes back to Grumbuskin and asked "Can you see if he's still breathing?"
Paulina let the Glamour Cat go and kneeled down next to Grumbuskin. She turned him onto his back and saw that he was just barely conscious. She leaned closer and tapped him on the shoulders, saying "Sir… sir? Are you still with us?"
Once Grumbuskin had the strength to respond, he slowly nodded. Paulina helped him sit up as well.
She found herself kneeling almost directly in-between the two elderly cats.
"Who are you?" Grumbuskin asked, a note of caution in his voice.
"My name is Paulina," she responded simply, "and I'm not a henchcat, if that is what you're asking, sir."
"Then what are you doing here?" asked Grizabella.
The young queen turned to the old queen and told her "I am just as much a prisoner as you are. My primary function is pleasure. After Lieutenant Commander Hoagemont arrived yesterday, he selected me as his personal consort."
This seemed to surprise both of the elderly cats.
"But you're… so young!" Grizabella pointed out, "How old are you?"
"In cat years, seventeen," Paulina replied as she stood up straight, "As you may have gathered, I am not of age."
"Did that Siamese piece of scum know that?" Grumbuskin asked angrily.
"Indeed he did," she answered, "But he chose me all the same over all the other concubines in Room C."
As Grumbuskin muttered a curse under his breath, Grizabella asked her curiously "Why did he leave you in here?"
"I assume that it was a mistake," Paulina theorized, "Macavity and the others were too preoccupied with moving that one tom to the infirmary that they forgot to bring me along."
There was a short interval of silence here. Then Grizabella buried her face in one of her front paws and started weeping. Paulina kneeled next to her and asked her "Are you alright, ma'am?"
Grizabella just meekly shook her head and muttered through her sobs "I am… so sorry for this. I feel so ashamed for what my son has done to you and so many other innocent people. You don't deserve to be in here against your will."
"It is not your fault, ma'am," Paulina whispered gently, "But I would like to know; is there anything I could possibly do to help either of you?"
Grumbuskin slowly looked up at Paulina and rubbed his chin in deep thought. Then he lowered his paw and said "I assume that being Hoagemont's consort, you share a room with him. Is that correct?"
"Yes, sir," Paulina nodded in response.
"Then there is something you can do," Grumbuskin replied. He moved a little closer and stated "Now, I want you to listen carefully to everything I am about to tell you, as this could be the only time you'll ever in here."
…
The infirmary in Macavity's warehouse was usually mostly empty. But it was never fully empty. One of the beds in the room was always occupied at some point or other, as Macavity's henchcats tended to suffer injuries quite often. Several of them would recieve a lot of punishment on their more dangerous missions with objectives such as hunting, spying, and assassinations. Others tended to get injured during dismal negotiations and faulty trade agreements. Everyone else the infirmary treated winded up there not out of carelessness or negligence, but because they simply "got on someone else's nerves" a little too much.
Oswald was presently being treated for all three reasons. He was lying on a bed in the center of the room. He was not conscious at this time, as the doctors had given him a sedative. Parts of his chest, legs, and head were heavily bandaged.
Macavity was sitting at the front of the bed, gently stroking his bodyguard's forehead. Hoagemont was standing right before the Hidden Paw, again noting some more of Macavity's strange new behavior.
Ullick and Xerxes were standing near the entrance to the room. Both of them were notably concerned for their colleague.
There were three other henchcats receiving medical attention at that time. There was a new recruit that was being treated for a concussion he had received while completing part of his preliminary combat tests. There was also a tom that had been wounded during a spying mission. The third was a queen. Hoagemont could not tell what exactly the female henchcat was being treated for, but he happened to notice that she was the only one of the three that had a visitor. There was a tom standing directly behind her, resting one of his paws on her abdomen, as if he was being protective ot it.
It did not take long for the Siamese Commander to draw a conclusion from there.
Before long, one of the doctors approached Macavity and told him "Sir, we're completed our analysis of the damage done to Oswald."
"Very well, Doc," remarked the Hidden Paw as he looked up at the physician, "Hit me with it."
The doctor looked at his clipboard and read the key parts of his report: "Oswald has exactly twenty-nine open wounds on his body. It's damn fortunate that you brought him up here right away, otherwise we might not have been able to clot all of them so easily. He also has two cracked ribs and some hairline fractures on his sternum. His left shoulder was dislocated, but we managed to remedy that problem."
Macavity took a careful note of everything he was told. When the Doctor was finished, the Hidden Paw slowly nodded and asked "So, what's your recommended prescription?"
"Well, sir, knowing Oswald, he should be back on his feet within the next two days," replied the Doctor, "However, he'll still need a great deal of rest to recover his strength."
"In that case, I'm confining Oswald to the infirmary until eleven tomorrow night," Macavity decided, "I certainly hope he'll be back to normal by then."
"I know how you mean, sir," stated the medical henchcat, "We're all concerned for Oswald's well-being. We all hope he'll get better."
All the other henchcats in the room – the patients and the doctors as well as Ullick and Xerxes – all declared in agreement "Here, here."
Hoagemont, however, was very confused. He turned to the Doctor and remarked "I thought you just said that Oswald has twenty-nine open wounds, two cracked ribs, a sternum with numerous hairline fractures, and a dislocated shoulder."
"That is correct," the doctor confirmed, "What is your point?"
Hoagemont rolled his eyes and stated "My point is this: just how the hell does anyone recover from all that in just twenty-four hours?"
The doctor simply shrugged and said "There are only two people in this organization that could heal that quickly: our Boss and Oswald. None of the rest of us can heal that quickly. I'd suggest you ask my Boss about anything pertaining to Oswald."
As the Doctor went to file his report, Hoagemont turned to Macavity.
The Hidden Paw stood up and stated "I would not mind giving you an explanation, Commander. I suppose you deserve one, considering the present circumstances."
Hoagemont nodded, saying "Sir, on that note, there is something I would like to ask you."
"What might that be?" enquired Macavity.
"I've noticed that everyone around here seems to care a great deal about Oswald's well-being," the Siamese ambassador pointed out, "You in particular seem to be the one most concerned for him. I'm curious to know why that is."
Macavity did not answer directly. He just gazed in Hoagemont's questioning eyes for a moment while contemplating his answer. Then he let out a deep sigh, rested one of his hind feet on the adjoining bed, and leaned on that leg as he began his explanation:
"Several months ago – even before the alliance between your people and mine came about – we were at war with the Pekingese dogs. It was a brutal war; a type of war that even I don't like to reminisce on. At one point, the Pekes began work on a deadly biological weapon. Once they found a way to harness it, they secretly released it into my warehouse. Once the weapon was airborne in here, my henchcats slowly started to get infected one-by-one. Before long, everyone was ridden with the virus. With the exception of two people: myself and Oswald. He and I worked around the clock to find a cure for our colleagues. When all our research failed us, Oswald decided to go find the cure the old-fashioned way."
"How did he do that?" inquired the Siamese ambassador.
"He went to the Pekes' hideout and single-handedly apprehended their leaders," answered the Hidden Paw, "He tortured them for hours until they finally gave him the formula for the cure. Once he returned, we were able to use the formula to cure everybody before the death toll even began. Not long after that, the Pekes surrendered unconditionally. Ever since that day, everyone in this organization – myself included – has come to greatly respect Oswald for his acts of heroism on our part."
"Wow, that's very interesting," remarked Hoagemont, "But, sir, I am still curious about one thing. Why were neither you nor Oswald infected?"
"Because we were naturally immune to it," replied Macavity, "You see, the magic in my blood creates a type of organic defense mechanism against biological weapons – regardless of whether they are genuine or artificial. To me, breathing in the Pekes' weapon was no different than breathing in the everyday nitrogen-oxygen mixture in our atmosphere that keeps us alive."
"So now I understand how you were not infected," Hoagemont remarked, "But what about Oswald? How is it the weapon had no effect on him?"
"Commander, I just told you the reason," Macavity pointed out.
Hoagemont raised an eyebrow in confusion, saying "You did?"
Macavity sighed and stated "Yes, I did. But I realize I probably was not specific enough, so I'll rephrase it for you: only mystical cats are naturally immune to biological weapons."
Hoagemont's eyes shot wide open in surprise. He slowly uttered "So, sir… basically… you're telling me that… Oswald is a… mystic?"
Macavity nodded sternly. "I determined this shortly after he and I cured our colleagues. Came as quite a shock to all of us, including myself. You see, mystical cats are usually able to sense other mystics. But I never sensed anything of mysticism from Oswald until the day after we administered the cure to everyone else. After I started getting my suspicions, I decided to use some of my more advanced magic to look directly into his soul. It was then that I discovered that Oswald was a mystic."
"I thought that all mystics were born with magic in their blood," stated Hoagemont, "Why is it that Oswald didn't show signs of being one until that day?"
"Because his powers had not surfaced yet," replied Macavity, "You see, Commander, like most mystics, I started exhibiting my powers when I was a kitten. However, it is possible for a mystic's powers to remain dormant until adulthood. The carrier is usually not even aware of them."
"What causes dormant powers to emerge in such an individual?" queried Hoagemont.
"There are several causes, but the most effective way is for another mystic to use his or her own powers to directly draw them out," Macavity elucidated, "When I discovered that Oswald was a mystic, I used a few of my charms to help him bring out his powers."
"How did he react to this discovery?" asked Hoagemont.
"He was a little overwhelmed at first, but quickly came to embrace it as a late gift," said Macavity, "In the time since that day, I've helped him take control of his powers and improve his ability. You see, in the unlikely yet always probable event that I should disappear or be assassinated, I plan for Oswald to take my place as the leader. I've essentially made him my apprentice."
Hoagemont looked down at Oswald, paying close attention to the wounds on his body. Then he looked back up at Macavity and said "Sir, forgive me for saying this, but are you really certain it was wise to make your apprentice one of your bodyguards?"
Macavity nodded again, saying "You see, Commander, there's a peculiar thing about mystics: we can heal any non-fatal wounds of any non-mystic in a heartbeat. But mystics are incapable of healing any wounds of another mystic, even if the wound is a mere scratch. Fortunately for us, we have a much faster rate of recovery than normal cats. That's why I'm predicting that Oswald will be back on his feet this time tomorrow night. And aside from that, if I'm going to trust Oswald to watch out for this organization, I need to at least be assured that I can trust him to watch out for me. He told me himself that he wanted no special treatment outside of his mystic training, so I treat him just like any other henchcat. Only he is much more important to me than the others."
"So that's why you were so concerned for him," Hoagemont realized.
As Macavity nodded, the Siamese Commander looked back down at Oswald. He rubbed his paws together a little nervously. The Hidden Paw noticed that Hoagemont had a somewhat apprehensive look in his eyes. He remarked "I've noted that in the twenty-four hours since you arrived, you've developed a friendship with all of my bodyguards. Most notably Oswald. Yet now you seem a little uncomfortable with the fact that he's a mystic."
"Oh, believe me, sir, I have nothing against him," Hoagemont assured the Hidden Paw, "Ever since the night of Growltiger's Last Stand, I have always been wary of mystics. I had a rather unpleasant encounter with one on the Demagogue that night."
"Would you prefer to talk about something else, then?" Macavity offered.
Hoagemont lightly nodded and looked up.
"Have you enjoyed your time here so far?" queried the ginger cat.
"Indeed, I have," Hoagemont replied, "It's not as adventerous or as eventful as life on a warship, but at least it's something different from my old routine."
"What about your quarters, are you pleased with them?" asked Macavity.
"More than pleased," answered the Siamese officer, "They are wonderfully spacious, and I have just about everything I need to manage my work from there."
"What about your consort?" asked Macavity. "Have you helped yourself to her yet?"
Hoagemont smirked and remarked "Indeed, I have. Despite being a virgin, she was very good in bed. In fact, I would say that…"
Hoagemont abruptly stopped talking. He then looked over his shoulder and all around the room, as if he was searching for something.
"She's not here!" he declared, as he continued to look around the room frantically.
"Who?" asked Macavity in slight confusion.
"Paulina!" answered Hoagemont, "She was with us when we went to see Grumbuskin. But she's not here now!"
"Oh, shit," murmured Macavity as he lowered his leg from the bed to the ground, "We must have left her in Grumbuskin's cell."
"Then I'd suggest we go get her," stated Hoagemont.
Macavity nodded and turned towards the door. As he and Hoagemont made their way out, Macavity called out "Xerxes, Ullick, you're with us!"
The two henchcats hastily followed them out.
…
Back in Ratcliff, everything had calmed down. Ralpharite and the others had managed to convince Vecinha that she could trust them.
She had told the group that she had been a captive of the Siamese for the past few months and that they had performed horrible experiments on her. She had told them about Joreng, and how she was supposed to make her way to the house of his mate, Cathieel.
Ralpharite argued that Vecinha was in no condition to leave until her wound had time to heal. Vecinha wanted to argue, but ultimately agreed that he had a good point.
At that moment, Vecinha was outside, looking up at the star-filled sky. Everyone else was still inside the shed. Heurion had fallen asleep in the corner, and Geraldine had decided to take him into the house so she could tuck him into bed.
Once she returned, she spoke to the four toms.
"Vecinha is just what we need to expose the Siamese," she declared, "If we can find a way to increase the public's awareness on these experiments, then perhaps the feline navy will finally do something about this."
"Ma'am, as of right now, it would be much too hasty to do something of that sort," Ralpharite told her, "Vecinha is already under a great deal of trauma. Her friends are still being held prisoner. If the news were to hit the public's ear so suddenly, the Siamese might dispose of the Americans to avoid a confrontation with the authorities."
"Well, we have to do something!" Pouncival decided, "I for one agree with Geraldine. We can't keep this hidden forever!"
"We won't keep it hidden," Roshedam assured him, "But we still need a plan. Without a plan, there's no course of action we can take to help the Americans."
"But the Americans are dying!" Tumblebrutus argued, "Didn't you just hear a word Vecinha told you? They can only take so much pain until their bodies just give out. We have to do something about that!"
Ralpharite stepped forward and placed his paw on the young brown and white tom's shoulder and kneeled down in front of him. He told him "Tumble, I know exactly how you must be feeling right now. But if we are not careful, more innocent people can get hurt. Or even killed. That is why we have to take small steps until we are certain that we are strong enough to rescue the Americans and all the other victims of the Siamese."
Tumblebrutus sighed and leaned back against the wall of the shed. He commented "I suppose you're right, Ralph. I apologize for stepping out of line."
Ralpharite just smirked and stood up straight. He looked out the window and saw Vecinha sitting on the grass. She appeared to be shivering in the cold.
Ralpharite picked up a folded-up blanket and told the others "I'm going to talk to her. She still has yet to tell us what she and her colleagues were doing in London in the first place."
"You do that," said Pouncival, "Tumble and I will be by the front gates. We're waiting for a friend of ours to get back."
Ralpharite agreed to this and went outside. He made his way over to Vecinha. When he was directly behind her, he asked her "Care for some company?"
She looked over her shoulder and nodded without saying a word.
Ralpharite unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around her, saying "I know how cold it can get out here at night; I figured you'd like this."
"Thank you," she said gratefully, holding the ends of the blanket together near her upper chest.
"Are you sure you wouldn't want to come inside?" Ralpharite asked her, "It's much warmer in there."
"I appreciate the offer," she told him, "But I've been locked inside a basement for the past four months. I just want to be outside for a good long while to make up for that lost time."
"I don't blame you," said Ralpharite, "I know what it's like to be separated from a wonderful sight for so long. On that note, what brought you to London in the first place?"
Vecinha slowly over her shoulder at him and asked "Do you really want to know?"
"Indeed, I do," he nodded. He was honestly curious about this subject.
"Alright, I'll tell you," Vecinha began her explanation, "Six months ago, I graduated from the American Feline Navy Academy in New York. I placed in the top one hundred of my class. Ever year, the top one hundred students are given a special treat: the captain and crew of an already-commissioned vessel takes them to another country to sail on a famous river. The country and crew always differ. The three classes before mine went to the Nile in Egypt, the Danube in Germany, and the Amazon in Brazil."
"And your class got to see the Thames here in England?" assumed Ralpharite.
"Correct," she replied, "A month after graduation, I came here by plane with the rest of my class. Captain Jonathan of the U.S.S. Desperado and his crew were our supervisors. We spent a lot of time touring the city, but we also spent a fair amount of time by the Thames, as well. Then one night, about three weeks after we arrived, we went sailing at night. We were approaching the harbor at the Isle of Dogs when our ship was attacked. That was our first encounter with the Siamese. They were just too fast and too numerous for us to put up a real fight. We were all captured and transferred to one of their prison ships."
Vecinha paused for a moment. Then she continued a little uneasily "After this, they transferred us to one of our laboratories. They told us nothing except that we were 'no longer in control of our own fate.' Then they started performing the experiments on us. Some of them made us stronger; others were slowly killing us off. Now almost half of my friends are dead. I don't know how long the others will survive unless I can get them out of there."
Vecinha had almost brought herself to tears as she talked. Ralpharite placed a soothing paw on her shoulder, doing his best to comfort her.
"I had always wanted to see this city," she told him through wrenched sobs, "I had heard that London was one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Yet now that I have seen it, the first thing I'll always remember about it is how much pain and suffering I saw in the past four months. Not just my own, but that of my friends and colleagues, as well."
"I know how you feel," Ralpharite told her, "I was once the Intelligence Officer on the greatest vessel to ever sail on this river. We were a strong crew of ninety-five. But that was six months ago. Now, thanks to those Siamese butchers, there are only thirteen of us left."
Vecinha wiped her tears out of her eyes and looked back at Ralpharite. She wrapped her arm around him and said "Thank you for trying to comfort me. I really need to talk to somebody that understands my pain."
Ralpharite held Vecinha closer to her. The two of them looked up at the stars. The peaceful night sky was a blessing to both of them.
"Do you like stargazing?" she asked him.
"At times, yes," he replied, "The last time I went stargazing, it was in East Molesey. Ironically, it was also with a queen that I just met."
"I haven't been stargazing since I was in the United States," Vecinha told Ralpharite, "I would do it with my tomfriend every night."
"Hopefully, you'll be able to see him again after all this is over," Ralpharite suggested.
"I'm certain I will," Vecinha remarked, "You see, he's the younger brother of my Captain."
"Oh, really?" said Ralpharite, "What's his name?"
"His name is Peter," answered Vecinha.
At that, Ralpharite almost froze in surprise. He recalled the meeting that he and Roshedam had attended at the marina downtown earlier that evening.
"What's wrong?" Vecinha asked, noticing the stunned look on the red and white tabby's face.
Ralpharite did not answer straight away. He simply asked "Is your Captain by any chance an orange and grey tom?"
Vecinha raised an eyebrow in interest and replied "As a matter of fact, he is. Why do you ask?"
Ralpharite looked down at her and replied "Because I now have a feeling that you won't see your tomfriend after this is all over. You'll probably see him before."
…
While all this was going on, Jemima was still watching Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer practice their knife-fighting. She paid careful attention to every last detail of the fight itself, such as the movements of the combatants, the positions of the knives, and the strategies employed in both attack and defense stance.
After about a half-hour, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer decided to call it a night.
Rumple looked up at her younger sister and told her "Sh'ow's ove', Jemmy."
Jemima nodded and stood up. She jumped off the junk pile and approached the two calico cats. Then she said "Mungo, Rumple, do you suppose that… you could teach me how to duel with a knife?"
Both of the calicos were stunned to hear such a request come out of Jemima's mouth. She was the last person they ever expected to learn such a deadly skill.
"Wh'oy do ya w'ant to le'arn th'at, Jem?" queried Mungojerrie.
"Tumble learned how to fight with a sword when he served under Growltiger," Jemima responded in her usual innocent yet monotonic voice, "I want to impress him somehow, so I was wondering if you could privately tutor me? Only if you feel up to it, of course."
Despite being the youngest and possibly most naïve member of the tribe, Jemima was very protective and courageous. She had a habit of surprising her friends and family in many unexpected yet pleasant ways.
Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer looked at each other and shrugged.
"W'e'll th'ink a'bout it," Mungo replied, smiling down at the young queen.
Jemima smiled gratefully, said "Thank you," and left the secondary clearing.