"But why's Jerrie get t'go an' I've gotta stay 'ere?" Teazer demanded.
Quaxo sighed. "I've already explained that we…"
"Try again, then. Keepin' in mind this time that I don' read minds, an' so y've gotta say it all out loud!"
"Cori and Tanto and I don't read minds," Quaxo protested. "We just understand others really well. They understand intentions better, while I understand feelings better. Though often those go paw in paw…"
"Y'do so read min's," Teazer interrupted. "Otherwise 'ow c'ld the three on ya talk to each othah wifout even bein' in th'same place?"
"So, maybe we do, in a way," Quaxo admitted, "with each other and with those who ask for it and such… But not always. Not with just anyone. It's difficult to, er, mind-meld with someone who's not close to you, or is an enemy with their guard constantly up…did you know folk build up walls around their minds just the same as humans build up fences in real life?"
"But yew can in cer'ain cases. An' yew c'n move fings wifout touchin' 'em," muttered Teazer. "An' put folks t'sleep fer days, as me'n'Jerrie foun' out firs'paw…an', fr'm wot I 'ear, make lightnin' wif yer paws…"
"I just imagine what it must be like," Quaxo shrugged, "for the object in one place, and then think what it would feel like in a completely different place. I concentrate on that until it's true. As for putting people to sleep, and the lightning…I haven't quite mastered those yet." He frowned. "In fact, I've really no idea how I did it. It was by sheer luck that you two woke again, and I don't know if I could repeat that with someone else. And the lightning only appears randomly. Which is unfortunate, because Silla's expecting me to show off the lightning at the Ball, but if I don't have it just right, someone could get hurt… Er, sorry, let's stay on task."
"An' if alls yew c'n do fer the mos' part is understand some'un really well, 'ow c'n yew know…" She lowered her voice. "…The Lady Mothah's plan?"
"Because by understanding intentions and feelings, we can pretty nearly guess the thoughts. Unless they purposely think in a different way from what they mean. But even then, the intentions are more accurate indications of what's really going to happen. You know?"
"Eh?" Teazer scratched her head. He'd lost her.
"Look," Quaxo explained patiently, "suppose you were walking along thinking to yourself, 'I'm going straight to bed when I get home, I'm going straight to bed when I get home,' over and over, when really you planned on doing no such thing—you planned to do something else, like steal and eat all of Jenny's mice?"
"I'd nevah do that," Teazer gasped. "She'd 'ave my 'ead! An' anyway, why would I be tellin' meself somethin' else that I knew I wasn't gonna do? That'd be silly."
"It would," Quaxo agreed, "unless you were afraid someone was reading your thoughts, as you call it. What if Jenny could read your thoughts and so you were doing your best to think something else so's to trick her? And it would probably work, too, if that were really all she could do—if she could only hear the words you were thinking in your head and not know if they were true or not. You could think anything you wanted and she'd have to believe it!"
"But that's not just wot yew an' Cori an' Tant do—not mainly?"
"No. As I said, we first and foremost understand the feelings and intentions. That means that no matter what words someone thinks, we still know what they actually mean to do—unless, of course, they can change their own feelings and intentions at the drop of a hat. Some can. But that's much harder than simply thinking different words, so it's an advantage that the twins and I understand what we understand. You follow?"
"Er…Oi fink so. All righ' then. So yew'n they c'n pretty nearly guess Lady Mothah's plan… Why's it vital that Jerrie'n Mackey…"
"Better practice saying Macavity."
She grimaced. "Mac-a-vity. Jerrie'n'me made that'un up by accident. Wish we 'adn't."
"It'll come in handy, believe me."
"In any case, why's it so important that Jerrie goes an' I stay?"
"Oh, as to that—it's not so very important, really. Only Jerrie was in on the preliminary planning and you weren't, and so he got first dibs in the matter. Though," he eyed her thoughtfully, "it probably is for the best, come to think of it…"
"Why—but—he—that…" Rumpelteazer sputtered. "Why, the sneak! T'think 'e wos meetin' wif yew all this time an' nevah invited me!"
"I might point out," Quaxo answered mildly, "that you were meeting with Vit—Macavity, and never invited Jerrie. Or me, for that matter."
"Yeah, but yer jus'…" She trailed off short of saying 'you're just a kit.' He wasn't so very much younger than herself, and from the first time she and Jerrie had met him, it had been infinitely clear that the last thing Quaxo was was 'just a kit.' "Nevahmin'. Fine. Fair 'nough. But me'n' Mack wos jus' tryin'…"
"I know," said Quaxo quickly, "you were trying to help. Trying to stop Griddlebone's plan without having to involve anyone else." He shook his head. "It was just like MacVitie, trying to carry the weight of the world all on his own…"
"Yer tellin' me," Teazer rolled her eyes.
"But I don't blame him—or you. He thought he was on to something, and you were following his lead. Only—he misunderstood."
"But wot'd 'e misunderstand?"
"He thought that, like Growltiger, Griddlebone intended to hurt humans. That is, hurt Old Deuteronomy by hurting humans—apart from looking after the Jellicles, he considers protecting humans his life's work, you know. That's why he hangs around that vicarage all the time, looking after things, being a companion to the parson when he's got mounds of writing to do... But with Griddlebone, it's different; she's aiming to hurt…well, all of us, but it would be truer to say she means to use all of us to hurt Bella—Grizabella, as she calls her."
Teazer frowned. "I've 'eard 'er mentioned among the 'enches, but don't quite…"
"She's MacVitie and Munkustrap and Tugger's mother. She's the reason MacVitie and Alonzo came to be among the henchcats in the first place. They were trying to rescue her. Or, more accurately… they made a bargain that if they stayed, she could go free."
"Oh…" Teazer's eyes widened,"that Bella." She'd never quite understood all the reasons behind Alonzo and Mack's arrival in Growltiger's…now Griddlebone's…territory. They'd simply appeared one day, that was all; nothing strange, new recruits came round occasionally and it hadn't been for her to question the Tiger's choices. Alonzo had left almost as soon as he'd arrived, she'd never understood why until she'd caught a glimpse of him with his kits. As for MacVitie…well, she had this silly, fanciful idea that he'd stayed on to save her and Jerrie. Silly notion, really. 'Twas Bomb' an' Deme wot 'e stayed fer. 'Specially Deme…
"Yes, that Bella. She hasn't been back here in some time," said Quaxo sadly. "She feels that…" He shook his head. "I don't quite gather what she feels—it's all of a muddle. In some ways she feels like MacVitie—that is, blames herself for all the dreadful things that have ever happened, even if she had nothing to do with them. But there's something else I can't quite…talk about a cat who really puts walls up… In any case, she's afraid to return—afraid that if she does, everyone will resent her for one thing or another. Truth be told…some are beginning to. First they were worried, but the longer she stays away, the more the worry turns to anger. If she stays away, how can it be that she cares anything for her family or the Tribe? They don't understand, of course, everything she's been through, and she's afraid to tell. Even Munkustrap is beginning to feel hurt and abandoned by her, even though he knows her story and ought to understand."
"But wot 'as she been through, an' wot's it got t'do wif Lady Mothah?"
"It's…" Quaxo hesitated. "It's not exactly my place to tell the whole story. But, you see, they used to run with the same gang. Suffice it to say…" He flushed. "There was a rivalry between them over a certain tom."
"The Tiger," Teazer whispered. "Mus' be. That…that's why…Lady Mothah got rid of'im. She's ruf'less…'specially when insul'ed… An' now she aims t'get rid o'Bella. But not b'fore makin' 'er go through as much badness as possible."
"You know her well," Quaxo nodded.
"Ay. Wisht I didn't."
"As a matter of interest…why d'you keep calling her Lady Mother?"
Teazer stared at him, taken aback. "Why…it's wot we've always called'er, Jerrie'n'me. It's wot we were told to call'er, an' y'don' disobey'er wifout dire consequence, believe yew me!"
"But you needn't obey her anymore—you're safe here, you're not under her power."
"'Scuse me, but until th'plan's actually carried out an' she's good'n gone, it seems t'me no one's safe. So long's Mackey—an' Jerrie—is anywhere near 'er, I ain't takin' no chances, mistah know-ev'rythin'!"
"Well, just call her The Lady, then, if you must."
"Wot bus'ness is't o'yours wot I call'er?" Teazer leapt to her feet, her irritation increasing by the minute.
"I just can't stand hearing it. D'you think she's really your mother? She's not!"
Just as soon as she'd jumped up, Teazer sank back down to the floor of Quaxo's den. "H…how d'ye know?"
"She hates you both, for one. No mother hates her kits."
Teazer shook her head. So this kit still had a healthy dose of naiveté, even if he seemed to know everything and talked as if he were as ancient as Deuteronomy. "That…that ain't always true."
"Maybe not. But it is in this case, believe me. Coricopat and Tantomile agree: she stole you and Jerrie from your real parents when you were newkits. I'm sorry, but that's the truth."
"Yew sh'ld know," Teazer mumbled, hiding her face in her paws, "that just 'cause yer good at figgerin' fings out, don' mean yew should. An' every time yew figger somefin' out, it don't mean yew sh'ld allus share wot y'know. Y—yew can' jus'…blurt fings out like that!"
"But…" Quaxo looked puzzled. "Don't you want to know? Aren't you glad such an awful feline isn't your real…"
"She's been the on'y sort muvver Jerrie'n'me's evah known…even if she is frigh'ful…yew…yew don' understand…"
"I'm sorry," sighed Quaxo, his ears drooping. "It's not as if I like knowing everyone else's business! I only said anything because I thought—I thought you'd be happy about it. But you're right…I don't really understand. I never had any sort of a mother at all, that I can remember. No brothers and sisters, either. Always just me and good old Uncle Bustopher." He chuckled. "Never went hungry, that's for sure."
Teazer moved her paws away from her face. "Neever did me'n'Jerrie, but that's 'cos we learnt all sorts o' ways t'get food. Wif er wifout permission." She shrugged. "P'raps yew got the bettah end o'the stick. 'Oo c'n say? But…wot's all this got t'do wif the plan?"
"Right—the plan—sorry, so many things whirling through one's head at once can be…"
"Quax. Yew ain' doin' a good job reassurin' me that this plan o'yours is gonna work when yew can' even stay on task explainin' it."
"But all of this that we're talking about is related to the plan. See," Quaxo went on impatiently, "this is why I started by just telling you the bare minimum of what you needed to know! The rest is just details that can be figured out as they crop up…"
"Y'made me wait outside whilst y'gave Jerrie'n'Mack their marching orders. They walked off, an' when I came inside t'get mine, alls I got was 'Right, they're goin' undercovah, we're workin' here.' Yew call that 'what I need to know'? Wot is't exac'ly that Jerrie'n'Mack are gonna do, an' wot're we doin' in the meantime?"
"They're going undercover, just like I said. And as for us—well, we'll be plenty busy; it's time to get started preparing for the Ball!"
"The Ball? Wot's a Ball?" Teazer frowned in thought. "D'ye mean… Is that that dance pahty I've 'eard the kits talkin' about? Yew mus' be mad! 'Oo's got time t'think o' dancin' wif all that's goin' on?"
"Old Deuteronomy, for one. I can guarantee you, as soon as everyone's out of the infirmary, he's going to show up and have a talk with Munkustrap about how the Ball is more important than ever this year, everyone needs the distraction, and all that. And the Ball has got to go on, because that's just when the most vital part of our plan will take place: that's when we'll be rid of that Griddle cat for good."
"Keep yer voice down," Teazer hissed. "Supposin' she's got spies listenin' righ' this instant?"
"I'd know," Quaxo shrugged, lowering his voice anyway, "but we can whisper if it makes you feel better. And anyway, it's not as if she has endless numbers of guards who can be everywhere at once…"
"So yer tellin' me yew've gotta surefire trick to make…some'un…disappear, an' it can on'y be at the Ball?" Teazer raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Sounds too good t'be true."
"It's not surefire, and it won't be easy. It'll take all my powers of concentration, which is why you've got to be ready to do your part when the time comes. Between now and the Ball, I'll be practicing moving objects greater and greater distances. At some point I'll have to find a cat who's willing to, er, be a real-life guinea pig. Don't worry, it'll be perfectly safe; I'll bring them back…"
"And wot'll I be doin' in the meanwhile? Apart from stringin' up lights and such silliness?" She covered her mouth with her paw as if she'd suddenly remembered something. "Crimes! Is Miz Jenny gonna make me play dress-up in'er song like the kits've talked abou'…"
"If she does, you'll love it, so don't worry about that. The first thing you've got to work at, though…and, I'm sorry, this is the bit you won't like…is spreading a rumour, and making sure as many cats as possible believe it. Those you can't convince will have to be awfully good at pretending. I mean really good. Question of life or death. That's why it's best if they just believe the rumour, but there are some who will be nigh impossible to convince…"
"Wot rumour?"
"That MacVitie has joined forces with Griddlebone and now calls himself Macavity."