"What was tha'?" Teazer muttered. "Now along wif ev'ryfin' else, Buck's taken up spyin'…y'don't s'pose…'e's been back to the ware'ouse…recently?" The thought was unnerving. But if he had…well, he was here and alive and well, wasn't he? Perhaps his claims of being a good spy weren't mere boasting…
Quaxo was staring after the kit, a look of intense concentration on his face. "He's not some innocent kit just playing a game, Teazer. He's not just running around spying on people for the fun of it. He's angry with someone, wants to hurt them, but the question is just who?"
"'is dad," Teazer supplied immediately. Who else? If he truly knew who his father was, and knew what he was really like, why wouldn't he be upset? Unlike Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, Bucky hadn't spent his entire kittenhood in the warehouse. At his still-young-and-impressionable age, he'd already had ample opportunity to experience samplings of the completely different lives of the henches and the Jellicles, and to know, even if he didn't fully understand everything, that TB was a bad sort. Could it be he even somehow knew the tom was Alonzo's father as well? That he had used his high-up position in Growltiger and Griddlebone's gang to mistreat countless queens, most likely including Bombalurina and Demeter?
"So you believe him then?"
"Ay, don't yew?"
"I suppose…" He shook his head, frutstrated. "When I think of that tom…TB…things become fuzzy. He seems…unknowable."
"Well, Oi s'pose 'e is in some ways, but… Quax. Did'ye ever considah…tha'…among the Lady's 'enchcats...well, wot'f they've got some'un like…well, like yew er Cori an' Tanto?"
"They have," responded a voice behind them.
Teazer gave a slight jump. No matter how much time she spent in the Junkyard, she could never get used to the way Coricopat and Tantomile crept up on one. "Seems ev'ry'un in the Yahd's been listenin' in," she sighed. "Not that yew two needs t'listen, ye'll know it all any'ow, eh?" She was utterly done with this entire situation. First their plan seemed about to fall to pieces, then Carbuckety showed up acting strange, then the twins turned up…
"Coricopat," said Quaxo, trying to quell his frustration, "what's going on? More particularly, what's going on with him, why is he so angry?" He broke off suddenly, and the two toms stood silently staring at one another for the next several moments.
Gathering that Coricopat and Quaxo were continuing their conversation telepathically (though Teazer didn't know that word and merely thought "in their'eads"), she made an impatient gesture and turned to Tantomile. "Oi can' communicate like that," indicating the two toms, "so can y'please tell me wot Bucky's on about? An'… I reckon you'll know this… is'e right? Is TB'is dad as well as 'Lonz's?"
"You already know the answer to that," said Tantomile.
Teazer was tempted to snap back at the other queen that she "knew no such thing, stop talkin' in riddles and tell me straight!", but checked herself. After all, perhaps Tantomile was right—perhaps deep down Teazer did already know. It did seem to fit in with what Teazer knew of Tumblebrutus—what little she knew of him. Like everyone else, she'd always been terrified of him and her one thought was to avoid his wrath. As such, she'd never sought him out on purpose. Growltiger had always referred to TB as his 'bosun.' No one was sure what the word actually meant, but Teazer gathered it meant something along the lines of 'second-in-command.' He'd certainly always lorded it over the other henches and acted as if he were in charge when the boss wasn't around. It would make sense if he behaved that way with everyone in the gang, most particularly those who weren't there by choice, and took full advantage of the situation, whatever the particular duties of a particular gang-member might be… Teazer shivered, unwilling to follow that line of thought any further. "Ay," she admitted, "s'pose I do. Wouldn' put it past TB to'ave all manner of unclaimed kits."
"After all," Tantomile pointed out with a slight grimace—to Teazer's knowledge, the first time she had ever seen the queen appear more than mildly bothered about anything, "are not all the kittens in…that place…unclaimed?"
"Ay—well—nat'rally," Teazer blustered somewhat, for some inexplicable reason feeling inclined to defend her previous home. "Me'n'Jerrie nevah knew exac'ly fer sure 'oo our parents were, anymore'n any o' the othahs. There was no this is my mate an' these're my kits, that way ev'ry'un was treated the same, no special fav'rites, no fights over—well, 'twas the idear at any rate, but o'course fights're unavoidable… But in any case, they's a gang bent on the practical, on survival…"
"But not happiness. Not family."
"N-no. That…nevah came into it. I'ad some fun times o'course, specially since I'ad Jerrie, but…wouldn't've called it an'appy fam'ly, no' like…well, like'ere… But now," she continued, coming back to the discussion at paw, "the main trouble'ere is the survival bit. I'm a bit anxious on that score, I don't min' admittin' to ya. Is there somecat wot's fightin' back against yew an' Cori an' Quax's…efforts t'…t' 'see' wot's goin' on? An' c'n you tell me wot Bucky'as t'do wif it, if anythin'?" She felt almost afraid of the answer.
"I can," Tantomile sighed, "but…it will be…difficult."
"'Ow so?"
The black-and-white queen gave a slight, nervous laugh. "It may not have escaped your notice that my brother and I are not much accustomed to speaking out loud."
"No," mumbled Teazer, "y'prefers t'be all mystery-like…" Then she regretted saying this, worried Tantomile might take offence and decide not to tell her anything. But the other queen only nodded.
"It's not…that we prefer it…but it's been what we are used to. Each knowing what the other wants or needs just by a look, making others understand well enough by gestures and only a few words when necessary."
"Bu'…this's important enough t'…t' make the effort an' tell me, even if'tis difficult?"
"Of course. Just please be patient as I think of how to explain…"
"C'ld ya…" Teazer swallowed, embarrassed. "Could y'tell me the way yew an' Cori tells each othah fings? Th' way'e's tellin' Quaxo fings—?"
"No," the other queen hissed, surprising Teazer with her vehemence. Shaking her head as if to calm herself, Tantomile went on in a milder tone, "I could, but I won't. I know sometimes…it's necessary to 'mind meld' with others, as Quaxo calls it…"
"Prob'ly 'eard it on the telly," Teazer giggled, nerves getting the better of her and making everything seem silly.
"But I don't like to do it," Tantomile continued, ignoring Teazer's comment. "Not with those who don't share the same abilities as Coricopat and myself, or at least similar ones like Quaxo's. Not with those who have no say in the matter. It seems unfair—an invasion into their most private thoughts when they can't prevent it or delve into our thoughts in return. I can't help getting at least some sense of most anycat's mindset just by being near them, but actively delving into the hidden recesses of the mind is another thing entirely. I only do so when it is necessary—a matter of life and death."
"Like the situation wif…the Lady."
"Yes, unfortunately. Even so, I mainly get my information second paw through Coricopat or…"
"Seems t'me this is such an, er…life-er-death situation. But if'n y' say so…Well then," Teazer sighed, "s'pose y'just tells me in plain words."
"I'm just about to, if you'll pay attention. You asked what Carbuckety has to do with any of this. Well, he is one of our sources of information—because he knows the Lady's territory well, some of what goes on there makes more sense to him than it ever could to any of us…"
"'Old th'phone," Teazer gasped, "y'mean all that stuff'e wos sayin', goin' on an' on 'bout bein' a spy—it's not jus' silliness, 'e's really—why, Bucky's just a little kit an' yer usin' 'im!"
"Don't talk nonsense," Tanto snapped, "he's been spying on the henchcats for as long as he could understand anything. And he's continued to do so—only now he's helping us, at least in theory, though his main reasons may be anger and spite, and who can blame him? Still…"
"So 'e's been strikin' out on'is own fer ages an' no'un's stopped'im?"
"He's surprisingly stealthy—probably learned that in the warehouse, wouldn't you say?"
"Ay," Teazer admitted, "avoidin' notice's the best way of avoidin' punishment." She paused. "But yew knew?"
"We have known for some time he was up to something, but only recently learnt what. His thoughts are quite chaotic, difficult to understand."
"Well, nat'rally. Poor fing's just a kit. Speakin' of bein' just a kit, why didn't yew stop'im oncet yew knew?"
"How?" Tantomile sighed. "Lock him up? In any case, now that we know, we follow him, should he ever need our assistance. So far he never has."
"An'…does'e know? That y'foller'im?"
"He does," Tantomile chuckled slightly, "but pretends not to. Since we've not interfered, he's not changed his patterns much."
Teazer took several deep breaths, trying to keep from panicking as she considered all that Tantomile was telling her. "Bu' Tanto…even s'posin' Buck is as sneaky-like as'e finks'e is… Why not stop'im any'ow? Is it truly…worf the risk?"
"I've had some of the same doubts, myself. But, Teazer, we've not been able to 'see' matters in the warehouse as clearly as we'd hoped." Teazer felt on the verge of vomiting at that; it was what she'd feared. Was all lost then? "As Coricopat said a moment ago," Tantomile went on, "there is someone among the henchcats with…abilities…similar to ours. Exactly what or how extensive they are, we don't know. But when Coricopat attempts to understand how it goes with our friends…something, some barrier stops him."
"Bu'…tha' means…some'un knows wot we're about?" Tantomile nodded assent. "An' do…" Teazer gulped. "D'ye know…'oo 'tis?"
Tantomile answered readily enough, "Gilbert. Or Genghis, as you may know him."
"'E's the one wot's in charge o' punishments an' confinements an' such," Teazer gasped. Unbidden, frightening memories arose in her mind: she was a tiny kit again, locked in some dark room, nearly mad with hunger and thirst, not knowing if she'd ever see her brother again. "Le' me out," she begged feebly, her voice barely a croak. "I'll not do't again…Jerrie, where are yew?" Willing the images away with a shudder, she glanced up to see a grimace of pain flit momentarily across Tantomile's face before she was once again able to relax her features. The mystic queen must have felt something of those memories, in spite of herself… "'M sorry," Teazer mumbled. "I…I wos goin' on t'say, I…fink…Genghis may've'ad sommat t'do wif…wif the Tigah's demise. Mackey fought—finks so too. A' first we fought'e migh' some'ow be turnin' good, er at least away fr'm the'enches, but…bu' more likely 'e just'as ambitions t'be leader one day."
"Perhaps MacVitie had no opportunity to tell you," said Tantomile, having composed herself whilst Teazer spoke, though her voice still held a hint of some emotion Teazer couldn't identify, "but…Gilbert, as he was known to us…has a history with the Jellicles as well. He was one of our protectors. He went out with Deuteronomy and the rest to settle a dispute with the henchcats. His mate, Hecuba, was killed, and he never returned. Everyone assumed he had been killed as well; his daughter Cassandra was raised among us as an orphan."
"On'y 'e wasn't kilt," Teazer gasped, "'e stayed on wif the Tigah…Bu'…why?"
"Desperation," Tantomile told her. "The companion of his life had been taken from him, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. Later, he no doubt thought of his daughter…but decided she would be better off not knowing him at all." The black and white queen shook her head sadly. "How easily…it's so easy, isn't it, for a cat to decide he's gone too far, that he's past forgiveness?"
"Ay," Teazer agreed, thinking uneasily of MacVitie and hoping such a thing had not happened to him. "But I own I…feels sorry fer…fer Geng—Gilbert, an' yet…I can't quite fergive'im meself. No' jus' yet." She shook her head. "Bu' back t'the matter at paw, 'e's workin' against us, keepin' yew an' Cori blind. 'Ow c'n lettin' Bucky carry on spyin' be of'elp?"
"Because he can observe with his bodily eyes what Coricopat and I cannot see with our mind's eyes."
"Bu'…supposin' Gilb'…notices an'…"
"This is why we follow Carbuckety. Thus far Gilbert appears to be busy keeping us out. But thus far he hasn't appeared to suspect the kit." In spite of herself, the corner of Tantomile's mouth lifted in the slightest hint of a smirk. "After all, who would suspect a kitten?"