MacVitie crept up to the wooden fence separating Bella's humans' garden from the next one over. First, he put his ear against the fence and listened. Nothing. Just as he was considering how to get himself over the fence without ending up trapped in the yard with an enraged pollicle, a paw reached out and pulled him into the hedge growing nearby.
"Shuttup," hissed whoever-it-was—unnecessarily, as MacVitie had forced himself not to shout out and broadcast his alarm. No matter what, it would be disastrous to alert his mother and cause her to run out and become mixed up in this confrontation. "Just what d'you think you're doing?" the other creature went on. Squinting in the dusky light permitted by the foliage, MacVitie at last recognized the unmistakable face and form of Carbuckety.
"What am I—just what d'you think you're doing?" Mack exclaimed—or as nearly as one can 'exclaim' whilst whispering.
The younger tom rolled his eyes. "Saving you from ruining everything, apparently—though it may be too late for that."
"What are you talking about? Does anyone know you're here?"
"Irrelevant, but since you ask—Coricopat and Tantomile do, no doubt. Do they approve? Probably not, but they also know they can't really stop me, unless they intend to have me locked up somewhere, which would make them no better than the henchcats. Mum and Munk are too occupied with Jemi to bother much about me at the mo—say, stop putting me off the point! This is serious! The henchcats know…"
"If you've been listening in on Coricopat, Tantomile, and Quaxo, as no doubt you have been, you know the plan. Can't you just leave us to see it through? Why've you got to butt in and put yourself in danger?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you, if you'll quit interrupting! Your so-called 'minions' are onto you." Bucky gestured impatiently in the direction of Bella's humans' house. "Probably because of stunts like this. Did you really think no one would notice?"
"What—how—how do you know?"
"The moon twins sensed 'unrest,' so I sniffed about the warehouse and listened in on a thing or two and it's pretty clear that, whether they know everything or not, your would-be pals know you've not got their best interests at heart. And they're not aiming to wait around much longer to find out if they're right."
"But—my powers…what happened to TB…"
"Oh, I'm sure some of'em are still moronic enough to believe in your 'powers' and be afraid of you, but it doesn't take an entire gang to form a rebellion, does it?" He snorted. "Especially now that you've given them such an obvious hold over you."
"Hold…? What— Electra!" Mack gasped, and would have made a dash for it then and there if Carbuckety hadn't seized his arm to recall his attention.
"No need to fret about her, she's well on her way to the 'yard by now…"
"But how…?"
"Sorry, Mack, but some plans have better success when you're not involved."
"Is that so?" Mack folded his arms.
"Yes! You get distracted! Exhibit A." Again Carbuckety gestured towards the house.
"She's not a 'distraction,' she's a Jellicle and my mother and has just as much bearing on the situation as anything else."
"She's not..."
"I suggest you choose your next words with extreme caution, kit."
It was difficult to tell in the shadows cast by the foliage, but Mack thought he saw Carbuckety's lip curl up disdainfully. Did everyone feel the same as Tugger, even the kittens? "Her life is not in immediate danger," Buck proceeded icily, "and so she doesn't require your immediate attention. That's all I meant." But clearly it wasn't.
"Fine. So continue explaining the part of the plan that's been going on behind my back."
"Not much to it," Buck shrugged, "just that as soon as they learnt of the kit's existence, the twins meant to smuggle her out one way or another. Now seemed none too soon."
"Did Jerrie and Teazer know?"
"Jerrie, yes. Teazer, no."
"So everyone's aware but her own parents. Brilliant."
"It is brilliant, you dolt. Neither of you was getting anywhere with persuading her to leave. And now when the henches try to take her hostage, she won't be there and neither you nor Teazer will know a thing about it. Er. Well, now you do. But you didn't. And I'm not actually telling you where she's gone..."
"Of course not, only heavily implying it…not that it matters how much we know or don't know, the henches could still—" He started as something else occurred to him. "Did you happen to consider that if Electra disappeared, the first assumption would be that Teazer's responsible? And that…" His eyes widened. "They'll try to get the information out of her whether she has it or no, and likely take her hostage instead…"
"'Course they will. But Teazer's pretty well able to take care of herself, hey? Or at least better able than a kitten would be. Besides, what's she got you for? I hope you prove less useless in helping her than you seem just at the moment…"
"Shut up!" Mack snarled, no longer caring who heard, "now you're just wasting my time. I've got to get back and— but tell me this, is the rest of the plan still the same, or have you all changed that on me too?"
"Same on our part," Carbuckety shrugged. "You're the one what might find yourself having to change. We'll try to adapt accordingly. I'll continue keeping an eye on things, of course…"
"You're impossible. I'm off. If you get yourself captured, don't come crying to me. Oh, and if you talk to the twins, see to it they understand that if anything happens to Electra, it's their necks."
Carbuckety threw him a mock salute. "Ay, milord Macavity."
Mack let out a snort, pushing his way out of the bushes without further comment. Chancing a brief glance at the house, he saw no sign of his mother; she must have stayed inside. He regretted not being able to return to her and explain, but there was no time—and how much could he explain, anyway, without endangering her? No, he'd have to sort things with her when this whole bloody mess was all over. If they all survived it.
He hurried back to the warehouse.
