Just when it seemed like Jet-Jet was not going to return, there was the sudden noise of a rock hitting the window. Baba opened the door and stepped back, watching him leap agilely through the window with a detached sense of envy. Thankfully none of them were getting any younger...

"No Sheegwa?" he asked anxiously, when his daughter failed to materialize.

"No, sir. The rain washed away her tracks, and likely her scent. I'd've gone last night if I knew."

They stopped talking as one of the workers entered, escorting Lord Vu and Tsu-Wen.

"And you're sure you want to do this," the worker pressured.

"My cousin is already expecting them. What kind of leader would I be if I went back on my own word?" He put his hands on his hips. "Undress them before we send them out; they only bought the cats." He turned away and eyed Jet-Jet, who was dripping rainwater onto his nice table. "And good riddance to all of them. Not only are they useless; they are just too messy! It almost seems rude to ask money for them." He turned and strode from the room, with Tsu-Wen gliding gracefully after him in sweeping silk.

The worker started taking off the accessories. Jet-Jet slumped in disappointment as he watched his first belongings get confiscated from him. The human stood up and carried them away.

"Agh, so close," Jet-Jet muttered.

"Hey, lighten up," Wing-Wing's voice said, and the cats started looking around. "You don't actually wanna dress like Tai-Tai, do ya?"

"Where are you?" Hun-Hun asked.

Wing-Wing peered down at them from the top of a very tall bookshelf. "Hiding!"

"I thought you left," Mama said in surprise.

"Alley cats learn at a young age how to hide from danger," he answered cryptically. "Nothin' worse than playin' dress-up."

"Yeah," Sagwa laughed, scaring them all, "I'm sure you remember that from the tea party."

Dongwa, Hun-Hun, Jet-Jet and Wing-Wing all looked embarrassed at her statement. Not wearing a collar, booties or any jewelry, she sat down beside her parents.

"Did they let you out?" Mama asked.

"Yup! And I don't know about you - " Her smile vanished " - But I'm not going to Cairo without Sheegwa."

"Of course we're not; that was never an option," Baba assured her.

Sagwa was on the verge of replying when her eyes flicked past his shoulder, and her scowl changed to surprise. "Nai-Nai? Yeh-Yeh, why are you still dressed like that?" she asked, causing all cats to look at her grandparents. They still adorned their booties, fancy collars and jeweled headdresses.

Nai-Nai looked sadly at her mate.

"Because they are keeping us here," Yeh-Yeh announced.

"What?" Sagwa gasped.

"Papa, no," Baba exclaimed.

"It's okay. We had a good run."

"This is not an option, either," Nai-Nai added. "We are only cats."

Baba stared at his parents, wondering if he could sum up everything he needed to say in the time they had.

"Yes, we must accept it as it is," Yeh-Yeh sighed. "I trust you are not going to Cairo...It will not reflect well on my master."

Dongwa's voice was uncharacteristically timid. "But we're family."

Nai-Nai looked at him. "As I am to Lord Vu and Tsu-Wen. They had me first, my boy...they deserve to have me last."

Dongwa stood up and joined his parents and sister. In unison they bowed to their grandparents, who bowed to them in return, as a silent act of respect.

Then the worker came back into the room with a cage, and started collecting the cats; picking them up and putting them inside. When he reached for Wing-Wing, he backed out of reach, turned around and leaped out the window.

Sagwa tried to fend off a wave of vertigo as the cage was carried through the palace, jostling all captives. It was the same wire cage she had been imprisoned in already. A board sat on the bottom of the cage so they wouldn't poke uncomfortably through the wires. Threatened by the human's presence, none of the cats spoke as they were carried outside into the pouring rain. The Miao cats startled as it began hitting their fur; but Jet-Jet and Hun-Hun seemed to still be accustomed to outdoor living.

The cage was pushed into a rickshaw, with zero protection from the elements. "Take them to the exchange. A man will introduce himself as Ken." The worker handed a key to the runner. "He'll take it from there."

He backed up as the runner picked up the handles; and the cats were jostled backwards as he began to pull the cart. Blinking rain from her eyes, Sagwa reached through the wires and attempted to fuss with the lock.

"I can't reach!"

Dongwa poked his thin tail through and forced the lock to turn towards her. She clawed feebly, then slowly pulled herself back into the cage. "It's no use."

Baba lay down and stared past the wires, thinking of his parents; and relating to him on a very strong level, Hun-Hun and Jet-Jet tried to ignore his despair.

-0-0-0-0-

Baba was forced awake by the chilling words, "Hi, I'm Ken. Tsu-Wen sent me to relieve you."

Sagwa poked her paws through the wires, hanging on for balance as the cage was transferred from Lord Vu's rickshaw to Ken's.

"Here's the key."

"Xie-xie."

Sagwa looked down at Jet-Jet, whose search for Sheegwa had tuckered him out. His plans had fallen through, so where did that leave them? For the foreseeable future, they were stuck together, but by which means? Default?

He wasn't sleeping deeply enough to miss her glad cry when Fu-Fu suddenly attached himself to the front of the cage and opened the lock. Quickly, quietly and unnoticed, the cats jumped out of the cage and into the grass. They watched Ken obliviously continue on without them.

"Thank you, Fu-Fu."

"It's all thanks to Wing-Wing." He looked around. "Uhh...aren't you missing three of you?"

"No," Baba sighed. "Just one." He narrowed his eyes and surveyed their surroundings. And sighed again.

"Should we split up?" Sagwa asked brightly.

"No," Baba said harshly. "No more splitting up."

"Okay," she answered quickly, taken aback by his tone. "It was just a thought."

"Well...less thinking and more looking!" he spat, not wanting to dwell on thoughts of his parents. Having spoken, he turned and led the group forward.

Dongwa looked down at his sister's face. "Don't take it like that. How would you feel if you got left behind?" he inquired, and started following them. She stood in one place, suddenly wondering how Sheegwa felt. Most likely she was afraid; but until then Sagwa hadn't considered that she might be angry with her...

She leaped forward, trotting after her family and listening to her sister's name float on the wind.