"Ah! Here's one!" Old Deuteronomy said as he re-entered the room.
He was carrying something in his mouth. "This should do until I can find
something a little more permanent. Bow your head, now..."
The thing in his mouth turned out to be a collar. It was made of braided strips of brown cloth; or rather the cloth was so old and dirty that it had turned brown over time. For all I could tell the original color could have been blue or red. Deuteronomy brought the collar around my neck, and I could feel Munkustrap tying it on behind me.
"There! That's much better! You are now part of the tribe!" Old Deuteronomy smiled warmly and glanced out the window. "Goodness! It's already dawn! You'd best be on your way." He gave me a warm hug and Munkustrap and I departed.
*****
As the sun rose, I looked down proudly at my new collar. I couldn't wait to begin my new life! The Jellicles seemed to like me before. All I needed to do was act my best, and I would be able to make some permanent friends.
By the time Munkustrap and I returned to the junkyard, the sun had risen over the rooftops of London homes off in the distance, and I was exhausted. Sleepily, I climbed back on to the chair I'd slept on before, hardly noticing that someone else was there, too. Finally, I could keep my eyes open no longer, and my world plummeted into darkness as I spiraled downward towards the land of dreams.
My head shot up as though a bolt of lightening had struck me, seemingly moments after I had shut my eyes. I looked behind me, noticing for the first time that I wasn't alone. Mr. Mistoffelees was sitting upright flexing his claws. I glared at him. He didn't seem to notice—he was too busy shooting blue smoke at the towers of junk surrounding us.
I whispered urgently, "What do you think you're doing?! Are you trying to wake everyone up or something?"
He nodded and whispered back, "How else am I supposed to get these sleepyheads up? It's my job."
"Well," I began, "Your lightening bolt certainly did the trick!" I looked at my left leg, which had a small red burn on it. "I won't be able to sleep for a week!"
For the first time, Mr. Mistoffelees looked up from his "work" to examine my wound. "Sorry," he said.
I softened. "Well, you should be." I wasn't that soft. Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh. This was my first official day as a Jellicle and I go abusing one of them like an alley cat! I turned to apologize, but he was gone. I shook myself. That was weird...
*****
It was late afternoon when Jellicles began arriving in larger numbers of two or three. I spoke to almost all of them, finding it difficult to keep everyone's names straight. By the time introductions were finished, I could feel the air beginning to grow colder, and the sky slightly darker. I was sitting in the pipe, reflecting on my day, when Plato skidded to a halt in front of my spot.
"Quan, err... I think you'd better come and hear this."
Puzzled, I followed Plato to a corner of the junkyard, partially blocked by a small mountain of soup cans stacked neatly near the wall of the junkyard. I found myself facing Admetus, Callisto, Mistoffelees, Lomei, and Rumpleteazer. They stopped their whispering as we approached.
"What's going on?" I asked.
The Jellicles looked at each other and Admetus said, "We've been hearing some strange things from Rumpleteazer here, and we wondered if you'd mind clearing them up for us." He flashed that look of suspicion, and the six pairs of eyes glinted at me through the growing darkness.
"What do you mean? What sorts of things?"
"Rumors," Mistoffelees said. "About where you came from." The usual warm glow in his eyes was gone, and his gaze was one of wariness and insecurity.
I sighed, feeling a little exasperated. "I told you! I was a stray and I was looking for a new tribe and—"
"You can tell us. Don't lie. We won't tell Munkustrap unless you're in league with... HIM." Misto continued.
"Why don't you believe me? What have you heard?!" I demanded. I said it again, my voice growing more on-edge.
This time Rumpleteazer spoke. "Jerrie says he heard 'bout some other tribe that's missing a cat. One of them evil tribes, it is." She gulped. "Then he heard a pollicle say something about a runaway who owes him something. Described the coat too, he did—black and brown striped tabby, green eyes, no collar..." Rumpleteazer trailed off.
I gaped. How could word have spread in so little time?! I thought I was safe from all of them for good!
I sighed, trying to regain my composure. "Look," I said. "I know you've heard some strange things. But I promise you! I'm not in league with anyone else! Swear it! And there are plenty of tabby cats in London! The pollicle must have been talking about another one. I swear, I've done nothing wrong—"
"—Well, I'll tell you one thing," butted in Admetus. "If you HAVE done something wrong, and you're not telling us, and you bring war to the Jellicle tribe, I swear by the word of the Everlasting Cat, I will—"
"Admetus!" Callisto smacked her mate hard. "Stop accusing her!" She nodded towards Plato, and he escorted me away from the soup cans.
*****
[POV: Lomei]
As soon as Quandelin had gone, my friend Callisto began scolding Admetus.
"How dare you! I know you're suspicious—we're ALL suspicious, and those are no 'false rumors' Mungojerrie heard, but you shouldn't go telling it all to her face!"
I chuckled. Callisto could be very funny sometimes. Not to say that I didn't agree with her wholeheartedly! I did! Quandelin was nice enough, but there was something vague about her, something that she wasn't willing to tell us just yet. Maybe I could get her to tell me in time.
[POV: Mistoffelees]
I left shortly after Lomei. I'm tired of hearing those two bicker. I don't understand why they became mates in the first place! But Mei insists that they love each other and I guess I believe her.
I'm not sure whom to trust just yet: my friends, or the new cat. She wasn't exactly friendly this morning. I shrugged. Maybe she just wasn't used to being awakened by a lightning bolt... I think I liked her better yesterday. She was a little more guarded, carefully choosing her words; it was noticeable to me, at least. I wonder though... Her past—it seems pretty sketchy. Being a stray, I know how it is telling other cats that you never knew your parents, but it still isn't the same as not knowing anything. I mean, Quan couldn't even tell me where she lived before she was an alley cat! I want to trust her, but I don't think that I can...
[POV: Quandelin]
That was a close call. A very close call. They nearly caught you, Quan! I said to myself. I was lying on the rocking chair as I had done the night before, Alonzo and Cassandra sleeping nearby. The stars had finally revealed themselves through the black velvet of the sky. I sighed. Why couldn't they just leave me alone? Not the Jellicles—the vir. Why did they have to go around asking questions anyway? Spreading rumors and such. Honestly, I don't know any pollicle who may be looking for me. I wouldn't be surprised if he had been talking to a vir when Mungojerrie was listening!
I allowed my head to droop sleepily on to my paws when I heard someone running. A cat was running towards the junkyard. Uh oh... This could only mean trouble.
I leapt off the chair, shaking Alonzo awake.
"Alonzo! Wake up! Intruders! Intruders!" I suppose the urgency in my voice worked in terms of allowing him a moan of protest, but the next sound had him up in a wink.
Howls. Pollicle howls. He jumped up and started yelling something and a group of cats darted out of the shadows, preparing to fight. I identified Mungojerrie, Admetus, Plato, and a few others. Just before the first intruders came up and over the junkyard walls, Munkustrap took his place in the center of the ring of Jellicles.
I stayed huddled under the chair, Cassandra at my side.
"Sit tight while I get the others!" she said in my ear. Her voice was low and resonant and it soothed me. I relaxed my body a little, and it felt nice relieving some of my tension until someone said from behind me—
"So it's true!" I whipped around, and found myself facing Mistoffelees. "You are from another tribe!" My eyes began to water, but I could not break eye contact, no matter how much I tried. I nodded, afraid.
Instead of the steel-hard gaze I expected, his eyes portrayed feelings of sympathy. From behind me, I could hear the beginning of the fight. Mistoffelees looked behind me, his eyes widening in horror, before turning back to me.
"You're in danger! Come on!" I could have stood there for a whole minute, shocked at the prospect that he was willing to save me. He turned around, grabbing my arm, tugging me away from the ring.
The thing in his mouth turned out to be a collar. It was made of braided strips of brown cloth; or rather the cloth was so old and dirty that it had turned brown over time. For all I could tell the original color could have been blue or red. Deuteronomy brought the collar around my neck, and I could feel Munkustrap tying it on behind me.
"There! That's much better! You are now part of the tribe!" Old Deuteronomy smiled warmly and glanced out the window. "Goodness! It's already dawn! You'd best be on your way." He gave me a warm hug and Munkustrap and I departed.
*****
As the sun rose, I looked down proudly at my new collar. I couldn't wait to begin my new life! The Jellicles seemed to like me before. All I needed to do was act my best, and I would be able to make some permanent friends.
By the time Munkustrap and I returned to the junkyard, the sun had risen over the rooftops of London homes off in the distance, and I was exhausted. Sleepily, I climbed back on to the chair I'd slept on before, hardly noticing that someone else was there, too. Finally, I could keep my eyes open no longer, and my world plummeted into darkness as I spiraled downward towards the land of dreams.
My head shot up as though a bolt of lightening had struck me, seemingly moments after I had shut my eyes. I looked behind me, noticing for the first time that I wasn't alone. Mr. Mistoffelees was sitting upright flexing his claws. I glared at him. He didn't seem to notice—he was too busy shooting blue smoke at the towers of junk surrounding us.
I whispered urgently, "What do you think you're doing?! Are you trying to wake everyone up or something?"
He nodded and whispered back, "How else am I supposed to get these sleepyheads up? It's my job."
"Well," I began, "Your lightening bolt certainly did the trick!" I looked at my left leg, which had a small red burn on it. "I won't be able to sleep for a week!"
For the first time, Mr. Mistoffelees looked up from his "work" to examine my wound. "Sorry," he said.
I softened. "Well, you should be." I wasn't that soft. Maybe I shouldn't have been so harsh. This was my first official day as a Jellicle and I go abusing one of them like an alley cat! I turned to apologize, but he was gone. I shook myself. That was weird...
*****
It was late afternoon when Jellicles began arriving in larger numbers of two or three. I spoke to almost all of them, finding it difficult to keep everyone's names straight. By the time introductions were finished, I could feel the air beginning to grow colder, and the sky slightly darker. I was sitting in the pipe, reflecting on my day, when Plato skidded to a halt in front of my spot.
"Quan, err... I think you'd better come and hear this."
Puzzled, I followed Plato to a corner of the junkyard, partially blocked by a small mountain of soup cans stacked neatly near the wall of the junkyard. I found myself facing Admetus, Callisto, Mistoffelees, Lomei, and Rumpleteazer. They stopped their whispering as we approached.
"What's going on?" I asked.
The Jellicles looked at each other and Admetus said, "We've been hearing some strange things from Rumpleteazer here, and we wondered if you'd mind clearing them up for us." He flashed that look of suspicion, and the six pairs of eyes glinted at me through the growing darkness.
"What do you mean? What sorts of things?"
"Rumors," Mistoffelees said. "About where you came from." The usual warm glow in his eyes was gone, and his gaze was one of wariness and insecurity.
I sighed, feeling a little exasperated. "I told you! I was a stray and I was looking for a new tribe and—"
"You can tell us. Don't lie. We won't tell Munkustrap unless you're in league with... HIM." Misto continued.
"Why don't you believe me? What have you heard?!" I demanded. I said it again, my voice growing more on-edge.
This time Rumpleteazer spoke. "Jerrie says he heard 'bout some other tribe that's missing a cat. One of them evil tribes, it is." She gulped. "Then he heard a pollicle say something about a runaway who owes him something. Described the coat too, he did—black and brown striped tabby, green eyes, no collar..." Rumpleteazer trailed off.
I gaped. How could word have spread in so little time?! I thought I was safe from all of them for good!
I sighed, trying to regain my composure. "Look," I said. "I know you've heard some strange things. But I promise you! I'm not in league with anyone else! Swear it! And there are plenty of tabby cats in London! The pollicle must have been talking about another one. I swear, I've done nothing wrong—"
"—Well, I'll tell you one thing," butted in Admetus. "If you HAVE done something wrong, and you're not telling us, and you bring war to the Jellicle tribe, I swear by the word of the Everlasting Cat, I will—"
"Admetus!" Callisto smacked her mate hard. "Stop accusing her!" She nodded towards Plato, and he escorted me away from the soup cans.
*****
[POV: Lomei]
As soon as Quandelin had gone, my friend Callisto began scolding Admetus.
"How dare you! I know you're suspicious—we're ALL suspicious, and those are no 'false rumors' Mungojerrie heard, but you shouldn't go telling it all to her face!"
I chuckled. Callisto could be very funny sometimes. Not to say that I didn't agree with her wholeheartedly! I did! Quandelin was nice enough, but there was something vague about her, something that she wasn't willing to tell us just yet. Maybe I could get her to tell me in time.
[POV: Mistoffelees]
I left shortly after Lomei. I'm tired of hearing those two bicker. I don't understand why they became mates in the first place! But Mei insists that they love each other and I guess I believe her.
I'm not sure whom to trust just yet: my friends, or the new cat. She wasn't exactly friendly this morning. I shrugged. Maybe she just wasn't used to being awakened by a lightning bolt... I think I liked her better yesterday. She was a little more guarded, carefully choosing her words; it was noticeable to me, at least. I wonder though... Her past—it seems pretty sketchy. Being a stray, I know how it is telling other cats that you never knew your parents, but it still isn't the same as not knowing anything. I mean, Quan couldn't even tell me where she lived before she was an alley cat! I want to trust her, but I don't think that I can...
[POV: Quandelin]
That was a close call. A very close call. They nearly caught you, Quan! I said to myself. I was lying on the rocking chair as I had done the night before, Alonzo and Cassandra sleeping nearby. The stars had finally revealed themselves through the black velvet of the sky. I sighed. Why couldn't they just leave me alone? Not the Jellicles—the vir. Why did they have to go around asking questions anyway? Spreading rumors and such. Honestly, I don't know any pollicle who may be looking for me. I wouldn't be surprised if he had been talking to a vir when Mungojerrie was listening!
I allowed my head to droop sleepily on to my paws when I heard someone running. A cat was running towards the junkyard. Uh oh... This could only mean trouble.
I leapt off the chair, shaking Alonzo awake.
"Alonzo! Wake up! Intruders! Intruders!" I suppose the urgency in my voice worked in terms of allowing him a moan of protest, but the next sound had him up in a wink.
Howls. Pollicle howls. He jumped up and started yelling something and a group of cats darted out of the shadows, preparing to fight. I identified Mungojerrie, Admetus, Plato, and a few others. Just before the first intruders came up and over the junkyard walls, Munkustrap took his place in the center of the ring of Jellicles.
I stayed huddled under the chair, Cassandra at my side.
"Sit tight while I get the others!" she said in my ear. Her voice was low and resonant and it soothed me. I relaxed my body a little, and it felt nice relieving some of my tension until someone said from behind me—
"So it's true!" I whipped around, and found myself facing Mistoffelees. "You are from another tribe!" My eyes began to water, but I could not break eye contact, no matter how much I tried. I nodded, afraid.
Instead of the steel-hard gaze I expected, his eyes portrayed feelings of sympathy. From behind me, I could hear the beginning of the fight. Mistoffelees looked behind me, his eyes widening in horror, before turning back to me.
"You're in danger! Come on!" I could have stood there for a whole minute, shocked at the prospect that he was willing to save me. He turned around, grabbing my arm, tugging me away from the ring.
