BOOK III:
Fate Falls Once More
"Papá, tell us a story," Naiya said as she crawled into the basket in the laundry room of Madame Messonier's Inn.
"Please," Naida begged as she followed her sister into bed.
"Not tonight," Salem whispered gently in his noble English accent. "It's late and you need to get some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us." The shiny black tom wasn't their real father, although he was the closest thing they ever had to one. Salem found the nearly identical twin queens half drowned on the banks of the Seine River. He'd saved their lives and felt obligated to them, very unlike the French treatment they were used to.
The handsome black tom waited until they were asleep before he went to bed. The next day, they would move to England, the place of his birth. They would leave behind everything, the inn, the Madame, their lives, everything. If they stayed, Salem feared for the girls' very lives. They were everything to him. If Desdemona had her way, Naiya and Naida would have been dead from the beginning. Salem was forced to work for the she- devil. Every time he tried to put an end to it, she would threaten to kill his daughters.
Salem didn't know a lot about Desdemona, only that she was a she- devil of a feline who used to work with her brother spreading terror over the land. He had gotten roped into working for her when he accidentally found her home in the underground. It was either work for her or die, an easy decision at the time. Salem had enough power to destroy her if it wasn't for that blasted protective spell she cast over herself. Because of that, he had no choice but to take Naiya and Naida and leave France for good.
The next morning, he woke up and carried the sleepy twins to the wagon. They were in luck for a traveler at the inn was headed for the docks that very morning. Salem made sure to keep well hidden in the old wagon. Upon arriving, he hurried the girls up the ramp to the lower hold of the ferry headed for London.
"Why do we have to leave, Papá?" Naiya asked.
"So Desdemona can't find us," he whispered. "Now keep quiet, both of you. We have to keep hidden until we reach London."
Salem felt the ferry dock and quickly moved the girls outside. Now they were safe. No more Desdemona. He looked around at the place he'd left so long ago. So much had stayed the same, yet so much had changed. He could see Big Ben and the Tower of London peaking above the skyline. Mr. Wigglesworth's bait shop wasn't on the wharf anymore. He didn't see Old Mrs. Thomkins bakery either. He would beg milk off of her after Mr. Wigglesworth gave him a little fish.
"Is this London, Papá?" Naida asked.
"Yes, angel, it is. This will be our new home."
They left the wharf and were walking through a construction zone when Salem heard a voice cry out, "Help! HELP! Is there anyone out there!?"
"Who was that?" Naiya asked. "It sounded like she's in trouble."
"It came from over there!" Naida exclaimed. The three ran to where Naida was pointing and came to a hole. Inside laid a helpless dark brown and black queen trapped under a broken board.
"Don't worry!" Salem shouted. "We'll get you out!" He stared long and hard at the board until it began to move. Once it was out of the way, he magically lifted the strange queen out of the hole and set her down before him.
"Thank you, whoever you are," the slender cat smiled graciously.
"My name is Salem and these are my daughters, Naida and Naiya," the girls smiled but shied away from the stranger. "How did you get down there, anyway?"
"I'm Tantomile. I was walking too close to the edge and I slipped. I looked up and the board fell on top of me. You're a magical cat, aren't you?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. Anyway, please be more careful next time. Someone might not come along to save you."
"I'll try remember that," Tanto said with a smile. She looked up at Big Ben. "Oh no! I didn't realize how late it was! Cori will be worried sick!"
"Who's Cori?"
"My twin brother, Coricopat. He'll be so worried about me!" She ran off, but then looked back at her rescuer. "Do you three have a place to stay?"
"Actually, we don't. We just arrived here from France this morning."
"Then you'll come home with me. It's the least I can do. Cori would love to meet you."
Tanto led Salem and the girls to a flat above a small Greek restaurant in Downtown London. They walked into the back entrance of the restaurant and were met by an older woman.
"John!" she shouted. "Get the lamb ready for the gyros!"
"That's Mrs. Mitchell," Tanto explained. "She immigrated here from Greece a few years ago and bought this restaurant. Cori and I live with her."
Mrs. Mitchell looked down to see the cats. "Why Ginger, I see you brought home some visitors. Hmm, no collars. You three must be strays. Don't worry, you'll have a home here." She pulled a bowl out and filled it with some milk. "Go ahead, eat up. There's plenty more where that came from." Naiya and Naida cautiously sniffed the bowl and then started gobbling up the milk. Salem and Tanto quickly joined in. Mrs. Mitchell stroked them until they started purring. She then walked off to tend to the restaurant.
Tanto showed Salem and the girls upstairs to the flat. There, Cori, a dark brown and black tom was waiting. "Where were you?" he demanded. "And who are they?"
"I was trapped in a hole and Salem saved me. He and his daughters had no place to go, so I brought them here. It was the least I could do."
"A single tom has two tiny kittens?" he asked uncouthly.
For your information, Cori," Salem cut in, "Naiya and Naida are not my real daughters. When I found them by the river, their eyes weren't even open yet. Their mother lay dead a few yards away. I took them home, and the cat next door that had recently given birth fed them for me."
"All right, I'm sorry. I just thought it a little odd for two kittens as young as them to be without a mother," Cori said apologetically. "Has Mrs. Mitchell seen you yet?"
"Yes she has and she's already promised them a home," Tanto told him.
The next morning, all five cats headed to the Junkyard. "You know Munkustrap won't like this," Cori said uneasily. "He's always been wary of strangers. It's only gotten worse since his father made that emergency trip to the vet."
As they entered the Junkyard, the tribe greeted them with open arms. Although Munk was a bit uneasy at first, he accepted the newcomers. They all were amazed at Salem's story of how he rescued Tanto.
"We'll have to check with Ol' D to see if you and your daughters can join, but I'm sure he'll let you in," said Pouncival. "One of us will have to take you to see him. He's at his home on Vicarage Wall right now."
Naiya and Naida, who had been silent ever since they ran into Tanto the day before, spoke up together, "Who's Ol' D?"
Morpheus chuckled, "Why, Old Deuteronomy, of course. He is our leader. When he passes on to the Heaviside Layer, Munkustrap, that gray tabby over there, will take his place to be followed by his son, Didrikeyal," he then turned to Salem. "I'd be happy to take you to Ol' D. We can go right now if you like."
"I'll go, too," Sabregata joined in. "It's been a while since I've paid a visit.
"Count me in as well," Mistofellees said.
"That would be perfect," Salem gave his approval.
When they reached Vicarage Wall, Ol' D greeted Sabre, Morph and Misto with hugs. He then noticed the three new cats. "I see new faces. What are your names?"
"I'm Naiya."
"I'm Naida. And this is our papá."
"My name is Salem. We just arrived from France yesterday and don't know anyone here. We were hoping that we could become part of your tribe."
Ol' D gasped. "Oh my! I see the tom before me where a tiny kitten once stood."
Salem was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah," Sabre asked. "Do you know him or something?"
"He is the reason I kept the secret from you. I had to wait for the entire litter to be reunited."
"The entire litter?" Misto was stunned.
"He's our brother?" Morph was equally shocked.
"Yes. I will make a trip to the Junkyard tomorrow. You'll find out everything then."
........................................................
The next morning, terrible news struck the Junkyard, for in his sleep, Ol' D passed on to the Heaviside Layer. Everyone knew it would happen soon, for their beloved leader was nearing 15 years of age. They didn't expect it then, though. That afternoon, after Ol' D's funeral, Munkustrap was coroneted as the Jellicle Leader. He approached the four siblings with a letter addressed to them.
"Here. I found this at Vicarage Wall. I think he wanted you to have it." Sobbing, he left.
"Read it," Misto urged.
Salem began to read:
After you left, I realized I wouldn't make to the meeting. Underneath the oak tree behind Vicarage Wall is a box buried in the earth. It contains all the information you seek. Don't dig it up yet. Wait till the evil passes by, and then follow your senses.
Old Deuteronomy
"What's that supposed to mean?" Morph wondered.
"We'll understand in time," Salem assured him.
Then, Munk began his coronation speech. "My Jellicles, we have suffered a great loss, but we will not let it bring us down. My father was a great leader and I now carry the weight of his legacy on my shoulders. I will not dishonor it. I will become as great a cat as he was. He seemed not to fear anything, but there was one thing that did scare him. He feared a great evil that only the chosen ones could defeat. I do not know if he knew who these cats were, but I believe that they are among us today. For now, we must move ahead with our lives and not fear that which we do not know."
"Amen to that," Salem whispered under his breath.
"Papá, tell us a story," Naiya said as she crawled into the basket in the laundry room of Madame Messonier's Inn.
"Please," Naida begged as she followed her sister into bed.
"Not tonight," Salem whispered gently in his noble English accent. "It's late and you need to get some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us." The shiny black tom wasn't their real father, although he was the closest thing they ever had to one. Salem found the nearly identical twin queens half drowned on the banks of the Seine River. He'd saved their lives and felt obligated to them, very unlike the French treatment they were used to.
The handsome black tom waited until they were asleep before he went to bed. The next day, they would move to England, the place of his birth. They would leave behind everything, the inn, the Madame, their lives, everything. If they stayed, Salem feared for the girls' very lives. They were everything to him. If Desdemona had her way, Naiya and Naida would have been dead from the beginning. Salem was forced to work for the she- devil. Every time he tried to put an end to it, she would threaten to kill his daughters.
Salem didn't know a lot about Desdemona, only that she was a she- devil of a feline who used to work with her brother spreading terror over the land. He had gotten roped into working for her when he accidentally found her home in the underground. It was either work for her or die, an easy decision at the time. Salem had enough power to destroy her if it wasn't for that blasted protective spell she cast over herself. Because of that, he had no choice but to take Naiya and Naida and leave France for good.
The next morning, he woke up and carried the sleepy twins to the wagon. They were in luck for a traveler at the inn was headed for the docks that very morning. Salem made sure to keep well hidden in the old wagon. Upon arriving, he hurried the girls up the ramp to the lower hold of the ferry headed for London.
"Why do we have to leave, Papá?" Naiya asked.
"So Desdemona can't find us," he whispered. "Now keep quiet, both of you. We have to keep hidden until we reach London."
Salem felt the ferry dock and quickly moved the girls outside. Now they were safe. No more Desdemona. He looked around at the place he'd left so long ago. So much had stayed the same, yet so much had changed. He could see Big Ben and the Tower of London peaking above the skyline. Mr. Wigglesworth's bait shop wasn't on the wharf anymore. He didn't see Old Mrs. Thomkins bakery either. He would beg milk off of her after Mr. Wigglesworth gave him a little fish.
"Is this London, Papá?" Naida asked.
"Yes, angel, it is. This will be our new home."
They left the wharf and were walking through a construction zone when Salem heard a voice cry out, "Help! HELP! Is there anyone out there!?"
"Who was that?" Naiya asked. "It sounded like she's in trouble."
"It came from over there!" Naida exclaimed. The three ran to where Naida was pointing and came to a hole. Inside laid a helpless dark brown and black queen trapped under a broken board.
"Don't worry!" Salem shouted. "We'll get you out!" He stared long and hard at the board until it began to move. Once it was out of the way, he magically lifted the strange queen out of the hole and set her down before him.
"Thank you, whoever you are," the slender cat smiled graciously.
"My name is Salem and these are my daughters, Naida and Naiya," the girls smiled but shied away from the stranger. "How did you get down there, anyway?"
"I'm Tantomile. I was walking too close to the edge and I slipped. I looked up and the board fell on top of me. You're a magical cat, aren't you?"
"As a matter of fact, I am. Anyway, please be more careful next time. Someone might not come along to save you."
"I'll try remember that," Tanto said with a smile. She looked up at Big Ben. "Oh no! I didn't realize how late it was! Cori will be worried sick!"
"Who's Cori?"
"My twin brother, Coricopat. He'll be so worried about me!" She ran off, but then looked back at her rescuer. "Do you three have a place to stay?"
"Actually, we don't. We just arrived here from France this morning."
"Then you'll come home with me. It's the least I can do. Cori would love to meet you."
Tanto led Salem and the girls to a flat above a small Greek restaurant in Downtown London. They walked into the back entrance of the restaurant and were met by an older woman.
"John!" she shouted. "Get the lamb ready for the gyros!"
"That's Mrs. Mitchell," Tanto explained. "She immigrated here from Greece a few years ago and bought this restaurant. Cori and I live with her."
Mrs. Mitchell looked down to see the cats. "Why Ginger, I see you brought home some visitors. Hmm, no collars. You three must be strays. Don't worry, you'll have a home here." She pulled a bowl out and filled it with some milk. "Go ahead, eat up. There's plenty more where that came from." Naiya and Naida cautiously sniffed the bowl and then started gobbling up the milk. Salem and Tanto quickly joined in. Mrs. Mitchell stroked them until they started purring. She then walked off to tend to the restaurant.
Tanto showed Salem and the girls upstairs to the flat. There, Cori, a dark brown and black tom was waiting. "Where were you?" he demanded. "And who are they?"
"I was trapped in a hole and Salem saved me. He and his daughters had no place to go, so I brought them here. It was the least I could do."
"A single tom has two tiny kittens?" he asked uncouthly.
For your information, Cori," Salem cut in, "Naiya and Naida are not my real daughters. When I found them by the river, their eyes weren't even open yet. Their mother lay dead a few yards away. I took them home, and the cat next door that had recently given birth fed them for me."
"All right, I'm sorry. I just thought it a little odd for two kittens as young as them to be without a mother," Cori said apologetically. "Has Mrs. Mitchell seen you yet?"
"Yes she has and she's already promised them a home," Tanto told him.
The next morning, all five cats headed to the Junkyard. "You know Munkustrap won't like this," Cori said uneasily. "He's always been wary of strangers. It's only gotten worse since his father made that emergency trip to the vet."
As they entered the Junkyard, the tribe greeted them with open arms. Although Munk was a bit uneasy at first, he accepted the newcomers. They all were amazed at Salem's story of how he rescued Tanto.
"We'll have to check with Ol' D to see if you and your daughters can join, but I'm sure he'll let you in," said Pouncival. "One of us will have to take you to see him. He's at his home on Vicarage Wall right now."
Naiya and Naida, who had been silent ever since they ran into Tanto the day before, spoke up together, "Who's Ol' D?"
Morpheus chuckled, "Why, Old Deuteronomy, of course. He is our leader. When he passes on to the Heaviside Layer, Munkustrap, that gray tabby over there, will take his place to be followed by his son, Didrikeyal," he then turned to Salem. "I'd be happy to take you to Ol' D. We can go right now if you like."
"I'll go, too," Sabregata joined in. "It's been a while since I've paid a visit.
"Count me in as well," Mistofellees said.
"That would be perfect," Salem gave his approval.
When they reached Vicarage Wall, Ol' D greeted Sabre, Morph and Misto with hugs. He then noticed the three new cats. "I see new faces. What are your names?"
"I'm Naiya."
"I'm Naida. And this is our papá."
"My name is Salem. We just arrived from France yesterday and don't know anyone here. We were hoping that we could become part of your tribe."
Ol' D gasped. "Oh my! I see the tom before me where a tiny kitten once stood."
Salem was confused. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah," Sabre asked. "Do you know him or something?"
"He is the reason I kept the secret from you. I had to wait for the entire litter to be reunited."
"The entire litter?" Misto was stunned.
"He's our brother?" Morph was equally shocked.
"Yes. I will make a trip to the Junkyard tomorrow. You'll find out everything then."
........................................................
The next morning, terrible news struck the Junkyard, for in his sleep, Ol' D passed on to the Heaviside Layer. Everyone knew it would happen soon, for their beloved leader was nearing 15 years of age. They didn't expect it then, though. That afternoon, after Ol' D's funeral, Munkustrap was coroneted as the Jellicle Leader. He approached the four siblings with a letter addressed to them.
"Here. I found this at Vicarage Wall. I think he wanted you to have it." Sobbing, he left.
"Read it," Misto urged.
Salem began to read:
After you left, I realized I wouldn't make to the meeting. Underneath the oak tree behind Vicarage Wall is a box buried in the earth. It contains all the information you seek. Don't dig it up yet. Wait till the evil passes by, and then follow your senses.
Old Deuteronomy
"What's that supposed to mean?" Morph wondered.
"We'll understand in time," Salem assured him.
Then, Munk began his coronation speech. "My Jellicles, we have suffered a great loss, but we will not let it bring us down. My father was a great leader and I now carry the weight of his legacy on my shoulders. I will not dishonor it. I will become as great a cat as he was. He seemed not to fear anything, but there was one thing that did scare him. He feared a great evil that only the chosen ones could defeat. I do not know if he knew who these cats were, but I believe that they are among us today. For now, we must move ahead with our lives and not fear that which we do not know."
"Amen to that," Salem whispered under his breath.