BOOK IV:
The Time Has Come
Nearly two months had passed since Old Deuteronomy went to the Heaviside Layer and the time had come to prepare for the Jellicle Moon to shine over the Junkyard once more. Time once again to watch another jellicle ascend up into the Heaviside Layer. This year, Munkustrap would be making his first appearance as the Jellicle Leader. He was very nervous, but everyone knew he would do fine. Mistoffellees, Morpheus, Sabregata, and Salem all had decided to obey the note Ol' D had left. They vowed not to look for the box until the evil had passed, although they did not know what this evil was. Everyone was at the Junkyard to prepare for the event to be held in three days. On break, the kittens napped while the adults discussed past Balls with the newcomers.
"AAAHHH!!!!" Naiya and Naida screamed from their sleep. Salem rushed over followed by Misto, Morph, and Sabre.
"What happened?!" cried their father. "Are you hurt?"
"No," sobbed Naida.
"We had a dream," bawled Naiya.
"Both of you had the same dream at the same time?" Morph questioned. "This is serious."
"That can't be," Sabre said. "It's impossible!"
"I've heard of this happening, Sabre," Morph told his sister. "The dream was an omen. Naiya, Naida, you must tell us what happened in the dream. I need details if we are to find out what it means."
"We'll try," the girls said together.
Naiya began. "All four of you were there. Papá, Oncle Morph, Oncle Misto, and Tante Sabre. A clock could be heard ticking. You were all playing a card game with le Démon."
"Poker," Naida cut in. "The game you were playing was Poker. You all folded, so we did not see your hands. But then, le Démon calmly showed his."
"What cards did he have?" Morph urged.
"He had the King of Diamonds, the King of Spades, the Queen of Spades, the Jack of Clubs, and the Jack of Hearts," Naiya told her uncle.
"Oh, no!" Morph whispered in shock. "Go on."
"La Sorcière then walked into the room," Naida continued. "We did not see her face, but her bright red eyes glared at the four of you as she said, 'Le Démon et la Sorcière surmonteront. Vous vous inclinerez à nos ordres.' That was when we woke up."
"What does 'Le Démon et la Sorc.' whatever you said mean?" Misto questioned.
"It's French," Salem explained. "It means, 'The Demon and the Witch will overcome. You will bow to our commands.' But, who is this Demon and Witch?"
"Strange, indeed," Morph was puzzled. "On one hand, a game such as poker symbolizes joyous times ahead. But everything else in the dream contradicts that."
"How so?" Misto asked.
"Well, the sound of the clock signifies that time is running out. Each card has a different meaning. The King of Diamonds tells us to beware someone older than ourselves. The King of Spades shows an opposition in one's ambitions. The Queen of Spades is a sign of worry about a misplaced confidence. The Jack of Clubs says deceit could cause a loss. But, the Jack of Hearts foresees a new romance."
"Ohoo!" Sabre squealed. "I think I know who the new romance is!"
"Who?" Salem asked.
"You and Tantomile!" she laughed.
"Tanto and I are just friends, Sabre," Salem denied even though he and the beautiful queen had secretly been an item for a few weeks now.
"Anyway," Morph sounded annoyed, "all these meanings add up to a great battle of us against evil, which is what Ol' D said all along."
"But why keep how we were separated a secret?" Misto asked. "What would it have to do with the evil?"
"Maybe it has to do with your powers," Munk had been listening in. "What if the reason you were separated was the magic you each possess?"
"That may very well be, Munk," Sabre said. "But, we cant's risk finding out until this evil, whatever it may be, passes over us."
........................................................
Desdemona slinked through the winding London underground of her kittenhood. She knew every nook and cranny of the tunnels that were once her home. She used to work with her brother here, until he deceived her. The young tom had nearly quit the family business of crime when he met a beautiful Jellicle queen. Desdemona swore she would never forgive him for disgracing the family like that, but now she needed him. She would have to set aside her pride for a while until she had Salem back under her power.
"HALT!" a grimy rat screeched. "Who dares enter the layer of the Mystery Cat?!"
"La Sorcière."
The rat then got a closer look at the strange queen he was confronting. "Des-Desdemona? Your brother will be so eager to see you," he sneered sarcastically. "Follow me."
She followed the henchrat to the underground cavern that served as her brother's headquarters. "My Lord," the rat spoke to the fiery red tom, "I have a queen here that you might like to have a word with."
"You disturb the Great Macavity for an insignificant queen?" he sneered.
"I was not so 'insignificant' to you back before you disgraced this me!" The angry Desdemona shouted back.
"Ahh, the sniveling sister of mine returns. I suppose you've seen what I've acquired since you left."
"I'm not here for your enjoyment. I came back because I've found a way for both of us to settle our grudges. However, it will only happen if we set aside our differences for the time being and work together. The Jellicles have something that we both want. I have a plan to take that from them."
"I'm listening," he said with an evil smile.
........................................................
The time had come for the Jellicle Ball. It would be the first Sabre, Morph, Salem, and the girls. Didrikeyal, Munk's first son, came out of hiding: "Are you blind when you're born?" he sang.
"Can you see in the dark?" Etcetera jumped out.
One by one, Jellicles new and old joined into the familiar tune. New lines were mixed with the old. Jemima even sang "Memory" in honor of her great-grandmother, Grizabella. Demeter, Bom, and Sabre the trio on Jennyanydots' story. Tugger's song was altered to make up for the fact that he was now a mate and father. It came time for "Moments of Happiness." Naiya and Naida sang, in French, of course:
"Clair de lune. Tourner votre face au clair de lune.
Laisser votre mémoire a mené vous ouvre en haut, entrez dans.
Si vous trouvez là-bas le sens de quel bonheur est,
Alors une nouvelle vie commencera."
Jellyorum was about to sing about her father, Gus, when lightning lit up the sky.
"MACAVITY!!!!" Demeter cried. Everyone ran for cover.
"No, DESDEMONA!" Salem screamed.
"Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes parti, Salem?" (Why did you leave?) demanded Desdemona.
"Vous savez que je toujours vous a détesté!" (You know I've always hated you!)Salem replied coldly.
"Le retour à la France avec moi, ou vos filles mourront!" (Return to France with me, or your daughters will die!)
"Je ne vous laisserai pas!" (I won't let you!)
"Est-ce que vous pensez que vous pouvez me détruire?" (You think you can destroy me?)"
"Peut-être pas seul, mais j'ai appris quelque chose puisque je pars. Vous ne pouvez pas me régler plus!" (Maybe not alone, but I've learned something since I left. You can't control me anymore!)
With that, he summoned all his magical power and sent her flying against the wall. She then charged him, claws out, creating a huge gash along his belly. Sabre ran to her brother, healing him in an instant. Macavity popped out and attacked Morph, with the henchrats fighting Sabre and Misto. Morph shifted into a timber rattler and struck his opponent. Misto and Sabre disappeared, leaving the henchrats dumbfounded. They realized that their leader was gone and quickly left. Only Desdemona and Salem remained in the mêlée. They circled each other looking for a chance to lunge, when Salem heard his sister mind-speak:
"Let down your guard, Salem," whispered Sabre's voice in his mind.
"This is what Naiya and Naida's dream meant," Morph added.
"When we say so, get out of the way and follow our lead," Misto told him.
Salem perked his ears up and pulled his claws back in. Desdemona seemed surprised by his action, but that did not stop her from lunging at her opponent.
"NOW!" the three commanded their brother. Salem ducked and rolled over to where his siblings had magically appeared. As their eyes glowed on the evil queen, her sin-soaked flesh began to burn with the goodness of the Magical Four. Soon, all that was left of Desdemona was a pile of ashes. Her brother, Macavity, laid dead a few feet away, blood dripping from the snakebite. All were silent as they heard a chorus of kittens singing:
"Daylight, let the morning come to us
For the new dawn is waiting.
We have lived one more day.
We can go now and seek out our own destiny
Soon begins a brand new day."
Didrikeyal now sang his line in choosing the Everlasting Cat: "Now, Munkustrap, just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat who will now be reborn and come back to a different Jellicle Life."
Munk pointed to Gus, the old theatre cat. He would be the everlasting cat for this Ball.
As Gus went up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer, Tanto looked at Salem and smiled. "I knew everything would turn out all right. I understand why Ol' D wanted you to wait to find out your past."
"Really, why?" he asked his love.
"It took all four of you to destroy that evil queen. If she would have known how powerful you were together, there's no telling what would have happened."
"Let's not worry about that. Let's just live in the moment."
The Time Has Come
Nearly two months had passed since Old Deuteronomy went to the Heaviside Layer and the time had come to prepare for the Jellicle Moon to shine over the Junkyard once more. Time once again to watch another jellicle ascend up into the Heaviside Layer. This year, Munkustrap would be making his first appearance as the Jellicle Leader. He was very nervous, but everyone knew he would do fine. Mistoffellees, Morpheus, Sabregata, and Salem all had decided to obey the note Ol' D had left. They vowed not to look for the box until the evil had passed, although they did not know what this evil was. Everyone was at the Junkyard to prepare for the event to be held in three days. On break, the kittens napped while the adults discussed past Balls with the newcomers.
"AAAHHH!!!!" Naiya and Naida screamed from their sleep. Salem rushed over followed by Misto, Morph, and Sabre.
"What happened?!" cried their father. "Are you hurt?"
"No," sobbed Naida.
"We had a dream," bawled Naiya.
"Both of you had the same dream at the same time?" Morph questioned. "This is serious."
"That can't be," Sabre said. "It's impossible!"
"I've heard of this happening, Sabre," Morph told his sister. "The dream was an omen. Naiya, Naida, you must tell us what happened in the dream. I need details if we are to find out what it means."
"We'll try," the girls said together.
Naiya began. "All four of you were there. Papá, Oncle Morph, Oncle Misto, and Tante Sabre. A clock could be heard ticking. You were all playing a card game with le Démon."
"Poker," Naida cut in. "The game you were playing was Poker. You all folded, so we did not see your hands. But then, le Démon calmly showed his."
"What cards did he have?" Morph urged.
"He had the King of Diamonds, the King of Spades, the Queen of Spades, the Jack of Clubs, and the Jack of Hearts," Naiya told her uncle.
"Oh, no!" Morph whispered in shock. "Go on."
"La Sorcière then walked into the room," Naida continued. "We did not see her face, but her bright red eyes glared at the four of you as she said, 'Le Démon et la Sorcière surmonteront. Vous vous inclinerez à nos ordres.' That was when we woke up."
"What does 'Le Démon et la Sorc.' whatever you said mean?" Misto questioned.
"It's French," Salem explained. "It means, 'The Demon and the Witch will overcome. You will bow to our commands.' But, who is this Demon and Witch?"
"Strange, indeed," Morph was puzzled. "On one hand, a game such as poker symbolizes joyous times ahead. But everything else in the dream contradicts that."
"How so?" Misto asked.
"Well, the sound of the clock signifies that time is running out. Each card has a different meaning. The King of Diamonds tells us to beware someone older than ourselves. The King of Spades shows an opposition in one's ambitions. The Queen of Spades is a sign of worry about a misplaced confidence. The Jack of Clubs says deceit could cause a loss. But, the Jack of Hearts foresees a new romance."
"Ohoo!" Sabre squealed. "I think I know who the new romance is!"
"Who?" Salem asked.
"You and Tantomile!" she laughed.
"Tanto and I are just friends, Sabre," Salem denied even though he and the beautiful queen had secretly been an item for a few weeks now.
"Anyway," Morph sounded annoyed, "all these meanings add up to a great battle of us against evil, which is what Ol' D said all along."
"But why keep how we were separated a secret?" Misto asked. "What would it have to do with the evil?"
"Maybe it has to do with your powers," Munk had been listening in. "What if the reason you were separated was the magic you each possess?"
"That may very well be, Munk," Sabre said. "But, we cant's risk finding out until this evil, whatever it may be, passes over us."
........................................................
Desdemona slinked through the winding London underground of her kittenhood. She knew every nook and cranny of the tunnels that were once her home. She used to work with her brother here, until he deceived her. The young tom had nearly quit the family business of crime when he met a beautiful Jellicle queen. Desdemona swore she would never forgive him for disgracing the family like that, but now she needed him. She would have to set aside her pride for a while until she had Salem back under her power.
"HALT!" a grimy rat screeched. "Who dares enter the layer of the Mystery Cat?!"
"La Sorcière."
The rat then got a closer look at the strange queen he was confronting. "Des-Desdemona? Your brother will be so eager to see you," he sneered sarcastically. "Follow me."
She followed the henchrat to the underground cavern that served as her brother's headquarters. "My Lord," the rat spoke to the fiery red tom, "I have a queen here that you might like to have a word with."
"You disturb the Great Macavity for an insignificant queen?" he sneered.
"I was not so 'insignificant' to you back before you disgraced this me!" The angry Desdemona shouted back.
"Ahh, the sniveling sister of mine returns. I suppose you've seen what I've acquired since you left."
"I'm not here for your enjoyment. I came back because I've found a way for both of us to settle our grudges. However, it will only happen if we set aside our differences for the time being and work together. The Jellicles have something that we both want. I have a plan to take that from them."
"I'm listening," he said with an evil smile.
........................................................
The time had come for the Jellicle Ball. It would be the first Sabre, Morph, Salem, and the girls. Didrikeyal, Munk's first son, came out of hiding: "Are you blind when you're born?" he sang.
"Can you see in the dark?" Etcetera jumped out.
One by one, Jellicles new and old joined into the familiar tune. New lines were mixed with the old. Jemima even sang "Memory" in honor of her great-grandmother, Grizabella. Demeter, Bom, and Sabre the trio on Jennyanydots' story. Tugger's song was altered to make up for the fact that he was now a mate and father. It came time for "Moments of Happiness." Naiya and Naida sang, in French, of course:
"Clair de lune. Tourner votre face au clair de lune.
Laisser votre mémoire a mené vous ouvre en haut, entrez dans.
Si vous trouvez là-bas le sens de quel bonheur est,
Alors une nouvelle vie commencera."
Jellyorum was about to sing about her father, Gus, when lightning lit up the sky.
"MACAVITY!!!!" Demeter cried. Everyone ran for cover.
"No, DESDEMONA!" Salem screamed.
"Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes parti, Salem?" (Why did you leave?) demanded Desdemona.
"Vous savez que je toujours vous a détesté!" (You know I've always hated you!)Salem replied coldly.
"Le retour à la France avec moi, ou vos filles mourront!" (Return to France with me, or your daughters will die!)
"Je ne vous laisserai pas!" (I won't let you!)
"Est-ce que vous pensez que vous pouvez me détruire?" (You think you can destroy me?)"
"Peut-être pas seul, mais j'ai appris quelque chose puisque je pars. Vous ne pouvez pas me régler plus!" (Maybe not alone, but I've learned something since I left. You can't control me anymore!)
With that, he summoned all his magical power and sent her flying against the wall. She then charged him, claws out, creating a huge gash along his belly. Sabre ran to her brother, healing him in an instant. Macavity popped out and attacked Morph, with the henchrats fighting Sabre and Misto. Morph shifted into a timber rattler and struck his opponent. Misto and Sabre disappeared, leaving the henchrats dumbfounded. They realized that their leader was gone and quickly left. Only Desdemona and Salem remained in the mêlée. They circled each other looking for a chance to lunge, when Salem heard his sister mind-speak:
"Let down your guard, Salem," whispered Sabre's voice in his mind.
"This is what Naiya and Naida's dream meant," Morph added.
"When we say so, get out of the way and follow our lead," Misto told him.
Salem perked his ears up and pulled his claws back in. Desdemona seemed surprised by his action, but that did not stop her from lunging at her opponent.
"NOW!" the three commanded their brother. Salem ducked and rolled over to where his siblings had magically appeared. As their eyes glowed on the evil queen, her sin-soaked flesh began to burn with the goodness of the Magical Four. Soon, all that was left of Desdemona was a pile of ashes. Her brother, Macavity, laid dead a few feet away, blood dripping from the snakebite. All were silent as they heard a chorus of kittens singing:
"Daylight, let the morning come to us
For the new dawn is waiting.
We have lived one more day.
We can go now and seek out our own destiny
Soon begins a brand new day."
Didrikeyal now sang his line in choosing the Everlasting Cat: "Now, Munkustrap, just before dawn, through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife, announces the cat who will now be reborn and come back to a different Jellicle Life."
Munk pointed to Gus, the old theatre cat. He would be the everlasting cat for this Ball.
As Gus went up, up, up to the Heaviside Layer, Tanto looked at Salem and smiled. "I knew everything would turn out all right. I understand why Ol' D wanted you to wait to find out your past."
"Really, why?" he asked his love.
"It took all four of you to destroy that evil queen. If she would have known how powerful you were together, there's no telling what would have happened."
"Let's not worry about that. Let's just live in the moment."