Andromeda had just snuck out of the house when, to her surprise and delight, she saw Munkustrap and the other male jellicles turning the corner.
She ran to meet them.
Munkustrap was both overjoyed and relieved that they'd found her and that she was safe.
However, when she drew nearer his expression became stern and angry. Before she could open her mouth to speak, he began scolding her for leaving the junkyard alone and without permission. Andromeda knew that he had no intention of stopping anytime soon. She was in no mood for a lecture at that moment.
She smacked him across the face with her paw.
A murmur rose from the crowd of watching toms.
Munkustrap was not sure how to react. He was the leader of the tribe second only to Deuteronomy. No one had dared so much as to speak against him before. Especially not a female outsider who had just recently been accepted as a jellicle.
He stared at the silver cat with stunned silence.
"I'm sorry Munkustrap," she said. "But you have to listen to me. If I had not followed Macavity we would have no idea where to find Mistoffelees. Don't even think about telling me that you got here by yourself. I know that you followed my trail. I admit that I should not have come alone. It was a stupid mistake. I'm sorry and I promise never to do it again. But there is no time for that now. When this is over and we're all back in the junkyard, Mistoffelees included, then you can lecture me all you want. Right now, we need to focus on one thing and that is rescuing our friend."
There was an uncomfortable silence as Andromeda waited for Munkustrap's reaction. The gray tabby smiled.
"You are right," he said. "I apologize. If it had not been for your quick thinking then we would not know where to begin to find Mistoffelees. I won't be so quick to judge you in the future. Now, why don't you tell us what you know because I'm sure that it's more than we do."
The silver cat breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she said.
She nodded toward the abandoned house.
"That is Macavity's hideout. Mistoffelees is being held in a bedroom on the first floor. Just before I left I heard one of Macavity's henchmen say something about a meeting that they were supposed to have in the basement. It should be going on right now."
"Do you think we could sneak Mistoffelees out of the house during their meeting?" asked the gray tabby.
"I doubt it," answered Andromeda. "You and Alonzo were unconscious when it happened, but Macavity managed to shock him with his own lightning."
Munkustrap bit his lip. Andromeda continued.
"When I left him, he could barely move. I don't think that we could get him out of there without being seen."
Munkustrap thought for a moment.
"We've got to find a way to distract them," he decided. "Is there a hidden way into the basement?"
"Yes," answered the silver cat. "There is a hole in the floor. It's pretty small but I'm sure you could make it bigger."
"Good," said the tabby. "We'll sneak in through the hole, surround Macavity and his gang, then attack when they least expect it. You and Skimble can get Mistoffelees out of the house. Skimble can carry him if needs be."
After explaining the plan to the other toms, Munkustrap asked Andromeda to show them where the opening to the basement was. She led them into the house and straight to the room above the basement. She then pointed to the hole in the floor and Pouncival and Admetus quickly set to work at making it bigger.
When this had been accomplished, the toms slipped through the opening one by one and without making a sound.
Andromeda led Skimble down the old hallway toward the bedroom. They were not challenged by any of Macavity's henchmen.
"They all must be at that meeting," the silver cat thought to herself. "I hope that Munkustrap and the others don't have much trouble."
When the two cats entered the bedroom they found Mistoffelees leaning against the wall in the same position that Andromeda had left him in. However, his head now laid on his shoulder and his eyes were closed.
The silver cat rubbed her head under his chin, an action that she had become quite fond of, hoping to wake him if he was asleep or to revive him if he was unconscious. He began to purr but it was some time before he actually opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw her.
"Andromeda," he said, his voice a bit stronger than before. "Did you find the others?"
With a smile the queen motioned toward Skimble. The railway cat kneeled down next to Misto.
"We have to get you out of here fast," he said. "Can you walk?"
The black cat shook his head.
"I can move my arms a little but I can't even feel my legs."
The red tabby nodded.
"I'll have to carry you then," he said.
Skimble gently picked up the magical cat and they started out of the room.
They stopped suddenly when they heard a commotion from below.
"What the Heavyside is going on?" asked Mistoffelees.
"Macavity and his henchmen were having a meeting in the basement," explained Andromeda. "The plan was that Munkustrap and the others would surround and attack them while we got you out of here."
The black cat was silent for a few minutes.
"Take me down there," he said at last.
"That is out of the question," replied Skimble. "You can't even stand much less fight."
"Take me down there or I'll drag myself down there alone," Misto demanded.
But the red tabby would hear nothing of it. True to his word, the magical cat pushed himself out of Skimble's arms and landed hard on the floor. He rolled himself over and began pulling himself slowly across the floor with his arms. His face was turning red. He was breathing heavily. He looked as though he would collapse. But he kept going. Little by little. Inch by inch.
Andromeda rushed to help him. She looked pleadingly up at the railway cat with her multi-colored eyes. Skimble shook his head.
"I am going to regret this," he mumbled.
Again, he picked up the black cat and the three jellicles headed toward the basement stairs.
She ran to meet them.
Munkustrap was both overjoyed and relieved that they'd found her and that she was safe.
However, when she drew nearer his expression became stern and angry. Before she could open her mouth to speak, he began scolding her for leaving the junkyard alone and without permission. Andromeda knew that he had no intention of stopping anytime soon. She was in no mood for a lecture at that moment.
She smacked him across the face with her paw.
A murmur rose from the crowd of watching toms.
Munkustrap was not sure how to react. He was the leader of the tribe second only to Deuteronomy. No one had dared so much as to speak against him before. Especially not a female outsider who had just recently been accepted as a jellicle.
He stared at the silver cat with stunned silence.
"I'm sorry Munkustrap," she said. "But you have to listen to me. If I had not followed Macavity we would have no idea where to find Mistoffelees. Don't even think about telling me that you got here by yourself. I know that you followed my trail. I admit that I should not have come alone. It was a stupid mistake. I'm sorry and I promise never to do it again. But there is no time for that now. When this is over and we're all back in the junkyard, Mistoffelees included, then you can lecture me all you want. Right now, we need to focus on one thing and that is rescuing our friend."
There was an uncomfortable silence as Andromeda waited for Munkustrap's reaction. The gray tabby smiled.
"You are right," he said. "I apologize. If it had not been for your quick thinking then we would not know where to begin to find Mistoffelees. I won't be so quick to judge you in the future. Now, why don't you tell us what you know because I'm sure that it's more than we do."
The silver cat breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she said.
She nodded toward the abandoned house.
"That is Macavity's hideout. Mistoffelees is being held in a bedroom on the first floor. Just before I left I heard one of Macavity's henchmen say something about a meeting that they were supposed to have in the basement. It should be going on right now."
"Do you think we could sneak Mistoffelees out of the house during their meeting?" asked the gray tabby.
"I doubt it," answered Andromeda. "You and Alonzo were unconscious when it happened, but Macavity managed to shock him with his own lightning."
Munkustrap bit his lip. Andromeda continued.
"When I left him, he could barely move. I don't think that we could get him out of there without being seen."
Munkustrap thought for a moment.
"We've got to find a way to distract them," he decided. "Is there a hidden way into the basement?"
"Yes," answered the silver cat. "There is a hole in the floor. It's pretty small but I'm sure you could make it bigger."
"Good," said the tabby. "We'll sneak in through the hole, surround Macavity and his gang, then attack when they least expect it. You and Skimble can get Mistoffelees out of the house. Skimble can carry him if needs be."
After explaining the plan to the other toms, Munkustrap asked Andromeda to show them where the opening to the basement was. She led them into the house and straight to the room above the basement. She then pointed to the hole in the floor and Pouncival and Admetus quickly set to work at making it bigger.
When this had been accomplished, the toms slipped through the opening one by one and without making a sound.
Andromeda led Skimble down the old hallway toward the bedroom. They were not challenged by any of Macavity's henchmen.
"They all must be at that meeting," the silver cat thought to herself. "I hope that Munkustrap and the others don't have much trouble."
When the two cats entered the bedroom they found Mistoffelees leaning against the wall in the same position that Andromeda had left him in. However, his head now laid on his shoulder and his eyes were closed.
The silver cat rubbed her head under his chin, an action that she had become quite fond of, hoping to wake him if he was asleep or to revive him if he was unconscious. He began to purr but it was some time before he actually opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw her.
"Andromeda," he said, his voice a bit stronger than before. "Did you find the others?"
With a smile the queen motioned toward Skimble. The railway cat kneeled down next to Misto.
"We have to get you out of here fast," he said. "Can you walk?"
The black cat shook his head.
"I can move my arms a little but I can't even feel my legs."
The red tabby nodded.
"I'll have to carry you then," he said.
Skimble gently picked up the magical cat and they started out of the room.
They stopped suddenly when they heard a commotion from below.
"What the Heavyside is going on?" asked Mistoffelees.
"Macavity and his henchmen were having a meeting in the basement," explained Andromeda. "The plan was that Munkustrap and the others would surround and attack them while we got you out of here."
The black cat was silent for a few minutes.
"Take me down there," he said at last.
"That is out of the question," replied Skimble. "You can't even stand much less fight."
"Take me down there or I'll drag myself down there alone," Misto demanded.
But the red tabby would hear nothing of it. True to his word, the magical cat pushed himself out of Skimble's arms and landed hard on the floor. He rolled himself over and began pulling himself slowly across the floor with his arms. His face was turning red. He was breathing heavily. He looked as though he would collapse. But he kept going. Little by little. Inch by inch.
Andromeda rushed to help him. She looked pleadingly up at the railway cat with her multi-colored eyes. Skimble shook his head.
"I am going to regret this," he mumbled.
Again, he picked up the black cat and the three jellicles headed toward the basement stairs.