Chapter 14: Nocturnal Discussions
The last few rays of golden sunlight disappeared behind the vicarage wall, and the first few stars began to appear in the still orange sky.
"I wonder what Macavity and Callisto are doing right now," Alyzria said thoughfully.
Rubena leaned back on the moth-eaten couch and surveyed the full moon above them.
"I've got a fair idea. They'll be arguing about how to exterminate me, and try to outsmart each other in the process."
Alyzria looked at the tigress who was lounging next to her.
"You're not worried about what they might do?"
"I'm not going to waste any time worrying myself sick. I just figure that they'll show up sooner or later, and all we can do is be prepared. That's why I'm still training in the martial arts."
Alyzria fidgeted for a second, then addressed her friend again.
"Why didn't you tell me about Callisto?"
Rubena turned to look her friend in the face.
"I would have eventually. It's just that I didn't want to think about it. I wasn't going to keep it a secret, if that's what you mean."
"Well, I guess I wouldn't like to think about it either," Alyzria conceded. "But I still reckon you should have told the tribe."
"Yeah, I guess so..."
They sat in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts. The sky now had well and truly turned to the colour of ink.
"Maybe we can get a headstart on them," Alyzria started again.
"How?"
Alyzria grinned evilly, her teeth briefly flashing in the darkness.
"Tantomile and Coricopat could get a reading on them using their psychic powers."
Rubena crossed her arms indignantly.
"Is there any particular reason why you are emphasising Coricopat?"
Alyzria repeated her evil grin.
"Admit it, you like him."
Rubena glared at her friend.
"I never denied that. And by the way, remind me to tease you about Munkustrap from now on!"
Alyzria's evil grin was replaced by an embarrassed one, and she was grateful for the darkness which hid her blush.
"Is it that obvious?"
The tigress grinned.
"It was when you did the Invitation To The Jellicle Ball dance."
Alyzria's blush deepened.
"Anyway," the tigress continued. "It might well be a good idea to ask the twins if they can find out anything useful."
"Yeah..."
"And as much as I hate to admit it," she added, "Mistoffelees might be of good use in this problem."
"Mistoffelees?" the Siamese asked in astonishement.
"Yeah. Not only does he have considerable skill in the magic department, but he also has great potential as a fighter on the physical side of things."
"As a fighter?" Alyzria looked at the tigress in surprise. "But he's a dancer!"
"You'd be surprised how little difference there is between fighting and dancing."
Suddenly, a small black shadow appeared out of the darkness.
"May I join you ladies?" a familiar voice asked.
"We're talking about you, not to you," Alyzria told the shadow.
"Is that so?"
Mistoffelees sat down beside the tigress and gave her a teasing look.
"Pining over yours truly?"
Rubena glared at him.
"Don't flatter yourself, you second-rate excuse for tomcat!"
The second-rate excuse for a tomcat grabbed his chest in pain.
"ARRGH! And Ribena thrusts her knives right through my heart once more!"
"Ooookay..." the tigress moved away from the black tomcat.
Alyzria laughed.
"It just so happens that Rubena thinks you'd be a valuable member about the Junkyard's special Anti-Macavity-and-Callisto Forces."
"The painful truth..." Mistoffelees sighed. The he brightened. "But I would be delighted to join you two lovely ladies in your sweat-squirting combat training," he declared.
The tigress crossed her arms and scowled at Mistoffelees.
"Well, then I want one thing to be perfectly clear: I will not be referred to as a human beverage, but Rubena. Of course," she added slyly, "You can call me `Colonel Rubena Sir'."
Mistoffelees shuddered.
"I will pass, thanks. But from this day forward I am no longer the beverage cat, but the Magical Mister Mistoffelees."
Rubena glared at him.
"Agreed," she snapped, and they shook paws vigorously.
Alyzria giggled at the pair. This could cause some quite amusing incidents.
"You do realise that you have to get up early," she grinned at the black shadow.
"Mefisto forbid," Mistoffelees cried in shock.
The two other felines laughed at his horrified expression.
"You'll survive," Alyzria said good-naturedly. "You're so nocturnal that it'll be just like a late night for you."
Rubena got up, stretched and yawned loudly.
"Well, I'm going to catch up on some Z's," she said, cracking her knuckles. "I've got black mages to defeat in the morning."
With that, she left the pair alone, followed by a flurry of evil looks from Mistoffelees and Alyzria's laughter.
