Kumori watched anxiously as Exotica took her first shaky steps by herself. Exotica had aged so much since the battle, two and a half weeks ago. She was no longer the youthful siamese she once was. The adults tried to placate Kumori by saying that she would be back to herself in no time at all, but Kumori knew the truth. Exotica had been to the Heaviside Gates and back. Old Deuteronomy would choose her to ascend to the Heaviside Layer net year. No cat was supposed to know what that place was like, not until they're chosen to be reborn. So Exotica had to go. Now more than ever, Kumori wished that her two brothers were here. Yoru and Kuro didn't like the Jellicles, and they both ran off to only Bast knows where. They were particularly nasty to Kumori, but she still loved them. How hard it would be to say good-bye to Exotica with out them. If it wasn't for Macavity though, none of this would be happening. I will avenge my family. Both of them. Kumori thought bitterly. She extended her claws, envisioning Macavity being killed by them. Oh yes. Next time will be different.
Plato put a paw on her shoulder. They had become almost as good at reading each other's feelings as Coricopat and Tantomile. Some of the cats, especially those who didn't like Coricopat or Tantomile, thought it was really creepy. Kumori nuzzled Plato. She didn't care what the other cats thought. Plato had always been their for her to help her get over the shock of Macavity. Regardless of what Munkustrap and Demeter said, Kumori did tell Plato about Macavity's plans for her, but that was all. Demeter's past was kept in the dark. Kumori sighed with contentment. Plato had become more protective of her than Alonzo, Munkustrap, and Skimbleshanks combined.
Kumori was brought back to reality when Rumpleteazer came running in, alone. The Jellicles thought this strange enough, but she wasn't her usual peppy, bouncy, cheery self. She was a mess. Her fur was caked in mud, plastering her fur to her skin. This revealed her in an emaciated state. Rumpleteazer's infamous Woolworth pearls were missing, and her eyes were wide with fright. This force of her shaking body was constantly knocking her down, and she scrambled to her feet, only to progress another few meters before falling down again. She kept checking behind her, as if something was chasing her. A concerned Munkustrap stepped in her way, and Rumpleteazer distractedly ran into him. Grabbing her gently, but firmly, around the shoulders, Munkustrap's concerned grew deeper.
"What happened? Where's Mungojerrie?" he said sternly so as to get her attention. Rumpleteazer looked around, as if just noticing her surroundings, but not really acknowledging their existence.
"THE DOPPLEGANGER'S GONNA KILL US ALL!!!!!!" she screamed, loud enough for all of London to hear. Rumpleteazer broke down crying. Munkustrap picked her up and started rubbing the bridge of her nose, just like he had seen Mungojerrie do on numerous occasions. He prayed that it was her purr spot. For the first time in Munkustrap's life, the purring never came. Rumpleteazer was too stressed out to feel his reassuring paw rubbing her nose. Too frightened to hear Munkustrap's, and now others', soothing voice trying to calm her. Too shocked to even realize that the junkyard she was in wasn't another figment of her imagination. Munkustrap did the only thing he could think of doing. Hitting Rumpleteazer between the ears, just hard enough to make her lose consciousness. Jennyanydots came over and took Rumpleteazer out of his arms, nodding her head in approval.
"Good idea. In the state she was in, the poor dear probably hasn't slept in ages. Come on Jellylorum, we've got a lot of work to do to clean this one up." The two elderly queens walked off to the infirmary, which was an old Dodge Caravan. Having nothing better to do, almost all of the Jellicles followed. Munkustrap, Demeter, Alonzo, Tugger, and Mr. Mistoffelees all went to see Old Deuteronomy. Plato and Kumori stayed to help Exotica back into her bed. Exotica wanted to see if Rumpleteazer was alright like everybody else, but Jellylorum had previously warned her that too much exercise, even walking, could reopen her wounds. Jennyanydots had added that her wounds my not close again. Mr. Mistoffelees appeared by Kumori, taking her completely by surprise.
"C'mon, Old Deuteronomy wants to see you." he said quickly, grabbing Kumori by the arm. He soon let go as Kumori kept pace with him. Plato followed, but Misto told him that it was none of his business.
"It's okay Misto. I filled him in on almost everything." Kumori said, waving for Plato to continue following.
"How could you? You know very well this isn't an everyday, tell whoever you fancy kind of thing." Misto angrily countered.
"Plato had more of a right to know than even Munkustrap!" Kumori shot back. Misto would have retorted, but they entered the clearing where the others were waiting. Munkustrap looked a little alarmed when he saw that Plato was with them. This was supposed to be a private meeting. Mistoffelees glared at Kumori.
"She told Plato." he said bitingly.
"What? How could she!? Kumori, you can't just go around telling people about your past willy-nilly, or especially Demeter's.
"I didn't I only told him what Macavity did to me and my family all those years ago, and why we're constantly being followed." Kumori was tired of using the word "past." it was too dramatic. She was getting mad too. It was her business to tell whomever she wanted. She hadn't violated anyone's privacy. Kumori and Munkustrap continued to bicker about Plato.
"Children, quiet down." Old Deuteronomy boomed, taking everyone present by surprise. He considered all the Jellicles to be his children, and rarely raised his voice to that level. "We should let Plato speak for himself." he nodded towards Plato, giving him the floor. All eyes turned to Plato, and he froze, not knowing what to say.
"Well, I uh..." Plato always got nervous in these situations. "I... well, I love Kumori, and don't want anything to happen to her. And, well, Munkustrap always said that you shouldn't keep secrets from the one you love. So, both of us shared." he was gaining confidence with every word. Especially when he was talking about Kumori. "At first, she only told me why she went after Macavity. But I was getting really nervous with Munkustrap, Alonzo, and Skimbleshanks always following and watching us. It was really creepy. Especially when I wanted to tell Kumori something personal. You know, something you want to tell her and only her, without others knowing. So, Kumori told me that Macavity wanted to kitnap her, and nothing else. But obviously, there's more the story than what she told me."
"I promised I wouldn't tell, and I kept my word." Kumori said quietly, nuzzling Plato apologetically.
"She does have a point. She can choose to tell about her family being killed by Macavity to whomever she wants. It is her secret, and she should be able to share with whichever cat she wishes. And it's definitely better than not telling anyone." Alonzo said, after an eerie silence. Kumori's ears flattened and she glared at Munkustrap.
"I kept my word, but you didn't keep yours." she seethed.
"Children, children, please calm yourselves. We all make mistakes, it's part of life. Not all secrets can remain safely hidden." Deuteronomy said to put an end to the argument. "Now what we came her to discuss, is Rumpleteazer's comment, 'The Doppleganger's gonna kill us all.' We will go one-by-one." Deuteronomy emphasized those words to prevent yet another argument.
"I think she cracked." Alonzo said bluntly.
"No, I don't think so. I know my queens." The Rum Tum Tugger said, looking slightly smug. But then his face turned contemplative and serious. "That was pure terror. And even if it was insanity, she would have to have been scared out of her wits by whatever this Doppleganger thing is."
"And insanity wouldn't explain where Mungojerrie is." Mistoffelees added. Alonzo nodded his head in agreement. No, insanity couldn't be it.
"Macavity!" Demeter said, taking everyone by surprise. "He must have something to do with this. He might have some kind of connection with this Doppleganger." Everybody, including Kumori and Plato, nodded.
"But what's the connection?" Kumori asked, more as a comment to herself. "Maybe we should wait until Rumpleteazer is... well enough to tell us exactly what happened." she added, this time to everyone. The other cats nodded in agreement.
"What'll we tell the other Jellicles? Especially the kittens? I mean, you could hear Rumpleteazer's scream in the whole of London." Mistoffelees asked. All those present had been dreading this question. Matters like this were usually privately dealt with, without disrupting the calm serenity of the tribe.
"We'll tell them everything, excluding Kumori's previous experience with Macavity once we know what happened. This Doppleganger is obviously highly dangerous, and we need the entire tribe on the lookout. They do deserve to know. But for now, it will be between us." Deuteronomy said in a way that meant business was done. The short meeting adjourned, and all of the cats went to the infirmary to check on Rumpleteazer. Plato was, as usual, walking beside Kumori.
"Why did they let us join the meeting? We're barely out of kitten-hood." he asked Kumori quietly, not wanting anyone else to overhear them.
"It's because, well, I'm Macavity's target, and I have got to be prepared. Learn all I can about him. Like Demeter once told me: Forewarned is Forearmed. I think you were let in today because our relationship makes you a target. Macavity might kitnap you in order to get me to come to him."
"How long have you guys been having these meetings?"
"This is the first one I've been to, apart from when Munkustrap wanted to see me in private." Kumori replied. They reached the old Dodge Caravan just before the others, only to be shooed away by Jennyanydots, who was sporting a ladle to ward off meddlesome cats.
"You cant' expect a severely traumatized cat like Rumpleteazer to recover with boisterous kits getting in the way of everything. Right now, she needs the calm, reassuring presence only a mother can give."
"So she's awake?" Kumori asked.
"Yes, unfortunately. She hasn't slept in days, to say the least. If we could get her asleep, then she could quietly unwind." Jennyanydots cringed as an earsplitting scream echoed from within the infirmary
"But I thought Munkustrap knocked her out." Plato said.
"Yes, for a few minutes." Jennyanydots retorted, implying that Munkustrap should have hit Rumpleteazer harder. Speaking of which, Munkustrap and Demeter arrived on the scene. Jennyanydots allowed Demeter in, but Munku met with the same fate as Kumori and Plato.
"Now see here, I'm second in command, and I need to see Rumpleteazer so that I can know what caused her trauma and help protect her, and the other Jellicles, from this menace." Munkustrap usually hated using his position as an authority, but he felt he had to. This did not faze the Gumbie cat in the least. Another fearful scream came from the infirmary.
"I am the medical expert of the tribe, and if I say that my patient is unfit to be seen by one so commanding and forceful as you, or rowdy kits, then what I say goes." She waggled her ladle menacingly in front of Munkustrap's face.
"You can't do-" Munkustrap started to say, but was bopped soundly between the ears by Jennyanydots' ladle. His jaw dropped, and his eyes were wide with surprise. Sticking her nose up in the air, Jennyanydots turned to go back inside. Kumori and Plato were trying to stifle their laughter, but with no success. The two young adolescents thought that it was extremely funny that their future leader would be treated, and punished, like a kitten. Rumpleteazer's scream was again heard, but it wasn't as long as the others had been. Munkustrap, having recovered from the bop on the head, paced to and fro, muttering dark and rude remarks about Jennyanydots. Kumori and Plato lay patiently on top of the car, sunning themselves.
After about an hour, Rumpleteazer's screams were no longer heard. Demeter, Cassandra, and the other mothers left, looking tired but relieved. Munku immediately started asking Demeter what happened, and Kumori listened in (Plato had fallen asleep long ago).
"What happened?" Munkustrap eagerly asked.
"Poor Rumpleteazer." Demeter shook her dead sadly. "She was still in so much shock that she couldn't tell us much. But we did gather that this Doppleganger is a new mutant breed, and that Mungojerrie sacrificed himself to save Rumpleteazer. As far as she knows, her brother is dead.
"Mungojerrie may have been a prankster and worked for Macavity, but he was still honorable and would give anything to protect his sister. As it should be." Munkustrap said solemnly. "But there was no description of this Doppleganger, the hideout, nothing?" Munku pressed.
"Munkustrap, Teazer is stressed out. Jellylorum says that she probably hasn't even eaten since she and Mungojerrie left the junkyard- a week and a half ago. She's covered with scratches from blindly running, and she's never been away from her brother fro more than a few hours. You have to let her decide when to talk." Demeter said bluntly, in mild reproof of her mates fervor. Kumori was impressed. Munkustrap had always taken his job way too seriously. He could be harsh and inconsiderate when it came between a Jellicle's feelings, and the protection of the tribe. Demeter was his voice of reason. Though usually quiet and timid, she could speak up when she felt necessary. Demeter convinced Munku to be patient and calm. Kumori chuckled. Without her, Munkustrap would have probably had several heart attacks from stress. Her chuckle was loud enough to be heard by Munkustrap and Demeter, who glared at her.
"Kumori, this is no laughing matter." Munkustrap said.
"I wasn't chuckling about that." Kumori said seriously. "Whoever Doppleganger is, he's obviously very dangerous. I hop we won't ever have to face him."
"You know that's no going to happen. Let's just hope that Rumpleteazer will tell us more about what happened before he does come." Demeter said. There was an awkward silence between the three, but was broken by Jellylorum coming out to 'guard' the entrance to the infirmary. She was armed with Jennyanydots' ladle to fend away desperate visitors; specifically Munkustrap. Seeing that her chances of seeing Rumpleteazer weren't good, Kumori settled down to nap in the hot sun next to Plato. Munku and Demi walked off, still discussing what little information Rumple had given them.