Chapter Three - The Storm Strikes
---
A scream was heard. All dancing stopped. Plato whirled away from Cassandra. "Orea," he growled, "Where is she!?" He raced into the center of the yard, frantic. "Orea? OREA!?"
"It came from the park," Munkustrap said, racing away. Plato followed close behind. "Orea!" the toms called, "Orea!"
"Oh... Heaviside," Munkustrap gasped, stopping short. A brown and white mass of fur, flesh, and blood lay some 30 feet away.
Plato sobbed, "No..." and galloped toward it. "Orea. Orea, no!" He took the limp kitten in his arms and rocked her back and forth gently. "Orea. Orea, please wake up. Orea..." He choked up.
"Who could have..." Munkustrap began. He heard footsteps. He whirled to see Jequimas stepping forward. "Jequi-" he said, but stopped short. The kitten's claws were extended.
And the blood on them shone in the moonlight.
---
"Dad, no! NO! Dad, please, I didn't do it! You have to believe me!" Plato and Munkustrap drug the the kitten into the center of the junkyard as he kicked and screamed. "Dad! I didn't kill her!" Tears ran down the faces of both father and son.
Plato was hard. "Shut up," he muttered. He jerked Jequimas away from his father and threw him to the ground. By this time, the whole tribe was awake. Victoria trembled.
"Plato...?" she asked, going to him. He enveloped her in his arms and whispered the bad news in her ear. She wailed and clung to him, sobbing. "My little girl... no..."
All eyes were on Jequimas. "I didn't DO it!!" he cried, "Why won't anyone believe me!?"
"We know what we saw," Plato answered bitterly. "You were there... the blood..." he couldn't go on. Jequimas turned to his family.
"You have to believe me!" he said, "Jeniiva, tell them!" But his sister was gazing at him doubtfully. "Jeniiva...?"
"I... can tell you killed someone, Jequimas," she answered quietly. Her words struck him like an arrow. He shook his head.
"No, Jeniiva... I never..."
"You can't lie to me, Jequimas!" she cried, "I'm your twin! I feel what you do! I can tell!" Her eyes filled with tears. "There's no use trying to lie..."
"Oh, Jequimas..." Demeter sobbed. She started toward him, but was stopped by her mate. "Munku? Surely you don't think..."
"I had my doubts..." the silver protector sighed, "I had hoped Jeniiva would be able to confirm... but now..." He closed his eyes in pain. "I don't know what to do."
"The only thing we can do," Plato answered angrily, "He has to go. We can't have him - "
"No! I won't banish my own son!" Demeter sobbed. Munkustrap put an arm around her. "Munku, this is... it's too much like..."
"I know," Munkustrap interrupted. "But... if it's what we have to do..."
"Father, no... please..."
"He did kill someone," came another voice. Everyone turned and looked at Teilujah. She was shaking. "Even I can sense it. It's on his conscience." Her parents nodded their heads in sorrowful confirmation.
"No! Father, no! I didn't! I couldn't!" But it was too late now. "Daddy...?" The tribe had begun to turn their backs. He was being banished.
Soon only three backs were left unturned. His mother, Jeniiva, and Lylisan gazed mournfully at him. Demeter and Lylisan soon turned, leaving only his twin. She stared at him for a few moments more, trying to read him. Looking for some sort of a sign that she had been wrong.
It wasn't there.
She slowly turned. Jequimas trembled. He swiftly ran away, choking on his own sobs.
He was cold.
---
Kasparan had gone missing.
When his bloody body was found, there was only once suspect: Macavity. His anger at being denied his first ball had spawned a hatred for the younger tom, and he had used his superior size and strength to repay what he felt was a great injustice. Brought before the tribe, the mystics had confirmed his guilt, and Deuteronomy's son was banished.
History had a funny way of repeating itself.
---
The sun was far too bright. Jequimas squinted, his head throbbing. His whole body felt warm, and all around him light shone into his eyes. 'Well, I'm dead,' he thought. 'I'm dead and I managed to end up in the Heaviside Layer.' He stood, struggling to stay on his feet.
"Jequimas - "
"AGH!" The kitten immediately curled up into a ball. "Go away," he whimpered.
"Jequimas, look at me." He peeked through his hands. "Don't you recognize me?"
"I can't even see you," he muttered. The light faded slightly, and the form of a brown and white kitten appeared. "Orea," he gasped. She smiled. "Orea! You're alive! Hurry, we've gotta go back to the junkyard, you've gotta tell them - " He started to his feet, but a throbbing pain engulfed his head. "Ooooh..." he moaned, sinking to the ground.
"Careful," Orea said. "You had a nasty fall." She walked to him, placing her small hands on his head. "Now hold still." A moment passed, then the pain in his head was gone.
"Orea..." he muttered, "What happened?"
"I died," she answered, her voice surreally calm. "But you avenged me. It's all right."
"They think I killed you," he mumbled, his voice younger than his age.
"I know," she said. "But you didn't. It's all right."
"Stop saying that!" Jequimas exclaimed. "It's not all right. They think I did it and now I've been banished."
"I know." She lifted his chin up, his eyes meeting hers.
"I didn't kill anybody," Jequimas protested.
Orea blinked; her eyes gave off a soft, frail glow. "But Jequimas... you did."
"NO!" he exploded, tearing himself away from her gaze. "I could never kill anyone!"
"But you did, Jequimas," Orea replied desperately. "You did."
"Who? Who did I kill? Answer me that. No one's been able to tell me."
Orea gazed at him sadly. "Come with me."
---
"Munkustrap?" The tabby lifted his tear-stained face.
"Who's there?"
"It's Lylisan," came the reply. "Can I - "
"Come in." As the kitten approached, Munkustrap hurriedly wiped his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Munk... Munkustrap, sir. Do you really think that Jequimas did it? I mean, honestly." The protector sighed.
"I don't want to believe it any more than you do, Lyli," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "But you heard. Three mystics and his own twin sister confirmed it. There was nothing I could do." He sighed. "I'm sorry."
Lylisan shook her head. "I just can't believe it. I mean, Jequimas... he made trouble sometimes, but I just didn't think he could..."
"I know," Munkustrap said, shaking his head. "I never would have thought it of him. But... I just don't know. Cori and Tant... they've never been wrong before. And I would think if anyone would know otherwise, it would be Jeniiva."
"That's what I thought too," Lylisan conceded. "But..." she trailed off.
There was nothing left to say.
---
"Where are we going?" Jequimas asked warily. Orea didn't respond. "Orea, where - " he stopped short. The Thames. They were heading toward the Thames. "Orea, why are you taking me back here? Why?"
"This is where it happened, isn't it?" she asked, her voice as calm as always.
"Well... this is... wait, where what happened?" Orea didn't answer. "I didn't kill him, Orea, I didn't - " He stopped, his eyes wide. "No," he gasped. A wet mass of fur lay on the shore.
---
"Macavity!"
Jeniiva's shriek woke her parents and sent them straight to her side. "Jeniiva, Jeniiva, what's wrong?" Munkustrap pleaded, taking his daughter by the shoulders.
The kitten shivered, her eyes flitting to and fro nervously. "M... Macavity," she whimpered, trembling, "He killed... he killed..."
Demeter's eyes filled with tears as her mate shook his head. "Jeniiva. Macavity's been dead for nearly a year now..."
"No! I saw him, he..."
"Jeniiva, stop this. You've never even seen Macavity. How could you possibly know - "
"Daddy, I saw him. And Jequimas - "
This was too much. "Jequimas. With Macavity?" Jeniiva nodded slowly and opened her mouth to explain. "No. I'm tired of this. Macavity's dead. Jequimas has never been with him." He turned to go. "You had a bad dream. That's all."
"Daddy..." But Munkustrap was gone.
Demeter, shivering, looked at her daughter. "I believe you," she whispered, barely audible. Jeniiva's eyes glimmered. "Tell me what happened."
---
"How did this happen?" Jequimas muttered, staring at the dead cat's form. "I... I thought..."
Orea gazed sadly at him. "He never had a chance, Jequimas," she said. "He died the moment his head went under." Jequimas trembled, frantic.
"I... I killed him," he whispered, half to himself. "I actually..." he shivered. "So they were right," he realized. "Jeniiva and the mystics. I had killed someone." Orea nodded. "They just thought it was you."
"The signs weren't clear enough," Orea agreed. "But now you know."
"How can I make them believe me?" Jequimas mused, "I can't drag him back to the junkyard, and by the time I got back and convinced them to come with me, he'd be gone."
"Oh, I don't think he's going anywhere," Orea replied, staring at the mass of fur. Jequimas sighed, then his ears perked as he heard footsteps. "Hide, quick!" Orea commanded. He dove into a nearby bush and peeked out.
"'Ere it is. Roight wheh Oi tol' ya." Jequimas cocked an ear. Humans!
"Ooo... 'e's really waterlogged, ain' 'e?" a second voice said. Two boys, maybe 11 or 12 in human years, emerged and hovered over the cat's body. "Wot a stiff." The boys giggled.
"Wotcher think we should do wif 'im?" the first asked.
"Whoy, we take 'im t' scare tha girls, o' course!" Jequimas' eyes widened. They couldn't take that body! That was his evidence! But the first boy had already doffed his jacket and was wrapping the wet criminal up in it. Jequimas nearly retched. Humans were disgusting.
As the boys ran off with the body, Jequimas and Orea emerged from hiding. "Heaviside..." Jequimas muttered, his ears drooping, "What'll I do now?"
Orea sighed. She wasn't sure.
---
---
A scream was heard. All dancing stopped. Plato whirled away from Cassandra. "Orea," he growled, "Where is she!?" He raced into the center of the yard, frantic. "Orea? OREA!?"
"It came from the park," Munkustrap said, racing away. Plato followed close behind. "Orea!" the toms called, "Orea!"
"Oh... Heaviside," Munkustrap gasped, stopping short. A brown and white mass of fur, flesh, and blood lay some 30 feet away.
Plato sobbed, "No..." and galloped toward it. "Orea. Orea, no!" He took the limp kitten in his arms and rocked her back and forth gently. "Orea. Orea, please wake up. Orea..." He choked up.
"Who could have..." Munkustrap began. He heard footsteps. He whirled to see Jequimas stepping forward. "Jequi-" he said, but stopped short. The kitten's claws were extended.
And the blood on them shone in the moonlight.
---
"Dad, no! NO! Dad, please, I didn't do it! You have to believe me!" Plato and Munkustrap drug the the kitten into the center of the junkyard as he kicked and screamed. "Dad! I didn't kill her!" Tears ran down the faces of both father and son.
Plato was hard. "Shut up," he muttered. He jerked Jequimas away from his father and threw him to the ground. By this time, the whole tribe was awake. Victoria trembled.
"Plato...?" she asked, going to him. He enveloped her in his arms and whispered the bad news in her ear. She wailed and clung to him, sobbing. "My little girl... no..."
All eyes were on Jequimas. "I didn't DO it!!" he cried, "Why won't anyone believe me!?"
"We know what we saw," Plato answered bitterly. "You were there... the blood..." he couldn't go on. Jequimas turned to his family.
"You have to believe me!" he said, "Jeniiva, tell them!" But his sister was gazing at him doubtfully. "Jeniiva...?"
"I... can tell you killed someone, Jequimas," she answered quietly. Her words struck him like an arrow. He shook his head.
"No, Jeniiva... I never..."
"You can't lie to me, Jequimas!" she cried, "I'm your twin! I feel what you do! I can tell!" Her eyes filled with tears. "There's no use trying to lie..."
"Oh, Jequimas..." Demeter sobbed. She started toward him, but was stopped by her mate. "Munku? Surely you don't think..."
"I had my doubts..." the silver protector sighed, "I had hoped Jeniiva would be able to confirm... but now..." He closed his eyes in pain. "I don't know what to do."
"The only thing we can do," Plato answered angrily, "He has to go. We can't have him - "
"No! I won't banish my own son!" Demeter sobbed. Munkustrap put an arm around her. "Munku, this is... it's too much like..."
"I know," Munkustrap interrupted. "But... if it's what we have to do..."
"Father, no... please..."
"He did kill someone," came another voice. Everyone turned and looked at Teilujah. She was shaking. "Even I can sense it. It's on his conscience." Her parents nodded their heads in sorrowful confirmation.
"No! Father, no! I didn't! I couldn't!" But it was too late now. "Daddy...?" The tribe had begun to turn their backs. He was being banished.
Soon only three backs were left unturned. His mother, Jeniiva, and Lylisan gazed mournfully at him. Demeter and Lylisan soon turned, leaving only his twin. She stared at him for a few moments more, trying to read him. Looking for some sort of a sign that she had been wrong.
It wasn't there.
She slowly turned. Jequimas trembled. He swiftly ran away, choking on his own sobs.
He was cold.
---
Kasparan had gone missing.
When his bloody body was found, there was only once suspect: Macavity. His anger at being denied his first ball had spawned a hatred for the younger tom, and he had used his superior size and strength to repay what he felt was a great injustice. Brought before the tribe, the mystics had confirmed his guilt, and Deuteronomy's son was banished.
History had a funny way of repeating itself.
---
The sun was far too bright. Jequimas squinted, his head throbbing. His whole body felt warm, and all around him light shone into his eyes. 'Well, I'm dead,' he thought. 'I'm dead and I managed to end up in the Heaviside Layer.' He stood, struggling to stay on his feet.
"Jequimas - "
"AGH!" The kitten immediately curled up into a ball. "Go away," he whimpered.
"Jequimas, look at me." He peeked through his hands. "Don't you recognize me?"
"I can't even see you," he muttered. The light faded slightly, and the form of a brown and white kitten appeared. "Orea," he gasped. She smiled. "Orea! You're alive! Hurry, we've gotta go back to the junkyard, you've gotta tell them - " He started to his feet, but a throbbing pain engulfed his head. "Ooooh..." he moaned, sinking to the ground.
"Careful," Orea said. "You had a nasty fall." She walked to him, placing her small hands on his head. "Now hold still." A moment passed, then the pain in his head was gone.
"Orea..." he muttered, "What happened?"
"I died," she answered, her voice surreally calm. "But you avenged me. It's all right."
"They think I killed you," he mumbled, his voice younger than his age.
"I know," she said. "But you didn't. It's all right."
"Stop saying that!" Jequimas exclaimed. "It's not all right. They think I did it and now I've been banished."
"I know." She lifted his chin up, his eyes meeting hers.
"I didn't kill anybody," Jequimas protested.
Orea blinked; her eyes gave off a soft, frail glow. "But Jequimas... you did."
"NO!" he exploded, tearing himself away from her gaze. "I could never kill anyone!"
"But you did, Jequimas," Orea replied desperately. "You did."
"Who? Who did I kill? Answer me that. No one's been able to tell me."
Orea gazed at him sadly. "Come with me."
---
"Munkustrap?" The tabby lifted his tear-stained face.
"Who's there?"
"It's Lylisan," came the reply. "Can I - "
"Come in." As the kitten approached, Munkustrap hurriedly wiped his eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Munk... Munkustrap, sir. Do you really think that Jequimas did it? I mean, honestly." The protector sighed.
"I don't want to believe it any more than you do, Lyli," he replied, rubbing his eyes. "But you heard. Three mystics and his own twin sister confirmed it. There was nothing I could do." He sighed. "I'm sorry."
Lylisan shook her head. "I just can't believe it. I mean, Jequimas... he made trouble sometimes, but I just didn't think he could..."
"I know," Munkustrap said, shaking his head. "I never would have thought it of him. But... I just don't know. Cori and Tant... they've never been wrong before. And I would think if anyone would know otherwise, it would be Jeniiva."
"That's what I thought too," Lylisan conceded. "But..." she trailed off.
There was nothing left to say.
---
"Where are we going?" Jequimas asked warily. Orea didn't respond. "Orea, where - " he stopped short. The Thames. They were heading toward the Thames. "Orea, why are you taking me back here? Why?"
"This is where it happened, isn't it?" she asked, her voice as calm as always.
"Well... this is... wait, where what happened?" Orea didn't answer. "I didn't kill him, Orea, I didn't - " He stopped, his eyes wide. "No," he gasped. A wet mass of fur lay on the shore.
---
"Macavity!"
Jeniiva's shriek woke her parents and sent them straight to her side. "Jeniiva, Jeniiva, what's wrong?" Munkustrap pleaded, taking his daughter by the shoulders.
The kitten shivered, her eyes flitting to and fro nervously. "M... Macavity," she whimpered, trembling, "He killed... he killed..."
Demeter's eyes filled with tears as her mate shook his head. "Jeniiva. Macavity's been dead for nearly a year now..."
"No! I saw him, he..."
"Jeniiva, stop this. You've never even seen Macavity. How could you possibly know - "
"Daddy, I saw him. And Jequimas - "
This was too much. "Jequimas. With Macavity?" Jeniiva nodded slowly and opened her mouth to explain. "No. I'm tired of this. Macavity's dead. Jequimas has never been with him." He turned to go. "You had a bad dream. That's all."
"Daddy..." But Munkustrap was gone.
Demeter, shivering, looked at her daughter. "I believe you," she whispered, barely audible. Jeniiva's eyes glimmered. "Tell me what happened."
---
"How did this happen?" Jequimas muttered, staring at the dead cat's form. "I... I thought..."
Orea gazed sadly at him. "He never had a chance, Jequimas," she said. "He died the moment his head went under." Jequimas trembled, frantic.
"I... I killed him," he whispered, half to himself. "I actually..." he shivered. "So they were right," he realized. "Jeniiva and the mystics. I had killed someone." Orea nodded. "They just thought it was you."
"The signs weren't clear enough," Orea agreed. "But now you know."
"How can I make them believe me?" Jequimas mused, "I can't drag him back to the junkyard, and by the time I got back and convinced them to come with me, he'd be gone."
"Oh, I don't think he's going anywhere," Orea replied, staring at the mass of fur. Jequimas sighed, then his ears perked as he heard footsteps. "Hide, quick!" Orea commanded. He dove into a nearby bush and peeked out.
"'Ere it is. Roight wheh Oi tol' ya." Jequimas cocked an ear. Humans!
"Ooo... 'e's really waterlogged, ain' 'e?" a second voice said. Two boys, maybe 11 or 12 in human years, emerged and hovered over the cat's body. "Wot a stiff." The boys giggled.
"Wotcher think we should do wif 'im?" the first asked.
"Whoy, we take 'im t' scare tha girls, o' course!" Jequimas' eyes widened. They couldn't take that body! That was his evidence! But the first boy had already doffed his jacket and was wrapping the wet criminal up in it. Jequimas nearly retched. Humans were disgusting.
As the boys ran off with the body, Jequimas and Orea emerged from hiding. "Heaviside..." Jequimas muttered, his ears drooping, "What'll I do now?"
Orea sighed. She wasn't sure.
---