Chapter Seven - Truth
---
He had no idea where he was going. Macavity could be absolutely anywhere. He only hoped that Lylisan could buy him enough time to find him...
And that Macavity hadn't killed Azalel by the time he did.
---
The kitten had been ridiculously easy to take. She had wandered, quite unwatched, away from her playmates, straight into his claws. He watched her for a long time. She had her grandmother's eyes, he noted. In fact, the combination of her mother and father's coats had produced an interestingly Demeter-like look in the kitten.
Thus Macavity's interest was piqued. And of course, the Jellicles had no idea where the girl had gone.
It was remarkable what you could get away with when you're dead.
---
They found her quite alone, at the edge of an alley. "Where is 'e!?" Rubeus demanded.
"I... I don't know," Lylisan stammered.
Plato shot a glance at Coricopat, who looked mildly surprised. "She's telling the truth."
But Plato and Rubeus weren't satisfied. "You must have some idea where he's gone!" Plato said, taking her roughly by the shoulders. "And if Munkustrap won't force you, then damn it, I will!"
"All right!" she cried, looking shaken, "All right. I'll... I'll take you to him."
"Where?" Rubeus growled.
"He... he lived here," Lylisan said haltingly, "But this wasn't where we'd meet." She looked up at Plato, her eyes wide. "He must be there."
---
Macavity sighed. A disadvantage to being dead was that no one came looking for you when you did something spectacular.
"Only one member - or should I say ex-member? - of your tribe know I'm alive," he said silkily to the tiny queen whom he had bound tightly with rope. "And no one's going to be listening to him any time soon."
He smirked, remembering that night two years ago.
---
While the Jellicles, were celebrating, Macavity and one of his henchcats (there had been so many; this particular cat's name escaped him) had stolen into the supposedly "secret" den where the kittens less than a year old were kept. As he had expected, they were all asleep.
All except one.
He had gagged and bound the smallest queen quickly and deftly, beckoning his henchcat to carry her. They stole away silently, and, unaware that they were being followed, were quite a distance away before the boy attacked.
He had jumped on the henchcat, causing him to drop their prize. The henchcat cried out in pain as the tomkit's claws dug into his shoulder. He fell, and the kit turned to Macavity, showing only the merest flicker of fear.
"Let Orea go," he had demanded, his young voice trembling slightly.
Macavity had laughed. "Let her go? But my boy... I'm afraid that would interfere with my plans."
Just then his recovered cronie jumped at the boy. "Kill him as well," Macavity snarled, turning away. As the henchcat dragged the hissing kitten away, Macavity untied Orea, holding her by the scruff of her neck. He brought his claws down on her throat.
And somewhere in the junkyard, a scream was heard.
---
I was quite perturbed at first," he mused to his current captive, "when my scout told me your uncle had killed my henchman." Azalel looked as though she had no idea what he was talking about.
"But then he told me," Macavity paused to chuckle, "that they had banished him!" He laughed fully, tossing back his head. "Banished! They thought he had killed the girl." Smirking, he glanced at her. "Your tribe's ignorance can be quite amusing."
He sighed then, and gazed heavenward. "I suppose there really isn't anyone coming for you," he said, sounding truly disappointed. "Best get on with it." He grabbed her roughly then, his silky demeanor evaporating instantly. Eyes shining, he raised his claws.
---
"STOP!"
Surprisingly, Macavity paused and looked up. A smirk spread across his face and he glanced down at the tiny, bound kitten. "It appears you have a savior after all," he told her. He released her and she fell to the ground. "Though he's just a kitten, by the look of him," he continued, striding toward Jequimas. "I know who you are, of course," he added. "You're Jequimas... Munkustrap's oldest son." His smirk became more pronounced. "You were banished by your own tribe." He tutted, shaking his head in mock concern. "You must have done something awful. I seem to remember... what was it?" he muttered, feigning a struggle to remember, "Ah yes." His eyes narrowed. "You killed the youngest kitten in your tribe."
Jequimas was shaking with rage. "That's not true and you know it."
Macavity pursed his lips. "That's true," he said, maddeningly smug, "But no one else does. They all think I'm dead."
"I'll soon prove them right," the younger tom growled, extending his claws.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Macavity remarked, still very calm, "When they turn their backs on you?" Jequimas paused. "To know that they all believe you're a murderer?"
"They didn't all," Jequimas contradicted.
"Oh yes they did," the red tom said, nodding wisely. "They all did."
"Lylisan didn't..." Jequimas said, his brow furrowing. "She said she didn't. She... and Niiva and my mother... she said they didn't."
"Did she." Macavity began circling him, quite at his ease. "She was lying, Jequimas."
"No!"
"Yes. Did you know..." he said, lowering his voice to barely a whisper, "That it only takes one cat to turn the vote of the tribe?" Jequimas looked into his steel blue eyes. "Only one. Any one of them could have saved you." He smirked. "But they didn't. Because they believed it was true." He stared hard at him for a moment longer, then backed up, his hands behind his back. "It was the same with me, of course," he mentioned, looking quite serene. "My wonderful brothers," he sneered, "didn't stand up for me either."
Jequimas stared at him. "You were banished too?"
Macavity looked mildly surprised. "Oh yes. They never told you?" When Jequimas shook his head, Macavity smirked again. "Of course. They wouldn't have. Yes, I was banished too. My situation was much the same as yours, I'm afraid. No one wanted me either."
"I was wanted," Jequimas said stubbornly.
"Were you?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "Then why did they all let you go?" Jequimas didn't have an answer for this. Macavity inclined his head. "I thought as much." He resumed his circling.
Jequimas was still for a moment. Then he remembered why he was here. "Let... let Azalel go."
Macavity smiled blandly. "What's this? You still want her to live?" He strode over to the kitten, grabbing her once again by the scruff of her neck. "The kitten of the sister who didn't want you? The grandchild of the mother who didn't care enough to speak up for you?" He thrust Azalel toward him. "They obviously didn't love you. And yet you think she deserves their love?"
Jequimas stared at the kitten. She was trembling. "It's not her fault."
"Indeed," Macavity agreed, letting her go again, "but that doesn't change things, does it? I know you still hurt," he whispered, bringing his face very close to Jequimas', "I feel the same way. They're a treacherous lot, Jequimas. Ready to drop you at any moment." He paused, watching the tears well up in the younger tom's eyes. "So many bad things have happened to cats like you and me," he said softly, his hand on Jequimas' shoulder. He extended the claws of the other hand, holding them under his nose. "Don't you think they deserve something bad in return?"
Jequimas watched numbly as Macavity slowly stalked over to Azalel, his claws poised to strike. He brought them down -
And stopped, inches from her throat. "Or better yet..." he muttered, turning to Jequimas, his eyes gleaming. He pulled Azalel to her feet and dragged her to Jequimas. "I've already exacted some of my revenge," he said, "But... you've never gotten the chance." He shoved Azalel toward him and she collapsed against him. He stared wide-eyed at her, unsure of what to do.
"It's very therapeutic," Macavity offered softly.
Jequimas slowly extended his claws.
---
He cut the ropes swiftly and pushed the kitten aside. "Azalel, RUN!" he commanded.
Taken aback, Macavity barely had time to react before Jequimas flew at his throat. He growled and dodged the attack, but not before feeling the younger tom's claws graze against him.
"Idiot," he muttered, advancing on Jequimas. His pale eyes were narrow and deadly. "You should know better than to challenge me. Toms older and stronger than you have made that mistake and have died for it."
If these words unnerved Jequimas, he didn't show it. He merely beckoned the ginger tom forward. Snarling, Macavity attacked.
---
Lylisan hated this. She had no way of knowing when it would be safe to take the toms back to the junkyard. She had been leading them around in random directions under the guise of taking them to Jequimas for about a half hour, and they were starting to grow impatient.
"How. Much. Longer," Plato growled, clearly resisting the urge to throttle her.
"Just a few more turns," she answered, growing nervous. She was beginning to wonder what would happen when they learned that she had no intention of taking them to Jequimas.
It didn't take long. After the next few detours, Rubeus snarled, "You're leadin' us in circles!" and grabbed her wrist. "I'm sick o' this! My daughter is ou-"
"DADDY!"
Rubeus released Lylisan immediately and turned to see Azalel streaking toward him. He scooped her up, burying his face in her fur and muttering, "Azalel, my girl, my li'l angel..."
While the toms marveled at the kitten's sudden return, Lylisan's worries increased. What did this mean? Had Jequimas reached Macavity? Had he fought with him?
Was he still alive?
---
---
He had no idea where he was going. Macavity could be absolutely anywhere. He only hoped that Lylisan could buy him enough time to find him...
And that Macavity hadn't killed Azalel by the time he did.
---
The kitten had been ridiculously easy to take. She had wandered, quite unwatched, away from her playmates, straight into his claws. He watched her for a long time. She had her grandmother's eyes, he noted. In fact, the combination of her mother and father's coats had produced an interestingly Demeter-like look in the kitten.
Thus Macavity's interest was piqued. And of course, the Jellicles had no idea where the girl had gone.
It was remarkable what you could get away with when you're dead.
---
They found her quite alone, at the edge of an alley. "Where is 'e!?" Rubeus demanded.
"I... I don't know," Lylisan stammered.
Plato shot a glance at Coricopat, who looked mildly surprised. "She's telling the truth."
But Plato and Rubeus weren't satisfied. "You must have some idea where he's gone!" Plato said, taking her roughly by the shoulders. "And if Munkustrap won't force you, then damn it, I will!"
"All right!" she cried, looking shaken, "All right. I'll... I'll take you to him."
"Where?" Rubeus growled.
"He... he lived here," Lylisan said haltingly, "But this wasn't where we'd meet." She looked up at Plato, her eyes wide. "He must be there."
---
Macavity sighed. A disadvantage to being dead was that no one came looking for you when you did something spectacular.
"Only one member - or should I say ex-member? - of your tribe know I'm alive," he said silkily to the tiny queen whom he had bound tightly with rope. "And no one's going to be listening to him any time soon."
He smirked, remembering that night two years ago.
---
While the Jellicles, were celebrating, Macavity and one of his henchcats (there had been so many; this particular cat's name escaped him) had stolen into the supposedly "secret" den where the kittens less than a year old were kept. As he had expected, they were all asleep.
All except one.
He had gagged and bound the smallest queen quickly and deftly, beckoning his henchcat to carry her. They stole away silently, and, unaware that they were being followed, were quite a distance away before the boy attacked.
He had jumped on the henchcat, causing him to drop their prize. The henchcat cried out in pain as the tomkit's claws dug into his shoulder. He fell, and the kit turned to Macavity, showing only the merest flicker of fear.
"Let Orea go," he had demanded, his young voice trembling slightly.
Macavity had laughed. "Let her go? But my boy... I'm afraid that would interfere with my plans."
Just then his recovered cronie jumped at the boy. "Kill him as well," Macavity snarled, turning away. As the henchcat dragged the hissing kitten away, Macavity untied Orea, holding her by the scruff of her neck. He brought his claws down on her throat.
And somewhere in the junkyard, a scream was heard.
---
I was quite perturbed at first," he mused to his current captive, "when my scout told me your uncle had killed my henchman." Azalel looked as though she had no idea what he was talking about.
"But then he told me," Macavity paused to chuckle, "that they had banished him!" He laughed fully, tossing back his head. "Banished! They thought he had killed the girl." Smirking, he glanced at her. "Your tribe's ignorance can be quite amusing."
He sighed then, and gazed heavenward. "I suppose there really isn't anyone coming for you," he said, sounding truly disappointed. "Best get on with it." He grabbed her roughly then, his silky demeanor evaporating instantly. Eyes shining, he raised his claws.
---
"STOP!"
Surprisingly, Macavity paused and looked up. A smirk spread across his face and he glanced down at the tiny, bound kitten. "It appears you have a savior after all," he told her. He released her and she fell to the ground. "Though he's just a kitten, by the look of him," he continued, striding toward Jequimas. "I know who you are, of course," he added. "You're Jequimas... Munkustrap's oldest son." His smirk became more pronounced. "You were banished by your own tribe." He tutted, shaking his head in mock concern. "You must have done something awful. I seem to remember... what was it?" he muttered, feigning a struggle to remember, "Ah yes." His eyes narrowed. "You killed the youngest kitten in your tribe."
Jequimas was shaking with rage. "That's not true and you know it."
Macavity pursed his lips. "That's true," he said, maddeningly smug, "But no one else does. They all think I'm dead."
"I'll soon prove them right," the younger tom growled, extending his claws.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Macavity remarked, still very calm, "When they turn their backs on you?" Jequimas paused. "To know that they all believe you're a murderer?"
"They didn't all," Jequimas contradicted.
"Oh yes they did," the red tom said, nodding wisely. "They all did."
"Lylisan didn't..." Jequimas said, his brow furrowing. "She said she didn't. She... and Niiva and my mother... she said they didn't."
"Did she." Macavity began circling him, quite at his ease. "She was lying, Jequimas."
"No!"
"Yes. Did you know..." he said, lowering his voice to barely a whisper, "That it only takes one cat to turn the vote of the tribe?" Jequimas looked into his steel blue eyes. "Only one. Any one of them could have saved you." He smirked. "But they didn't. Because they believed it was true." He stared hard at him for a moment longer, then backed up, his hands behind his back. "It was the same with me, of course," he mentioned, looking quite serene. "My wonderful brothers," he sneered, "didn't stand up for me either."
Jequimas stared at him. "You were banished too?"
Macavity looked mildly surprised. "Oh yes. They never told you?" When Jequimas shook his head, Macavity smirked again. "Of course. They wouldn't have. Yes, I was banished too. My situation was much the same as yours, I'm afraid. No one wanted me either."
"I was wanted," Jequimas said stubbornly.
"Were you?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "Then why did they all let you go?" Jequimas didn't have an answer for this. Macavity inclined his head. "I thought as much." He resumed his circling.
Jequimas was still for a moment. Then he remembered why he was here. "Let... let Azalel go."
Macavity smiled blandly. "What's this? You still want her to live?" He strode over to the kitten, grabbing her once again by the scruff of her neck. "The kitten of the sister who didn't want you? The grandchild of the mother who didn't care enough to speak up for you?" He thrust Azalel toward him. "They obviously didn't love you. And yet you think she deserves their love?"
Jequimas stared at the kitten. She was trembling. "It's not her fault."
"Indeed," Macavity agreed, letting her go again, "but that doesn't change things, does it? I know you still hurt," he whispered, bringing his face very close to Jequimas', "I feel the same way. They're a treacherous lot, Jequimas. Ready to drop you at any moment." He paused, watching the tears well up in the younger tom's eyes. "So many bad things have happened to cats like you and me," he said softly, his hand on Jequimas' shoulder. He extended the claws of the other hand, holding them under his nose. "Don't you think they deserve something bad in return?"
Jequimas watched numbly as Macavity slowly stalked over to Azalel, his claws poised to strike. He brought them down -
And stopped, inches from her throat. "Or better yet..." he muttered, turning to Jequimas, his eyes gleaming. He pulled Azalel to her feet and dragged her to Jequimas. "I've already exacted some of my revenge," he said, "But... you've never gotten the chance." He shoved Azalel toward him and she collapsed against him. He stared wide-eyed at her, unsure of what to do.
"It's very therapeutic," Macavity offered softly.
Jequimas slowly extended his claws.
---
He cut the ropes swiftly and pushed the kitten aside. "Azalel, RUN!" he commanded.
Taken aback, Macavity barely had time to react before Jequimas flew at his throat. He growled and dodged the attack, but not before feeling the younger tom's claws graze against him.
"Idiot," he muttered, advancing on Jequimas. His pale eyes were narrow and deadly. "You should know better than to challenge me. Toms older and stronger than you have made that mistake and have died for it."
If these words unnerved Jequimas, he didn't show it. He merely beckoned the ginger tom forward. Snarling, Macavity attacked.
---
Lylisan hated this. She had no way of knowing when it would be safe to take the toms back to the junkyard. She had been leading them around in random directions under the guise of taking them to Jequimas for about a half hour, and they were starting to grow impatient.
"How. Much. Longer," Plato growled, clearly resisting the urge to throttle her.
"Just a few more turns," she answered, growing nervous. She was beginning to wonder what would happen when they learned that she had no intention of taking them to Jequimas.
It didn't take long. After the next few detours, Rubeus snarled, "You're leadin' us in circles!" and grabbed her wrist. "I'm sick o' this! My daughter is ou-"
"DADDY!"
Rubeus released Lylisan immediately and turned to see Azalel streaking toward him. He scooped her up, burying his face in her fur and muttering, "Azalel, my girl, my li'l angel..."
While the toms marveled at the kitten's sudden return, Lylisan's worries increased. What did this mean? Had Jequimas reached Macavity? Had he fought with him?
Was he still alive?
---