CHAPTER FOUR:
When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter far beneath the bitter snows
Lies the seed that with the sun's love becomes the rose
A steady stream of cars roared down the main street of London, even at the late hour of the night. Each headlamp briefly illuminated the tiny figure of a half-grown Cat as it crept along the edge of the street.
Tumblebrutus had never known anything like this. He hadn't been off the barge for any length of time ever since he'd been made bosun a few months ago, and before that he had stayed near the docks of each town or city they sailed through, hunting the rats that were so common there. This place, with its loud noises and bright lights was completely strange to him, and it terrified him. However the young Cat tried out of habit not to show his fear. He made himself keep a bold face as he turned a corner. Most of the noisy, shiny things weren't going this way, and Tumble wanted to be as far away from them as he could! After a few steps down this quieter street, he smelled something. Sniffing, he caught the scent of something unmistakeable…beer! He was quite used to the smell, as Growltiger liked the stuff, although the taste made Tumble's mouth turn sour. But something other than the beer smell was what interested him most. A wonderful smell of fish! His recent fear forgotten, he bounded forward, scampering happily up to the small building. The door was closed, but Tumblebrutus could hear a noise of something clattering inside, and he really wanted that fish! He hadn't eaten for two days, and before that only a scrawny mouse Bluepoint had saved him after the hunt. Throwing back his head, he sat on the doorstep and yowled as loudly as he could, with the idea of getting let in, then rushing to the fish before he was caught. That wasn't quite what happened, though. The noise inside stopped, and Tumble heard heavy footsteps clomping across the floor towards him. He had come across humans before, but only from a distance, yet he was too hungry to be nervous at the moment. He redoubled his wails and the door swung open and a human exclaimed.
Jack, the bar owner had been cleaning up for the night, since it was past midnight, when he heard a faint wailing at the door. Laying down his broom, he opened the door, to see a kitten sitting on his step yowling at the top of its voice.
"Well, look at that!" He exclaimed in surprise. At the sound of his voice the kitten stopped crying and looked up at him with large, golden eyes. The bar owner stared down, and before he could do anything, the kitten had scampered past him and was inside, and heading straight for the kitchen!
"Oh, look at him! He's only fur 'n' bone!" Jack muttered to himself. He liked Cats, luckily for the kitten, he thought! He closed the door again and stomped through to the kitchen in time to see the kitten perform an amazing leap right onto the countertop, where last night's fish was waiting to be thrown out.
"HEY!" He shouted, causing the kitten to jump and look round with an almost guilty expression. He grinned. "If you're going to stay here, little stray, you need to know a rule. No animals on the countertop!" He picked the kitten up, exclaiming at the number of ribs he could feel though the light-coloured fur, and placed him on the floor, taking a bit of fish and putting it there too. He watched as the kitten ate.
"There should be a Cat in every bar," He decided. "And this one's got street cred, for sure!" He smiled at the hungry kitten. "Welcome to The Lion, little stray!"