Chapter 7>

Admetus returned to his post. He was glad that he was able to help out with getting ready for the ball. Now was the boring time when all of the others went to take their afternoon naps. Oh yes, he remembered entertaining himself earlier with watching Rumpelteazer lurk about the edges of the junkyard. Where had she got off to now? He looked and looked and she was nowhere to be seen. She must have settled in for a nap finally.

Demeter suddenly appeared.

"Good afternoon, Admetus. The others are approaching." she anxiously greeted.

He had never had that uncanny ability that a few of the cats had for sensing when someone was coming beforehand. He envied that now.

"Have you seen Rumpelteazer? Mungojerrie will want to know where she is when he arrives." she asked.

"I saw her just moments ago lurking about the edges. I think Jenny has been a little too hard on her today. She must be off for a nap somewhere." Admetus answered.

"With her brother just about to return? I don't like what I'm feeling about this." Demeter looked about.

Just then, the others appeared in the approaching alleyway. Demeter rushed to greet them. They appeared to be very tired and ready for naps as well. Tantomile practically knocked Coricopat over with joy after being apart for so long. Mungojerrie looked about for his own sister and was surprised that she wasn't there.

"Where's moi sister?"

Admetus slapped himself on the forehead as if to say here we go again.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Blast, where did hide it?" Rumpelteazer looked about quickly.

"Hide what?" Electra asked a little too loud.

"Old Man Elkins, of course, 'e 'ad a beau-e-ful, silver creamer and saucer set. It was on the table last time was 'ere. Maybe it's in this cupboard." She said as opened a door and climbed inside. "No."

Just then, the door knob handle made a sound. Wherever he had been, he was returning! The two queens panicked and ran into a room instead of back to the window. They hid under a wrought iron bed together. The old man came into his flat and set his keys down before coming into the room where the cats were hiding. He picked something up and then walked back out pulling the door up behind him. The foolish queens were trapped.

"Well, this is a roight fine mess we're in again." Rumpelteazer said aloud.

"Just another night on the job, eh?" Electra answered.

"Now you're startin' at sound loike Jerri and me."

The cats laughed.

"Oh moi stars! Jerrie! 'e must be back olready. Oi gotta get outta here, 'Lectra."

She went to the only window in the room which was firmly shut with a dark curtain pulled over it. There was no getting out that way. She prepared to leap back to the floor when something in the miniscule light of the setting sun that got through the heavy curtains had caught her eye.

"Allo, wot's this?"

There were gold rings on the floor. Three of them, only they were too big to be human rings but they made for a very nice bracelets for a cat's leg. She took two of the three, one for herself and one for Mungojerrie and gave the third to Electra. Who put it on and proudly admired it.

"Guess we'll just 'ave to wait until 'e comes back." Teazer instructed.

"Then, what do we do?"

"We make a run for it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Tonight is the Jellicle Ball. She'll be here, don't worry." Munkustrap reassured Mungojerrie.

Munkustrap joined Demeter for an afternoon nap while the others went their own ways.

Mungojerrie went to see if Etcetera had any idea where her own sister was but she was already napping too. He decided that Munkustrap was probably right and that he should get some rest as well but sleep just wouldn't come to him so he got back up and lurked the junkyard just like his sister did just hours before.

He offered to give Admetus a break and watch the junkyard for a while since he couldn't sleep. There was a time when Admetus would not have relented such a job to the notorious tabby, but the Jellicle tom had more than proved his worth these past few weeks and so he let him. But Admetus found it difficult to sleep as well in his own resting place.

Pouncival seemed to appear out of nowhere startling Mungojerrie at first. That pesky kitten, he thought.

"They've gone again haven't they?" Pounce was genuinely concerned.

"Yeah, so it seems."

"I hope they return before the ball starts. It won't be same without them."

"Yeah, they'll be here." Mungojerrie said although he was not so sure himself.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The captive queens sat in silence. There were a couple of times when they thought for sure Mr. Elkins was coming back to the room, but didn't. Rumpelteazer noticed an odd look on Electra's face as though she was actually enjoying this game.

"Aye, now, you're really starting to get a taste for the thievery business oin't you? Jenny was right. Oi am a bad example. Next thing ya know you'll be joining You Know Ooo and it's all my fault."

"Oh no, I think I've had enough, Teazer. You and Jerrie are on your own after this one." Electra said but suddenly she looked very sad.

"You miss ya sista?"

"No actually, I was just thinking about missing Rum Tum Tugger's dance tonight."

Rumpelteazer burst out with an uncontrolled laugh like during her kitten days. The two began to roll with laughter. Old Man Elkins heard the commotion and came towards the room.

"Get ready, 'ere 'e comes." Rumpelteazer coached.

The two were ready to shoot-off like rockets as soon as the door opened.

A shaft of light burst through as the door was opened and two furry blurs of brown and black and orange, white and black disappeared out of the kitchen window.

"What the devil are you mangey varmints doing in here?" He shouted to them.

They hit the fire escape landing howling with laughter. We they reached the sidewalk where they rolled momentarily laughing.

"He colled us mangey! Do ya belive that!"

"Did you see 'e's face." Electra asked, unknowingly using Rumpelteazer's dialect.

Rumpelteazer made a look of wide eyes with a dropped chin. The queens laughed hysterically.

"Blimey! It's dark already. Maybe the ball has already started! Jellylorum is going to box our ears for sure this toime." Rumpelteazer was certain.

The cats ran for their home.