Wu-Ming was at the gate, trying to laugh off his defeat when Sagwa came barreling down the alley. "Outta my way, bozos," she snarled—her voice fading as she blew through the palace yard. The metal on the gate still rang from impact. The cats clustered at the gate, and Lik-Lik slammed his paw down to stop the reverberation.

"What is she doing?" Siao-Po hissed.

Dongwa approached. At his opponent's fierce exit, Wu-Ming had withdrawn in fear, and his face was still puckered in alarm. He barely regained composure before the alleycats turned around.

Baba couldn't help noticing Sagwa and Dongwa had come in together. "Seriously, son. What is she doing?"

Dongwa halted, breathing hard. "One of the Magistrate's daughters grabbed Song. The doors closed."

As the cats gathered around the bars, all vying for a ringside view, Siao-Po pushed his way up to the gate.


Girlish giggles led Sagwa to the stairs. She climbed up, trying not to enjoy the feel of the familiar carpet beneath her paws. Stopping at eye level with the floor, she peeked under the rail. The princesses were in the study, admiring Song, who had been placed on the desk. Ba-Do slipped a flowing, white and purple collar around her neck. "You're one of us now."

As they turned away, Sagwa hunkered down and sailed into the potted plants by the stairs. Hearing a commotion, the Cook turned around, watching the triplets come down the stairs. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he turned and continued on his way; and Sagwa waited for the girls to disappear before ascending the stairs. Song was sitting on the desk, her eyes passing over the indescribably luxurious room. Seeing her aunt making a break for the desk, she turned to the chair as she found her way up to the surface. "Come on, let's go. Quickly, Song!"

"No."

"What?"

Song plopped down on the desk. "I want to stay."

"Are you kidding me? We have to get out of here!"

"I don't want to get out of here."

"Well...you're a kid. And your family is waiting for you in the alley."

"They can come. They should come. It's better here. Don't you want something better for us?"

"They can't—Song, they—" Sagwa jumped into hiding as a shadow came bobbing along the staircase wall. She stood beneath the desk, looking quickly at Song when the kitten jumped down onto the chair. She spoke in a hushed voice as the Reader's feet approached the desk. "They can't join you."

"Why not?" Song whispered. Her eyes were full of hope.

"We used to live here, don't you get that? They kicked us out when we got too old. And if you stay, the same thing will happen to you. It'll be easier to leave now."

Song turned her tail end to Sagwa and backed towards the edge of the seat. Sagwa reared up on her hind legs and helped her down. But turning around to face her, Song adamantly shook her head. "I don't want to go back. It's better here."

"I know that! And it doesn't matter," Sagwa whispered. She stamped her paw on the carpet as she pithily added, "Family matters."

Song sighed, gently batting away her aunt's reaching paw. "You got Fan back. They can't say you failed."

"That's completely irrelevant!"

"No. It isn't. I don't know what that means," she added, "But I know we don't agree."

Sagwa sighed, finally sitting on the carpet. "It means it doesn't matter."

"Well, it does. What happened to him was scary. You didn't know where he was. But I'm right here!"

"And what am I supposed to tell your mama?" Sagwa demanded.

"That I'm happy. That it's my choice."

Sagwa scoffed at her. "And-and when I can't convince her that losing her child is actually a good thing?"

"You don't have to. I'll come to the gate myself."

Sagwa stood up, bending her front legs to bring her eyes closer to Song's. "If I have to drag you back there by the ear—"

"Then I'll just come back."

Sagwa was looking speechlessly at her when the Magistrate's voice floated up from the floor below. "Reader? How's that scroll coming?"

The shoes departed to the front of the stairs. "Nearly finished, your grace. But I may have misspelled, 'condolences'."

"You know how to pronounce it, Reader. So let's get this over with."

"Yes, your grace." The shoes came back and a scroll snapped shut, then the feet went to the stairs and began to descend. "Will the new arrival be a calligrapher as well?"

"Now, Reader. What are the odds?"

Their voices faded. Sagwa turned her scathing eyes to her surprisingly errant niece. The catch in her voice made Sagwa pause as Song said, "I want something better."

Sagwa sighed and got wearily to her feet. Her voice was hard. "You're coming to that gate. Every sunset. And if she wants me to force you out, so that she can take you faraway...that's what's going to happen."

She left the safety of the desk, and Song's voice reached out to her. "The humans want me here!"

"She won't," Sagwa retorted, as she clambered down the stairs.

The first floor was seemingly abandoned, and she slowed her pace, relishing the sight. She slipped out into the corridor and weaved her way through the abundantly decorated yard, finally slipping through the gate to the alley. And was met with the wrath of Siao-Po and Sheegwa.

"Where is she?"

"Is she okay?" Siao-Po added.

Sagwa looked at him. "She's...happy," she concluded. "She wants to stay there."

"What?"

"And you're allowing this," Sheegwa said in disbelief. Suddenly her voice came bursting out at top volume, "She's not even yours!"

Jet-Jet put a restraining paw on Sheegwa as she tried attacking her sister.

Sagwa sighed, trying not to shy away from the fire in her sister's blazing eyes. "She'll come to the gate at sunset. You'll work it out then."

"No, I'm working it out now. Stop interfering," Sheegwa hissed. "I never asked you to be their guardian. That title still belongs to him, and me. Let us do our jobs."

"Whoa. Back up," Wing-Wing jumped in. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, without her, they wouldn't be them."

Sagwa shifted her position to keep her eyes trained on her sister. "You want me to stop interfering? You sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Then don't expect me to come to the rescue if you get lost again!"

Sheegwa glowered at her as tears sprang to her eyes. Head held high, she shook her head and bared her fangs. "You're the one who can get lost."

"Sheegwa," Mama chastised.

Sagwa turned and walked down the alley, burning with anger.