"What about the red tom?"
"I know who he is, and your not going to like it." Deuteronomy replied.
"I know who he is too dad. His name is Macavity. He had Jerrie and Teazer at one point too."
"Yes Munk, but there's more to it."
Munkustrap rocked uneasily on his seat at the end of his bed.
"Go on." He said shakily.
Deuteronomy took a deep breath
"Before your mother and I had you or your brother, we had another son. He was typical for any young kitten. However once he grew a bit older, let's say about Victoria's age, it was clear he was much more aggressive than the other kittens in the tribe. When your mother fell pregnant with you, that aggression grew much, much worse."
"Oh god dad don't tell me that..."
Deuteronomy held up a paw to silence his son "Listen"
"One night, after bringing him in from the clearing for supper, he attacked your mother and had her pinned to the floor while he scratched at her face."
Munkustrap stared at his father with wide eyes full of shock.
"I intervened and before I could decide what to do with him, he was gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Munk nervously asked.
"He just vanished. One moment he was in my arms, the next he was nowhere to be seen." Deuteronomy explained.
"We looked for him for a little while but decided to give up and carry on having and raising you and Tugger. It wasn't long after your mother died that I got word that he was running around the city with a gang of other toms, terrorizing tribes and kidnapping vulnerable lone street cats, using whatever powers he had inherited to cause harm."
Deuteronomy sighed. "When I heard what happened to the sisters by the river, I knew right away who that Tom was."
Munkustrap stared for a long moment, trying to comprehend all of the information his father was relaying to him. Macavity was his brother? How in the world could he be related to a cat like that? How could his parents have given birth to that?
"Dad why didn't you say anything before?"
Deuteronomy shook his head "I should have, right away, but I didn't want to alarm anyone and quite honestly I have a hard time admitting that he is my son. That I and your mother brought him into this world for him cause so much pain and fear for so many cats."
"Dad it's not your fault. You couldn't have known who he was to grow up to be. When a kitten is born, everyone just assumes they'll grow up to be a decent member of the tribe like everyone else."
"But what went wrong Munk? He was raised exactly the way you and Tugger were. However, you're here protecting the tribe, Tugger is off flirting or sleeping somewhere in the yard and Macavity is holding helpless queens captive in some unknown location in the city! It's mad!"
Munk was at a loss. He had never seen his father so torn up before.
"At least there's some clarity now dad. We know who he is and what he might want."
Deuteronomy nodded.
"Yes and the important thing now is the tribe's safety, especially Bombalurina and Demeter."
Munkustrap agreed. "That's my main priority."
Deuteronomy nodded again and smiled a little "I'll rest well knowing my tribe is in good hands. You get some sleep now my boy. I'll be back to check on you and the sisters tomorrow."
Munkustrap bid his father a good night and returned to his bed. However, he was kept awake by everything he had just learned. That red tom is my brother? No matter how many times he repeated that to himself, he just couldn't believe it. Not only that, but Demeter was to have his kitten. Her kitten was going to be the kitten of not only her and her sister's captor but Munkustrap's brother. Deuteronomy was right when he called this whole situation mad because it truly was.