Although Ian had insisted that it was impossible for a mysterious stone monolith embedded with crystals to alter reality to such a degree, it didn't change the fact that the TARDIS crew were suddenly a lot shorter and furrier. They didn't have much time to dwell on their new appearance. A dozen men and women in leather armour had surrounded them and taken them away to a large city.

Three cats and a half-grown kitten sat on a stone altar as the high priest chanted. An acolyte went past and dabbed some sweet-smelling oil on their foreheads. Ian wrinkled his nose and tried to wipe it off, but Barbara stopped him.

"Don't. You might offend them."

"Offend them?! When we're about to be sacrificed-!"

"We're not sacrifices, they think we're gods," said Vicki.

"Messengers from the gods, child," whispered the Doctor. "And would you three keep quiet? This fellow keeps going on about some prophecy..."

They weren't worried about being overheard; as they were carried to the city, they'd figured out that nobody else could understand them. But somehow, they could understand these people. The city they'd been brought to was vaguely Greek in style, and the people looked human apart from their pointed ears. And there were rather a lot of cats, they'd noticed. Cats roaming the streets, cats sitting in windows, cats riding along with people in wagons or on horseback.

"Let's hope this won't be like the last time I was a god," Barbara muttered.

"Mistaken for a god," corrected Ian.

Vicki's eyes widened. "You've been a god before?"

"We were in ancient Mexico," she explained, "and hopefully these people don't go in for human sacrifice..."

The Doctor huffed. "And just how am I supposed to find out what they're going to do with us if you three won't stop chattering so, hmm?" The priest had finished his chanting and was now placing jeweled bands around their necks. "No, no...don't fuss. We're honoured guests today. They think we're messengers from their god of prosperity, symbols of the beginning of an era of peace."

"Doesn't look like it to me," grumbled Ian as he pawed at his collar. "And what's this about a prophecy?"

"If you'd clean the mud out of your ears and listen, young man...It's quite simple. The gods sent messengers to the monument at the harvest moon, we happened to be in the right place at the right time, and so they think we're us!"

Once the priest had finished his part, there came a line of well-wishers past the altar. The Doctor took on the air of a gracious host, extending his paw to the people in line, even throwing in a few "hellos" and "how-kind-of-yous" for effect, though the people would only hear meowing instead. Vicki soon got into the spirit of things and joined in, which seemed to delight the crowd. Barbara and Ian slowly followed suit, awkwardly shaking paws.

Afterwards, they'd been taken to a room in the temple that had been designed with cats in mind. It was built with walkways at all heights, lots of tunnels and platforms, boxes with soft cushions inside, and a small stream running through the middle. And it had no doors, just several open entrances.

They were free to come and go as they pleased, no sneaking required. Nobody stopped them as they left the city that night and made their way back to the TARDIS. But they found that they couldn't get back inside. Even though the Doctor could reach the lock after a few undignified jumps, they didn't have the key- it had disappeared along with their clothing during the transformation. They had no choice but to go back to the temple.

"We can't leave until we've changed back," said the Doctor. "Besides, I can't pilot the ship properly with these paws." Everyone else kept determinedly straight faces. "But we're perfectly all right here. Have you seen the other cats in this city? All well-cared for!"

"Still," said Ian, "I'd rather not end up as somebody's pet."

"Oh, I shouldn't think we will. Now, let's get some rest."

The next day, Ian and Barbara went for a walk around the city. Apart from occasionally being petted, especially by small children, it was almost normal. And while they couldn't talk to anyone, people greeted them as if they were still human. A craftswoman happily explained how she made her glasswares to them, and several other people told them about famous landmarks they might like to visit.

Much of the first few days were spent trying to figure out how to change back. In the meantime, the temple's acolytes regularly brought them food and tended to them and the other cats that hung around. One of the male acolytes in particular caught Vicki's attention, and every time he came around she made a point of jumping onto his shoulders from the walkway and purring loudly.

"You're literally throwing yourself at that boy!" Barbara chided gently. "A girl your age!"

She grinned and got into her pouncing position. "I might as well as long as I'm cute enough to get away with it! Oh come on, don't you think he's dishy?"

"You're not even the same species."

"Yes, but if I were human right now, me-ow!"

"Vicki!"

She laughed at Barbara's expression.

By the end of the first week, Ian had had enough of being a cat and demanded that the Doctor try harder to figure out how to change them back. The grey cat pointed out a specific plant that could help, and Ian went to try it.

"That was a rotten trick," said Vicki.

The Doctor chuckled. "I don't know what you mean, child."

"You've got them staggering about acting like loons!"

"I never said it was a cure. I only told him the plant would stop him worrying. Sharing with Barbara was his own idea." Over on the grass, their friends had stopped chasing each other and had fallen over in a giggling, purring heap.

"And I suppose you've already figured out how to make us human again?" She wondered how long it would take him to notice she was using his tail a a mustache.

"Oh yes. The priest's scroll said the monument would activate again at the full moon. We'll just nip back there at the correct time and be away."

The other two cats were now loudly voicing their opinions about various cloud formations and periodically batting at each other's tails and assorted limbs.

"You know they're not going to be happy with you when they sober up," warned Vicki. The Doctor only chuckled and wandered off.