Author's notes: Ahhhhhhh...Now we're getting somewhere. In this chapter, due to Asparagus Jr.'s birth, Gus' only name will be Gus. This chapter may be much shorter than the previous, but don't worry, it's much more dramatic. Those of us who are more plot-oriented will probably enjoy this more. For a brief context, Gus and Elaine are about 35, and Skimble and Jenny are about 16. In any case, I think it's about time to start...
ACT TWO
Asparagus was born 2 weeks before the ball.
Gus and Elaine elected to go to the ball, bringing with them Asparagus and the 5 year old Jellylorum. Upon their arrival, the first person Gus noticed was...
"Skimbleshanks!"
"Gus! My Brother! How 'ave things going in London? Missing Bagpipes yet?"
"Not at all, Skimble. Not at all. Oh, I suppose I should introduce you two...Elaine, this is Skimbleshanks. He's my brother from back in Scotland. Skimble, this is Elaine, she's my mate, we met in Growltiger's Last Stand, these are our kids, Jellylor..."
"Aye, that's great, now lemme introduce my lass" he said, gesturing towards a large tabby whose presence he had been overshadowing until then. "This is Jennyanydots. We met at the train station."
"Umm...Hi! Nice to meet you, um..." Jenny said sheepishly, clearly startled.
"Jenny, this is Gus, my brother, and his mate, Elaine." said an enthusiastic Skimble.
"Nice to meet you too, Jennyanydots" Gus said.
Also in attendance were Jenny's younger brother George, a stunningly beautiful cat named Grizabella who Jennyanydots immediately becomes jealous of, and a cat named Bustopher Jones who seemed to be in charge of things.
When they found out that Bustopher was the younger brother of Deuteronomy, the Jellicle Cats insisted that he explain the concept of the Heavyside Layer to them.
"Hmph. I had a feeling this would happen. I said 'No, Deuteronomy. That's too ambiguous, Deuteronomy. They'll have no clue what you're talking about, Deuteronomy' but NO, he said 'it'll be fine, they're smart, and if not, you can just explain it to them!'. Not that I'm bitter or anything." Bustopher said bitterly. "Anyways, the Heavyside Layer is where us cats go when we die. It is said to be an amazing place, full of wonders untold. Now, I see how this might seem grim in this context, but hear me out. My brother discovered a path to the Heavyside layer. It only opens once a year, and it's only strong enough for one cat, but it allows for the chosen cat to go there without experiencing the pain of death. So you see, it really is a good deal."
As relieved as Gus was that Deuteronomy was not planning on murdering anyone, he still had something that was bothering him about this idea.
"Elaine? May I speak with you for a moment? Alone?" he said softly.
"Of course." she replied. They left the yard, and went out into the street to talk.
"So, what's bothering you Gus?"
"What if one of us is chosen? How will we be able to live without each other? What if..."
"Gus, don't worry. Just remember, whatever happens, as long as we're both under the Jellicle Moon, neither of us will ever be alone."
Gus and Elaine request a minute alone to discuss this. Gus is somewhat frightened by this proposal, and asks Elaine "What if one of us is chosen, how can I live without you?". Elaine responds by saying that "Gus, whatever happens, just remember that as long as we're both under the Jellicle Moon, you'll never be alone."
They embrace tightly, neither wanting to let go of the other. They were so close to each other, that Gus couldn't see the truck rounding the corner, headed straight for them.
Elaine did, however, and in a panic, cast her lover to the sidewalk, out of harm's way.
"Everlasting Cat Elaine, that was close. We could'a been..."
It was then that Gus noticed that he wasn't talking to anyone, and realized what had happened.
He went back to the street, and found her broken body. She was still breathing, if barely, but was unconscious, and could not speak. Tears in his eyes, Gus carried his fallen mate back to the junkyard.
Upon his re-entry to the Junkyard, Gus noticed the cats had gathered around a tremendous, dark grey cat. Gus had never seen this cat before, but he seemed to exude an aura of power, leadership, and kindness. Gus then noticed, among murmurs of the name Deuteronomy, that the crowd was slowly turning towards him.
"She was hit by a car. She isn't going to make it." he blurted out, without thinking.
Bustopher Jones turned towards his brother, who was deep in thought. He whispered something inaudible, and the larger cat nodded, getting up from his tire.
Deuteronomy then declared "The Jellicle Choice has been made", and descended towards Gus and Elaine.
Taking Elaine's dying body, he placed her in a beam of light that was getting brighter by the second. As her form illuminated, Elaine began to ascend towards the moon. As she ascended, the cats noticed in awe that her blood, and more curiously, her wounds, were seeming to melt away, as if the light did not tolerate imperfection. And just as she left the Jellicles' sight, she regained consciousness, and waved goodbye to her new friends.
END OF ACT TWO