Sorry for making the previous chapter so grim but no promises for this one being any better.
Side note: (Thanks to x-Stage-STARR-x for bringing this to my attention) There might be some confusion about Billy's parents. Georgina – the queen Macavity abused and killed in chapter 7 – was Billy's mother. You'll remember that Macavity raped Georgina and that has led to some confusion over whether he is Billy's father. He is not. Billy at this point has no parents left in the world.
A year in the life of the black and white toms
Chapter 10
Shame
A silver tabby panted desperately as he propped himself up against a dumpster. He had been running for the whole night in search for his missing mate but had not found him. It wasn't at all like Alonzo to wander off and stay away without letting anyone know where he was. He had certainly given the Jellicles a scare in the past but he'd always returned – usually drunk and with a tom or two wrapped around his waist. Munk knew he wouldn't be up to his old tricks now that they had been mated which in some ways made him worry more. In the past it wouldn't take very long to search a few hangouts before he happened upon the black and white tom whereas now he had no idea where Alonzo might have gotten to.
The protector caught his breath and shoved himself off again at a rapid pace. The night was ending now and the faint glow on the horizon signalled a new day. As time went on Munk became internally more frantic when idea after idea for where his tom might be was proven wrong. He had run all over southeast London – an area he'd never expect Alonzo to venture as far as – and had checked in parks, under bridges and in shady alleyways. His beautiful tom hadn't been there and the feeling of failure started to nag at Munk. It was his duty to keep all the Jellicles safe no matter what and the thought became bitter as he fought to keep it at bay. His mind began to jump to conclusions and soon he centred on what his father might think of his handling of the situation. Munk had been charged with the Jellicles' protection years ago and he had never let anything bad happen. What if after all this time he slipped and something terrible occurred; what would his father say? It shamed him to consider the thought and only made him more desperate. As he ran back in the direction he had come the stress and pain of the situation started to grip him. He seemed to vocalize each breath as the panic slowly crept up his throat. After a few paces he stopped to lean against a wall with his face buried in his arms. It wasn't often that emotion got the better of him but then again he had changed so much as a cat in the last few months anything could happen. He did his best to channel his desperation and worry into anger and started hitting the bricks with his fists – not enough to injure himself but firm enough to vent some rage. He let out a small cry of frustration at his situation and tried his hardest to deal with it so as not to allow himself to cry. He stood there for about ten minutes before composing himself and taking off into the morning mist once again, he had to get home to see if Alonzo had come back. If he had then he was in for a good scolding.
The air felt as ice as the patched tom rose from sleep. Sometime in the night he must have dropped off and he couldn't remember what had been going on when he had. He hung from the ceiling and was calm for the first few silent and thoughtless moments of the day. As he looked around he began to notice features of the jail that had become familiar to him in his short time there. The memory of the previous day's events hit him like a shower of bullets and befittingly reminded him of the pain that had been inflicted upon him during the atrocious ordeal. As he shifted in his slumped position an agonizing, stabbing sting shot through his body and he gently groaned in discontent. The poor tom was absolutely exhausted and desperately in need of care. His wounds may not have been deep enough to cause any fatal damage but they were certainly done in a way to cause lasting excruciation. Alonzo grimaced as he knew Macavity must have had plenty of experience in maiming his subjects right up to the brink of death. The tom delighted in other cats' agony and was a master at getting the reactions he craved. Alonzo silently wondered what that vile cat was going to do to him next; he didn't react with fear or anger though as he had near enough given up hope. Whatever Macavity wanted to do: that was fine. After all, what more could he do apart from kill him? The prospect of death was nearly appealing to Alonzo as shameful feelings towards himself grew stronger. The sensation of personal disgust he had felt the previous day had arrived once again and he hung limply in his metal ties. There was no use for a cat like him anymore; he was damaged and unlovable. This he knew as the truth and silently resigned to his eternity of loneliness. Who could love him now? Certainly not Munk, he deserved only the best and that most definitely wasn't him.
Alonzo didn't move as he heard Macavity re-enter his containment area. He simply hung as the tom came around to his front and tilted his head up to look into his eyes.
"Good morning, my dear" the red and black tom said with sarcastic warmth. With no reaction from his captive he slid around behind the stricken cat and began to run his paws over Alonzo's tender body.
"You felt so good yesterday, I couldn't wait to come back for seconds," he said lustfully. Alonzo didn't move as he waited for Macavity to violate him again. He did, however, flinch at the tom's next words.
"That's a very nice collar you have. I believe it's Munkustrap's, isn't it?"
Alonzo's eyes shot open as he remembered he was still wearing his Christmas gift.
"It's mine!" he tried to say forcefully. He squeaked as Macavity slunk his fingers through the leather loop and began to constrict it around his neck. The patched tom felt his breathing cease as his air was cut off and he struggled as he tried to shake the evil tom away. A streak of panic crossed him as he was slowly suffocated.
"Oh I see" the evil tom said, "Munkustrap gave his little whore a collar to show you're his property. How clever of him"
As quick as a flash he ripped the small leather strap from Alonzo's neck making him cough and wheeze as he once again sucked in air. Macavity threw the snapped garment across the room where Alonzo saw it land in a mess.
"You're mine, you fucking slut! Don't ever forget that! You belong to me!"
A tear seeped from Alonzo's eye again as he looked upon the nicest thing he had ever been given in ruin. The little studs glinted in the morning light and seemed to offer the patched tom a glimpse of his life before he had been taken and also remind him of how different his life was now. The collar reflected him: once beautiful and glorious but now broken, dirty and of useless. The likeness crushed him and his head flopped forward again in defeat. Macavity reeled in the effect his actions were having on his prisoner and knew it wouldn't be long before he completely gave up. He smiled as he once again prepared himself to sexually abuse the forlorn tom.
Munk flew through the junkyard entrance. With heavy, bloodshot eyes he scanned around as he ran hoping to lock eyes with his mate. Nearly all of the Jellicles were waiting outside hoping for some good news and watched the silver tabby stop in the centre of the clearing. He stood panting as the other cats watched him; he had never looked more terrible. He was lightly swaying on his paws and the look of sorrow on his face was heart wrenching. Nobody said anything in the crisp morning light and after a long interval of silence Victoria rose and crept across the ground to her protector. Munk looked up as he saw her approach and took her paws as she offered them. He longingly stared into her eyes and struggled as he whispered to her,
"Is he here?"
The white queen gently shook her head and watched as Munk seemed to visibly shrink. She didn't know what to do and flung her head around to look for some kind of sign from one of the others. Bomba noticed how much difficulty Munk had in accepting the news and glided over to place her paws on his arm. He didn't look up as she touched him and did her best to comfort the wretched tom. The two queens stood with him until he once again started to move a few moments later. He turned and began to walk towards the junkyard entrance again and spoke as he started to leave,
"What I said before still goes: No one leaves until I say so"
The Jellicles watched him walk sleepily and looked at each other hoping that someone would do something. It was eventually Jenny that ran after him and made him pause.
"Munkustrap, dear, please rest. You're in no fit state to search for anyone"
He looked at her with coldness before responding,
"I love him, Jenny. I won't rest until I find him"
"Sweetheart, look at yourself. Send someone else while you take a break. You need it, dear, you really do," she said pleadingly. Munk shook her off and continued to leave.
"He's my mate. He'd do the same for me"
With a groggy mind the silver tabby once again took off into the city. He knew what Jenny had said was true but couldn't bring himself to rest while his tom was missing. What could have happened to him by now? So much time had gone by that he could be anywhere and in any state? Munk had to stop himself before he entertained the idea that his mate might even be dead. He simply couldn't bear that thought; Alonzo had to be alive. He just had to be.
Jenny watched as the protector disappeared. She felt awful for him and couldn't imagine what he must have been feeling. If Skimble were missing she knew she wouldn't be able to bear it and counted her blessings that it wasn't her mate in Alonzo's place. The patched tom's disappearance had shocked everyone as it became more and more apparent that something must have been very wrong. No cat ever stayed away from the junkyard for that long without a good reason and some of the Jellicles mumbled rumours to each other. They, of course, had no idea where Alonzo really was and jumped to conclusions as to the reason of their friend's vanishing.
Jenny turned to face the expectant faces and saw that they needed an answer. She cleared her throat and spoke in the firmest manner she could muster,
"Munkustrap says all of you are to remain here. Not a single one is to leave until Alonzo is found. Is that clear?"
Many of the cats nodded and began to slink away to their dens. Jenny began to round up the kittens for their lunch and she watched Billy as he scampered along with the others. If Munk couldn't find Alonzo then what hope was there for him to find the kitten's mother?
Many days passed. The situation for both Munk and Alonzo got worse respectively as their individual torments continued along with the mounting feeling that Munk would never find his mate and Alonzo would never be rescued.
To the patched tom the days began to blend into each other as they slipped into a routine. He would awake in a haze each morning, he would hang from the ceiling for a long time before Macavity would come to see him, the cat would either slash at him or do more unspeakable acts and then leave him until the next day. Alonzo resigned to this pattern as he realized there was no chance of escape. Every hour he was awake he thought about his mate and silently wished the tabby would find him yet. He knew the chances were slim but he prayed he would see him again even if the tabby didn't want him anymore. All he needed was to see his tom again and to know he could be happy in whatever in he chose to do. That's all he wished for as he was held captive. The ever-strengthening feeling of hunger and thirst plagued him and he groaned when his stomach cried out for food. Every few days a henchcat would appear with a stale piece of bread and a thimble of water and force it down his throat. He knew Macavity was sustaining him only until he grew bored of his body and would then either let him starve or kill him without a second thought. Alonzo simply waited for his fate to be revealed, it was all he could do.
Munk experienced a similar amount of turmoil. It had been nearly two weeks since Alonzo had disappeared and he grew ever more exhausted as he went from day to day. He had barely slept within the fortnight he had been searching for his mate and the ordeal was noticeably taking it's toll. Some of the Jellicles would notice him return to the junkyard after ten or eleven hours of searching to see if Alonzo had come back and then watch him sadly turn around and head straight back out when he got his disappointing answer. The silver tabby's splendour had taken a huge hit and his usual bright-eyed, intelligent and statuesque appearance was replaced with a shabby, uncared for and generally tired-looking demeanour. His sleek silver and black coat looked increasingly dusty and in need of grooming as he scoured the city day in day out and he ran along with heavy eyelids and sore eyes. He didn't once allow himself to break down though; he couldn't allow himself to admit defeat. He was going to find Alonzo; he just had to. If he couldn't then what reason would he have to live? He wouldn't have a mate to rely on for comfort and he most certainly couldn't be protector anymore. If he failed to keep any Jellicle safe then he didn't deserve the role.
Another cloudy, mid-January evening came and Munk once again hobbled back into the junkyard on strained legs. He slowly climbed his way up to his vantage point on the big tyre and lay down for a moment to catch his breath. He stared up to the sky as he lay and looked at the stars between the gaps in the clouds. Somehow they looked dimmer and further away than usual and he scoffed as he turned his head away. Even the heavens were beginning to let him down and he felt as if no one cared for his plight. The conclusion made him angry and he threw his fist out to the side to hit whatever he could in frustration. His paw made contact with a rusty, old can which tumbled away down the side of the tyre nearly hitting a small, black and white figure on it's way. Munk didn't see the little kitten creeping up on him as he lay there contemplating where to try searching next. He jumped a little as Billy timidly came into his view but then returned his gaze to the sky hoping he wouldn't be too greatly disturbed. The tiny kitten looked down at the cat he had seen degrading over the past weeks and puzzled at his display of discomfort. He spoke very quietly as he felt nervousness take hold of him,
"Munk?"
The tom didn't look at him as he replied with closed eyes,
"Yes, Billy?"
"Are you alright?"
Munk felt anger towards the question as it only fortified the assumption that nobody cared for his situation. He managed to quash the hint of rage as he realized whom it was that was asking,
"No, Billy, I'm not"
"What's wrong?"
Again he stifled his anger only this time letting some of it show in his voice,
"You know Alonzo has been missing, Billy, and I'm incredibly worried for him"
"Have you found him yet?"
Munk nearly lost his temper but then stopped himself with his last shred of patience. Billy was a kitten and it was in his nature to be naïve. Still, the kit was pushing all the wrong buttons at that moment and Munk really could have done without being asked those questions. He spoke stiffly,
"No, Billy. I would have stopped looking by now if I'd found him, wouldn't I?"
"Oh. Sorry"
"That's alright"
There was a moment of silence before Billy unknowingly drove in the final nail.
"Have you found my mummy yet?" he asked hopefully. Munk's eyes shot open and he rose up to look at the kitten with fire burning within him. He knew the little cat was only asking simple questions but that last one was the straw that broke the camel's back. It could have been anyone he finally lost his temper with and unloaded his stress onto but unfortunately it was Billy that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He rose to his paws and towered over the kitten looking dangerous and intimidating. The kitten recoiled in fear and flinched as Munk lost control,
"Don't you think I have more important cats to find than your dratted mother, you little swine? I am up to my ears with worry and you're snivelling for your mummy! How damn selfish can you be, Billy? Just how damn selfish? Tell me that!"
The kitten fell to the ground and yelped as he made impact. He held his paw over his face in an attempt to shield himself from any more anger the tabby spouted and once again feared for his life as the livid tom got closer. A shout rung out across the junkyard that was enough to make anyone jump,
"Munkustrap!" came the shrill, stabbing shriek, "What in Heaviside do you think you are doing?"
The voice belonged to Jenny and she came sprinting over to cradle the shaking Billy. She had just been emerging from her den when Munk had begun his tyrannical screaming and she had seen everything. She looked down at the scared kitten she held and whispered closely to his ear,
"It's okay. Everything's going to be alright, I'm here"
She snapped her head back to the tabby who seemed to look at them in shock. She stood, picked Billy up and held him in him in her arms before turning to the supposed protector,
"How dare you!" she spat, "How dare you shout at a kitten like that! He's so young, Munkustrap! You've scared the life out of him!"
The silver tabby quickly felt the weight of what he had just done and was completely lost for words. He stared at the cowering kitten Jenny held and felt a horrible pang of guilt and shame within him as his anger completely dissolved. He tried to speak but only managed a few broken words,
"…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…Everlasting!...I…"
"Shut up, Munkustrap!" shouted Jenny, "I simply cannot believe you've done this!"
With that she stormed off carrying the tiny kitten in her arms. Munk saw the gleaming, teary eyes of Billy look back at him as he was carried away and the sheer disgrace he felt was absolutely indescribable. He turned and saw some of the Jellicles looking at him in disgust, some even hissed and bared their teeth as he looked at them. Then – as if things couldn't get any worse – Munk heard a voice,
"Munkustrap" came the deep, wise baritone. Munk turned to see his father – Old Deuteronomy – looking at him from the junkyard's entrance. The silver tabby simply wanted to die as the weight of the situation just doubled and he slowly made his way towards the grand, old tom. As he walked he looked to his sides and saw cats back away as he got closer to them. This must have been how he had made his mother Grizabella feel once upon a time. The shame was crushing.
He felt as if he was getting smaller as he got closer to his father and kept his head down as he approached not wanting to see the leader's eyes. He didn't feel worthy to be the son of such a great cat and wanted to sink into the earth to hide his humiliation. He stopped a little way in front of his father and stood waiting for him to say something. After a moment or two the wise tom did,
"Munkustrap, look at me"
The silver tabby attempted to lift his head but couldn't find the strength. He felt like a kitten who had just done something very bad and didn't want to bear it's parent's scolding. He kept his head down in shame.
"Look at me" the leader repeated
This time Munk couldn't avoid the command and slowly lifted his gaze to meet his father's eyes. They were the kind of eyes which could convey whichever emotion they chose with great depth. At that moment they were making the tabby feel like the worst cat in the world and he had never felt anything like it. There was a silence as they looked at each other before Old Deuteronomy spoke again,
"I am very disappointed in you, Munkustrap"
Those words finally made Munk crack. He fell to his knees sobbing and then to the side so he was lying on the cold ground. He lay limp on the floor as he for once in his life bared his heart and soul. The torment of the past two weeks and the stress of the current situation all bundled together with his father's words had finally broken him. He may have been able to handle a few words of warning but the actual admission that his father was disappointed in him was soul destroying. Before he had been mated to Alonzo he lived for his father's approval and would do anything to keep himself from faltering. Now – all for the sake of one lapse in judgement – the words he never ever had wanted to hear had been spoken and he just couldn't handle it. He was the protector, but what good was he now that he had failed so badly? He cried painfully as the Jellicles all looked on; it was very unnerving for them to see Munkustrap – their rock – as helpless as any one of them. Many had never expected that he was capable of allowing his emotions to take him over yet here was: defenceless. Many of them didn't know how to react; the world seemed to be falling apart. Some stood in shock and others started to sniffle themselves as they felt the tabby's pain. It was truly a sight none of them ever wanted to have experienced.
Old Deuteronomy bent down and propped up his bawling son then put his arms around him to hug the tom tightly to his body. The silver tabby clung fiercely to his father and continued to let out his strife. He had no idea where to go from this point and couldn't handle the pressure. Old Deuteronomy – who knew him all too well – could feel his pain and did all he could to comfort his son. He thought it best that maybe he take the tabby into his and Alonzo's den to keep hold of some dignity and pulled him to his feet. The old tom – supporting his fragile son – helped the tabby across the clearing, into the den and then placed him down on the bed. The other Jellicles watched up until the two cats had left their view and then began murmuring to each other. What had just happened and what did it mean?
Inside the den Old Deuteronomy cradled his son like a kitten until he had calmed down. It took a while but eventually Munk composed himself and sat away from his father feeling like an idiot for behaving so childishly. The old tom watched his son sit silently and quietly waited for him to look back. After a painfully long silence Munk turned around but did not look at his father. He tried to speak but what he said was barely audible. When Old Deuteronomy gave no reply the tabby looked up briefly and then tried again,
"I'm sorry for losing control like that, sir"
Old Deuteronomy's soft expression turned even softer at his son's words. Even now the tabby was doing his best to look strong and the turmoil he felt must have been unbearable. The wise tom smiled at his son and replied,
"Munkustrap, even the strongest of us have limits. I know you will try but even you cannot bear the weight of the world on your own shoulders."
Munk disagreed, "I must, though. I have to do it for the tribe"
"My dear boy. No cat can keep all others safe single-handedly, not even you"
"It's my duty" the tabby whispered
"A cat whose duty is a mountain which he makes ever taller will lose himself during the climb"
Munk thought for a moment but couldn't make sense of the proverb,
"What do you mean?" he asked
"It means that if you make what you consider your duty impossible then you'll destroy yourself in striving to honour it. Munkustrap, your role as protector is a huge burden but it should never come between you and happiness. What was that I saw a little while ago, son?" He asked the question with sympathy.
"I couldn't handle it anymore" replied Munk shakily, "My world is falling down around me and I snapped. I didn't mean to shout at Billy but I couldn't hold in my frustration and pain any longer"
"Well, why don't you talk to Alonzo about it? I'm sure he would do anything to help you take off some of the load"
Munk had to swallow a choke that manifested at those words. He sadly told Old Deuteronomy of the situation.
"Alonzo is missing, dad. He's been gone for nearly two weeks and I've been searching for him since day one. I've looked all over London but I haven't found a trace and I'm…" he took in a deep breath before completing his message, "…I'm scared that I may never find him"
A tear seeped from his eye again and he quickly wiped it away to try not to look weak. Old Deuteronomy suddenly understood his son's grief.
"Do you know why he left?" asked the older tom
"No, not at all. He had no reason to leave, I mean, he was perfectly happy here. We were…are so in love, we're mates. He wouldn't just go."
"What are you saying, son?"
Munk took a moment to formulate the words, "I think something bad has happened, dad, and I don't know…" Munk sniffled again trying to fight back tears, "…I don't know if he's even alive".
Old Deuteronomy once again stepped forward to hug his emotionally stricken son. He knew the pain the tabby felt, after all he'd buried many wives in his time and knew exactly what it was like to lose the one you loved most in the world. He stood there holding the tom and decided to try and keep as much faith as he could.
"We'll find him, Munkustrap. One way or another, we'll find him."
About an hour or so had passed since Munk's outburst. The silver tabby had been sitting quietly in his and his mate's den to try and find some clear thought after he had spoken with his father. He knew the old tom spoke only the truth and reluctantly had taken some time to try and centre himself. It was, however, a mammoth task as the umbrella of shame which covered him seemed to get bigger for every second he thought about his loss of control. By now he couldn't handle the wondering of what Billy must have felt like and exited the den to find the cat he had done wrong. As he jumped down from the junk and began to walk across the clearing he saw many of the Jellicles stare back at him. Out of the blue he suddenly thought about his mother and how she must have felt the night of the Jellicle ball when she had ascended to the Heaviside layer. The way the cats were treating him now was exactly as they had treated Grizabella when she had attempted to regain their trust and it only made Munk feel more ashamed of himself. Some of the Jellicles jumped away as he got closer and he did his best not to look at their judging eyes. The walk seemed to take forever before he finally reached Jenny's den and began to climb up. Seemingly out of nowhere his father appeared behind him and helped the tired tom as he went and then followed him into the queen's home. The pair found Jenny gently rocking the kitten as he silently nuzzled her fur and she looked up as they came through her door. At first she glared at the so-called protector and was about to chastise him further before she saw Old Deuteronomy follow him in. She recoiled from her angry demeanour and waited for one of them to speak; it was Munk who began,
"Jenny" he said pausing for a moment before continuing, "I wanted to come and apologise to Billy"
The queen cocked her head slightly at the tabby's intention and gave him a hard, questioning look before responding,
"Would you really mean it?"
"Yes, Jenny, I would."
"I'm not sure…"
Munk felt truly awful and tried his hardest to convince her that he was genuinely sorry,
"Jenny, please. You know I haven't been myself since Alonzo went missing. I just boiled over for a moment and I absolutely didn't mean to loose my temper. Please let me talk to him"
"Munkustrap, I think maybe you should-"
"Jennyanydots, if I may…" cut in Old Deuteronomy. The queen nodded and gave him her attention. "Munkustrap has been under far more pressure than I hoped he would ever have to handle recently and I think some of us may have forgotten that he is still a cat like any one of us. I'm sure you'll agree that even he can only handle so much before being overwhelmed so I hope you can see that he didn't mean to scare little Billy"
Jenny was silent for a moment and looked down to the snoozing kitten. She spoke without looking up,
"Munkustrap, how can I know something like this won't happen again?"
"I can only give you my word Jenny" said the tabby desperately hoping she would come around, "Please. You know me so well."
After a few moments of contemplation she responded,
"Alright. But don't you ever frighten any kitten like that again. Are we clear?"
"Of course" said the tabby feeling strange being commanded for once.
Jenny gently shook Billy awake and the black and white kitten looked up at the mother figure. She spoke softly to him,
"There's someone here to see you, Billy"
The kitten looked behind him and clung firmly to the queen as he noticed the tom who had scared the life out him a short while ago. He stared with wide eyes and nervousness as he waited for the silver tabby to do something. Munk tried to speak,
"Billy…What happened earlier…I didn't mean to…Well, I never meant to…"
He felt an absolute fool for not being able to form proper sentences, he always knew exactly what to say but right now his mind failed him. Old Deuteronomy saw his son struggling and jumped in again,
"Billy, what Munkustrap is trying to say is that he's sorry. He never meant to shout at you and didn't mean to loose his temper. You know how important Alonzo is to him, don't you?"
Billy silently nodded,
"Well, as you know Alonzo's been missing so Munkustrap is very upset and sometimes when grown-ups get upset they get angry for strange reasons. Munkustrap isn't angry with you, Billy, do you understand?"
Billy looked at Munkustrap to try and figure out whether Old Deuteronomy was telling the truth. Munk reaffirmed his father's words,
"He's right, Billy. I'm truly sorry for shouting at you. I didn't mean a word of what I said and I take it all back. As soon as I find Alonzo I'm going to carry on searching for your mum. Please understand that I would never do anything to hurt you. Are you alright?"
The kitten looked back at him and slowly got down from Jenny's grasp. He gingerly made his way over to the big tom and looked up at him. He responded with words which seemed to be right on the ball,
"I forgive you. Alonzo will be alright, Munk"
His innocent, kittenish statement made the silver tabby feel a hundred times better and he hugged the tiny tom to affirm the safety he promised. It was surprising to hear the kitten say such an appropriate and mature statement and Munk felt a glimmer of brightness within him as the kitten hugged him back. Maybe everything would be all right and this horrible day would finally turn around. The two cats parted and Billy spoke again,
"You don't look very well, Munk, maybe you should go to bed"
The cats around him smiled at his innocent suggestion and shared humorous glances.
"I agree" said Old Deuteronomy brightly, "Munkustrap, you ought to get some rest"
The tabby smiled but declined the suggestion,
"I can't. I need to keep looking for Alonzo"
Jenny started being bossy again at that point,
"Munk, you're in no fit state to do anything; just look at you. Billy is right: you look ill. Off to bed with you straight away; you can start looking again when you've had a rest."
"Jenny, I-"
"I'll hear no more about it, Munkustrap. Bed, now!"
"You'd better do what she says" whispered Billy to the bigger tom with an adorable look of knowing all to well what she would do if he refused. Munk looked at the determined Jenny and then to Old Deuteronomy who was laughing at Billy's interjection. The tabby knew it wasn't a battle he was going to win and decided maybe a short respite would be a good idea. He nodded to the mothering queen and turned to return to his den. His father followed him and escorted him across the clearing to his home before letting him go inside. He waited until his son was out of sight before turning to the Jellicles which looked on in both confusion and uneasiness. He put on his most authoritative demeanour and addressed them all,
"Everyone, I would like to talk to you about Munkustrap…"
The Jellicles all listened as their leader explained the situation to them. Some found it difficult to make sense of everything they had seen happen both during the last two weeks and within the last hour but they knew Old Deuteronomy must have been correct. Besides, they knew Munkustrap was the sanest and most decent cat around and felt in their hearts that he meant no one any harm.
Old Deuteronomy had successfully restored a small amount of order in the junkyard by the time he'd finished speaking and sent the Jellicles on their way. If there was nothing he could do to help find Alonzo then at least he could make his son's life a little bit easier while he searched.
The silver tabby slept for longer than he had intended, a full ten hours in fact. He would never have consciously allowed himself to go that long without starting to search for his mate again but knew somewhere in the back of his mind that the rest did him good. As the early morning light began to illuminate the den he stirred gently and lay in a daze as his body slowly came back to life. He allowed happy memories of him and Alonzo to hug his curled up form and relished in the joy they brought with them. It wasn't long before the loneliness and heartache once again set in and he grimaced on his bed as he felt his mate's absence. The tabby buried his face in his pillow desperately trying to suck up some of the patched tom's scent so it might feel like he was there - if only for a moment. Munk inhaled deeply and was met with many different smells. Obviously there was his own scent along with Alonzo's, there were several everyday scents which one might encounter anywhere and there was also a scent that had been lingering for a while now. Munk had been certain he was going crazy as he day after day thought he smelt Macavity. Up until now he had brushed it off as his mind playing tricks but at that moment he stopped to think. How long had he been thinking that? Was it about two weeks? In fact, wasn't the day he first smelt it around the same time Alonzo had gone missing?
Munk bolted up from his sleeping position and stared straight ahead into the abyss. Could it be that the cruellest, most evil cat in all of London had stolen Alonzo? Pieces of the puzzle suddenly started to slam together and Munk's heart sank as the realisation is his mate's whereabouts instantly became apparent. Macavity had promised he'd come back for Alonzo, hadn't he? Had he actually gone through with it, though? Munk began to babble in horror as the thought began to make more and more sense,
"Oh my darling! Oh my sweet Alonzo! It can't be!"
He shakily forced himself to his feet and burst out of the den. Several cats looked at him as he began to climb down the junk with a terrible expression of horror gripping him. The tabby started to quickly walk towards the junkyard entrance and nearly made it into a run before being caught by Bomba.
"Munk, what's going on?" she pleaded hoping he would tell her something. The tabby shook her off and began sprinting from the junkyard. He remembered where else he had smelt Alonzo's scent recently and flew through the backstreets to his destination. He was terrified to think about what he might find when he arrived but was blinded by desperation to find his mate. Finding Alonzo was all that mattered now and this sudden bombshell seemed to fit perfectly. He would have prayed he was wrong and Macavity wouldn't have taken his mate but knew all too well that any other scenario was by now very unlikely.
The tabby didn't stop running until he was standing outside a crumbling, old warehouse. With a deep breath he slowly made his way inside; he knew Macavity was here, he could smell the tom.
Alonzo – as usual – hung silently as he waited for his new owner to come and use him. It wasn't long before the evil cat came in and set about making one-sided conversation. Alonzo didn't dare respond, he didn't want to give the cat any reason to think he had won even though in his heart he knew he essentially had. Alonzo simply waited for Macavity to abuse him again and wondered whether the tom was in the mood for humiliation, torture, rape or all three. As the red and black tom finished his chitchat and set about beginning his evil acts they were interrupted by a henchcat. Macavity did not take kindly to the intrusion and shouted at the cat,
"What have I told you about interrupting when I'm dealing with a prisoner?"
The flustered jet-black tom flinched as he received the brunt of his master's anger and quickly tried to tell him the news,
"Sir, there's an intruder in the lair. What should we do?"
"Just kill it, you idiot!" said Macavity with annoyance
"It's the Jellicle protector, sir!"
Both Macavity and Alonzo jerked as the henchcat spoke.
"Munkustrap" whispered Alonzo as he gazed. Suddenly he was filled with hope and relief, his saviour had come.
"Munkustrap" echoed Macavity darkly, "I knew it was only a matter of time." He commanded the henchcat to tell him the tabby cat's whereabouts and in the darkness of the lair fled from Alonzo's prison. The restrained tom began to panic internally as he heard Macavity leave; what if caught Munk? Without thinking Alonzo started to scream,
"Munk! Look out! Macavity knows you're here!"
He kept screaming hoping his mate would hear him wherever he was.
Munkustrap felt his way through the darkened building and stumbled over unseen items on the floor below. The smell of decay and death hung thickly in the air and made him want to turn back. He would have had it not been for his determination to find Macavity. He felt as if he was out of his mind as he rounded corners in search of the evil tom; how could he actually be searching out the most dangerous tom in all of London?
He stood stock-still and perked his ears up when he heard a faint noise. It was the sound of a tom shouting. He listened in the thin light which came through cracks in the ceiling and tried to make out any words. The voice echoed through the lair and was very hard to decipher. Munk knew the owner all too well though.
"Alonzo?" he said quietly before becoming sure. "Alonzo!" he shouted back, "I'm coming!"
He started running blindly towards the source and didn't hear his mate send dire warnings as he flew. He bumped into walls and other objects as he sprinted and nearly fell down as he ran. With every step he was getting closer to his tom and he began to feel something he hadn't felt in nearly two weeks: joy.
His jubilation didn't last very long as he tripped and fell flat on his face. In the dusty air he looked up to see a huge cat standing in front of him and instantly recognized it as Macavity.
"I would expect you of all cats to know it's rude to enter someone's home without being invited, Munkustrap" said the dangerous tom.
Munk had no time to reply before he was jumped upon by several henchcats and the world went dark.
Uh oh! Now Munk's been captured too!
Thanks for reading, please review if you get a moment.
Next chapter will be up soon, until then though, Merry Christmas. x