A/N: Here's the next chapter. Minor language in this one, but nothing really bad. Again thanks for the reviews, and keep 'em coming. I like feedback, and I'm always trying to improve my writing, so con-crit is not only okay, it's encouraged. Not much else to say at the moment, but my website is due an update soon so watch this space. It will also include a fanfic contest, hopefully.
Chapter 5 – Give Me A Clue
I woke up after a restless sleep. I couldn't get the image of my brother out of my head. I wanted so much to help him, I needed his help. I couldn't do this alone, and I couldn't trust the only source of help I had. Macavity's death should have been a blessing, but nothing had changed. I'd come to a decision, as if my brain had been working on it while I slept. We had to find out who, or what had killed Macavity. I got up, stretched and left my den to find the one cat that had had the most contact with him.
"Alonzo." I called, standing outside his den. I heard a sleepy groan, but no answer, "Alonzo!" I tried again, louder this time.
"What?" he finally answered.
"Get your furry black and white tail out here now." I ordered. I didn't have time for this. A tired looking black and white face finally appeared.
"What is it Tugger?" he said again, trying not to sound annoyed.
"We need to find out who killed Macavity. Come on, get moving." I said. He groaned again, but he came out of his den.
"What do you want me to do?" he said. I noticed that he was not looking at me. He sat in front of me, his tail laying tucked around him and his ears drooping slightly. It was a very passive, submissive kind of pose. It was weird, not the Alonzo I used to know. Normally, if I'd spoken to him like that, I'd have got much more than an annoyed groan in response.
"Look for clues." I said. In reality, I had no idea where to start, but I figured the best place would be the scene of the crime. Wasn't that what they did on those police drama's the humans watch on that television thing?
Together we walked to Macavity's old den. He wasn't there anymore, but his scent still hung on the air, along with the unmistakable smell of blood. I shivered and started looking around, seeing if there was anything that looked out of place. The place was dark, but not dank or dusty like I would have expected. You would expect someone like Macavity to live in squalour, where evil belongs in my opinion. It wasn't tidy, it looked like a bomb had hit it to be honest, but whether the clutter was from a struggle of some kind, or whether it was just a reflection of my brother's 'personality', I couldn't tell. The place just had an atmosphere that gave me the creeps.
I didn't notice anything particularly unusual, but I didn't know what the den used to look like when it was still being used. Apparently Alonzo did, he paused in a couple of places, taking a closer look. I let him get on with it, while I searched the other side of the den, trying to avoid the congealed pool of blood that had been left behind where Macavity had died. There was a pawprint in it, but that wouldn't tell us much. It could have been the killers, but it could have been Macavity's, Alonzo's, even Admetus' or Plato's from when they were moving him. I hoped it wasn't mine.
"Tugger!" My head snapped up when Alonzo called my name, "Come and look at this," he said.
"What is it?" I asked curiously, making my way over.
"I have no idea, but I don't think it belongs here either," he replied, holding out a piece of yellowed paper, or was it parchment? I took it from him, and took a good look at it. There was nothing written on it, not like I'd be able to read it anyway. The only thing on it was a strange picture of some kind, like a symbol, in what looked to be gold ink. I couldn't be sure what it was, but it almost looked to me like a human queen, but with feathered wings. At the same time, she looked sort of feline. It didn't mean anything to me.
"I've never seen that before. No idea what it means?" I asked. Alonzo shook his head.
"Nope. I've never seen it before either. I wonder what it is." He replied, looking at the parchment in my paws as if he was waiting for it to start talking and tell him the answer.
I folded up the piece of parchment, and tucked it into my belt. There would be someone out there that knew what this meant. It was a clue, even if we couldn't understand it. We'd found nothing else, so I left the den. The smell was getting to me. Alonzo followed, watching me expectantly. That was disconcerting.
"What?" I almost laughed at the look of surprise on his face when I spoke.
"Are you waiting for something?" I asked again. He looked away from me, looked at the ground. I saw a faint trace of pink on the white parts of his face. I didn't want to laugh anymore. Apparently Munkustrap wasn't the only one that Macavity had messed with.
"I thought you might have something else you wanted me to do." He muttered quietly. I almost didn't hear him.
"No. I'm going to ask Skimbleshanks about this symbol. He knows lots of weird stuff, from his travels, so maybe he'll have more to tell about this, whatever the hell it is." I said. He didn't speak; he just nodded at the ground. I sighed. This leadership thing was harder than I thought it would be, and I knew it wouldn't be easy.
"You might as well come with me, if you've nothing better to do." I said.
"Okay." He replied. I shook my head, this was weird. He was not the Alonzo I used to know, that was for sure. Alonzo wouldn't have taken orders from me like that, he was never this quiet, or... submissive. It's the only word I can use to describe it, and it made me wonder what Macavity had done to him, it was like he'd broken his spirit. Not as much as he had to Munkustrap, but it was almost like he'd been conditioned to take orders without question. Everlasting Cat only knows how my brother had done this, Alonzo had always had a lot of spirit, he was almost arrogant and it must have taken a lot of work to destroy that.
We headed for the main clearing in the Junkyard. I knew Skimbleshanks would be about somewhere, he hadn't gone back to the train station as far as I knew. I finally spotted the marmalade tom sitting on the car talking to Jennyanydots. We walked over, and sat down.
"Hey Skimble, Jenny, how's things?" I greeted the two cats.
"No bad, Tugger. Been better." Skimbleshanks replied. Jennyanydots didn't speak, but she smiled warmly at me, and then threw Alonzo a glare. I decided to ignore that for now, but I noticed Alonzo flinch slightly.
"I need to ask you something." I began, pulling the piece of parchment we found out of my belt, "Have you ever seen this before?"
He took it from me, and looked at it carefully for a few minutes before he answered me.
"Aye, it looks familiar. I cannae think where exactly I saw it, but it mighta been in Scotland somewhere." He finally said. "Mebbe Glasgow. But it's a big city, coulda bin anywhere."
I groaned before I could stop myself. Glasgow? I really didn't want to have to search a whole city, or travel that far north.
"I'm headed there in a coupla days. I'll have a look around for you, see if I kin mind where I saw it. Where'd ye find it onyway?" the marmalade tom asked.
"Macavity's bed." Alonzo answered, "We think it might have been left by whoever killed him."
Skimbleshanks turned his green eyes onto Alonzo, who quickly looked away. I'm surprised he can look any of us in the eye.
"I'm no sure whit tae make o'that, but I'll see whit I can find out." He said.
"Thanks, Skimble. I…" I was cut off by a loud growl from Alonzo, who was now glaring in the direction of the main entrance, his fur all puffed out. I looked up to see three large dogs stalking towards where we were, where most of the cats were assembled.
"Shit." I cursed. Alonzo had jumped down from the car, and he was facing up to the Pollicles, his teeth and claws bared, his muscles rippling with the anticipation of the battle. I jumped down to join him, and we were also surrounded by several strong toms from the tribe. Plato, Admetus, Tumblebrutus, Pouncival and several who used to be Macavity's henchcats. We were all prepared to fight, but I sent two of the toms to help get the kittens and the queens out of the way. Meanwhile, we were to distract, and try and get rid of the dogs.
We watched as one of them came forward, growling. Alonzo, who seemed possessed, growled back at it before leaping straight for its throat with his claws extended. That was all it took for the other two to attack, and for us to retaliate.