Chapter 10

I sat by and listened as Skimbleshanks explained what he'd found when he was in Glasgow. I noticed that he was talking more to Tugger than to me but then I didn't expect anything else from any of them. Who could blame them? What did bother me was that Tugger kept shooting me funny looks, just glances but I knew there was something. I couldn't think what it was, but I wasn't going to ask him.

So I sat and listened while Skimble told us what he'd found in a place called George's Square and in the Necropolis. He mentioned a name, but it didn't ring a bell with me. Macavity had never mentioned a human's name to me before. When he quoted what was written on the man's grave, something nudged the back of my mind. It sounded kind of familiar.

"What was that?" I interrupted, trying desperately to remember where I'd heard it.

"The black cat watches, magic in his paws and fire in his eyes, feral as any wildcat, he laughs at the chaos he created." He repeated it for me, now looking at me as if he'd just noticed I was there. I knew I'd heard it before, or something about it.

"Do you know something about that Alonzo?" Tugger asked me. I didn't like all the sudden attention, I wished they'd both stop staring at me.

"I dunno, I'm sure I've heard it before, or something like it. It rings a bell," I answered. Despite my discomfort, I had to answer his question.

"Do ye think it's got somethin' to do wi' Macavity then?" Skimbleshanks asked me. I flinched when he spoke to me, the coldness in his tone hurt. I should be used to it by now, but it's not easy.

"That, I'm certain of," I said with a nod. "I just can't remember where I heard it, but I'll let you know if I do. I think it might be the wildcats that's bothering me," I added as I half-remembered something but it was still sitting there, just out of my grasp.

"Just let us know when you remember it," Tugger said, his voice kinder than Skimble's but that was almost as bad. I just nodded and went silent again, racking my brain. Tugger nodded for Skimbleshanks to continue with his story, clearly he was anxious to know how he'd sustained all those injuries. He explained about being attacked just as he left the graveyard, about how one of the ticket collectors had found him and taken him to the vet. That had probably saved his life. I was curious about the tom that had attacked him, the mention of wildcats was really pressing on me to remember.

"What was he like, the tom that attacked you?" I finally asked, unable to stand it anymore.

"What do you mean?" Skimble said, his tone suddenly turning to ice again as he addressed me.

"What did he look like?" I answered, managing to ignore his tone for now.

"What does it matter?" the marmalade tabby retorted.

"It matters because I think I'm remembering something that might be central to this whole damn thing!" I snapped. Did I really just do that? I felt a pang of guilt surge through me, no it wasn't guilt but it was something like it. My ears drooped and I looked at the ground, I think I might have even whimpered slightly. I didn't even glance up to see his reaction but I heard him sigh.

"He was big, taller than me and definitely heavier built than any tom I've ever seen before. His fur was short, brown with black tabby markings. He was vicious and very strong." I heard Skimble recite that in a monotone, but it was finally becoming clear to me.

"Wildcats. I knew it had something to do with them. That was a wildcat you fought Skimble, you must have fought well to have returned here in one piece," I said, finally looking up now that my outburst didn't seem to have caused any real problems.

"Are ye sure?" he asked me, sounding worried. I looked straight into his glass-green eyes.

"I am. This is bad, really bad. I remember… I remember Macavity talking about them and I'd never heard him talk like that. There was something different, I don't know…" I said, shaking my head as the memory came back to me.

Two weeks previously

A black and white patched tomcat sat beside a giant tyre in the centre of the Junkyard. He'd finally learned not to show discomfort at the position he was currently sitting in, which was very forced and clearly took a lot of work to maintain. He tried not to flinch as Macavity stormed up to him but he managed to control himself before the ginger tom noticed.

"Alonzo! Why didn't you tell me about this?" the ginger tom snarled.

"About what?" Alonzo replied before he could stop himself. He had no idea what Macavity was talking about, but he braced himself for the blow he expected. He looked up nervously when it didn't arrive.

"I've just been informed of some strange cats hanging around nearby. Why didn't you tell me?" Macavity snarled again. Alonzo cowered, he hadn't known anything about them, it's not like he was allowed to leave or even get near the perimeter fence. How could he have known?

"I didn't know," he said quietly, "I didn't see them."

Macavity simply sighed, maybe he was over-reacting. It didn't mean what he thought it meant, he was just being paranoid.

"Okay fine, but if you see anything unusual you will be sure to let me know immediately?" The question was more of a threat but it got the point across. Alonzo nodded.

"Of course. Is it something to worry about?" he asked tentatively, worried that he'd get called up to fight if something happened.

"No, no, the wildcats won't be a problem, I'm sure of it." Macavity replied absently, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. He quickly remembered and turned to face Alonzo.

"You would be wise not to mention that to anyone," he whispered maliciously, the unspoken warning very clear to Alonzo but just to make it clearer…

Alonzo let out a yelp as claws tore through the skin of his face, leaving three long but shallow wounds there.

My paw was on my cheek before I realised it, I could still feel the scars under my fur from that day and that's what made me hesitate. He'd warned me not to tell, and looking back I realised why and why he had been so… forceful in making sure I kept my mouth shut. He was afraid. He had been afraid of the wildcats, that's why he'd freaked out when he thought they were hanging around.

"Alonzo, what is it?" Tugger's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up at him confused for a moment. He nodded to my paw and I quickly moved it away from my face, feeling my cheeks burning. It's times like these that I hate having white fur, it's so hard to cover up your blushes.

"Alonzo, talk to me." Well, I knew he'd have noticed there was something up but there was something stopping me from telling him. I wanted to, but I just couldn't. Could I? Macavity was dead, he couldn't do anything to me anymore. I was free. Oh Cat, I did not just whimper, did I? What the hell is wrong with me. I took a deep breath, and lifted my head. I didn't have to be scared of Macavity anymore, he's dead. You don't come back from being dead. Something changed for me at that moment, I'm not sure what happened to be honest but I know something changed.

"He was scared of them. The wildcats. He was afraid that they were nearby." I said. The only response I got was a stunned silence.