The Rum Tum Tugger peered into the crack in the wall with intense interest.
"Well, what's in there?" he asked impatiently.
There was a pause and the sound of snuffling, then a small sneeze.
"Well, cockroaches sleep here in the day, and a mouse was exploring some months ago," came Mister Mistoffelees reply, his voice echoing slightly. "And there is dust. Lots of dust."
Rum Tum Tugger put his eye to the crack and strained to see into the darkness. The hole in the wall of his home had been irritating him hugely ever since he discovered it while exploring the attic. It had been too tiny for him to squeeze into to investigate properly, and unable to stand the curiosity he had taken his chance to persuade the smaller and more nimble Mister Mistoffelees to do it for him.
"Oh," said the magical cat from inside the hole, and the Rum Tum Tugger's ears pricked up.
"What, what is it? Can you tell me?" but the tuxedo cat didn't reply. Tugger pressed his face harder against the crack, willing himself smaller so he could go in and look for himself. The not knowing was killing him and the fur on his back lifted as he began to prance his back legs with impatience. What was taking him so long?
"Nothing," said Mistoffelees right by his shoulder. "Just another way out."
Alarmed, Tugger leapt into the air, landing with fur raised, ready to defend himself with tooth and claw. In reaction Mistoffelees arched his back and fluffed up his tail. The two Toms stood facing each other nervously.
Then Tugger relaxed, walked a little away and began industriously cleaning his toes. Mistoffelees did the same, tasting dust and cockroaches. When he felt he had regained his dignity Rum Tum Tugger walked over and touched his nose to Mistoffelees shoulder.
"Thank you," he murmured.
Mistoffelees smiled a secret cat smile and walked to the attic window, where he jumped up and paused dramatically against the moonlight. "It was my pleasure," he said, and disappeared into the night.
/Hmmm,/ thought Tugger, and followed him.
….
The Rum Tum Tugger continued nosing about in the attic later next day, exploring all the places he shouldn't. As he pried behind an old fire screen he noticed a trunk that had been left partly ajar. He nudged it open and found all sorts of things that smelled strongly of his hairy faced human. The smell was old though, and the trunk long undisturbed.
One of the boxes inside caught his eye, it had a picture of a human pulling a rabbit out of a hat and creating lightning from a stick in his hand. Mister Mistoffelees could do magic, and this, said the box lid, was a 'Magicians Magic Show And Handbook.'
Wow. He had to get that magical kit back here to find out how it worked!
….