The following week Morgan and Honoria moved back into the junkyard. Honoria was a middle-aged adult, like her mate, and where he had rugged handsomeness, she had shocking beauty. She had wide eyes, perfect physique, sleek golden fur that rippled like sun beams and bright blue eyes. She looked like a golden statue with sapphire eyes brought to life.
After dropping off a sack full of odds and ends, Mungojerrie emerged from their new den to find Morgan and Honoria chatting with Cassandra and Alonzo. The newcomers were older, but Alonzo had always gotten on with the piratical rouge. "Some time later this month," Mungojerrie heard Cassandra say as he passed by, lifting up the last sack. Morgan had one paw around the narrow waist of his mate, while the other clutched the brim of his tricorn. Also talking with Morgan and Honoria was Bustopher Jones. Bustopher didn't keep in touch with his father as much as Old Deuteronomy would have liked, but he did maintain a den in the junkyard and visited occasionally, along with attending all the balls.
Several days later Rumpleteazer was helping her mother as she examined Cassandra. The Abyssinian queen was due to give birth in a little over a week. Her mate had accompanied her for the check up, but right now Alonzo was talking in a low voice to Mungojerrie. "If I'm right, then they're in danger," he said. Alonzo frowned. "It still seems impossible to believe. That Macavity would really be targeting foreign breeds. He was raised alongside them. Why would he have turned against them so?" "I don't know, but it is a pattern in his attacks." The silver tabby looked at the smaller tom. Finally he nodded. "Alright. We'll make it a priority." With that Alonzo lopped over to Cassandra. Rumpleteazer joined Mungojerrie as he left. "Aren't they adorable!" she exclaimed as Alonzo embraced Cassandra. "Yes, yes," her mate replied, distracted. Rumpleteazer frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked. Mungojerrie turned, facing her. "Just thinking. I'm alright," he said, pawing at her affectionately. "Come on, I want to have a word with Morgan," the ginger and black tabby said, leaping off in the direction of the water cat's den. "What's this about?" Rumpleteazer asked as she ran to keep up. "Do you remember the story of Growltiger?" her mate asked. "Of course," the pretty little tigress laughed. "Gus only tells it to us twice a week." "Well then you know that not all the crew went down with the ship," Mungojerrie continued. "Griddlebone fell overboard and wound up with Macavity," Rumpleteazer confirmed. "Do you remember anyone else?" Mungojerrie pressed. Rumple thought. "The first mate!" she finally declared. "Exactly. The first mate and boson weren't on board. Now the bosun died soon after in a bar fight, but I don't know what happened to first mate. I'm hoping Morgan might know." "But why are you so interested in an old pirate who might be dead by now?" Rumple insisted. "Macavity's attacking foreign cats. Only one other cat in London used that MO, and he has two living associates. Since one is with Macavity, I'm hoping the other might be able to tell us something."