Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer's friends were shocked. "But he died. The Siamese saw him die!" Jemima exclaimed, hugging Erik tightly. The idea that The Terror of the Thames could still be alive terrified the little queen. Plato, Exotica, Rumpleteazer and Jemima had grown up hearing stories of Growltiger, told by Gus, Jellyorum, Jennyanydots or any other the few other cats old enough to have been alive when he died.
Mungojerrie shook his head. "The Siamese didn't see him die. They saw him walk the plank and not come up. Everyone assumed he died because the attacks stopped. But what if he went underground to escape his own notoriety?" Plato shook his head, refusing to believe it. "What has all this to do with Macavity?" he asked. "Grumbuskin suggested that Growltiger is controlling Macavity in some way. Maybe threatening his family or some such thing." Jemima shook her head. "It makes no sense!" she exclaimed.
The friends loped back into the junkyard, making it back early the following morning. They found it in uproar and were surrounded the moment they approached it. Alonzo, Victor and George pushed their way through the crowd of anxious cats, allowing Munkustrap to confront the friends. "Where in the Everlasting Cat's name have you been?" he thundered. "Do you have any idea what you put us through? We thought Macavity had got you! You two I expected to know better," he snapped, turning to Plato and Jemima. The grey tom averted his eyes, scratching at the ground. Jemima looked like she was going to burst into tears. "As for you," Munkustrap snarled, rounding on Erik. "If you ever put my daughter in danger again, I will personally pull you limb from limb." "Don't you want to hear what we found out?" Mungojerrie asked. Munkustrap glowered at him. "Let's hear them out," Victor reasoned, moving to stand next to his older brother and commander. "Fine," Munkustrap forced himself to say. "My den. Ten minutes." With that the protectors, excluding Plato, turned and left, Jemima in the clutches of her father.
Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie were greeted by a tear stained Jennyanydots and Skimble. "Thank Bast you're safe," the Gumbie cat exclaimed, throwing her arms around her eldest daughter. Skimble joined in, while Mungojerrie stood there feeling awkward. "Don't you ever do that to us again," Jenny scowled at her daughter. In the meantime Skimble turned to his son in law. "What were the six of you up to?" he asked. Mungojerrie explained hurriedly. "Growltiger's alive?" the railway cat hissed. His wife turned with a start. "Tell me you're joking," she gasped. "I wish I was," the tabby tom replied in a low voice.
The tabby thieves slunk over to Munkustrap and Demeter's den, waiting outside. Exotica and Plato arrived just in time. "How are your family?" Mungojerrie asked. "My siblings were fine," Exotica replied. "They knew I was ok." She tapped the side of her head, referring to the phycic link they had. It was much stronger between Coricopat and Tamoline, but they could also reach out and check on their sisters. "Plato's were rather less understanding." The grey tom shrugged. "They'll get over it. They were more scared by the idea that Growltiger might be alive." "Mine were the same," Rumpleteazer agreed. "It must be different for them," Mungojerrie commented. "All of us were born long after everyone thought he died. They can remember when he was the most feared cat along the Thames." At that moment George emerged from the den. "You can come in," he said, flashing an encouraging thumbs up to the friends.
Munkustrap was brooding like a dark lord, Jemima cuddled up between her mother and Erik. Munkustrap's eyes flew to the door as George and the friends entered. Alonzo and Victor were there as well, along with Coricopat. "You have a lot of explaining to do," the protector commander growled. "Give them a chance," Demeter muttered towards her husband. "Jemima and Erik have already done their best." Munkustrap rubbed his temples. "Sorry that I lost my temper," he breathed heavily. "Just tell me what you found."
Mungojerrie explained their adventure in great detail, with Rumpleteazer and Plato cutting in occasionally. "Wait a second," Munkus said. "So you … entered the bar," he repeated. "And I will be having words with you about that," he said to Jemima. "Talked to the bar tender, then the two of you spoke with Grumbuskin. After you got him drunk, what did he say exactly?" "I asked if Macavity was continuing Growltiger's war on foreign cats. He laughed and said that Macavity wasn't, he was powerless against the cap… and then he realised what he was saying and…" "That not true," Rumpleteazer butted in. "what he said was 'He's powerless against Fire and the cap…' then he stopped." Munkustrap's eyes went wide. "Fire?" he asked in a croaky voice. Rumpleteazer nodded. "Definitely." The silver and black tabby sank onto his haunches. "Oh no," he whimpered. "What's wrong?" Alonzo asked his older brother. Munkustrap looked at his brother. "This explains what happened to Macavity. How he went from being our caring big brother to an absolute monster. But it's worse than that." "How could it be worse?" Erik asked. "The napoleon of crime is being controlled by the Terror of the Thames. What could be worse?" Munkustrap looked at the young cat. "The Fiend of the Fell," he replied quietly.
Every cat in the den, save for Erik, gasped in horror. "Sorry, who?" the ebony cat asked. "Firefrorefiddle," the chief protector said. When Erik shook his head, the silver tom continued. "Firefrorefiddle was a cat who lived out on the fells. He was a really nasty piece of work, murdered anything that moved for the fun of it. Mice, birds, cats and dogs. The stories say he even mauled a man to death. He was a massive cat, with a great long coat, burning red eyes and huge claws that he sharped on a wet stone. His usual haunt was up in the Pennine Fells, but he started moving south. Every city he visited, cats died. Nothing could stop him. But then he just … disappeared. No one knew what happened to him." He looked at Demeter, who was shivering. "This was years ago, when me and your mother were small kits. After he disappeared, they turned him into a story, then a myth. Gus even starred as him on stage. Got seven cat calls from the gallery and everything. But no one ever knew what happened to him. Some say he died. Pollicle Swill in my opinion. I don't think he could have died without all of Britain knowing it. I always thought that maybe he just grew tired of it all and stopped." The silver cat paused, looking at the scared felines before him. "If you're right, and Firefrorefiddle is working with Macavity and Growltiger, then we are in greater danger than we ever dreamed in our darkest nightmares."