Chapter 10

The ginger and white cat came home just before supper. Hazel was waiting for her in the window along with Phileas. After jumping in and accepting Hazel's snuggle in greeting, Phileas asked the girl to go downstairs so they could have privacy.

Phileas and Hazel had already had a little talk about all the secrecy needed in the service of the Queen. Hazel had told him the story Rebecca gave her about the evil wizard who was threatening their monarch. Even as cats, they, the Queen's loyal protectors, were expected to do their duty, and Hazel was more than willing to help as much as she could.

"I won't hold your running off this morning against you," Phileas started, "if you don't do it again. And I am very sorry about snapping at you last night. By the way, that was quite an ingenious story you told Hazel. I'm not sure I would have been up to the challenge."

"Nonsense," Rebecca said. "Where do you think I learned how to make up cover stories, if not by watching you?"

"Are you accusing me of teaching you how to lie?" he said.

"Oh, misrepresent, embellish, mislead, exaggerate and be inventive, yes; but no, we never lie," Rebecca said in mock horror. "Tell me what has been going on here and I will tell you about my day. Start with that stunning, handsome collar."

"I am glad you like it," the black cat said. "You will get yours after dinner."

Phileas told her about his discovering her gone and his harrowing day playing with the children. "It was worth it because it got me this collar." He explained about magic stones and what the one Hazel gave him did. "I am going to have to be careful around the adults to keep it hidden. They don't seem to pay much attention to me, so it shouldn't be too difficult. I have checked all the occupants of the house but Mrs. Wendell. It seems only Hazel can talk to and hear us."

"I will test her at supper for you," Rebecca offered. "You shouldn't draw her attention. Shouldn't you take it off and hide it somewhere until we need it?"

"Hazel would notice it gone right away," Phileas said. "So far, Mrs. Wendell hasn't questioned the children about her missing stone. I don't think she wants them to know what they can do. Both were chastised for getting into her jewelry. The collection was moved to Mrs. Wendell's room. I don't think it wise to make more of it than necessary. Now, tell me about what you found."

Rebecca began her report, pausing when she came to the incident at the market. She wasn't sure if she wanted to admit to taking on a rat. Rebecca wasn't sure why she attacked it, anyway. Skipping it, she moved on to seeing Passepartout on the roof of the cobbler's shop.

"Then we have been missed," he said, feeling both hope and dread. "That is going to be a problem. I wouldn't put it past him to come looking for us. If Passepartout gets caught and ends up a cat, too, we will have no one who knows where we disappeared. He must be warned off."

Rebecca finished her report with the new security measures.

"That will be good for them, but could be bad for us," Phileas said. "Monitor that. Now, what have you not told me?"

"What?"

"I can tell you skipped something," Phileas said. "However insignificant, tell me. It might be useful."

"Well… it was more disturbing than anything," she said. Rebecca told him about the rat in the market. For a long moment Phileas said nothing, then admitted to catching a mouse.

"And what were you going to do with it?" Rebecca said.

"It wasn't a conscious decision," he said. "I just saw it and acted. It could be part of the instincts of this form. I was also disturbed by it. Let us get our supper and will get Hazel to let me out to deal with Passepartout."

"And just how are you going to do that as a cat?" Rebecca asked. "He won't understand you like Hazel can."

"I have an idea. It all depends on how well Hazel can write."

In the kitchen, Hazel was telling her father about how Phil played with her all day. Ben told her of Phil's mousing skills. "Really!" Hazel said, all excited. "You didn't tell me you caught a mouse today?" Hazel said when the cats walked in.

Her mother walked in a moment later and saw the two cats together. "Coming out of hiding?" she said, addressing Rebecca. "Your supper is ready, too."

Supper was tuna scraps from preparing the family's meal. Phileas had never liked tuna as a human, but as a cat, any fish was delicious. They ate it up and then washed. The two cats were just finishing that when Mrs. Wendell came back into the kitchen for dessert. The black tom ducked his head to hide his pendant as she approached.

Rebecca tried to think of a way to draw the woman into talking to her, but there was no need. Mrs. Wendell dropped to her knees beside her.

"All right, young lady, I know you talked Hazel into letting you out of the house," she said. "As you made it back home again, I won't fuss, but the streets aren't safe for a house cat. Mrs. Pool told me you two were raised indoors."

"You knew!"

"Of course I knew," she said. "When you didn't come down for breakfast, I looked for you. What kind of mother do you think I am, not to notice such things?" She reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the silver bracelet and then clasped it around Rebecca's cat's neck. On it was a little pendant that looked like amber.

"Your brother here seems to be happy at home, but if you are going to wander off during the day, you need a collar to keep the animal control people from taking you. But there is also the danger of dogs and wagons and horses and people who don't like cats. The stone on the collar is a protective charm. As long as you stay five feet, ah, five cat lengths from anyone human or animal, you won't be seen."

"Thank you," Rebecca said.

"You're welcome," Rachel Wendell accepted, staring at the cat for a moment. "Of the two of you, I expected him to be the one to go roaming." She reached over to the black cat and gave him scratches behind the ears. "You were very good with the children today. To think you wanted me to get Hazel to choose a kitten." With a smile, she stood to take the dessert to her family.

Both cats just stared after her for a long moment. "I think I could hug that woman," Rebecca said, ending the silence. "Between what you have and this, we should have ample protection until we figure out how to get back to normal. Phileas… Phileas," Rebecca called to him.

She turned to look at him. The black cat had a dazed look in his eyes. Then Rebecca heard–"Phileas Fogg, you are purring!"

The black tom snapped out of his trance. Now he knew why cats enjoyed getting their heads scratched so much. "I will see you upstairs."

Phileas headed for the door. On the way through the dining room, he looked up at Mrs. Wendell a quick smile.