Chapter 14

Home was never a more welcome place. When Passepartout set the box down in the study, Phileas and Rebecca bounded out of the cramped box in relief. After some shaking and stretching, the cats disbursed to comfortable spots in the room. Phileas took his chair by the fireplace and Rebecca… "Rebecca, where are you?" Phileas said.

"Right here," she said, and jumped into the chair with him.

"Passepartout, please remove Rebecca's collar?" The black cat said.

"Rebecca, that charm stone is sometimes more annoying than useful."

"On the contrary, it has been very useful," she corrected. "Where is yours, by the way?"

The black cat bounded off the chair as Passepartout came forward. The ginger kitty disappeared into thin air when he got close to the chair, but the impression of her weight was still there. He reached out, found invisible soft, long fur, and felt the neck for her collar. When he removed it, the ginger cat was visible again.

Phileas returned to the chair, carrying his collar in his mouth. He laid it down on the upholstery. "Put both somewhere safe. We will need them tomorrow."

"Where do we go tomorrow?"

"You are taking us to Charing Cross Road, and Rebecca and I will attempt to get our true forms back. If it doesn't work–Well, we will either be dead or you will become the keeper of one or two cats," Phileas said. "Could you find us something to eat? I am famished."

Passepartout set out a meal of diced mutton in the kitchen. He sat plates up on the table in the study out of habit.

"Thank you, Passepartout," Phileas said, acknowledging his respectful effort. "In this form is easier for us to eat from the floor."

By the time their homecoming meal was over, Phileas had told nearly all that had happened to them.

"Ben had me hanging in the air over the desk, immobile. I would have had no recourse if you hadn't come interrupting the interrogation. If the man could make me speak English, I have no doubts he could have made me tell him all we were planning. Ben or Rachel," the cat added. "I am afraid to think what she was about to do when he came by."

"I should come with you when entering magic town," Passepartout insisted. "This sounding far too dangerous to have no help."

"It is far too dangerous for you to be anywhere near us when it starts," Phileas said. He turned his head to Rebecca as she made a comment Passepartout couldn't hear. "Rebecca says the new security charm is already in place. You can't enter without a larger de-spell stone to counteract the effects. And don't try, anyway. The effect would put you out of commission and unable to get us away if we fail and can escape."

Rebecca excused herself after eating to go to bed. Passepartout went up with her to open the door to the guest room. The ginger and white cat jumped up on the bed, circled once, and settled in a ball with only her ginger fur showing. She knew the servant wouldn't understand, but she called out good night to him, anyway.

Passepartout smiled as he left the room and said good night back.

When he came down again, Passepartout found the black cat on the hearthstones by the fire. It opened its eyes when hearing him enter. "I have opened your door."

"Thank you, but that was unnecessary," the sleepy cat said, looking up. "In this form, I am more comfortable on a hard surface. I will sleep here tonight." Phileas laid his head down on his paws again and stared into the fire.

Passepartout added wood to the blaze and turned off the gaslight. "Good night, master."

The animal's eyes were closed, already asleep.

Passepartout took in the sight of the shiny black cat in the firelight with a troubled heart. What would happen if I becoming valet to a cat? It will take months before Phileas Fogg is presumed dead. When that happens, this house will no longer be my home. I will have to find other work. Few employers allow servants to keep pets.

He left the room quietly to go to his own.