CHAPTER TWO: MARGALO'S WARNING
"Margalo, what's a matter of life-or-death? Are you in danger? Is that falcon threatening you again?" Stuart asked in concern.
"He's threatening you!"
"Me? Why is he after me?"
"He knows about us and he's threatening you to get at me."
"Why is he threatening me to get at you? I thought he was just a predatory bird that wanted to eat you."
"This situation is very complicated."
"Just try and explain it the best you can."
The canary sighed. "First off, I think it's time you learned the real truth about me."
"About you? Was there something you weren't being honest about?"
"Oh Stuart, save us being friends, there wasn't a thing that I was honest about."
"What?" the mouse gasped, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing.
"I found this stick pin. It wasn't from my mother. I don't even like my mother."
"How come?"
"When I was little, I hurt my wing. My parents were very strict. They believed in survival of the fittest. So, when I hurt my wing one day, and I couldn't keep up with them and my siblings, dad said that I should just be left behind. And so they did."
Stuart gasped. "I'm sorry to hear about your parents. That wasn't right of them to do that."
"That wasn't the worst of it though. I was barely getting by. Barely avoiding predators on my own. Then one day, a falcon took me in. He helped me get food and took care of me. I thought he really cared for me. But then, two months after I'd come under his wing, and came to rely on him, he showed his true colors. He told me I couldn't get any more food from him unless I stole items for him."
"Stole items?"
"Yes. I've been stealing for him for years. I worked on 'jobs' for him, conning people and stealing their items. I'd fake like I was in danger, fake injuries, and-"
"Wait a minute, you're saying you faked being chased by that falcon and faked your wing injury?"
The canary sighed deeply. "That's what I'm saying. I tricked you. I'm so sorry, I hadn't gotten to know you and-"
"You pretended to be my friend so that you could steal from us? And I thought you were really my friend! You'd better leave before I tell-" Stuart fumed.
"You're right. I did, at first. But I really became your friend. Nobody had been my friend before. I didn't even have my parents, only Falcon. Then you came along. Now, Falcon says I must take the ring or he will eat you. And I've seen him eat his prey. He doesn't kill them right away. And, knowing that I directly disobeyed him and that I like you, you'll be lucky to die within just three minutes!"
"He's planning to kill me?"
"That's what I came to warn you about. Either I get him that ring tonight, or you're his lunch tomorrow. But I found that I can't steal from you or your family."
"I don't like being tricked like that," the mouse said. Margalo hung her head in shame. Clearly, she expected him to proceed to tell her off. "But, then again, you're not the first to do that to me."
"I'm not?" Margalo wondered who else had used Stuart before.
"Snowbell."
"Snowbell? He seemed pretty great, for a cat."
"He is now, but, when we first met, he didn't really care for me. His worst action came sometime after some mice had pretended to be my parents and then I'd back here, having realized that they weren't. The Littles had also realized that those mice weren't really my parents either and had cut me out of the family picture, so that they could make posters to find me. But Snowbell lied to me and said that they'd removed me because they didn't like me and were glad I was gone. Later, he came and confessed that he'd lied about the whole thing. He saved me from some cats, despite not liking me. That's what family does for each other, he said, and he was right. We are family."
"So, you forgave him?"
"Yes." He then added "And I'll forgive you too. Truth be told, you did a very brave thing in defying Falcon and warning me and not stealing for him."
"So what are we going to do?"
"We're going to leave tonight. You, me, and Snowbell. I think you're right that it's possible Mom and Dad could send you away if they heard that you planned to steal from us from the beginning and lied to us. But I don't want you sent away. And if I just tell them what you said, they'll ask a lot of questions and you'll likely have to tell them the whole truth. So, we need to go somewhere safe, where we can lie low, and also come up with a plan to get rid of Falcon. Mom and Dad don't trust me to be able to do anything, anyway. This is my big chance to prove myself. By helping someone else out, as well as myself, I can show that I can take care of myself."
"Maybe I should just tell them. I mean, if I have to never see you again if they send me away, at least you'll be safe."
"No, I can't accept that. You're my friend. I don't want you sent away. I'll do what I have to do."
"Thank you so much Stuart!" The canary kissed him on the cheek. The mouse turned bright red, clearly not expecting that.