The moon was whispering softly as a summer breeze, and he knew it was trying to tell him something. He didn't know what it wanted, but he strained to hear its call. The moon's song grew less distinct. The aged, dusty tom sighed, and turned to his only grandchild, a golden queen named Jellylorum.
"I can hardly hear the song tonight," croaked the voice of Asparagus, the old Theatre Cat. Another year was over, and the Jellicle Ball was just beginning.
"I promise, you'll hear it better later," the younger queen told him, her warm smile a great assurance to the old tom. He sighed again, and turned his lined face back to the moon.
It soared overhead, darting between the light clouds in the darkened sky. Gus strained again to raise the volume of the fading music. To him, it seemed a losing battle, and it was only Jellylorum and Old Deuteronomy that could keep him from giving up on life entirely.
He watched the others of the tribe dance at the moon's beckoning, and his old heart began to cry. It had been too long... He couldn't even remember the last he'd actually been able to dance under the Jellicle Moon.
Tears pricked the eyes of the aged grey and brown tom. He turned to Jellylorum, but she was too enthralled with watching the dancing that she didn't even notice. Gus sighed under his breath, and turned to Old Deuteronomy, who sat at his other side. Deuteronomy gave him a comforting smile, and the former actor forced a smile onto his own cracked lips.
The dancing which Asparagus had so longed to join was finally over. Gus was surprised: he could suddenly hear the moon's music loud and clear. He rose, and stood before the grand tire, tottering on his weary feet.
After a moment's delay, Jellylorum appeared at his side, and steadied her grandfather by placing a paw firmly on his lean shoulder. Gus was comforted, and the thrill of performance overwhelmed his aged form. He felt a glow grace his face as he and Jellylorum tore center stage away from the other Jellicles.
His paws were shaking, but not from fear of being on display. Indeed, he loved the limelight, and his shakiness was caused by disease. Jellylorum slowly introduced her grandfather to the youngest of the kittens, whom Gus could barely see.
He took over as his memories became more vivid. He knew that none of the young kittens would understand much of what he told them of; time had a curious way of leaving rifts between generations.
Some of the younger kittens were nodding off to sleep, but there was no longer anything Gus could do to keep them interested in what he had to say. He was too tired and too old to do anything like re-enacting the last battle of Growltiger, which he and the other Jellicles had done the previous year.
Gus was nearly in tears when Jellylorum helped him back to his place near the Jellicle Leader. The rest of the evening passed as a blur, interspersed with vivid flashbacks to when he was a star.
And Old Deuteronomy knew that the old Theatre Cat had reached the end of his time. He extended his own old paw, and clasped that of Asparagus. Old Deuteronomy helped the teary-eyed old tom to his feet, and watched as the silvery stair descended from the heavens.
Gus looked up, and was surprised to find himself easily able to climb the stairs. Partway up the staircase to the Heaviside, he turned around, and saw Jellylorum smiling and waving to her grandfather. He turned around, smiling himself, and continued slowly to the wonders of the Heaviside Layer.