Munkustrap stirred slowly, pulling his head out of Demeter’s fur.
“Etcetera? Jemima? Shouldn’t you two still be sleeping?” The last sentence was spoken with his head halfway back down to Demeter’s stomach.
Etcetera, galvanized into action, leapt upon the pair, pushing and shoving them out of their den. “No! Come now----if you don’t come now, she may bleed to death!”
Demeter was jerked out of a deep slumber by these words.
“Munk!” She was the only one privileged enough to call the leader of the Jellicle tribe by his most private of nicknames. “I don’t think they’re exaggerating!”
With one final shake to clear the sleep out of his eyes, Munkustrap was out the door. “How far is it?”
“Not very far,” said Jemima. “I only hope we’re in time. Hurry!”
Alonzo was still a kitten, and leader of the young males, but was quickly maturing. He took great pride in the fact that Munkustrap had chosen him to be his successor when Munkustrap took over Old Deuteronomy’s role. He saw himself officiating over the Jellicle Ball, watching over the kittens, enjoying the caresses of a beautiful mate, possibly Cassandra. He liked that part about the caresses........
A faint, musky scent brought him back to reality. Where had he smelled that before? It was so familiar! He wrinkled his nose in self-disgust. Before he became a leader, he had to learn how to focus. He silently padded out into the clearing, following the blood droplets. With his nose so close to the ground, it was easy for him to discover that the blood was fresh. Alonzo’s pace quickened as he sensed he was reaching his destination.
He nearly screeched in horror at what he found. A young queen was flat on her back before him, one slender hind leg snared in a huge, vicious-looking metal trap. Recovering quickly, he set to work trying to free her. His white paws were soon drenched in blood as in his frantic efforts he only managed to open the wound wider.
“Here she is!” Alonzo jumped at Etcetera’s voice. “Demeter, hurry!”
Munkustrap was the second on the scene. “Alonzo, how did you find her?”
“I followed the trail. See?” He pointed back the way he came.
Demeter entered, panting from her long run, and immediately stiffened.
“Macavity! Macavity did this! We must take her and go, now!”
None of the other cats had any reason to doubt her. Munkustrap gestured for Demeter to come closer. She had brought some rags that could be used to staunch the flow of blood, and they looked like they would come in handy.
“Alonzo, help me get this thing off her!” He moved to help Munkustrap, and their combined strength managed to free her from the trap. Demeter leapt in and clamped a pawful of the rags against the wound. At the moment the pressure was applied, the queen sat up with a horrible screech and threw her arms about Alonzo’s neck. He got a glimpse at her face as she was sitting up, and the haunted look in her eyes would remain in his mind forever.
“Please, don’t let him hurt me anymore! I’ll do anything you ask, as long as you don’t let him touch me!”
The air seemed to explode with the same musky odor that Alonzo had detected earlier. At the same time, a cold laugh broke the menacing science. The kitten buried her face in Alonzo’s neck, sobbing brokenly. “He’s back, he’s come back to kill me....”
Alonzo lost no time, pressing a paw against the rags. He lifted the kitten, who weighed virtually nothing, and began to run. The rest of the cats swiftly followed, none of them eager to face Macavity.
*********************************
“Lie her down gently, Alonzo.”
“Dem, she’s unconscious. She wouldn’t feel it if I dropped her.”
“That may be, but do as I said.”
Alonzo set the kitten down softly on a bed of torn-up newspaper. Stepping back, he got his first good look at her.
And all he could was gape.
She was beyond beautiful. Her coat was a deep, lustrous black that was obvious even through the grime and blood. The black was only broken by a white face and chest that stood out glaring in the faint light that filtered through the blanket that covered the door. She had the tiniest white forepaws he had ever seen. Her limbs were long and spindly, her features delicate and precise. She was, without a doubt, the most perfect creature he had ever seen. In that instant he fell irrevocably and inexplicably in love with her. He had to touch her, he thought feverishly, inching forward. Demeter looked up just as Alonzo reached out with a tentative paw.
“Just what d’you think you’re doing? Shove off!” Demeter pushed him roughly.
“Wait here while I go get Tantomile. She should have a look at her.” With that, Dem made her exit.
Embarrassed, Alonzo backed away, not taking his eyes of the kitten. As if sensing his gaze on her, she stirred faintly and moaned, then sat up. Alonzo found himself locking gazes with the most exquisite creature he had ever seen. Her eyes were an icy, stunning blue that refused to let his go. They stared at each other, breathlessly, until she broke the silence.
“Wh-where am I? And who are you?”
“I’m Alonzo. You’re in the Jellicle Junkyard. And you would be?”
“Jellicles?” she whispered, seemingly shocked. “You’re a Jellicle?”
He nodded. She recovered from her surprise quickly, smiled, and replied, “I’m Jezabette. Thank you for saving me. You and your friends are very brave.”
If it was possible for a cat to blush, Alonzo did. “Are you the leader here?”
He shook his head. “Naw, I’m third-in-command.”
“And incredibly handsome.” He blushed again, and looked at her shyly. She was smiling weakly, as if it took all her energy to do so. He spoke quickly, all former traces of vanity and self-confidence gone. Suddenly, showing off in front of this queen was no longer important. He felt no need to impress her.
“I’m not that important. Basically, I focus on being nice to everyone.”
“An admirable aspiration.”
“The Sleeping Beauty awakes!” Demeter pushed back the curtain with a flourish, and grinned.
Jezabette pulled her eyes away from his, and Alonzo felt as if a part of him had been torn away. An aching emptiness filled him, making him shudder, but still he could not look away from her. Tantomile, an exotic female tabby, had entered, followed closely by Demeter.
“My name is Jezabette,” she said softly and tried to rise to greet Demeter and Tantomile. They gently pushed her back onto the bed. “Lay still. You’ve lost a lot of blood. Now, why don’t you tell me how in the name of the Everlasting Cat you got caught in a trap like that?” Tantomile smiled reassuringly at the delicate feline.
Jezabette looked away. “I made a stupid mistake. I stole food from Macavity and his crew in the city. They caught me, and when I tried to escape, they chased me into the trap and left me to die. They left for a few minutes to go get chains so that they could.........do more damage.” Drawing her knees up to her chin, she wrapped her arms around her legs. She seemed to be shrinking, as if she could escape Macavity’s memory by getting smaller.
“You were lucky to get away with that much. For Macavity, that was downright merciful.” Alonzo was shocked to hear a young tom’s voice behind him. Turning, he saw Pouncival, his younger brother, a mostly white kitten with eclectic brown spots grinning at them from where he was lounging against the wall. Jezabette was surprised as well. Pouncival entered the already-crowded room and stood over her. “Looks pretty nasty, but we all know that Macavity could’ve done worse.”
“I was know I was lucky.” She turned to Demeter and Alonzo. “You two and your friends saved my life. To only say thank you seems completely inadequate, but I find that it is all I can say."
Demeter nodded. “You’re more than welcome, dear one. Now, lie down. It’s warm in here, and you need your sleep. I’ll be back soon with some food for you, but now you need to rest and gather your strength.”
“But those kittens, and that big grey tabby---I need to thank them, and I’m feeling much better.”
Tantomile looked up from the kitten’s side, where she had been kneeling, a mixture of amazement and shock on her face. “Demeter, she’s right. The wound is almost healed!”
“What?!” Demeter stared at Jezabette, then knelt down beside her. Peeling aside the bandages, she stared her leg. While the immediate area was still covered in dried blood, the actual wound was substantially smaller and much less threatening-looking.
Straightening, Demeter barely managed to control her curiosity. “It looks much better, Jezabette, but I still think you need your sleep.”
Jezabette sighed, leaned back, and closed her eyes. Alonzo was the last to leave, and as he was exiting, he heard her whisper his name. His heart pounding, he crawled back in. She stood, facing him, and he was surprised to see that there was a huge height difference. Laughing, he said “You’re nothing but a kitten!”
“Good things come in small packages” she replied with a grin. Stretching herself up, she kissed him sweetly on the cheek. “Thank you again for saving me, Alonzo. If there is anything that I can ever do for you, you need but ask.”
With that, she turned and flopped back on her bed, and proceeded to curl up and fall asleep. Alonzo stood stock still for a few seconds, his hand halfway to his cheek, before turning and leaving
“Whining will get you nowhere, Electra. Hush and eat your lunch.”
“Awwwwww, but how come Alonzo and Pouncival can see her, and I can’t?”
“You know very well that Alonzo helped to save her, and Pouncival knows that he isn’t supposed to be in there. Anyway, you took lunch to her yesterday. You saw her then. I’m going to have a talk with that kitten. He’s honestly too much too handle!” At that very moment, Pouncival dropped down on top of Jelly, picking the absolute worst time to live up to his name. Jelly threw him off of her, and glared at Skimbleshanks, trying to hold onto her dignity as the rest of the tribe struggled not to laugh. Looking incredibly pleased with himself, Pouncival climbed onto the trunk of an abandoned car and began to bathe. “Skimble, you are entirely too lenient with your son! You see, he’s completely ruined my new cross stitch! He’s becoming a terror!” To emphasize her point, Jelly held up a barely wrinkled piece of cloth that was skillfully embroidered with a likeness of Victoria.
Skimble chuckled, gazing fondly at his son. “You’ve always had a tendency to over exaggerate, Jelly. And since he’s already apologized today for not helping Jenny with the cockroaches, spilling what was supposed to be our lunch (“I was doing you guys a favor. It didn’t look healthy!”), stealing Rum’s hair gel, hitting Bomby so hard on the head she lost consciousness, and for causing the general mayhem that he so excels at, I think you should let this minor transgression go.”
Skimble was a cheerful marmalade cat who had passed his sunny disposition on to his children. In Pouncival, however, this trait mixed with stubbornness and general incompetency---with catastrophic results. His exact opposite was his brother Alonzo, who, while being just as happy as the rest of his family, was gentle and quiet where Pouncival was loud and abrasive. Those qualities attracted females like flies to Alonzo, who wasn’t doing much complaining. Skimble was becoming worried for his eldest son, who was becoming more withdrawn with each passing moonrise. Alonzo even neglected his nightly dances with Cassandra, the shapely Siamese everyone assumed that he would choose as his mate when the time came. He seemed content to merely sit and stare at the sky for hours, forgetting to eat or even breath if he wasn’t reminded.
The arguments stopped as Munkustrap entered with Mistofelees. The tribe hushed in respect for their chief appeared to be ready to speak. “Misto and I have just returned from visiting Old Deuteronomy, and we are both pleased to announce that Jezabette will be staying with us for as long as she wishes.” Munk grinned unashamedly at Misto as they listened to the tribe erupt in cheers. Jezabette was the most popular cat in the tribe and she hadn’t met half of them yet.
Etcetera caught sight of Alonzo toying absently with a bone, and trotted over. Rolling around on her stomach, she looked up at him and grinned. “Why aren’t you happy that Jezabette is staying, Lonnie? I thought you liiiiikkkkkeeeed her!”
Alonzo stiffened, then rose and walked out of the main clearing. He nearly collided with Cassandra, who had just arrived. “Alonzo, darling! I’ve been wanting to talk to you----”
“Not now, Cassandra. I have to get home. My humans are worried that I’m spending too much time away from the house, and I’ve got to go.” He kissed her brusquely, then hurried away.
Entering the main gathering area, where lunch was still going in full swing, Cassandra stopped Bombalurina. “Bomb, have you noticed a change in Alonzo lately? He just doesn’t seem like himself!”
The slim red sexpot shrugged. “If you ask me, Cassi, I think he’s got something for that Jezabette. He’s always making excuses to take her food, or some clean bandages, or a pretty leaf he found on the way here. Good thing you two weren’t matched permanently, huh?”
Cassi looked ready to vomit. *I’ll be a pollicle before I let that little twit get Alonzo.* She turned on her heel and strode out of the clearing. Bomb sighed, and stretched lazily in a patch of sun. Her sultry movements aroused the attention of The Rum Tum Tugger, a monster of a cat and Bomb’s on-again, off-again boyfriend. “Hey gorgeous, care to share your sun?” Bomb smiled invitingly at him. “I’d like to share much more with you, baby.” He chuckled and pulled her in for a rough kiss. They pulled apart as Etcetera began to wail piteously. “Oh Rummy! Why don’t you ever cuddle with meeeeeeee????!!!!!! I thought I was your favorite!!!! Waaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!”
Rum sighed. *Anything to shut her up.* “Of course you’re my favorite.” Forcing a grin, he chucked Etcetera under her chin. A dreamy look came over her face, and she flopped backwards into the waiting arms of Plato. “Y’know, Rum, I’m not always going to be here to catch her.” “Good. Maybe if she knocks her head a few times, she’ll understand that I’m not interested!”
He roughly pulled his paw from her, shaking uncontrollably. Jezabette moaned in her sleep, then fell silent. He backed toward the door, and left as quietly as he had come, leaving her to her dreams.
After he left, Jezabette’s eyes fluttered open, and she sat up quickly. Mice! She hadn’t been quick enough to see who it was. *Jezabette, you’ve got to work on your reaction time* she thought ruefully. Sighing deeply, she stretched out her legs and smiled as she noticed that the flesh no longer pulled painfully at the bandages. She began to yank the bandages off and grinned when she saw that her wound was completely healed. Mewing in delight, she leapt lightly around her small den, and promptly collided with Pouncival, who had been bringing her some lunch.
“Glad to see you’re feeling better, but here’s something that’ll bring anybody down. Fish again!”
She made a face. “Again? That’s three days in a row!”
“Make that five. You were unconscious for two of them.”
“Speaking of being unconscious, someone was in here while I was sleeping.”
“It was probably Jelly or Jenny. They’re always checking on you--they think they’re your mothers. If I were you, I’d be really embarrassed.”
“If you were me, we’d all be really alarmed.” He grinned. She had a quick tongue, this one. “Anyway, I’d don’t think it was either of them. It was a tom. I could sense it. A young one.”
“That could be any number of toms here, except for Munkustrap. He’s stuck on Demeter. Oh, and Rum. He’s stuck on himself. You had better keep an eye out for...........Jezabette?”
She had spaced out as cats do, singing softly to herself. “What’re you singing? It’s pretty.”
“Oh, an old song that reminded my of my mystery visitor. Something my mother used to sing to me when I was tiny.”
“You still are.” “Do you want to hear the song or not?” “Sorry.”
She cleared her throat, and sang in a clear, sweet soprano:
“Who was that shape in the shadows? Whose is the face in the mask?”
Pounce was stunned. “Your voice.....it’s beautiful!”
She blushed. “Thank you. I’ve always loved to sing.”
They grinned openly at each other for a moment.
“Pouncival, d’you think that they’d let me leave? It’s really cramped in here, and I want to stretch my legs.”
“Even if you’re not allowed, what are the chances of you actually staying here?” She grinned cheekily at him. “Slim to none. Anyway, I want to meet some of these other cats that you’re always talking about.”
“All right then! You’d better eat-----it’ll take all of your energy to keep up with all of us.”
Jezabette poked the flaccid fish with a finger. “Ummmmm, I think I can manage without lunch. I don’t eat anything that looks like it could wake up at any moment.”
“Oh no you don’t! If I had to eat it, so do you!” With that, Pouncival grabbed a pawful of the fish and tossed it at her. He missed when she ducked at the last minute, and found himself running for his life as she advanced on him with the fish. Laughing, they flew out of her den, Pouncival barely staying ahead of Jezabette who was sporadically throwing mushy bits of fish at him.
“I thought you were dying!” He panted, glancing back at her.
“I was. I’m better now!” Pouncival squealed as she lobbed a well-aimed chunk between his eyes. “I guess you are!”
“I’m gonna get you! Just hold st---” She was cut short as Tumblebrutus tackled her from behind. Tripping, Jezabette threw her arms over her head for balance, but ended up falling anyways. However, she succeeded in covering Tumble with the now rancid remains of her lunch. “Ooops! I’m so sorry, er, uh, what’s your name?”
“Tumblebrutus. And thank you for the fish, but I’ve already had my lunch.”
Jezabette giggled sheepishly and walked over to him. “Here, let me wipe that off you--” He pushed her paws away. “Don’t worry about it, I’ll clean myself. No sense in such a pretty young queen getting dirty with me.”
She blushed. “Thank you, Tumblebrutus. Can I call you Tumble? Your whole name is too long for someone as lazy as me.”
“Sure. Hey, do you want me to take you around? Y’know, show you the Junkyard?” He gave her his best suave smile, hoping to impress the shapely, stunning queen.
Pouncival stepped in at this point. “I hate to break this up, but I was just doing that.” The best friends glared at each other. Both were teenaged cats, with hormones ruling their heads, and the tension between them over Jezzie was truly frightening. Seeing an fight brewing, Jezabette put a paw on both of their arms. “Why don’t you both show me around? It’ll be more fun, and I need to find--”
Once again, she was cut short as Electra, Etcetera, Jemima, Victoria, and Plato arrived. Jezabette had already met Etcetera and Jemima, and had briefly encountered Electra the day before when she had brought Jezabette some food. Etcetera and Jemima were beside themselves with joy at the sight of “our Jezzie” being up and about. To show their happiness, they covered her with kisses and hugs which were enthusiastically received and returned. Victoria, a snowy white queen with regal bearings and her mate, Plato, a hulking, stoic tabby, were swiftly introduced, and Vicky took an instant liking to the delicate ebony kitten.
“You know, we could be sisters! We’re built the same, we look the same, and only our coats are different!”
Plato shook his head. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Vicky, but one of you is enough!” They all stood around talking for a few minutes, until Jezabette suggested that they play a huge group game of tag. This was agreed to unanimously, and they set off in different directions, screeching with delight as they were chased by Tumblebrutus.
Alonzo heard loud boisterous laughter and the sounds of pounding paws coming toward him. Standing on the tire, he looked about him, trying to see where the sounds were coming from. He got his answer a few moments later when seemingly all the kittens of the tribe poured into the clearing. They lay in a huge, panting pile, grinning exhaustedly at each other. Jemima sat up, and waved at Alonzo cheerily. The tiny calico yelled up to him, “Guess what Alonzo! Jezabette’s doing much better, right Jezabette?” She looked over the kittens, trying to find her. She shrugged at him. “Well, she’s in here somewhere!”
“I’m under Tumblebrutus, and if this oaf could kindly remove his elbow from my ear, I could get out!” Laughing breathlessly, Jezabette appeared. Alonzo could do nothing but gape at her. Every time he saw her she seemed to become more lovely, if that was possible. Her sapphire eyes glittered, and her coat shone like glass. “Alonzo! There you are! Why don’t you join in?”
He shook his head, and replied “I’d rather just watch, thanks.”
Jezabette sighed. Picking her way carefully in and out of the bodies, she leapt up beside him. “I’ll sit out with you, then. Misery loves company.”
“But I’m not miserable-”
She put a finger to his lips. “Your face would make even a lemon feel ashamed, it’s so sour. Come on, Alonzo! Come play! Or are you too grown up for such silly games?” She pouted mockingly at him, and he had to laugh at her expression. “All right, I’ll play. What’s the game?” “Tag!” squealed Etcetera. Her enthusiasm was hard not to share, and he joined in with a vengeance.
As he was the last one to join the game, he was “IT”. He would’ve loved to catch Jezabette, since being caught meant you were tackled and pinned against the nearest flat surface. She was too quick for him, though, and he had to be content with fleeting glimpses of her as she scaled high towers of trash. Alonzo was a quick runner, and a stealthy hunter, so he made short work of finding and catching his friends and siblings. He had just caught Jemima, and had pinned the wiggling kitten beneath him when Pouncival and Jezabette landed in front of him. They laughed as he struggled with her, and taunted him with their nearness, stepping close and leaping away before he grabbed them. He got to his feet as quickly as he could, and chased after the pair.
They led him on a twisting trail that was hard to navigate when you were just walking it. Panting hard, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath and leaned against a huge teddy bear with only one eye. He caught someone to sneak past him out of the corner of his eye while he sat there, and leapt out. His aggressive attack startled even him.
Pouncival groaned. “You got me, Alonzo. You don’t have to hold me that hard. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Where’s Jezabette?” Pouncival shrugged. “I don’t know. She was still going in the same direction when we split up.” Alonzo took off at a dead run, hoping to catch her soon---the ache was returning, and he needed her close to him. Looking around, he saw an old toy trunk lying on its side, with the door stuck partially open. Grinning to himself, he hoisted himself up into the trunk.
Unbeknownst to Jezabette, Alonzo had secreted himself high above her. His breath caught in his throat when he saw her sprint into the clearing below him. She stopped just below him to catch her breath, and with a bloodcurdling shriek he dropped down on top of her. His legs pinned her torso to the ground, and his arms strained to hold hers back.
“Do you surrender?”
“Never!” she yelled defiantly.
He grinned. “Then I’ll just have to torture you.”
“Torture me? But how---”
“With a kiss.” He bent his head down gently, and kissed her long and full on the lips. Alonzo was amazed that he had taken such a bold step, but he was enjoying it nonetheless. As he held the kiss longer than either expected, her struggles gradually ended, and she let herself be held by him.
“Why, Alonzo, I thought you had to go home.” Both of the kittens started at the sound of Cassi’s voice. She smiled poisonously at both of them, but her eyes betrayed the hurt and sadness she truly felt. Alonzo stood. “Cassi, I--”
She beckoned to him, and he followed her until they reached the now empty main clearing. Cassi turned to him, tears streaming down her face. “Alonzo, before you start falling over yourself trying to apologize, let me say what I want to. Nothing you say can change what happened between you two, least of all an apology, so don’t even start.”
“But, Cassi---”
“Alonzo, hush. You have nothing to apologize for.” He stared at her in confusion. “We were never a committed couple, Alonzo, as much as I wanted us to be. We flirted and we did genuinely care for each other, but it was never meant to be. You and this Jezabette, when you two were kissing, there was something so beautiful about it that it nearly broke my heart. You two are meant to be.” She took a deep breath, and continued. “I came to say goodbye. My family and I are moving away. I wanted everything to be right between us, and I didn’t want to you to grieve over me. It doesn’t look like you will, though.”
Alonzo rubbed his eyes. “Cassi, I’m sorry it had to end this way, but---”
“You’re not sorry, and don’t pretend that you are. All I ask is that you take care of her as well as you took care of me.” He nodded weakly, and she smiled. “I must go now. Take care of yourself.” With that, she leaned in and kissed him lightly, leaving as silently as she had come. He watched her go, and found himself almost wishing that she wasn’t leaving. He had been through a lot with that queen, and he felt that he owed her more than just a goodbye.
“Hey Alonzo!” He turned, and saw a slightly rumpled Tumblebrutus behind him. “Jezzie was asking for you. Come on. She’s really something, you know. We were just wrestling, and she nearly knocked the catnip out of me! Pounce is playing “Macavity” with her.”
Alonzo started. “They’re playing ‘Macavity’? Jezzie!” Tumble looked at him strangely. “What’s wrong? It’s just a game!”
He shook his head vehemently. “Not for her, it isn’t! Macavity is the one that nearly killed her!”
A scream broke the air, and Alonzo ran off in the direction that it came from. Rounding a corner, he saw Jezabette pinned up against a cardboard box, held there by Pouncival. As Alonzo came closer, he saw the fear in her eyes, and realized that it was the same hunted look she had had when he had seen her for the first time.
Pouncival had no idea that what he thought was an innocent game was terrifying her so.
“Rooooooooaaarrrr!! I’m Macavity! And you, pretty one, are going to come with me!!!! Then we’ll see if you’re as clever as they say!”
Jezabette screamed, struggling to get away. “No, please! Stop! This isn’t funny anymore!!”
Alonzo leapt in, pulling Jezabette away from Pouncival. He glared venomously at Pounce, who was looking incredibly confused. Jezabette sobbed weakly against him, pressing herself to him so hard that it seemed that she was trying to crawl inside him. “I’m sorry, Jezzie. I didn’t know that it was scaring you so badly. I thought you were just playing along when you acted scared.”
She peered out from under Alonzo’s arm. “It’s all right, Pounce. You didn’t know.”
Alonzo drew her in close again. “Don’t worry. Nothing will happen to you while I’m here. I promise.” She looked up at him. “Alonzo, will you take care of me?” He forgot that Pouncival was standing close enough to hear every word they said. Staring into her tear stained face, which was still the most beautiful sight in the world for him, he whispered, “I’ll die if it means saving you.” She closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she breathed. For one crystal moment, they stood staring at each other as breathlessly as the first time their eyes met. Pouncival, seeing a potential tender moment, made his presence known. He inserted a paw between the two of them and yanked Jezzie away.
“Y’know, Alonzo, Jezabette here is quite the singer. Why don’t you show him?”
“Don’t listen to him! I’m not that good!”
Pounce shook his head. “She’s nuts! She’s great. Sing some more of that stuff that you were when I was in your den today.” Neither of them noticed the way Alonzo froze at that. *I did it. I went and waited too long, and now she’s with Pounce.*
“Alright then. Here we go.” With a deep breath, her voice rang out through the junkyard.
“Angel! I hear you! Speak, I listen! Stay by my side, guide me! “Angel, my soul was weak-forgive me! Enter at last, master!”
She was singing Phantom of the Opera! Unable to restrain himself, Alonzo joined in with the Phantom’s part:
“Flattering child, you shall know me, See why in shadow I hide! Look at your face in the mirror. I am there, inside!”
She stared at him slack-jawed. “You know Phantom!”
“My pet plays it constantly. I love it.”
“So do I.......my mother sang it to me.” She smiled at him, a slow smile of great beauty and depth. “You’re very good, Alonzo.” “So are you.”
“Awwwwww, isn’t this sweeeeeet?” Pouncival knocked Alonzo to the ground. “You two are sickening. Let’s play!” Rising, Alonzo jumped on him from behind, slamming him to the ground. Laughing, Jezzie tackled them both. She, like Pouncival, seemed to have hidden stores of insane energy. Alonzo was quickly becoming exhausted by the two of them, but he refused to let it show. To admit fatigue in a game like this was to admit defeat!
Finally, the trio fell exhausted, curling up around each other with Jezzie in the middle. She squealed breathlessly and wriggled as Pouncival hissed “Monkey in the Middle” and tickled her. “Hold her for me, Alonzo! She might get away!”
*Gladly!* Alonzo was all too eager to do so. He pinned her arms to her sides and drew her in as Pouncival continued her torture. “Stop! Please stop! I can’t stand it anymore!”She was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. “Alonzo, let me go!”
“Not a chance. I’m going to torture you as well.”
She managed to glare at him bravely through her laughter. “Do your worst.”
He glanced at Pouncival to make sure he was otherwise occupied, then bent his lips to Jezzie’s. This kiss had all the sweetness of the last, and much more risk as well. He was the one who ended the kiss, even though he was the one who wanted it the most, and he saw that Pouncival had stopped his tickling and was staring at him. Jezzie sat up. “I’m ready for more. How about you two?”
Pounce groaned and rolled over on his back. “You go find some other cats to play with. I’m spent. I’m sure Alonzo’ll say the same.”
She sighed and flopped back down between them. “It’s so hard to have any fun with you two.” Pounce countered with, “Then why do you hang around with us so much?”
“Oooooo, I guess it’s because I’m in love with you, Pounce!” “I knew it! You couldn’t resist my charms for long!” They laughed together, and Alonzo joined in weakly. He was dying. Did she love Pounce? They seemed to be joking, but who knew?
She batted idly at his tail, and he cried out when she accidentally caught it with one careless claw. “Oh! I’m so sorry. Here.” She waved her paw lightly over the cut, and it disappeared. He looked at her in shock, but she was rising to leave. “Would you two be too tired to walk me back to my den?”
“Certainly not!” Alonzo leapt up and extended his arm. “If it pleases you, m’lady, I would like the honor of escorting you back to your home.”
“And you shall have it.” She graciously threaded her arm through his.
They turned to leave, but froze when Demeter ran toward the three young ones. “What are you three doing here? Macavity’s on the loose!” Alonzo instinctively stepped closer to Jezabette and wrapped his arm around her slender waist. Demeter glanced at Pouncival, who returned her look of confusion with a knowing smirk.
A sharp wail went up. “That’s Misto! We have to hurry and get back to the meeting place!” At the same time, an all-too-familiar laugh split the air.
“Macavity!” Demeter looked stricken.
Jezabette gasped, and fainted dead away. Alonzo gently scooped her up, and stared at Demeter. “Why is Macavity around here anyway? We don’t have anything that he wants!”
Demeter sighed. “Wrong. Come on, I don’t have time to explain now!”
Alonzo looked skeptical, and refused to move. “If he does want something from us, what is it?”
Demeter pointed to Jezabette. “What does he want? I’ll tell you. You’re holding her.”
Alonzo shook his head in disbelief. “Why? He thinks she’s dead!”
“Not anymore he doesn’t.”
“But why does he want her? What could she possibly be worth to him?”
Demeter looked back and forth between Alonzo and Pouncival. “Come on! I can’t tell you out here.”
“We can talk in Jezzie’s den,” said Pouncival, leading the way. Alonzo felt a stab of pure jealous agony at the familiar way that Pounce used her name. In a rush, the ache returned, regardless of Jezabette lying in his arms. Struggling to maintain his composure, he set off after Demeter and Pouncival.
Misto answered, “She’s a Tandenpaw.”
Alonzo frowned, gazing at Jezzie. “What in the name of the Everlasting Cat is a Tandenpaw?”
Misto held up a paw. “They’re the rarest form of magic in cats. They are cats that can heal by touch alone. They’re so rare, and so powerful, that there’s only one at any single point in history. Macavity wants her because she can heal any injury that he sustains in battle, therefore granting him immortality.”
“But Jezzie’s just a regular cat! She’s nothing special. I mean, look at her!” Pounce was having a hard time excepting that there could be a cat more powerful than Misto.
“That’s not quite true. You saw how quickly her wound healed----and if any of us had been hurt like that, we’d either be dead or still healing. And just yesterday, when Electra cut her paw on some glass, Jezzie just touched it, and it was healed. No blood, and no marks either. Completely healed.”
Alonzo looked up sharply. “Just a few minutes ago, she did the same thing to my tail after she accidentally cut it! I had no idea...........”
“How did Macavity find out about her being a Tender-thingy? No one’s seen him around here since before Jezzie arrived!” Pounce was still in denial.
“It’s a Tandenpaw .” “Sorry.” “We think Mungojerrie might have let something slip about a new Jellicle that had healing powers. That cat has no discretionary ability.”
Alonzo stared at the still unconscious Jezzie, absently tracing the curve of her cheek as she slept, not aware that the rest of the cats were watching him.
Munkustrap smiled. “Feeling something special for our resident princess, Alonzo?”
He looked up, embarrassed. “Yeah. I guess I do. I’ve had a lot of queens before, but I don’t understand this. I’ve never known anyone like her. She’s so delicate, like some keepsake that you have to handle gently so it won’t get broken.” Alonzo looked helplessly at Munkustrap. “She asked me to take care of her, and I promised to give my life for her if it was necessary. What’s happening to me? I never would have had said anything like that to Cassi.”
Demeter stroked his head softly. “You’re in love with her, Alonzo. That’s what’s happening to you.”
Munkustrap blinked in surprise. “I never would have guessed.........”
Pounce grinned. “Munkustrap, haven’t you noticed? Alonzo can’t keep his eyes off her! Or his paws, for that matter. Don’t you think you’re a bit old for her, ‘Lonzo? You always did like younger queens, but she’s not even a year old. You’re three.”
“I don’t think that’s an issue, Pounce. All she wants to do is be with you.” Alonzo stared at Pounce, his hurt coming bubbling to the surface. “She wants you, Pounce, not me. I’m just part of the service.”
Demeter shook her head. “Alonzo, all she talks about is you. You’re her knight in white and black! She’s so nervous whenever you’re around that she just starts talking about the first thing that comes to mind. You both want each other, but you don’t know how to deal with it.”
“You’re right that I don’t know how to deal with it!!! I scared her off, kissing her like that when I caught her playing tag, and then again with Pounce.” Alonzo took a deep breath to hold back the tears. “I moved too fast, and on top of everything, she thinks that I’m still with Cassi !”
“She knows you’re not. Alonzo, she knows you love her, and she’ll come to you soon enough. Just give her time.” Demeter said this with a meaningful look in Munkustrap’s direction that none of the cats, especially him, could miss.
“I feel like I’m dying when I’m not with her! How can I survive till then?”
“All you can do is survive. Come on. We need your help in setting up patrols to make sure Macavity doesn’t come back for her.” Munkustrap stood and stretched. “Let’s go. We don’t have much time.” Demeter and Pouncival swiftly followed, with Misto not far behind.
Reluctantly, Alonzo left, gazing back at Jezzie. “I’ll be back soon, Jezabette. I promise.”
When they were all gone, Jezzie sat up, tears in her eyes. He loved her! He truly loved her! Jumping up, she smoothed her paws over her body, shaking with nervousness. She had to find him, now!
He stood. “What are you doing out here? It’s not safe! You should go back to your den. Do you want Macavity to catch you?” He saw her stiffen at the name, and stepped toward her, wrapping his arms around her.
“Alonzo, I heard what you said to Munkustrap. We need to talk.” He backed away, fearing the worst. Seeing his anxiety, she smiled and placed a paw on his cheek. “Alonzo, I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. It’s horribly cliched, but true. But those feelings were so strong--I had no idea what to do with them. I’m still very young...........it would’ve killed me to pour out my heart to you, and then be rejected, so I tried to keep my distance. It didn’t work, so here I am. I thought, that, since we have a love of singing, I could express myself best through song:
“Say you love me every waking moment, Turn my head with talk of summertime....
“Say you need me with you, now and always Promise me that all you say is true..... That’s all I ask of you.”
He grinned. “Jezzie, I--”
“Nothing needs to be said.” She reached up on tiptoes, and kissed him sweetly on the lips. “When you’re done on patrol, come to my den. I’ll be waiting.” She turned to leave but he took her arm.
“Jezzie, you’re.....you’re my angel.” Jezzie touched his lips with trembling fingers, and smiled. There were tears in her eyes, and she could barely choke out the words “Thank you.” They clung to each other for a moment, but he finally broke the embrace. “You should go.........it’ll be safer for you.”
Nodding, she left, with the sun seeming to make her glow blue around the edges.
Alonzo could have screamed for joy then, but he stayed silent. Silence would protect his Jezzie. HIS Jezzie. He liked the sound of that. A quiet, almost inaudible sound distracted him momentarily, but he paid no attention until an all-too-familiar scent filled the air, and he whirled, colliding with the Hidden Paw himself!
Macavity grinned, wrapping his yellowed claws around Alonzo’s arms and lifting him so that he was on a level with Macavity’s hideous countenance. “Where is she? She was here, I can smell her on you!” he hissed, blowing his rancid breath into Alonzo’s face.
Struggling to get free, Alonzo growled at Macavity. “What makes you think I’ll tell you, you freak?”
“Brave words, but will you be so strong when I’m breaking you apart bone by bone?”
“ALONZO!” Jezzie ran into the clearing, followed by the rest of the tribe. “Macavity, NO! It’s me you want! Let him go!”
Macavity dropped Alonzo to the ground, but before Jezzie could reach him, he wrapped an arm around Alonzo’s neck. Munkustrap leapt at him from the side, but Macavity easily batted him away. “One more move and he dies! If one of you tries to attack me, I’ll snap his neck!”
“No! Macavity, I’ll do anything you ask! I’ll go with you! Just free Alonzo!”
Macavity froze, looking genuinely puzzled. “Why would you come back to me to save a Jellicle?”
Jezzie stared at Macavity defiantly. “Because I love him. And I am ready to do anything to save his life.”
Alonzo gasped. “Jezzie, no! You can’t do this! Not to save me!”
Jezzie gazed at him sadly. “I have to, Alonzo. You saved me once. Now it’s my turn.”
Macavity laughed. “So be it then! Your life for the Jellicle’s!” He dropped Alonzo to the ground, and he ran to Jezzie. “Jezzie, I love you! If you leave, if you go with him, I have no reason to live!” They gripped each other’s arms, panting with the fear that this would be the last time they ever saw each other, alive or dead.
“You’ll live because I love you!” Alonzo drew her to him, leaning down to kiss her sweet face, but Macavity, with a cruel laugh, ripped Jezzie away and locked a thick metal collar around her neck. “Alonzo!”
“Jezzie! No!” She was reaching out to him, her paw grasping for him. He could reach her, he had to reach her. Just at the instant when he could’ve touched her, Macavity kicked her in the side, doubling her over with pain. Alonzo collapsed, hoarse, rough sobs wracking his body. His world was ending. Jezzie was gone. He could hear her screams and the gasps of the rest of the tribe as Macavity did something unspeakable to her. He had failed to protect the one he loved. Demeter screeched as Macavity dropped Jezzie, broken and battered, to the ground, and stepped toward Alonzo. He gazed up at Macavity through glazed, unseeing eyes, not caring or comprehending what would happen to him next.
Macavity stood over him, and ripped through the soft flesh on Alonzo’s belly. He cried out in pain, reaching out for help. Macavity chuckled. “What’s to stop me from killing you now that your girlfriend’s life is mine, huh? You were out of line, messing with my property. She is mine! Ha!”
Jezzie stood up weakly, and leapt at Macavity, biting and scratching with all the strength that was left her. With a roar of anger, Macavity threw her off him and into a wall. She hit with a sickening thud, then tumbled to the ground and lay still. Alonzo came around long enough to see Jezzie fall trying to save him. A horrible wail of anguish escaped from his throat. It was the wail of the cat who had lost its heart. Alonzo’s cries tore at the tribe’s ears, but they were held at bay by Macavity’s army of henchrats that had suddenly appeared and were swarming around them.
The battle had begun in earnest. Even the kittens were fighting, attacking as best they could with their stubby claws and needle-sharp teeth. Victoria was slashed across the belly, and fell to her knees, her arms clamped over her stomach to keep all her blood from flowing away. Plato stood over her, protecting her as best he could as he was set upon by wave after wave of rats.
Munkustrap swiped his claws over a rat’s face, puncturing its eyes, and blinding it. Screaming in agony and confusion, it managed to tear apart two of its comrades before bleeding to death. Misto swiftly set up an explosion that took out five rats, but was forced to fight hand to hand when he saw Jemima cornered by Macavity’s second in command, Mordred. The vicious ebony cat and the slight magician were evenly matched until Pouncival and Tumblebrutus leapt in. Pounce ripped off one of Mordred’s ears, and Tumble mangled a paw and severed his tail. Howling, Mordred seemed to go berserk, raging toward Demeter and Bombalurina, who were fighting back to back. Bomb fought bravely, but was quickly weakening. Her satiny russet fur was torn and bloody in a dozen places, and a gaping hole in her leg slowed her considerably. Thinking fast, Demeter saw a detached claw that Macavity had dropped----he always wore fakes over his real nails. Wielding it like a dagger, she ripped Mordred’s throat open and gave a primal scream of triumph as the domesticity in her melted away like Mordred’s life. Jennyanydots and Jellylorum, though both were bleeding heavily from wounds of their own, dragged the wounded Jellicles off the battle field and tended to them as best they could.
The Rum Tum Tugger neatly snapped a rat’s neck, and turned. His blood went cold when he saw Macavity advancing on Etcetera, who was busy enough with one of the smaller rats. Grinning wickedly, Macavity brought his elbow down into Etcetera’s neck. She squealed in pain, and turned to face her assailant, but cowered in fear when she saw who it was. Seeing Rum, she called out to him. “Rum, help me, please!” Macavity belted her across the face, knocking her away in a spatter of blood. “No mercy, even to the young ones! Kill them all!”
Rum jumped at Macavity, tearing out huge hunks of fur and inflicting enough damage to allow Etcetera to escape. She dove at Macavity’s stomach with all her strength, and smiled as she heard a crack. She had broken at least one of the evil cat’s ribs! Etcetera collapsed weakly into Tugger’s arms, breathing jaggedly as the left side of her face swelled dramatically. Macavity thundered, and staggered over to where Alonzo was lying on the ground, pinned by two rats. Panting, Alonzo stared into Macavity’s face. “I’ll kill your tribe, Jellicle, one by one, and you’ll watch. You’ll watch as I torture her, and you’ll watch as she begs for her life. That will be your punishment for touching my property.”
Alonzo spat in his face. “She’s not yours, or mine, or anyone’s! Give it up Macavity! You’ll never have the satisfaction that you got her.”
Macavity cocked his head in thought. “You’re right, you know. But I can have the satisfaction of knowing that I killed you.” With that, he raised his claws and prepared to give one final, fatal blow.
Jezzie’s eyes opened, and she weakly wiped away the blood that blinded her. The pain was unbearable, burning through her. She only wanted to fall away into the darkness but she saw Macavity advancing on Alonzo. If nothing else, she had to save him before she died.
Standing up, she summoned all the power that she could find inside of herself, stretched out her paws, and called out in a voice that cut through the sea of screams, “Macavity! This ends NOW!” She disappeared in a rush of blue light, and a sound like the loudest drills in the world working together came grinding out from the center of the light.
The air around the tribe seemed to explode inwards. They fell to their knees, covering their ears and screaming into the sea of noise. A kaleidoscope of colors flooded their vision, overcoming them all. As quickly as it had come, it all stopped.
Munkustrap was the first to recover. He immediately thought he was dead, but looking around, saw that the rest of the tribe was waking up and still breathing. He was shocked to see that all the wounds of the Jellicles were healed. Jezzie must have........Turning, he saw Alonzo cradling Jezabette’s body in his arms, his tears raining down on her face. “Is she---”
Alonzo shook his head. “She’s alive, but I don’t think she’ll wake up to see that we won.” As if to prove him wrong, Jezzie stirred slightly and opened her eyes.
“Alonzo!” She threw her arms around him, nuzzling him on the chest as he showered her head with licks and kisses. Alonzo’s emotions broke free, and he cried openly into her fur. “I thought I had lost you.................”
Leaving them alone, Munkustrap walked over to where the majority of his tribe had congregated. Misto turned to him with a terrified look on his face. “Munkustrap, Macavity’s back!”
Munk gasped. “But I thought that Jezabette defeated him! How---”
Misto grinned. “Munkustrap, may I introduce you to....Macavity, the Hidden Paw!”
He thrust a tiny ginger-colored kitten into Munk’s face. It mewed piteously, struggling to escape.
“Jezabette healed him, and us, completely. We were healed physically, but Macavity was healed body, mind, and soul. When she was done, he was left in this form.”
All former traces of fear gone, Demeter took the kitten in her arms. “Munk, we’ve always wanted kittens.....”
Munk sighed. “All right. But as he is no longer Macavity, he needs a new name.”
“Merlin!” Etcetera squealed. “He shall be known as Merlin, as he was born of magic!” Tumblebrutus batted her on the head, knocking her over. “You’re goofy! Hey, wait a minute, that’s pretty good!” It was met with unanimous approval from the tribe.
And so it was agreed. Merlin was born and Macavity was forgotten.
Munkustrap stepped forward, smiling down at Jezzie, who stood quietly by Alonzo’s side with his arm around her waist. “Jezabette, you have performed us a great service. You have saved us from Macavity and for that, we are forever in your debt. Is there anything that we can do for you, just ask!”
“There’s only one thing I want,” she said softly, turning to Alonzo, “and that is to be able to stay forever in Alonzo’s arms, but I can’t because I’m not a Jellicle.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Jezzie. Old Deuteronomy said that you are welcome here as long as you wish. You are a part of the Jellicle tribe!”
Jezzie screamed for joy, and was swept into Alonzo’s arms. They kissed deeply, passionately, as the rest of the tribe watched and cheered for joy. They didn’t notice the presence of the others, though, for the world was theirs and theirs alone, and a new day had begun.
He smiled back. “Nothing. Everything is fine. I could look at you forever”
“Come and look at me down here. I need you by me.”
Sighing, he lowered himself next to her, pressing his belly to her back. She turned over and buried her face in his neck, making him shiver. “Jezzie? What would you have done if I had died tonight?” She shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t want to think about it.” “Tell me, please.”
She sat up. “I would’ve killed myself right then, just to be with you.”
His eyes filled with tears. “Angel, I love you.” She bent down and kissed him, whispering “I love you too.”
He pulled her down beside him, and she immediately curled up against him. He licked the top of her head, she nuzzled his neck, and they began to kiss passionately, clinging to each other as if they would be washed away if they didn’t hold on hard enough.
Pouncival silently opened the curtain, and nearly gasped in shock at what he saw. “What is it? What’re they doing?” hissed Tumblebrutus, nudging his friend. Pounce shut the curtain and backed away. “Um, I’ll tell you when you’re older. I just got a crash course in how kittens are made.”
And so life goes on. Neither Jezabette or Alonzo knew where the next few years, months, or even days would take them. Neither cared, as they were both perfectly happy to explore each other and not the future.
