VERONI: Well, HTML break over. Where's my new hot-shot stage manager?

KEL: Already on the job!!

VERONI: It would have been nice to at least MEET her first you know.

KEL: Shhhhh! The show's starting again!

VERONI: You've always wanted to say that to me, haven't you?

KEL: Ooooooo yeah.

(Our two travellers split up to take in the town-- Munkommy out to the hillside and Jeff to do what he does best; drink and lounge about. Just then one of the kittens of the towns catches sight of Jeff)

VERONI: A part that was hotly contested for among our kitten casting pool, let me tell you.

LEC: (sidles up next to Tugger) My you are a handsome thing.

TUGGER: (takes a long swig) Ah, so you've noticed.

LEC: Aye! Are ye married?

TUGGER: Marriage? Never touch the stuff. I've seen too many happy love affairs broken up by it.

Bomb: So THAT'S why he's so afraid of commitment!!

JENNY: Yep. That's the Tugger alright.

VERONI: So now do you see why I cast him as Jeff?

(Since Lec looks like she's about to melt and prehaps revert to a giggling pile of fuzz, we'll move on and only mention that she somehow manages to take Jeff along on her daily duties as a sheep herder)

(Meanwhile, Cassiona has snuck out of her house to meet Munkommy up in the hills to gather bunches of flowers for the wedding)

VERONI: (stares at the bare set) WHERE ARE THE FLOWERS?

TANTI: Well, you know Heather isn't exactly indiginous to this part of the country, so.....

VERONI: SO?

TANTI: We had to improvise. (hollars offstage) CART 'EM IN BOYS!!

(A whole bunch of Moving Toms bring in crates and crates of..... dandelions)

VERONI: DANDELIONS???!!! What am I supposed to have them sing? "The Dandelions on the Hill"?

TANTI: Actually doesn't sound so bad when you think about---

VERONI: (explodes) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!

TANTI: -- I'll see what I can do.

CASS: (walks in, paw in paw with Munkustrap) Why did you want ta come along?

MUNKU: Well, maybe it's because the script said to...

VERONI: NOT IN THE SCRIPT!! Please say the lines right. I have enough on my paws right now without you revising your lines! Got it?

MUNKU: I.... have another small problem, actually now that you mention it.

VERONI: And what could that POSSIBLY be?

MUNKU: I didn't really study this song too long. I was more than a little busy last night and well---

VERONI: Great. He doesn't know the song! (tosses the script up in the air)

(A little kitten scurries in and gathers up all the papers as they fall to the floor)

MISTO: (comes over from practicing his dance for the wedding) What was that?

LEXIA: Hi!!!!!!! I'm Lexia, but you can call me Lexie!!!!! Glad to meet you!!!!!!

VERONI: And you would be---?

LEXIA: Your new stage manager, silly!!!

VERONI: (eyes go wide) OH. Hi.... there. You're really.... hyper.

LEXI: THANKS!!

VERONI: (rubs her forehead) This is going to be one LOOONG song. (raises her voice again) Lexi, dear. Would you mind prompting Munkustrap on his lines when he needs them?

LEXI: WHY NOT???? I'M GOOD AT THAT SORTA THING!!!! (skips off backstage)

MUNKU: Hoo boy. And we thought Etcetera was bad.

(sings) Can't we two go walking together,

Out beyond the valley of trees?

Out where there's a hillside of Heather,

Curtsyin' gently in the breeze?

That's what I'd like to do.

See the heather, but..... with...... you.

(looks like he's starting to loose his place)

The mist of may is in the gloamin'

And all the clouds are holdin' still.

So take my paw and let's go roamin'

Through the heather on the hill.

POUNCE: Or in this case, "the various types of flowers we could find backstage and scotchtaped them to the floor" on the hill.

MUNKU: (skips ahead) There may be other days as rich and rare...

There may be other springs as full and riaf...

VERONI: Riaf?

MUNKU: Don't ask me! Lexie back there said it into my earpiece.

VERONI: (realizes) Lexie.... reading..... lines. Oh no!

CASS: (shrugs and continues) But they won't be the same,

They'll come and go

MUNKU: For this.... I wonk.

VERONI: Know.

MUNKU: ... know!

BOTH: That when the mist is in the gloamin'

And all the clouds are holdin' still

If you're not there I won't go roamin'

Through the heather on the hill.

The heather on... the..... llih.

VERONI: Hill.

BOTH: Hill....

(They run about, dancing and gathering flowers, meanwhile back in town, Harry Macaveaton is still doing his brooding act as the happy festivities zoom on around him. As soon as his dark cloud of misery leaves along with him, Mistlie arrives to sign the family Bible and in hopes of catching a glimpse of his bride-to-be. Admonished about trying to sneak a peek at Demean, he is content to sit outside her house and sing her a love song....)

MISTO: (sings carefully to avoid another high note disaster)

Because they've told me,

I can't behold ye,

Till weddin' music starts playin'...

To ease my longin',

There's nothin' wrong in,

Me standin' out here and sayin'.....

Oooooooh.... come to me, bend to me,

Kiss me good day!

Darlin' my darlin', tis all I can say.

Just come to me, bend to me,

Kiss me good day!

(getting dangerously high) Give me your lips

an' don't take them a-awaaaaaay.

JELLY: Prehaps we should cut this song short. Poor Mistoffelees could pull his.... you know.

JEMI: His what?

POUNCE: It starts with a "G" and ends with a "ROIN"

VERONI: Alright. Alright. FINE. I guess we'll have to cut this one a little short.

(Meanwhile, Jeff is being pulled all over by his new arm attachment in the form of a kitten)

LEC: (dragging him up the hill) Ooooh! This is the spot! This is where I stand an' mind me flock ALL DAY LONG!!

TUGGER: When I say that sounds fascinating, I want you to believe me. (pauses) Nice view you have here.

LEC: Thank you!

TUGGER: Thank you?

LEC: It makes me happy that you like it!

TUGGER: You get happy pretty easilly, doncha?

LEC: (practically drooling over Tugger, nods her head VERY fast)

TUGGER: As if I needed to ask. (gets back into character) I haven't been in one of these sheds since I was in college. (groans as he sits down) Which at this point seems a good two thousand years ago.

LEC: Nah! You're a mighty spry lookin' fella! (jumps on his back) EEEEEE!!!!!!! I'm all yours, Tuggy baby!!!

TUGGER: Veroni, for the sake of my back... END THIS SCENE!!!

VERONI: (defeatedly) A victim of my own casting once again..... alright! NEXT SCENE!!

(Munkommy and Cassiona race around at the edge of the village collecting heather in bundles, laughing merrilly---- that is, until he crosses the bridge and she suddenly backs away in fear)

CASS: Munkommy! NO! (softly) There's no white heather over there.

POUNCE: (sitting amongst the scotch taped dandelions) Yer telling me.

MUNKU: Why sure there is! Why do you have such a look of fear on your face?

CASS: I... I canna say. (she rushes off)

MUNKU: (chases after her, only to slam headfirst into Jeff, who has managed to sneak away from his sheephearder attachment)

TUGGER: Whoa!! Watch in Munkustrap!!

MUNKU: (breaks his "dreamy" gaze to glare at Tugger for a moment then quickly goes back into it)

(sings) Maybe the sun gave me the power

For I could swim Loch Lomond and be home in half an hour!

Maybe the air gave me the drive

For I'm all aglow and alive!!!

(Jumps up and races around while singing)

What a day this has been! What a rare mood I'm in!

Why it's... almost like being in love!

(grins idiotically) There's a smile on my face

For the whole Jellicle race!

Why it's... almost like being in love!

(Starts to prance around and dance with the trees, flowers and most anything on stage.... including the backstage cats)

VICKY: (walks in with a cappuchino) What's his trip?

VERONI: Trying to beat Gene Kelly, I think.

MUNKU: (as he dances around) EAT MY DUST, KELLY!!!

VERONI: Yep. I was right.

MUNKU: (belting out the tune by this point)

AAAAND FROOOM THEEE

Way that I feel when that bell starts to peal,

I would swear I was falling.... (leaps over a clump of flowers)

I could SWEAR I was FALLING.... (leaps over a bush)

It's AAAAAALMOOOOST LIIIIKE BEEEEEING.... (leaps over... Pouncival?)

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-INNNNN.... LOOOOOOOOVE!!!!!!!!!

(collapses in an exausted heap) So, did I beat him or not?

POUNCE: (watching the video of "Brigadoon") Close, but no cigar.

MUNKU: (hisses) How can he beat me??!!! He only has TWO feet!

VERONI: (under breath) General note to all of you out there. NEVER tell Munkustrap he can't measure up to Gene Kelly. It could prove quite hazardous to your health.

(Returning to his position prior show-stopping song, Munktommy comes across the Bible Mistlie Dalrymple signed a few scenes ago (are we good with continuity or what?) and stares at the date)

MUNKU: Look at this. "Married. Elizabeth Lange to Andeut MacLaren. July the second, 1719."

TUGGER: Yeah? So? Cats got married back then.

MUNKU: No! Listen to THIS..... "Children: Cassiona MacLaren-- Born October 10th, 1732 and Demean-- Born September 8th, 1736."

TUGGER: So? Ancestors with the same names. No big deal.

MUNKU: You know Mistlie's last name, right?

TUGGER: Dalrymple, isn't it?

MUNKU: Yeah. Get this.... "Demean MacLaren married to Mistlie Chisolm Dalrymple---- May the fifth----- (dramatic pause)

CATS: OH, GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!!

MUNKU: (sticks out his tongue at them but reads) "... 1754." Now what do you say?

TUGGER: (shrugs) Congratulations?

(Thoroughly confused now, Munkommy drags Jeff to Cassiona's house where he demands an explanation. She reluctantly takes them to see the School Master and town historian, Mr. Skimdie)

VERONI: After this Angelfire Sponsored HTML break, that is.

MUNKU: You can pick the perfect times to leave the reader hanging, can't you?

VERONI: What can I say? It's an art.

MAC: (mumbles something resembling "Art. SURE it is.")