“Isis! This place is huge! How will we ever find her?” Piper exclaimed as she stood on a crate and looked through a barred window into a huge room that held a roaring party full of Strays. It was the main room at the abandoned warehouse, or Macavity’s lair. But, it was completely inaccessible save one single door.

“Just carry out the plan, okay Piper? And have a little faith, it’ll work.”

“Okay okay okay…” Piper repeated to herself over and over again. “But wait-“ she stopped suddenly. “What about Dash? He wouldn’t like this much.”

“Umm… okay Piper, we could just let Ivy sit in there and rot in her little prison if you like.” Laurali smiled sarcastically and turned to the fretting queen. Piper turned away from the window, long enough to glare at Lauri with the same false grin.

“On three then Piper,” Isis began. “One…” Piper jumped down from the crate below the window. “…Two…” She began shaking her limbs, readying herself for the operation. “…Three…” came the final signal.

Letting out a forced exhalation, Piper closed her eyes tight. The small red cat continued her heavy breathing. “Piper!” Lauri scolded. Piper turned to her. “Go!” Lauri motioned her arms in the direction of the entrance.

“Okay, okay! Don’t rush me!” Beginning at a slow pace, Piper began walking toward the bouncer and ended up in a swift-moving line. With only a few feet between herself and the entrance, she began to notice the bouncer checking for certain identification. The tall blond cat would ask each cat to hold out a paw. With a nod of the head, some would pass through the inlet. Some would face unsheathed claws or a push if they held up anything not presentable as the correct identification. Piper maneuvered her short frame around the tall party cats in line in order to see what it was the bouncer wished to see.

It was too late. She had arrived at the door. Thinking quickly, she darted behind another feline, trying to sneak in behind the cat.

“Hold it!” the bouncer snarled. “Where do you think you’re goin’ kitty?”

Piper flinched at the demeaning term. “I was just- I mean…” she stammered then paused, regaining her composure. “I was just going into the party.”

“Not without no burn or nothin’,” the sturdy cat said without allowing any expression to slide onto his face.

“You’re jokin’! After all I been through, you ain’t gonna let me pass? What kinda joint is this?” Piper said in mock outrage, picking up the cat’s accent. She could see the cat’s surprise for the second he allowed it. “I stand in a freakin’ line for halfa my day and you ain’t gonna let me through? Ya know the kinda shit I been through today? I just wanna kick back a couple of shots, and that ain’t okay with you buddy?”

The commotion of Piper’s loud voice and flailing arms raised the interest of the toms and queens behind Piper. They began to speak out on her behalf; more in hopes of keeping the line moving than supporting her cause.

“Come now Chichi, just let her in.”

“She doesn’t look like she could harm a fly, what trouble will she be?”

“Let her in and shut her up!” one tom called from the back.

“I’m sorry kitty, no burn, no party; got it?” Chichi, the bouncer said to Piper.

“Yeah, I got it, Hefty,” Piper growled, dropping the accent. She walked back to the crate where the two queens hid. The heavy weight of defeat lay upon her shoulders and was evident by her dropped head. Her head snapped up at the sound of howls and laughter. She smiled in deceptive thinking and sashayed into the path of a cluster of toms.

The gaggle of toms stopped walking at the sight of the seductive red queen who now stood before them. Piper let out an enticing smile. “You all going into the party?”

One of the toms, a tall orange and black, stepped out with a simple, “Yeah.” He looked her up and down. “What’s it to you?”

“Well, you see, that mean ol’ Chichi won’t let me in.” Piper walked up to the tom. “I was hoping maybe you could… persuade him?” She smiled again.

“And, uh, what would I get if I did, kitty?”

Piper’s eyes flashed. There’s that word again. Recovering her poise, Piper replied, “Oh… lots.”

The tom took her paw and led her to the door, walking very quickly and cutting in line. As they approached, the brawny blond cat glared down at Piper and began to let off a growling hiss.

“Chill Chichi,” the tom laid a paw on the giant cat’s chest. “She’s with me.” Piper giggled at the bouncer as the group continued on through the entrance.

“Well, Macavity, I see you’re off to destroy another poor soul.” Dina ran three long polished claws along the cold metal bars of a prison-like chamber, emitting a disheartening clank with each claw. Within was an aged male, huddled into the corner. Dina peered into the darkness, barely able to make out the figure in the niche of the prison. The old cat was scratching his ankle with a solitary claw like a madman, a puddle of blood had developed on the floor beside him. But he only stared straight ahead at a dank, dark wall.

“Poor Loynis,” Dina muttered, shaking her head. “What’d he do?” She turned to the red cat, seated on a large black pillow in the middle of the room.

“Loynis was a traitor. Sold our strategy secrets to any enemy tribe he could get a hold of.”

“I see.” The attractive leader once more observed the broken cat. “Well, look’s to me he’s gotten much needed punishment. Well done Mac.”

“Just my job, Dina.” The red cat smiled with wicked intent.

“Now tell me Mac,” Dina began pacing. “What of this Amazonian cat? She couldn’t possibly be from the Amazon?” Dina’s smooth voice faltered with exhaustion.

“No, it’s the name of her tribe.”

Dina chuckled. “That’s what I meant. She just doesn’t seem as vicious as what you’ve told me.”

“I have only encountered the leader of the Amazons. I only made an assumption.”

“I hear she’s in for no good reason, Mac.”

“And I hear that you’re treating my prisoner as a guest,” Macavity retorted, raising his voice. The crazed Loynis repeated Macavity from his chamber in a voice resembling a parrot. He did not however move.

“My prisoner, Mac, mine. Let’s not forget who’s leading whom.” Macavity stood suddenly, arriving and towering over Dina in an instant. He glared down upon her with pure malice. His warm quick breath made Dina uncomfortable. “Sit down, Mac, I’m just statin’ the facts.”

The size of the room and the number of cats inside stunned Piper. It was overwhelming what with the deafening music and the lights. Colored lights would flash on and off at intervals, leaving everything with the effect of stop-go animation. She smiled. At least I’ll get something out of this.

The orange and black tom once more grabbed the small red queen’s hand and led her onto the dance floor while the other toms split in every direction. She began swaying her hips side to side, slowly in time with the music, alluring the cheeky tom with every movement. Wrapping her tail around his ankle, she pulled him closer.

“You a housecat?” She asked over the music, touching his black studded collar.

“Um… yeah,” the tom mumbled as Piper’s claws began fondling the fur around his neck.

“Yeah?” Piper rolled her eyes as he turned away uncomfortably. At this rate, she’d never get into the main lair. “So what’s the name housecat?”

“Mungojerrie,” he stammered. The tall lean tom was beginning to show his true age, as he grew more and more awkward. It was relieving to Piper to know she wasn’t dealing with a very good prevaricator.

“Y’know, Mungojerrie, party’s this big always make me feel… uncomfortable.” She pulled him even closer with one jerk at the collar. “You wanna split?” She smiled up at him, running her tongue along her upper teeth.

Regaining his suavity and realizing the situation, Mungojerrie replied, “I have a room on the other side, if you like…”

“I like, I like”

He smiled and guided her through the pounding party toward the entrance into the main lair. Piper breathed, once more readying herself for the task at hand.

Macavity released a hiss. He stepped back from Dina but still held his icy glare on her.

“Now Mac, let’s look at this situation. Starting with why you nabbed her in the first place?” Dina said, once more pacing.

“She had-“ Macavity began but was interrupted by a banging at the door.

A muffled shout sounded from outside the room. “Dina? Dina? I can’t do this anymore!”

Dina opened the door, letting through a very drunken Ivy and Madison, with a bewildered look on his face. Ivy stumbled around the room, unable to stand completely upright. Plopping down next Dina, the Amazon cat stared straight ahead and burst into a sudden rage of tears.

“Madison! What the- what did you-“ Dina stuttered in outrage.

The Burmese stood in shock. “Nothing! She was giggling like a kitten out in the hall. That’s why I came to you, I couldn’t stop her.” He rubbed his temples and leaned against the doorframe. “She’s completely bombed… and high too,” Madison chuckled. He was silenced by a wail from Ivy.

“What a hangover. She must have had a lot of bluebane for it to be that bad, Madison,” Macavity said observing the sobbing queen.

“Yeah,” he laughed again. Now Macavity gave him a horrible look. “Well it was only to shut the poor creature up! She was going on and on about every sort!” The Burmese said, defending himself.

Dina knelt beside Ivy. “You let her have catnip too, Madison! I gave her to you to look after, not to kill off!”

“I didn’t give her any ‘nip! I swear!” Madison moaned. “It was the smoke from the room…” he trailed off, realizing his replies were useless to his defense.

“I hear the tapsters are throwing a party downstairs,” Macavity said to the sulking tom. “I relieve you of your duties. Go have some fun.”

Madison glanced at Dina and Ivy. “That’s what I should have become, a bartender…” he muttered with lowered head, walking out the door.

Dina smiled at Macavity. “Well golly Mac, that was very generous of you. Almost seemed like you had a heart for a second. Call me nuts, but I think it’s delicious the way you treat the gang. I just wish I could get some of that kindness from you once in a while.”

“The Strays are the only cats that I have,” the red cat responded. “Once you’re gone, I’ll lead them; I need their trust and loyalty now.”

The smile disappeared from the leader’s face but her sullen eyes remained on the huge tom. “Yeah well don’t get your hopes up too high, Mac. You may be gone before I leave the Strays. What makes you think I’ll hand them over to you so readily? Besides, I’m still young, it’ll be while sweets,” the white queen said through clenched teeth.

“Maybe,” Macavity looked at her with a chilled face, “maybe not.”