Some time ago, a bunch of humans and their cat owners decided to cross the big wet to start a new life in a different place. They climbed onto these big floating things made out of wood and sailed for a long, really uncomfortable time until finally dry unmoving land was reached and the heaving of the floor, and in their stomachs, stopped and they could leave that stinking thing and smell actual fresh air. And in that air flew all sorts of new birds.
And all along the ground crept new creatures to hunt. But they still hadn't left behind those stupid Pollicles or Pugs. The Pekes and the Poms hadn't come along yet, so it wasn't that bad yet. Unlucky enough that they had to endure sharing this new place but there were plenty of tall trees to climb and if the right animal was angered or startled, a foul stench followed and that took care of the canine slobber factories.
Now, some of those cats who went with their pets were a special kind of cat; they were Jellicle cats. And being separated from their old tribe, they had to build a new one and go on as best as they could. New customs were adopted but the old traditions were upheld as best as they could be.
Most of those founding cats had no choice about going across that big wet with their pets; mainly because at times the pets forgot who was really in charge and used their bigger size to unfairly force the superior beings into tiny cages and take them aboard those floating things against their will. It was very much like being catnapped! But they did their best to make it bearable and as the years passed, their numbers grew as kittens came to them and every now and again some poor wretch from the old country was forced to come over and was readily welcomed.
Well, time went on and many were the years between those first, hard times and their pets invented more wondrous gadgets to get across the big wet, among other things. Like decent food in this hard, round shiny thing. It tasted good, but not as nice as a fresh rabbit or filed mouse and on a rare occasion, like for the human winter celebration, a nice fat squirrel.
They never forgot that they were Jellicles and the Ball was held every year, and every year a cat was selected to go to the Heaviside Layer. It was made into quite a jolly celebration. One year, just recently, a black cat with blue tints to her short fur and green, green eyes went to the ball, hoping to be selected to go. She had a good reason, too.
Her pets had booked a flight, of all things!!, to go across that big wet back to the country of origin. She was of the opinion that if the Creator had meant Jellicles to fly that distance, wings of their own would have been provided. And to ride in a cold cage for who knew how many hours beside a disagreeable feline who wasn't a Jellicle and made her life a sheer torment because of her higher status; well the thought was just too horrible to bear. It was enough to make her want to run out in front of one of those noisy, smelly cars and get a smack in the side by tire!!
Well, the Ball took place and while she came close to being the one selected, another, more deserving cat went. Everyone agreed, the Elder needed to go and be reborn, he had forgotten so much that it would have been the ultimate cruelty to make him go on the way he was. He was lately suffering from feline dementia and could no longer be trusted to make responsible choices for the clan.
His favorite daughter was chosen to take his place; he had been training her for some years now and was ready to take over. Some of the toms had kicked a bit of fuss about it, but after all, queen liberation had taken place some time ago and they had the same rights as the males. And much wiser heads at times, as well. A matriarch can make wise choices just as well as a patriarch.
So, the black cat said her good-byes and resigned herself to either jumping off of the roof into an ally full of broken glass and metal shards, or making that stupid trip with her pets. But she wasn't going to give that cat she resided alongside the pleasure of hearing her moan and groan about it. Then, Mehtazal charged her with a mission, to contact the Jellicle tribe over in the old country and let them know how the immigrants had fared after the crossing.
That gave her a reason to preserve her life and she went to the residence with a much lighter heart and she climbed into the girl child's open window very carefully, not wanting to wake the brat and risk being pulled around by that stupid collar that her pets had given her on the yearly gift exchange day. She herself had tried to join in, but the dead rat she'd tried to give her big male human had not been well received. After that, she didn't bother.
Stealthily, she managed to avoid being seen by the cranky Don Foxy, the orange tom she shared living quarters with and made it into her pets' sleeping surface. Very glad she was to find them both sound asleep and past the restless stage of sleep and she took up her usual spot on the bed, the pillow feeling good under her paws. Quickly she settled right between the heads of her two humans and gave their foreheads each a lick before she fell asleep herself. They were going to leave the next morning and she didn't want to think about leaving her home.
She awoke to find that creepy tom looking at her, a leer on his face that told her that he knew she might come into season soon. He'd tried to ambush her the last time she was ripe, but she had fended him off, putting him in hospital for a few weeks. By the time he got home, she was past time and had made it through without anything happening. He still hoped that she would accept him but there wasn't enough catnip in the world to put her THAT far out of her mind to allow that.
So, she hissed, growled and took a swipe at him with a finely honed claw. Her female swept into the room and saw her with ears flattened to the back of her head and chased Don Foxy out, giving him a smack on his flabby rump as he went out the door. The bags were gotten ready, the carriers were brought out and the car was loaded in preparation for the trip to the airport.
When it came time to get in, she watched the spectacle the tom made of himself when the male human had to plunk a pill down his throat so he would calm down and then he was stuffed with an extreme lack of ceremony into the carrier. When it was her turn, she gave the human a haughty look, shot one of pure hatred at the tom and with graceful dignity, ears up and tail as erect as a banner, she stepped elegantly into the cage and settled herself in, with her front paws curled under her. Just to rub salt into the orange monster's aching and wounded pride, she even managed to purr loudly the whole way to the airport.
As a result of her calmness and regal behavior, the airline attendant gave permission for her to ride up in the passenger cabin. The conditions were better; there was more to look at, she had better company and it was MUCH warmer. Even being place under a seat was better than riding in that hell hole of a cargo hold. So, she contented herself with what she had gained and soon fell asleep.
The whole trip passed as she slept, even the landing. She didn't awaken until her male pet had placed his hand upon the top of her carrier and asked her if she was ready to leave the airplane. She yawned at him and stretched, giving silent assent to that plan of action. After recovering their baggage and the odious Don Foxy, they rode into London and the cab driver dropped them at the apartment that they were going to be living in while her pets were employed in that country.
It was in a place called Victoria Grove and it was a lovely spot; full of trees and birds to watch. She settled in well and even made friends with a few of the neighborhood's more lively cats, while Don Foxy made enemies right and left. There was one cat he made friends with, a ginger tom who always seemed to be on the edge of the criminal element. Him, she preferred to avoid when possible.
There were a pair of amusing youngsters, a team of pranksters who were good at the snatch and grab. They had a few encounters, enough to be aware of each other and there was something familiar about them, but she couldn't be sure enough of them to ask if they were, indeed, Jellicles. And if they weren't, it might not be wise to reveal herself because of the rivalry between the Jellicles and regular cats in this country.
One day, as the black female was making her way home from visiting an older Persian down the alley, she was greeted by the oily voice of her horrid house mate and his disgusting friend. She tried to go past them without a word, but Don Foxy stepped in front of her and introduced his companion, much to her dismay.
"Lady Anthracite, this gentle cat is known as Macavity and he desires an introduction. May I present him?" well that hateful feline knew what she thought of the friends that he made but she had a reputation for courtesy which she was loathe to tarnish. Yet, this time she didn't care; she'd heard enough of that villain to wish to eschew any acquaintance whatsoever.
"I really rather not," she demurred softly and moved to go around the orange cat. He interposed his fat body in her way again, ignoring the warning signals that she began to emit.
"Oh, but I must insist," he purred sarcastically. "You see, he has taken quite a shine to you and would like to get to know you quite well."
"Look, Foxy, I don't give a rodent's posterior what your companion would like, I have no desire to know him at all. Now, get out of my way or you are going to find yourself bleeding from more spots than you were the last time you tried a stunt on me," she said, her husky voice laced with a growling overtone.
"Lady Anthracite, please forgive me, but I get what I want," came the oily, offensive inflections of the ginger tom. He moved closer to her, trying to rub his head against hers.
She dodged and let out a growl that was loud enough to stop the chirping of the birds on the trees. Her back arched and she snarled fiercely, "I have not given you leave to use my name, let alone approach me. Get away from me, at once. I am not a common street tabby, for you to have your own way with. I'm an American Shorthair and if I do not want your attentions, I will not accept them! When a queen says no, that means NO!"
A sudden sound from the back door interrupted the confrontation and a broom landed hard on the intruder's back, sending him rolling nose over tail. An outraged squall came from his throat but when he looked up to see who had dealt him the blow, he gulped and fled at top speed. Her male human stood there, ready to deal another smack to whoever came near her. She had to admit, that for a human he looked impressive. His fur might not be on end, but he was angry.
Don Foxy was trying to act as if he were innocent, but by this time, Lady Anthracite was too angry to stop herself and she lashed out at him, catching him full across the nose with well-sharpened claws. When he cried out in pain, she then made a dash for the cat flap in the back door. She dove through it at top speed and then vaulted to the window sill, where she watched the rest of the drama play out.
Don Foxy had his ears flat to his skull and he was actually hissing at the human who gave him food and shelter. Then, he tried to follow her into the door and continue the fight. The human pulled back and gave another swing with the broom, landing a solid blow that sent the orange cat rolling into the alley and out of sight. "And don't come back, you ungrateful louse!" he yelled after the tom.
He walked into the house and latched the cat flap behind him and spotted the female where she had watched from the windowsill. Turning to look at him, she was still shaking from the encounter and he noticed, his stern expression softening at the obvious fear she was still feeling. Carefully, he picked her up and sat in the reclining chair and set her on his lap, caressing her ears.
Slowly, her fear faded and she began to respond to the scratching of her chin with a deep purr when the front door slammed and a streak of outraged orange swept into the room and onto the human's lap. A hard paw struck her across the head and knocked her to the floor, where the furious tom followed. He lashed out at her again, catching her another blow across her sensitive ears and then the fiend pounced on her.
She defended herself valiantly against his kicking feet and biting jaws, fighting so bitterly against his attack that she didn't really hear the shrill voices above her. "Why did you let that animal back in here, Miriam? He's attacked her once already today and then he went after me!"
"How was I supposed to know that?! He greeted me just like always, all love and sweetness. I had no idea that he was going to attack Lady! What can we do?" came the tearful voice of the woman.
"Get me the broom, or better yet, that cricket bat Bruce gave me. Thank you, Vanessa, now step back!"
"Oh, Jack, surely you aren't going to hit him with that thing?"
"Oh, yes, I am! Take that, you freak!"
Lady's senses were shocked when she felt the tom being torn loose from her and she looked up just in time to see him fly across the room and crumple against the wall and slide down it. Without stopping to think, she darted out of the room and out of the open door, heading for some place away from the madness that had taken over her home. She intended to get away forever, never go back. Surely, there would be homes that would take in a cat such as her.
For weeks, she made her way around the unfamiliar territory but nothing promising came out of it. Some humans took pity on her and left food out for her and once in awhile she would allow some kind person to stroke her ears, but whenever they would try to pick her up, she would meow plaintively to be put down and they would set her free.
She ran across the pair of pranksters and made friends with them, discovering that they were indeed Jellicles, when the male, Mungojerrie, mentioned that the Ball was to be held in a week or so and that she ought to attend. They would sponsor her adoption if she were amenable. Then she felt safe in volunteering the information that she was part of the Jellicle tribe from across the big wet.
They greeted her with elation and showed her some of their best hiding spots and also how to avoid that ginger tom. That was information she was grateful to get, he had come across her trail once too often for her comfort and she'd been forced to climb some extremely high trees to escape him. Those perches were precarious, but it was better than let him get his dreadful paws on her.
Just the thought made her shudder. But the directions they gave her to the Junkyard she memorized, fully intending to attend the Ball and meet the others of her kind. She knew that she was truly on her own, she could never go back to her humans now, they had moved on months ago and she had no inclination to find them.
She still loved them, but that last encounter had shaken her so much that she was also in fear of them. There was also the chance that Don Foxy had survived the blow Jack had dealt to him and she wanted to be nowhere near if he had. She'd been almost a year in this place and it was coming to feel like home. It would have to be; without her humans she had no way to return across the big wet to her old home and the rest of her clan. Time to make a new start.
And high time to drop the name Lady Anthracite. Imagine, being named for the color of one's fur! Obsidian, jet, sable, or raven she could have put up with, but anthracite?? That was a form of coal, for Pete's sake! Leave it to a geologist and his status seeking mate to come up with a appellation like that! The name Lady was fine, for she was quite a proper lady; well, most of the time.
When her warped sense of humor didn't get out of control; or she wasn't protecting some kitten from an older cat. Or she wasn't feeling too playful to pay any heed to her reputation as a very prim and proper feline. There were times when she was too blunt for these English cats but she never felt abashed about speaking her mind and she much enjoyed her independence from humans.
And whenever a tom offered his protection, she just gave him a cool stare out of her green, green eyes and changed the subject. Usually, she would start to talk humorously and the tom would forget his proposal as he laughed himself silly at the outrageous jokes and puns she would make. Soon, it would become a free for all of comedy and others would join them and a small party would go on. Once it was in full swing, she would silently leave and find somewhere to hide out for the night.
Then, came the fateful night of the Jellicle Ball. She had promised the pranksters that she would be there and she fully meant to keep her word. Lady was on her way when a fog came up and out of the murk came an odious voice full of venom. "So, Lady Anthracite, we meet again. There are no humans to defend you now." Sauntering out of the gloom came the ginger form of her enemy and her heart sank when she saw the huge rats that flanked him.
With a scream, the battle was joined and she was fighting for her life. Unseen, two figures detached themselves from a hiding place and made for the Junkyard, intent on finding help for this new friend of theirs. They well knew that they couldn't take Macavity and his bully rats on by themselves, but they knew who could.
The battle was short and fierce, neither side asking or giving quarter. She killed three rats before abruptly, she was left alone. Shaking with reaction, she crept away from the scene, trying to find a place to lick her wounds and hide away from that fiend. Somehow, she didn't think getting away was going to be easy and with the wounds she had sustained, getting to the Ball was just going to be impossible.
Lady wandered about a bit and came upon a large, muscular gray tabby male asleep under a pile of boxes. Thinking quickly, she decided to leave the area as silently as she could, having no desire to wake him and find out that he was another hostile. He awoke suddenly, sniffing the air with an alert nose and she froze, not daring to move while he was casting about so intently.
She held still as long as she could but the weakness that her wounds left her with caused her legs to buckle a bit and she began to fall against a pile of boxes, making him whirl to his left and spot him. 'Now I'm in it,' she thought, and resigned herself to being finished off then and there. It was too bad, he really was a very handsome tom but when the end has come, that's it. She braced herself, unprepared for the events that followed.
To be continued……..
