Pouncival and Tublebrutus handed out smug looks, then turned and left quietly. "Okay," Munkustrap said, "now back to the matter at hand. How do we get in?" "A diversion, like they said," Mistoffelees said. "Like this." He formed a little ball of light on the tip of his finger. Then, taking careful aim, shot it at a pile of nearby crates. They fell, making a horrible noise. The guarding rats ran over to the scene, leaving the door competely accessible.
Not wasting a single second, the group of toms quietly shot through.
Blaze shivered in her dark, cramped prison. She had given up on struggling, because the ropes blistered her wrists. Her body was stiff, and her mind was reeling with intense anger. Powerless! The daughter of Star Fire, powerless! The door opened, and bright light streamed into the room, causing Blaze to squint. "You gonna talk?" a high-pitched rat said. Blaze growled and turned her head. The door abruptly slammed. Outside, she heard voices. ".....going...talk?" Obviously Macavity. There was a muffled response. Then, Macavity spoke right up to the door where she could hear him. "You know, accepting my offer would make it a lot better on you," he said. "Much longer in there, and you'll get sick." < You make me sick! > Blaze said.
The group wove through a series of obstacles, such as mountains of crates, interconnected offices, and long hallways. Finding Blaze wasn't going to be easy. They came to a dead-end. "Now what?" Alonzo said. The sound of voices began to fill the air. The toms dove into an adjacent office. "Any luck with that queen?" one said. "No," the other said. "Ssshe'sss obviousssly not interesssted." "Well, what'ssss gonna happen now?" "Macavity sssaid that if ssshe didn't change her mind within the nexxxt half-hour, then to take her out back and get rid of her." One voice laughed. "I want the drumsssstick," it said. Both voices laughed, and then died out.
Mistoffelees gasped. "No," he whispered. He looked at Munkustrap. His eyes were ablaze. Munkustrap knodded. "We haven't much time. Let's go."
The rats drug Blaze out of the closet. Her head hung from lack of movement, not to mention the grogginess she felt. Macavity stared her down. "Last chance," he said. "Join me?" Blaze looked up. < No, > she said. Macavity shook his head. He motioned for the rats and then sat on a pillow. "A shame," he said. "All that power..." He dismissed them all. The rats began to lug Blaze off, the ground growing wet from their drool.