But sleep never came. The day’s events had been far too exciting for him to ever sleep after. Instead, he just remained curled up with his eyes closed, imagining the future.
After a while, he heard his family tiptoe in. “Ssh… look, he’s asleep,” he heard Colittia whisper.
“So let’s not wake him,” said Seliana quietly. “Into your beds children, I’m sure you’ll have no problem sleeping tonight.”
Deuteronomy heard his siblings crawl onto their own pillows and try to sleep. He opened one eye and looked around. Moonlight shimmered through the curtain that served as a door. He saw Mathian and Seliana’s silhouettes, talking outside. He strained his ears, but could not understand a word they said.
“Jorynamo? Colittia? Korven?” he whispered in the night.
There was no answer. Deuteronomy sighed, and figured that they must be asleep. He was about to do the same when Colittia said softly, but urgently, “Korven! Korven’s not here!”
Deuteronomy sat upright. “What do you mean, Korven’s not here?” He glanced around the lair, but did not see Korven’s sleeping form. Only the motionless one of Jorynamo, and Colittia, who was also sitting up. She looked at Deuteronomy with worried eyes.
“He did storm out after dad announced I was to be the leader,” murmured Deuteronomy.
Colittia clasped a paw to her mouth. “Oh, Deut… what if something’s happened to him?”
Deuteronomy felt a swelling feeling of dread… and guilt. “We have to go look for him,” he found himself saying suddenly.
Colittia swallowed and glanced at the doorway. “What about mom and dad?”
“We’ll have to find another way to get out,” insisted Deuteronomy. He tilted his head up and searched the ceiling of the lair. He spotted a crack near the top that looked big enough for them to fit through. He pointed. “Up there.”
Colittia looked down at Jorynamo, who was sleeping peacefully. “Don’t you think we ought to tell him?”
“Nah,” said Deuteronomy. He grinned. “He looks too peaceful and innocent to be woken up.”
Colittia climbed on top of a cardboard box. She steadied herself, then looked around for possible ways to reach the crack.
“Try jumping onto that pole,” advised Deuteronomy.
Colittia nodded. She crouched down, then took a leap. She caught the pole with her front paws, and pulled herself up. She balanced carefully, then looked around again. “Now what?” she whispered.
“Grab that slab of wood that’s sticking out,” Deuteronomy told her. “That should get you close enough to the hole.”
She reached out as far as she could. “Uh… I can’t reach it!” She strained as hard as she could, but it was no use.
“Wait… here I come!” Deuteronomy leaped onto the box, and without hesitation jumped onto the pole.
“Deut… we’re too heavy for it!”
And Colittia was right… the pole was slowly sinking down. “Uh oh…” muttered Deuteronomy.
Colittia grinned at her brother. “I told ya you shouldn’t have eaten all that tuna we found laying around!” she joked.
“Quiet,” said Deuteronomy. But he couldn’t help but laugh. “All right missy, watch it. I have to come through first. I’m bigger than you, and I can reach that slab of wood, then help you up myself.”
Colittia stooped down as Deuteronomy crawled over her. “Careful,” she warned when she saw him stumble.
“Hey, I’m a cat! I can balance on a pole better than any human around!” he boasted.
“That’s probably true. You’re graceful, for a human. But for a feline, you’re just plain clumsy!”
“Ha ha,” said Deuteronomy sarcastically. He reached for the slab of wood, and grabbed it with success. He pulled himself up, and through the crack.
Colittia remained clinging to the pole. “Okay… now help me up!” she called.
Deuteronomy poked his head through the hole. He stretched his arm out, reaching for his sister. “Come on Colli… you can do it, Grab my paw and I’ll pull you through.”
Colittia grabbed his arm and he pulled her through the crack. “Ahh! Finally.” She pulled her feet out, and sat at Deuteronomy’s side, staring down at the junkyard. “Wow… we’re so high up!”
“Yep. This is the highest point in the junkyard,” informed Deuteronomy.
Colittia leaned over the edge and pointed down. “Look! There’s mom and dad, still talking.”
Deuteronomy gazed below him, where Colittia was pointing. “Yeah… and they don’t even know we’re gone…”
“Hey, look who else is up here!”
Deuteronomy and Colittia jumped. They turned around. Marinsta, Tomi, and another kitten, Grizabella, were just climbing up over the other edge. “Hey!” cried Colittia, She smiled. “What are you guys doing here?”
Tomi wiggled his eyebrows. “Looking for trouble. You?”
“Korven’s missing,” reported Deuteronomy. He looked guiltily away.
Grizabella peered into his eyes. “Why do you look like you think you’re the one to blame for this? Come on, it’s not your fault!” she insisted.
“Of course it’s not his fault,” stated Colittia. “It’s Korven’s own fault. He was just a little… depressed, I guess, that he wasn’t chosen to be the next leader. He ran off, I suppose. We just now noticed, and were going to go look for him.”
“We’ll come!” volunteered Tomi. He looked at his companions for support.
“Of course we’ll come,” assured Marinsta.
“Yeah,” agreed Grizabella. “We’ll help you find Korven.”
Colittia smiled. “Great!” She looked at Deuteronomy, expecting him to be thrilled that they had some help. But he was only silent.
* * *
“So where the heck would Korven be?” whispered Grizabella. The five kittens were wandering aimlessly through the deserted streets of London.
“I really don’t know,” admitted Colittia. “Korven’s never been outside the junkyard. Come to think of it… neither have we.”
Marinsta whimpered. “Ooh… it’s so dark. I hope we don’t get lost.”
Deuteronomy patted her assuredly. “We’re not going to get lost,” he promised. Yet even has he said it, he wasn’t so sure it was true. “Tomi’s keeping a good look out, making sure we always know which direction the junkyard is in. Right Tomi?”
“Huh?” Tomi’s head snapped up from the rat he had been stalking. “Um… right. The junkyard is right there… I think…”
“You forgot where the junkyard is?” exclaimed Colittia.
“Ooh… we really ARE lost!” wailed Marinsta.
“No, no.” Tomi waved around his paw in a carefree way. He pointed behind them. “Right there. See that big stick thing poking up? That’s in the junkyard. Just keep that in view, and we know where we are.”
“See?” said Deuteronomy. He put an arm around the shivering Marinsta. “We’re fine, we’re not lost. We know exactly where we are.”
“You wanted to come, anyways,” accused Tomi, “so don’t wimp out on us.”
“Leave her alone!” said Deuteronomy firmly. “She has a right to be scared. None of us have ever been outside the junkyard boundaries. This place is new to us.”
Colittia nodded. “I’m even feeling a little nervous about this…”
“Not me!” boasted Tomi. “I could wander around London all night long and not get scared at all!”
Grizabella rolled her eyes. “Sure, ya could.”
“Really!” he insisted.
“Well then. By all means, go ahead,” dared Grizabella.
“You guys,” broke in Colittia. “All this bickering isn’t going to help us find Korven. That’s what we’re here for, remember?”
Grizabella fell silent. Tomi shrugged, embarrassed at being silenced by a queen. He scuffed the ground with his paws as he walked, moping.
The group walked on in silence for a while, with the exception of Marinsta’s occasional sniffle. Then all of a sudden, Colittia stopped. The other kittens looked at her curiously. “What is it?” asked Deuteronomy.
“Ssh,” she ordered. Her eyes darted around, searching for… actually, she wasn’t exactly sure. “I thought I heard something,” she said finally.
Tomi cocked his head. “I don’t hear nothin…”
He was cut short by a scream, followed by loud, echoing laughter. “What was that?” yelped Marinsta.
Footsteps sounded through the streets of London. Then they grew faster, and louder. “Something’s coming this way!” cried Colittia.
“RUN!” yelled Tomi.
“No!” said Deuteronomy quickly. “Whatever it is, we won’t be able to outrun it, plus we might get lost. Hide!”
Grizabella leaped over to a garbage can and threw off the lid. “Hurry! Climb in!” But she didn’t go in herself. She stayed off to one side, holding the lid.
Colittia jumped in. Deuteronomy quickly ushered Marinsta into the can, before climbing in himself. Tomi gave one look around him, then sailed into the garbage can. Grizabella threw the lid down, then crouched behind the can.
Inside the garbage can, the four kittens waited in silence. Then Colittia cried, “Wait! Where’s Griz?”
“She’s not in here!” moaned Marinsta.
“Quiet!” hissed Deuteronomy. “She’ll be fine. Grizabella is a smart, brave queen. She can take care of herself.”
The kittens grew quiet again. They listened for sounds outside the can to let them know it was all right. They heard rapid footsteps run past them outside, and voices shouting and laughing. They waited until it was completely silent before speaking again.
“Whew! That was close,” sighed Colittia.
“Yeah,” agreed Tomi. “Now, how about getting off my ear so that we can get out?”
“I’m not on your ear! It’s Deut, over there.”
“Not me either,” said Deuteronomy. “I’m over herewith Marinsta, and I’m not sitting on anybody’s anything.”
“Marinsta?”
“Not me,” she said quietly.
Nervous silence. “Then… if it’s not Colli, Deut, or Marinsta… who is it???”
As if answering Tomi, a pair of glittering gold eyes appeared near his head. “Um… am I going crazy, or is there another animal in here?” Then, realizing what he just said, “AAAH!”
“Get out of this can, right now, RIGHT NOW!” yelled Colittia.
“No, the lid’s stuck!”
“AAAH!”
“We’re gonna diiiieeeeee!!!!”
“GRIZABELLA! You get your fat, hairy butt over here and open the darn can!”
“Holy Heaviside, take a look at those peepers!”
“Help! Someone help!”
They were calling frantically for help for what seemed like hours. Then, the lid miraculously slid off the top of the garbage can. “Thank the Everlasting Cat!” yelled Colittia as she leaped out to safety.
After her came a very shook-up Tomi, an even more shook-up Marinsta, and a nervous looking Deuteronomy.
“Oh man… oh man, oh man! I’ve never been so scared before!” declared Tomi.
“Ready to admit it now?” asked Marinsta, grinning slyly through her fear.
“Um… guys?” All heads turned to Colittia. She was gazing up at something. Everyone turned their head up in the same direction.
Deuteronomy felt his heart almost stop beating. “Um… hi, um… dad.”
* * *
“What were you kittens thinking?” demanded Mathian. “You could have gotten yourselves killed! And your mother and I would be the ones to blame!”
All the kittens were back safely in the junkyard. Grizabella, Tomi, and Marinsta had retreated miserably to their own parents, dreading the consequences they had in store for them. Deuteronomy and Colittia were left to face Mathian.
It turned out that Grizabella had gotten frightened and run back to the junkyard for help. Mathian and Seliana had still been awake, chatting together. Grizabella had led Mathian to the place where the kittens were stuck, and the tom had pried off the stuck lid. Now Deuteronomy and Colittia were left alone in their lair, with their father. Seliana had taken the sleepy Jorynamo to spend the rest of the night in Adrelene’s lair.
Deuteronomy and Colittia fidgeted uncomfortably in the presence of their angry father. “I… I’m real sorry, dad,” whispered Colittia at last.
“Me too,” agreed Deuteronomy softly.
“I’m disappointed enough in Colittia,” continued Mathian. “But I’m especially disappointed in you, Deuteronomy.” At this, Deuteronomy hung his head. Mathian shook his head angrily. “I can’t believe it… you were just chosen to be the third generation Jellicle leader today. You are now a role model for the entire tribe. You knew that. I just don’t see why you would wander off in the middle of the night, knowing that. You know, it’s not too late to replace you with Jorynamo, or Korven. This was certainly not behavior fit or acceptable for a leader. As a matter of fact, I might let Jorynamo know of his new position right now. At least he had the mind to stay home, where he belonged!”
A small tear trickled down Deuteronomy’s cheek. “I… I…” More tears came, and they splashed to the ground. His father was terribly angry, angrier than he’d ever been.
“I’m sure you regret it,” said Mathian. “I’m sure you’re sorry, and you’ll never do it again. Now… it’s very late. Why don’t you two get back to bed. I’ll let you sleep on it, and I will too. In the morning I will have a punishment fitting enough for you. Good night.” With that, he turned and exited the lair.
Deuteronomy turned away and started sobbing. Colittia put her arm tightly around her brother. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she kept saying. She let him cry for a while.
Finally Deuteronomy regained his voice. “No, it’s not okay! I knew it was wrong, I knew I shouldn’t have done it. Dad’s right. I probably deserve whatever punishment I get, and multiply it by a million!” He wiped his tears from his eyes.
Colittia stared sadly at him. “Deut… you’re the next leader, sure. But you have to remember, you’re also a kitten. This happens to everyone. The reason why we kittens get in so much trouble is to learn from our mistakes. Why, if you ask dad, he’ll tell you how many times he got in trouble too, when Granpa Bartholomew was dad’s age, and dad was our age. And I’ll bet that Granpa Bartholomew got in trouble with his parents a lot too! And look how they both turned out. They’re the perfect role models. And just you wait, soon everyone will look up to you the same way that dad’s looked up to, the same way Granpa Bartholomew is looked up to.” Deuteronomy looked up. Colittia locked eyes with him and smiled. “Why, you’ll be the best Jellicle leader there ever was! Just you wait and see.”
“Thanks, Colli,” whispered Deuteronomy. He smiled back.
Colittia wrapped him up in a strong, brother-sister hug. “Any time, big bro.”
* * *
Mathian was seated on the edge of the tire in the junkyard, just staring up at the cloudless night sky, thinking. The stars twinkled back at him, giving him assurance. Mathian sighed, then lowered his gaze to the ground. His eyes met Seliana. He hadn’t even heard her walk up. He looked away. She climbed up onto the tire and seated herself next to him.
“Tell me,” she said in her silky-soft voice, “What is troubling you?”
“Everything.” Mathian shook his had.
Seliana gently rested a paw on her mate’s shoulder. “Maybe you shouldn’t have been so hard on Deuteronomy. He is, after all, still a kitten. He and his siblings have a lot of growing up left to do.” She gazed into his eyes. “I think Deuteronomy took your little threat a bit hard.”
“You mean… the part that I said I would take away his honor as leader?”
“Yes. Maybe you should tell him in the morning that everything’s fine, and he still has that position,” advised Seliana.
“You’re right,” said Mathian. “I… I suppose I’m still new with this whole ‘father’ business.” He gave a small smile.
Seliana glanced down. Mathian went back to staring at the stars. They sat in silence together. Then Seliana finally said, “Well, congratulations. You will be able to have another shot at fatherhood.”
Mathian turned his head sharply towards his mate. Seliana smiled a knowing smile. “You mean…?”
“That’s right,” said Seliana proudly. “I’m pregnant.”
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