Tim nervously licked his lips. “Well, uh, sure boss,” he said. “I can have my men at work tomorrow at the earliest… maybe one week at the latest.” Tim was the manager-in-chief of a construction business. Well, he wasn’t exactly manager-in-chief, but he was close to getting a promotion. If he carried out his duties correctly, that is.
“ONE WEEK?!” yelled Tim’s boss. His face was beet red. “I said I want it knocked down NOW! Not in ONE WEEK, but NOW!”
Time nodded shakily. He didn’t know why his boss was so urgent to get the junkyard knocked down, but he had to listen to his boss. “Okay boss,” said Tim, his voice cracking. He backed up a step away from his boss’ desk. “How about in three days. At the latest.”
His boss pondered this for a small moment. He glared at Tim. “Fine,” he said angrily. “Three days, only if you absolutely HAVE to. Got that?”
“Yes boss,” said Tim quickly. “I’ll let my men know as soon as possible.” He rushed out of his boss’ office and set off to find the construction crew and tell them they had to knock down the junkyard as soon as possible.
***
“Fluffy? Fluffy, where are you?”
Victoria turned her head sharply in the direction of the voice. “Oh, no, I am NOT going to play with that stupid girl,” she muttered to herself. She was referring to the voice, which belonged to her pet human, Lisa. Lisa seemed to be obsessed with brushing and brushing Victoria’s long white fur. Lisa insisted on tying it up with pink bows every day (pink bows that always seemed to turn up missing the next day). Lisa called Victoria by the name of… ugh… Fluffy. “Of all names to choose,” mumbled Victoria. “She just had to pick Fluffy for my name.”
“Fluffy! Mom, I can’t find Fluffy,” Lisa whined.
Victoria thought she was awfully whiney for just a six-year-old girl. She was always complaining about something, it seemed.
The white cat dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. “I don’t know where humans get the idea that they own us cats,” Victoria said, still muttering to herself. She didn’t have to worry about being heard, because for some dumb reason humans couldn’t understand the standard feline language. “When will they get it through their thick skulls that we own them?” She took a turn into a bright blue bedroom.
The room belonged to ten-year-old Maggie, who Victoria rather liked. Maggie always pet her and gave her attention when she wanted it, and left her alone when she wanted it. Victoria always thought Maggie had a sixth sense about cats.
Maggie was lying down on her fluffy blue bed, reading a thick book. She looked up as Victoria walked in. “How ya doing,” she said, smiling. Victoria leaped onto her bed and nuzzled against her favorite pet. Maggie gently rubbed Victoria’s head.
“I wish you took care of me instead of that airheaded pathetic excuse for a human,” Victoria told Maggie. But of course, all Maggie could hear was, “Meow, meow, meow.” But Victoria still liked to talk even though Maggie couldn’t understand.
Victoria pawed at Maggie’s book, in an attempt to ask what she was reading. Maggie laughed. “Oh, you like that book? It’s called Cinderella, and it’s wonderful. It’s about a servant girl who falls in love with a prince and she wants to go to the ball so she can…”
As Maggie went on and on about how wonderful her book was Victoria was deep in thought. Now, what was I supposed to remember? she thought to herself. I know I was supposed to remember something…
“-and she finally escapes her evil stepmother to get to the ball and”-
The ball! Victoria suddenly stood up. She remembered. The Jellicle Ball was tonight! But how was she going to get outside?
Victoria jumped off Maggie’s bed and started out the door. “Where you going Fluff?” asked Maggie.
“I have to go,” Victoria said, even though Maggie didn’t understand. Victoria dashed down the stairs and flew through the kitchen. She nosed her way through the pet door on the bottom of the main door the family installed for her, since she like to go outside often. Once outside, she ran off in the direction of the junkyard.
She finally got to the junkyard. She paced around trying to found the secret opening in the fence. She pushed open the loose board in the fence and squeezed through.
“Hey Vic! Long time no see!”
Victoria groaned silently. That voice could belong to none other than the troublemaker Pouncival. He seemed to bounce over to the white cat, almost bursting with excitement. “Hello Pouncival,” she said, trying her best to sound polite. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she said, trying to get past the tom that Etcetera said had a crush on Victoria.
Pouncival blocked Victoria’s way. “Sorry, you can’t come in.”
“Excuse me?” cried Victoria. “What is this, some anti-queen club now?”
“No, you don’t understand,” said Pouncival, shaking his head. “None of us are allowed in.”
Just then, Victoria noticed the bright orange cones that blocked off the junkyard. Men with clipboards and men with big heavy tools were walking around their junkyard. “I don’t believe it!” she exclaimed. “They’ve invaded our junkyard!” She turned to Pouncival. “Exactly what are those men doing?”
Pouncival shrugged. “I don’t know. No one knows.”
“But what about the ball?” demanded Victoria.
“Cancelled.”
“Well, then where is everybody?”
“So far only Munkustrap, Demeter, Bombalurina, Mistoffelees, Jemima, Electra, Tumblebrutus, me, and you are here,” announced Pouncival. “We’re all hiding out in the secret room that’s kind of behind and underneath the big tire at the same time. It’s actually kinda big, you know? At least big enough to fit lots of Jellicles. Jemima and Electra should be glad to know you’re here. They’re playing spies, and they’re complaining it’s no fun without you or Etcetera. My job is to keep watch over here for anyone else who arrives.”
Victoria nodded. “Okay. How do we get past these guys?”
Pouncival grinned. “Follow me.”
He led Victoria through an obstacle course of heavy human tools, the orange cones, and all the other junk piled in the junkyard. They finally reached the tire, and snuck into the secret room through what Pouncival said was the back entrance. Bombalurina and Demeter were off to one side, talking to one another. Munkustrap was silently staring out through a spy hole, carefully studying the men outside. Jemima and Electra were chasing each other around in the tight space they were enclosed in. Victoria couldn’t see either Mistoffelees or Tumblebrutus, though.
“Hey guys,” said Pouncival. “Vicky’s here.”
Everyone turned and looked at Victoria. “Hi,” they all said.
“Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” she asked.
“No one really knows for sure,” said Bombalurina. “We just know that there’s these men who are poking around in our junkyard.” There was a hint of anger in her voice.
“Munkustrap sent out Tumblebrutus and Mistoffelees to spy on the guys out there,” Demeter told Victoria. “They haven’t returned yet, but they should soon.” Then, she said in a whisper, “I think Munkustrap knows more than he’s telling us. The only words he’s spoken to us is, ‘Hello everyone. Glad you could make it. Does anyone know what those men are doing out there?’ He’s just sat there in the corner by himself ever since Mistoffelees and Tumblebrutus left.”
Jemima ran up to Victoria. “Wanna play spies with me an Electra?” she said, smiling.
“Yeah!” cried Victoria. “It’ll help keep my mind off this construction business anyway.”
Electra joined them. “You guys can be the good guys, and I want to be the bad guy. We each have to plant a ‘bomb’ in our bases to blow them up.”
Jemima pawed at an old battery on the ground. “This can be a bomb,” she observed.
“Great! Now we just need one more bomb,” said Victoria. The three of them set off searching for another pretend bomb.
***
“Tumblebrutus, I can’t see,” whispered Mistoffelees.
“Use your magical powers to see,” Tumblebrutus whispered back absently.
They were hidden behind a rusted up bike halfway across from the junkyard, trying to spy on the construction workers. As usual, Tumblebrutus got to be the lookout and Mistoffelees got to be the one for Tumble to stand on. Mistoffelees shifted uncomfortably. “Gosh, you’re heavy. How much do you weigh, anyway?”
“Be quiet!” hissed Tumblebrutus. “I’m trying to listen."
Mistoffelees got quiet. He tried his best to listen twice as well, since he was stuck behind a detergent box, trying to support Tumblebrutus and he couldn’t see. Tumble shifted his position on Mistoffelees’ back, which caused his paw to dig into Mistoffelees’ back. “Ow!” cried Mistoffelees. “Move your left leg!”
“Sorry,” whispered Tumble. He moved his right leg, which just made the pain worse.
“No, no!” said Mistoffelees. “Your other left!” He winced.
“Oh.” Tumblebrutus lifted up his left paw and rested it in the bike spokes. “How about if I climb on top of the bike to spare you the pain?” he said sarcastically.
“Go right ahead!”
“I was being sarcastic,” said Tumble dryly.
“Oh.”
Tumblebrutus analyzed the situation. “Well, I guess I could try to climb up on the seat of the bike if you promise to hold on and don’t you dare let it wobble.”
“Gladly!” said Mistoffelees. He arched his back a little to boost Tumblebrutus up.
Tumblebrutus gripped the leather seat with his two front paws. He balanced still on Misto’s back with his hind legs, struggling to find his footing in the metal spokes. First one paw, then the other grabbed hold of the spokes and he pulled himself up onto the seat.
Mistoffelees grabbed the bike to keep it from tipping over. Now he could see because he wasn’t stuck behind the box. There were two men right in front of them, one holding a clipboard and doing the talking, one holding a toolbox and doing the listening. “Hey, this is an AWESOME view from up here,” said Tumblebrutus as quietly as he could.
“Ssh,” Mistoffelees commanded. “I’m trying to listen.”
“Okay,” said Tumblebrutus even quieter. Mistoffelees concentrated his thoughts on the two men’s conversation, trying to hear them better. Maybe if he just used his powers a little… he tried to use his powers as little as he could, but this was almost an emergency. He focused his powers on the conversation, which might be the difference between life and death. Just as expected, he could hear them just as well as if he was right next to them.
“My boss says that if you don’t got it done by tomorrow,” said the one with the clipboard, “he’s gonna be real mad. And I mean real mad.”
The man with the toolbox nodded and said quickly, “Of course I can have my men start it by tomorrow. No problem.”
“No. My boss wants it done by tomorrow, not started by tomorrow. It’s gotta be DONE by tomorrow. Understand?”
“Yeah, sure,” said the toolbox guy. “I guess I can have this place knocked down by tomorrow, although it may be a bit rushed…”
“I don’t care!” yelled the clipboard guy. “It absolutely has to be knocked down by tomorrow or else I could get fired or something. Okay?”
Toolbox man nodded again. “Yeah, I’ll have the guys knock this junkyard down as soon as possible. In fact, I could have it knocked down now.”
The two men started walking away from the two cats, still talking.
Mistoffelees was in a daze. “They’re going to knock down our junkyard?” he said to himself with disbelief. He suddenly lost his balance and dropped his grip on the bike.
“Whoa!” cried Tumblebrutus. The bike toppled over with a crash, knocking down a few garbage cans. Tumblebrutus, still clinging to the bike seat, was almost knocked into the cans himself. He jumped off the bike while it was still falling. He stared at Mistoffelees. “What was that for, Misto?”
Mistoffelees didn’t answer. He just stared at the still falling garbage cans. “Oh no,” he whispered.
“What?” demanded Tumblebrutus. “What?”
“I… I think we started a chain reaction,” said Mistoffelees. He was right. The garbage cans had started the dominoes effect. One fell into another, then that one fell into another and so on. The crashes echoed through the junkyard.
The two men who had been talking turned back around and stared at the garbage cans tumbling down. “What the…” said the toolbox dude.
Clipboard man turned away from the can mess and looked at the two cats. “You!” he roared. “Get outta here!”
“This might be a good time to make our grand escape,” said Tumblebrutus nervously.
Mistoffelees nodded. “Yeah,” he said shakily. He had forgotten all about the junkyard being torn down. His mind was on running now. “Let’s split at meet back at the tire. On three… Three!”
The two cats darted off in opposite directions, both headed for the tire. Clipboard started running after Mistoffelees and Toolbox dropped his toolbox and decided to chase Tumblebrutus.
Mistoffelees swerved into the pipe (it used to be his junkyard home) that had a secret passageway to behind the tire. He had seen Tumblebrutus dash into the stove which was missing its back and also had a secret passageway to the back of the tire. Mistoffelees waited, crouched in the dark, knowing the Tumblebrutus would have to pass by on his way to the tire.
Sure enough, within minutes Mistoffelees saw a silhouette creep past. “Psst, Tumble,” whispered Mistoffelees. The silhouette stopped and turned. “Yeah, it’s me, Mistoffelees. Wait up.”
Mistoffelees slinked up to Tumblebrutus and they walked side by side to the tire. They were silent for a while, before Tumblebrutus spoke up. “Why did you let the bike drop, Misto?” he asked.
“I…” Mistoffelees sighed. “I overheard them say that they’re going to…” No, he just couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud.
“Going to what?”
“Um… well, I kinda used my powers to hear them better and it worked. I almost wish it hadn’t.”
“Please tell me,” pleaded Tumblebrutus.
“They’re going to tear down our junkyard today! Now!” Mistoffelees blurted.
“What?! You’re sure?” demanded Tumblebrutus.
“Positive,” answered Mistoffelees. Then they were silent again, on their way to tell everyone the news.
***
It seemed like hours had passed since Tumblebrutus and Mistoffelees left to spy on the workers outside. By now everyone was here except for Old Deuteronomy and Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, who liked to make an entrance. Munkustrap had sent Pouncival to wait at the front of the junkyard in case they decided to come anytime soon. Victoria, Electra, Jemima, and Etcetera had given up playing spies. They were just too nervous. Everyone was sitting silently, waiting for either Pouncival to arrive with Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie or for Mistoffelees and Tumblebrutus to come back with news of what the men were doing.
Jemima scratched some designs in the dirt with her claw. She would have been absolutely bored if she wasn’t nervous too. What are they doing to our home? she wondered.
Etcetera yawned and stretched. She was laying down right next to Jemima. “Wanna play spies again?” she asked the bored calico.
Jemima made a face. “No way! You and Victoria always get to be the good guys anyway.”
Electra scratched a tic-tac-toe board in the ground. “I’ll play with you, Etcetera, as long as I get to be the x.”
“Deal!” Etcetera rolled over to face Electra and started to play.
Jemima rolled her eyes. Electra didn’t even ask her if she wanted to play. Typical. Jemima continued to doodle on the ground.
“Hey you guys! Rumpie and Mungie and here!” yelled Pouncival at everyone.
Rumpleteazer groaned. “You know I don’t like to be called that.” She and Mungojerrie walked in side by side, with Pouncival trailing behind them.
Demeter and Bombalurina turned to greet them. “So, what’s the scoop?” asked Mungojerrie. “What’s going on?”
“We don’t really know yet,” Bombalurina confessed. “Munkustrap sent Mistoffelees and Tumblebrutus out to spy on the guys, and they haven’t come back yet. They should be here any minute now”-
“Mistoffelees!” cried Jemima as the familiar black and white face poked inside their hideout. “And Tumblebrutus!” She ran up to them and greeted them with an affectionate nuzzle. She had always liked Mistoffelees because he was so nice to her, and she had been worried. Tumblebrutus was okay, too.
“Hello Jemima,” said Mistoffelees. He gave her a playful rub on her head.
“Hey Jemima,” echoed Tumblebrutus.
Victoria rushed up beside Jemima to greet Mistoffelees. Jemima smiled as she watched the two of them nuzzle each other. She knew for a fact that Victoria liked Mistoffelees, and Pouncival had told her that Mistoffelees liked Victoria but was too shy to admit it (but who knew when Pouncival was telling the truth or not). Jemima thought they would make the perfect couple, even better than Munkustrap and Demeter. But they just had to let each other know that they cared for one another.
Munkustrap walked over to them. “What did you find out?” he asked. “Do you know what’s happening?” He didn’t sound very convincing. Jemima thought he already knew the truth, but didn’t want to tell anybody until he was sure.
Mistoffelees avoided Munkustrap’s gaze. “Yes, we found out what’s going on.”
“So what is it?” asked Alonzo from over in a corner.
Tumblebrutus nudged Mistoffelees. “Go ahead and tell them. You’re the one who heard it.”
Mistoffelees sighed. “Okay.” He walked into the center of their dark hideaway and looked around to make sure he had everyone’s attention. “They’re… I… the junkyard…” He cleared his throat and started over again. “The men out there… they’re planning to… to tear down the junkyard. It’ll be gone by morning and there’s nothing we can do about it.”
Gasps came from scattered areas of the hideaway. “What are we going to do?” called out Cassandra. She sounded worried, which was pretty unusual for a Siamese.
All heads turned to Munkustrap. “We have two choices,” he said softly. “One: We could do whatever we can to prevent this from happening."
“But how do we do that?” cried Jemima. “They’re tearing down our junkyard today!”
Munkustrap looked at Mistoffelees, who was usually good at coming up with ideas. Mistoffelees shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said quietly.
“So what’s our second choice?” asked Plato hesitantly.
Munkustrap opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. Then he opened it again and said, “Our other choice is to leave the junkyard. We’ll search the city for another one to replace it.”
***
It was the next day. Bombalurina and Demeter were crouched in the bushes next to the city’s mayor’s office. Pouncival had reported that on his way in the hideout with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer they had heard Clipboard man and Toolbox man talking about how they wouldn’t start knocking down the junkyard until tomorrow. Bombalurina had observed that Mistoffelees looked a little embarrassed by the fact that he had messed up with his powers again. It was an honest mistake. The official tearing down wouldn’t finish until two more days. Pouncival said that Clipboard man was pretty steamed that they couldn’t start until later than he wanted to. So the Jellicles had more time than they thought to prevent the junkyard from being torn down.
Bombalurina and Demeter were hiding by the mayor’s office because they were planning to sneak in. The plan was to get into his office room and type up a letter to the construction manager, begging him not to knock down the junkyard. Bombalurina knew that the mayor kept pre-signed papers so that he could have his secretary type up the letters for him, and still make it look like he wrote them.
“The next person who walks in,” Bombalurina whispered to Demeter, “we’ll run in behind them before the door closes. Got that?” Demeter nodded. “Okay, here comes a lady. She looks like she’s going to… no, she’s talking to somebody now.” Bombalurina was growing impatient. “Why can’t she just walk in the door? She can probably just talk to the guy on the phone.”
She watched on as the lady smiled, and finally waved goodbye to the man she was talking to. She walked over to the door to the mayor’s office.
“She’s gonna open the door,” Bombalurina told Demeter. “There she goes… now!”
The two cats bolted over to the door, which was slowly sealing shut. Demeter rushed in first, and immediately ducked behind a tall plant on the inside next to the door. Bombalurina pulled her last foot in just before the door swooshed shut.
“Get behind this plant,” Demeter whispered to Bombalurina. She obediently crawled behind the plant with Demeter.
Bombalurina surveyed the area. To their left was a sign that said, “Mayor’s Office. Fourth Floor. Left.” To their right was a long hallway where the women went down. She had disappeared behind one of the doors. “We go left,” said Bombalurina. “Follow me.”
She creeped across the cold linoleum floor over to the stairway. Demeter followed close behind her. Bombalurina walked into the stairwell and stopped at the foot of the stairs. “We have to go up,” she announced. “Whatever you do, don’t look down, and don’t look up. Just look straight ahead. And don’t you dare think about how many stairs we’re climbing.”
Demeter laughed. “You sound like you’ve down this before.”
Bombalurina grinned sheepishly. “I have,” she admitted.
They started climbing the stairs up to the mayor’s office. By the time they reached the second floor, Demeter was out of breath. “How do you do it?” she gasped as she climbed another torturing step.
Bombalurina was well ahead of her feline friend. “Do what?” she called back.
Demeter tried to catch up to Bombalurina. “Climb so high without getting out of breath,” she said.
Bombalurina stopped a moment to let Demeter catch up to her. “I dunno,” she said, continuing. “Maybe you’re just out of shape,” she teased.
Demeter took a playful swipe at her friend. “Be quiet,” she laughed.
They continued their trek up to the fourth floor. About halfway into the third floor, Bombalurina looked up. “We don’t have much farther to go,” she announced.
“Good,” grumbled Demeter. “I’ve had enough of this.”
Bombalurina laughed and trotted ahead. “Just remember, we have to go back down once we’re done.” She heard an exaggerated groan from Demeter and laughed again.
They finally reached the fourth floor of the building. Bombalurina ran ahead of Demeter to get to the fourth floor first. She hopped up onto the landing and waited patiently for a very weary Demeter.
Demeter glared up at Bombalurina. “You could have waited for me,” she said. She half-trotted half-crawled finally to the fourth floor.
“Come on,” said Bombalurina. She skipped out into the hallway. Demeter grudgingly followed her.
Bombalurina eyed the long, narrow hallway. “Uh… I guess we just go straight,” she suggested.
“Sounds good,” agreed Demeter. Together they walked slowly down the hall, checking the labels on all the doors carefully, hoping that they would finally reach the mayor’s office. Finally, Demeter said, “Right here. It says, Mayor Wright. Yep, that’s him.”
“Good work,” praised Bombalurina. She nudged the ajar door open all the way.
The mayor’s office was big. There was a huge desk right in the middle, with both a typewriter and a computer. Against one wall was a filing cabinet, and a TV hooked onto the wall. Bombalurina walked carefully over to the mayor’s desk and looked up.
There was the mayor, intently reading something on a sheet of paper and stuffing his face full with donuts.
“Darn,” muttered Bombalurina to herself as she backed away. She turned to Demeter and said as quietly as she could, “The mayor is here. We’ll have to find some way to get him out.”
Demeter nodded. She crawled over to the desk and jumped up on it. She hid behind a stack of papers so the mayor couldn’t see her.
“Oh, be careful Demi,” whispered Bombalurina.
Demeter studied a mechanical device on his desk carefully. Then she punched a bunch of buttons, to see what would happen. A loud buzzer went off that kept beeping in Bombalurina’s ears, making her want to scream. “What did you do?” she cried.
“What the…” sputtered the mayor. He peered over his stack of papers and stared at Demeter. His eyes widened that they should fall out of their sockets any minute. “HOW DID THIS CAT GET IN HERE!” he roared at the top of his lungs.
***
Meanwhile, Mungojerrie, The Rum Tum Tugger, Mistoffelees, Alonzo, and Munkustrap were all out searching the city for a junkyard to replace the one that was going to be knocked down. You know, just in case. And at every single one they’ve visited, Mistoffelees, Alonzo, and Munkustrap had complained that it just wasn’t the same. No, it had to be perfect, like the ultimate junkyard. And Tugger and Mungojerrie were getting very sick of it.
“So far we’ve visited four other junkyards and none of them seemed like they could replace our old one,” insisted Munkustrap.
“I only know of one other one, and it’s way over on the other side of town,” volunteered Alonzo.
Mistoffelees shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m not a junkyard cat. The only junkyard I’ve been to is our junkyard and the ones we’ve checked out today.”
Mungojerrie thought for a moment. “I think there’s one that way.” He pointed. “It’s kinda small, but it’ll ‘ave to do.”
Munkustrap nodded. “Okay, we’ll go to that one. Come on everyone.”
They all walked in the direction that Mungojerrie pointed. “I think it’s about… oh, maybe three blocks this way,” said Mungojerrie.
“You guys had better be satisfied with this one or I’m gonna be mad,” threatened Tugger.
“Yeah,” agreed Mungojerrie. “You can’t just look for one particular kind of junkyard, you ‘ave to take what you can get.”
“I don’t care,” said Mistoffelees. “I just have to like it, you know. I can’t just take any old junkyard.”
“Exactly,” said Alonzo. “You have to be a little picky.”
Tugger rolled his eyes. “Believe me, nobody can be as picky as you, ‘Lonzo.”
Mungojerrie squinted his eyes. There was something ahead, like a fallen tree. “Hey you guys, I think there’s somethin’ blockin’ the road up there.”
Munkustrap nodded. “He’s right. We’ll have to cut through the alley.”
“Ooh, I’m sooooo scared,” said Tugger sarcastically. “Big deal. So we have to go through the alley? So what?”
Mungojerrie smiled to himself. Tugger didn’t sound the least bit brave. In fact, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself to be brave. “Are you sure Tugger?” he teased. “There’s stuff in there, like Macavity’s Henchrat things, and alley cats. I know ‘ow to ‘andle them. You don’t.
Tugger glared at Mungojerrie. “Be quiet, Jungomerrie.”
“Let’s just go through the alley and get it over with,” said Mistoffelees urgently. “I’m not very happy to be going through there either, Tugger, but I’m willing to.”
Tugger looked a little mad, but also a little relieved that someone was on his side. “Okay, whatever,” he muttered. “Like Misto said. Let’s just get it over with.”
Munkustrap led the way into the deserted alley. Alonzo followed right behind him. Mistoffelees glanced at Tugger, then trailed behind Alonzo. Mungojerrie and Tugger brought up the rear. Mungojerrie noticed, walking side by side with Tugger, that the usually proud and loud tom was acting pretty un-Tuggerish. “You okay?” Mungojerrie whispered so that only the Rum Tum Tugger could hear him.
Tugger looked up, startled. “Huh?”
“You aren’t acting like yourself. What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” said Tugger, sounding exactly like something was wrong. “Oh, okay. Something.”
“What, then?” pressed Mungojerrie.
The Rum Tum Tugger sighed. “Well… naw, you’ll laugh at me if I tell you.”
Mungojerrie shook his head vigorously. “I won’t tell! I promise!”
“Tugger! Jerrie! You with us here?” called Mistoffelees. “Let’s get moving!”
“Oh. Sorry!” said Mungojerrie. He hadn’t even realized that he and Tugger had stopped walking. They ran to catch up with the others. “Come on an’ tell me,” Mungojerrie insisted, once they were all caught up.
“Okay! Okay, okay, fine! I’ll tell you.” Tugger gave in. His eyes darted over to Alonzo, Munkustrap and Mistoffelees. “Just… just don’t tell Misto ‘cuz he’ll tease me about him being right all along.”
Mungojerrie wanted to ask what Mistoffelees had been right about, but decided not to. “Fair deal,” he said instead.
“It’s”-
“Watch it!” yelled Mistoffelees. “Duck!”
Mungojerrie and the Rum Tum Tugger ducked. A big, heavy bowling ball went sailing over their heads. “What the”- cried Tugger, outraged. “Who threw that bowlin’ ball?”
“I did,” said a low, thick voice. All heads turned. Three big, tough-looking alley cats stood blocking their way. “I did,” repeated the one in the middle.
The cat on the left was big, and all brown except for a white spot on the tip of his tail. He also had a scar on his side that could be a battle scar. He stared at the five Jellicles with eyes that dared them to challenge him.
The cat on the right was bigger. He was black and white striped with a brown smudge on his nose. It looked like part of his right ear had been bitten off and he was missing his tail. He grinned wickedly with teeth that could be mistaken for fangs.
The cat in the middle was biggest. It was also a she, and it looked like she was in charge. She was all black with a white patch over her left eye. She, too, was missing her tail. There seemed to be an aura of confidence around her, almost like Tugger, except his was more of a playful confidence. This queen was dead serious.
Tugger decided to take advantage of the fact that she was a girl, even though she was bigger than he was. He stepped up and stared her in the eye. “Nobody throws a bowling ball at me,” he threatened.
The queen raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh, is that right?” she said in a mocking tone. “Wanna make somethin of it, peacock?”
“Oh yeah?” challenged Tugger. “You want a piece of me? Huh?”
The queen grinned even more wickedly than her partner to the right. “Yeah, I do.”
“Okay you two, break it up,” said Munkustrap. “We’re not here to fight,” he explained to the alley cats. “We’re just investigation junkyards. See, something happened to ours.”
The queen raised her eyebrows even higher. “Oh! You them cats whose junkyard is gettin’ knocked down?”
Munkustrap nodded. “Yeah, that’s us.”
“I’m sorry,” apologized the queen. “I didn’t know it was you. Anyway, you was tresspassin’ on our property, an’ I guess it kinda was an instinct. Yeah, I’m friends with that one queen in your group. Bom… Bombal… uh, Bombal something.”
“Bombalurina!” cried Tugger quickly.
“Yeah, that’s it,” said that queen. “Bombal… uh, what he said. So, anything I can do for you?”
Mungojerrie almost laughed out loud. This alley cat almost killed him and Tugger with a bowling ball, and now she was chatting like they were best friends.
“Yes, actually,” said Munkustrap. “Two things. The first thing you could do is tell me your names.”
“Oh!” cried the queen in surprise. “I’m sorry, I forgot all about introducing myself. I’m Snapdragon, and that airhead to your left is Cougar, and the bozo to your right is Equator.”
Munkustrap smiled. “Hello Snapdragon, Cougar, Equator. I am Munkustrap, and that is Alonzo, Mistoffelees, Mungojerrie, and that tom that tried to pick a fight with you is Tugger.”
Snapdragon glanced at Tugger. “So you’re that tall and handsome tom that Bombalurina is always talking about,” she said, nodding in approval.
“Oh, well, I guess when you put it that way,” said Tugger, obviously flattered.
“Now what’s that other thing you wanted?” asked Snapdragon.
Munkustrap smiled. “Do you know where the nearest junkyard is?”
Snapdragon thought for a moment. She turned to the other two alley cats. “Cougar,” she snapped in that voice that said ‘hey, I’m in charge’ again. “You know all the junkyards in town. Where’s the nearest one?”
“That would be over that way.” Cougar pointed. “Go straight until you get to the next intersection. Then turn left. The junkyard should be right in front of you, unless they tore that one down too.”
Munkustrap nodded. “Thank you. That will be all.” Then, to the Jellicles, “Let’s go investigate this junkyard.”
The alley cats parted to let the group by. “Come back soon,” called Snapdragon to them as they left.
The Jellicles walked in silence for a while. Then Alonzo decided to say, “Well, they were awful nice.”
“Yes,” agreed Mistoffelees. “Too nice, in fact.”
The Rum Tum Tugger stopped and stared at Mistoffelees. “What do you mean?” he demanded. He was always ready to defend someone who complimented him.
“Well… didn’t they seem a little too happy to find out that we were friends with Bomb?” said Mistoffelees. “And they seemed just way too nice, especially for alley cats.”
“So what are you saying?” asked Mungojerrie.
Mistoffelees shook his head. “I don’t know, it just makes me a little suspicious.”
***
Demeter stared up at the face of the angry mayor. “Uh… hi?” she meowed to him.
The mayor glared at her fiercely and picked her up by the scruff of her neck. “Ow!” she cried in pain. “Let go of me, you… you… you animal hater!” Demeter swiped her claws at him in an attempt to scratch him, but he had her too tightly.
“Miss JESSICA!” the mayor shouted as loud as Demeter imagined possible. “Who let this cat into MY OFFICE!”
“Coming mister Mayor, sir,” said a woman’s voice from the hallway. The door to the mayor’s office opened and revealed the face of the woman who Demeter and Bombalurina had snuck in behind. She gasped at the sight of Demeter. “Oh my,” she whispered. She rushed over to the cranky mayor. “Here, let me take her for you,” she said, holding her arms out.
The mayor tried to hand Demeter over, but she jumped at the last minute. “Oh!” cried out the woman in surprise.
Demeter streaked across the floor and out the door into the safety of the hallway. “Miss Jessica, would you PLEASE go after THAT CAT!” yelled the mayor.
“Yes sir,” said Miss Jessica.
Uh oh, thought Demeter. The woman was going to come after her. Where is Bombalurina when I need her? She frantically scanned the hallway but just as she suspected, Bombalurina had not come after her.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty,” Demeter heard Miss Jessica say softly. The door slowly creaked open.
Demeter scurried behind the opening door. She was hidden in the shadows, since the door opened out into the hallway. She crouched in the darkness and waited. She saw Miss Jessica’s shoes walk past her. “Here kitty,” Miss Jessica called again.
The footsteps stopped. “I don’t see her, mayor, sir.”
Demeter heard an exasperated sigh coming from the mayor. “Okay, fine,” he grumbled. “I’ll help you look for that stupid cat.” Demeter heard more footsteps walking out of the office and went off in the opposite direction of Miss Jessica.
When Demeter was sure she couldn’t hear the footsteps anymore, she crept back into the office to find Bombalurina sitting perched in the mayor’s chair. “I am the mayor!” she declared in a loud voice. “You must bow in my presence!”
“Yeah, yeah, save it,” said Demeter. “We have to get to work on this letter.” She leaped up onto the chair with Bombalurina and stared at the computer screen on the desk. “Uh, do you happen to know how to use computers?” she asked Bombalurina.
“Of course I do,” said Bombalurina. “Don’t you?”
“The only thing I know how to do is type. I’ve watched my pet type a lot. She’s a writer you know. She types a lot.”
Bombalurina smiled. “Good, because that’s the only thing I don’t know how to do. You type, I do everything else.” She grabbed hold of the computer mouse with her paw and guided the cursor over to a little button on the screen. Demeter watched her intently as she opened up a bunch of files and finally got into a word processor. “Type away, miss typist,” she said.
“Okay… let’s see if I can remember this.” Demeter reached out her paws and touched the keyboard. She paused a moment to think, then started typing, talking as she did so. “Dear Mister… hey Bomb? What’s the manager’s name?”
“Tim… I think.” Bombalurina hopped off the chair and onto the floor. “Just put Tim.”
“Okay… Dear mister Tim… I have heard that you and your men are going to tear down that junkyard on Monroe Street. I ask you, please don’t. Lots of people… no…” Demeter deleted something. “Lots of my citizens need that junkyard to dump their trash. My city has limited junkyards, so if you tear one down you’re tearing down people’s way of life. Where else are they to dump their garbage? So I ask you PLEASE do NOT tear down that junkyard. Sincerely… hey Bomb do I just leave it like that since the papers are pre-signed?”
“Yeah, sure,” said Bombalurina distractedly. She was digging around in the mayor’s garbage. “Wow! You are not going to believe how much candy this guy eats! His trash basket has more candy wrappers than all the wrappers I’ve seen in our junkyard!”
Our junkyard, echoed Demeter in her head. That reminded her of all the toms who had gone out in search of a new junkyard. I wonder how Munkustrap is doing, she thought. I hope they find another junkyard to replace ours if this plan doesn’t work.
Demeter turned her attention back to the computer screen. “Now what?” she asked.
“Wow! This guys eats even more donuts than candy bars!” exclaimed Bombalurina.
“Bomb, please,” groaned Demeter. “Focus. I don’t know how to work this stupid computer, and I need you to finish off the work.”
“Oh, okay.” Bombalurina backed her head out of the trashcan and jumped back up onto the chair. She stared intently at the computer screen. “Hmm… good. Very good,” she mumbled. She turned back to Demeter and smiled. “I think he’s gonna buy it.”
“Great.” Demeter grinned back. “Just… you kinda gotta print it up before he can fall for it.”
“Huh? Oh!” Bombalurina laughed and turned back to the computer. “I’m sorry, my mind is wandering. I was thinking of something… else.”
“Tugger?” said Demeter, knowing.
“Yeah.” Bombalurina sighed as she turned on the mayor’s printer with a delicate paw. “I don’t know, I’m just worried about them. I mean, what if they run into a group of gangster alley cats?”
“I know how you feel,” said Demeter.
Bombalurina moved the mouse around and clicked on the print icon. “One ticket to get our junkyard back, coming right up.”
Demeter watched the paper slide slowly out of the printer’s mouth. Like some kind of miracle, the paper had the letter she had carefully composed printed neatly on it. When it finished printing, Bombalurina picked it up and inspected it. Just as they had expected, at the bottom of the paper was the mayor’s signature, already signed. “Okaaaaaay, let’s go.”
***
Mistoffelees peered carefully through the thin fence surrounding the junkyard. “It looks okay so far,” he observed. “But let’s go inside just to be sure.”
Alonzo walked slowly alongside the fence, searching for a crack, or an opening. “Right here,” he called to the others. He pointed to a small crack in the fence.
They went over to join him. “It looks too small to fit through,” said the Rum Tum Tugger.
“I’ll bet I could fit through it,” boasted Mungojerrie.
“You’re welcome to try,” said Munkustrap. “But I don’t think you’ll make it.”
“Oh yeah?” Mungojerrie grinned. “We’ll see about that.” He crouched to the ground and started to try to crawl underneath.
“Almost… there…” Now his head was through the opening. Just his hind legs were sticking out, right in Mistoffelees’ face.
“Want a boost?” offered Mistoffelees. Before Mungojerrie could object, Mistoffelees gave Mungojerrie a big, hard, shove.
“Yaaaaaa!” followed by a crash. “Ow! What was ‘at for, Misto?”
Mistoffelees laughed. “If I didn’t help you, you would’ve gotten stuck. And we don’t want that to happen, do we?”
“Yeah, well, you didn’t have to make me fall into this… this… well, this big metal something.”
“Who else can fit through that hole?” asked Munkustrap.
“Misto probably could,” said Tugger.
“Yeah… I guess I could,” said Mistoffelees uncertainly.
“What are you afraid of?” challenged Tugger.
“I… I don’t know,” confessed Mistoffelees. “I just have a bad feeling about this place.”
“You always ‘ave a bad feeling about everything!” yelled Mungojerrie from inside the junkyard. “Now come in ‘ere with me so we can check this place out.”
“Okay, fine.” Mistoffelees rolled his eyes. They always expect me to be afraid of nothing, just because I happen to be the magical one, he thought. They just gotta accept the fact that magic doesn’t get you everything. But he grudgingly crawled with ease through the hole Alonzo had discovered.
Mungojerrie was waiting impatiently beside a pile of old tires. “Let’s ‘ave a look around,” he said. He led Mistoffelees around every corner of the junkyard so he could inspect it.
With every step he took, Mistoffelees felt that bad feeling get even worse. He wasn’t listening when Mungojerrie pointed out the hose nearby for water. He wasn’t listening when Mungojerrie commented about the huge size of the junkyard and how many Jellicles they could fit in it. He wasn’t listening when Mungojerrie said, “’ey, Misto? You listening?”
But he was listening when Mungojerrie cried, “Yipes! Junkyard Guard Pollicles!”
“Where?” Mistoffelees jerked his head around. He spotted three ugly, dusty, dirty, drooling, wild-eyed and huge Doberman Pollicles. “Oh great. Just what we need. Some Pollicle neighbors.”
Mungojerrie backed up slowly onto a rusty pipe. “Ya know, maybe this junkyard isn’t for us. Mebbe we should, uh, go now.” Mistoffelees could tell he was babbling to try to cover up his fear.
“Yeah,” agreed Mistoffelees in an unusually high voice. He was concentrating real hard on the dog’s fierce, crooked fangs. “Let’s go.”
The dogs were advancing, slowly, but they were advancing. Mistoffelees mimicked Mungojerrie’s actions and backed up too. He backed up so far his back hit the fence. He realized that Mungojerrie had backed up too far also. They were trapped.
“Oh, what a way to die,” complained Mungojerrie. “I get to be torn up by three mangy mutheads. Misto, why don’t you poof us outta here or somethin?”
“Yeah, uh sure…” Thoughts raced through Mistoffelees’ head. “PRESTO!” he yelled so loud that the three dogs jumped back a little, startled.
The air seemed to shimmer a little, but nothing happened. Mistoffelees tried again. “Presto!” Once again, nothing.
“What?” cried Mungojerrie. “What ‘appened? Why are we still staring at these stupid Pollicles?”
“I… I don’t… I don’t know,” stammered Mistoffelees. “Oh, it’s not working! I just gotta get used to this stuff! I’ve tried zapping other people before, but I never tried it on myself!”
“Well then why am I still ‘ere if it’s supposed to work on other people?” demanded Mungojerrie.
“I don’t know.” To himself, Mistoffelees thought, Why does my magic always seem to falter when I absolutely need it? Well, at least it worked at the last Jellicle Ball when I got Old Deuteronomy back. But of all times… now is definitely not a good time for my powers to act up on me!
The two guard dogs continued advancing on the frightened felines. “Munku, ‘lonzo, Tugger, help!” shouted Mungojerrie.
“What is it?” cried a muffled Munkustrap.
“They got guard Pollicles ‘ere!” yelled Mungojerrie.
“Try to get out!”
“We can’t!”
“Misto, can’t you use your powers?” demanded Tugger.
“They’re not working!” said Mistoffelees, exasperated.
“Whaddya mean? How can they not work?”
“It’s…” Suddenly Mistoffelees had an idea. “Wait, if one thing doesn’t work, who says another can’t?”
Mungojerrie stared at him. “You getting an idea?”
“Yeah!” Mistoffelees almost laughed at his own ignorance. “Even if I can’t teleport us anywhere, who’s to say I can’t teleport those dogs somewhere?”
“But Misto, you just said it didn’t work,” insisted Mungojerrie.
“I said it didn’t work on us,” corrected Mistoffelees. “I never said it wouldn’t work on the dogs.”
Mungojerrie tried his best to back up even farther. One of the Pollicles was almost staring him in the face. “Okay, but whatever you do, do it fast,” he said shakily.
The Pollicle that was eyeing Mistoffelees started to growl as if he sensed something. Then, quick as a flash, the dog snapped at Mistoffelees. But Mistoffelees was quicker. He ducked, reached out a paw, and zapped the dog with a bolt of lightning.
The dog went flying a couple of feet, and landed with a thump. He started to whimper quietly.
While the dog was still sitting on the ground, confused, Mistoffelees had the time to formulate a plan. He concentrated hard, and once again the air began to shimmer. This time, more than before. Little wisps of mist circled around the startled Pollicles, then enveloped them. When the mist cleared, they were gone.
“Alright!” cried Mistoffelees happily. “It worked!”
“It did?” asked Mungojerrie. Then he blinked his eyes at the space where the two Pollicles used to be. “It did! YAHOOOOOOO!” He jumped up and did a flip, right on the spot.
Mistoffelees grinned widely, proud of his good work. Mungojerrie smiled back. Then, his smile disappeared. “Uh… Misto?” he said uncertainly. “Exactly where did the Pollicles go?”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Mistoffelees assured him. “They’re somewhere else, not here, and that’s all that you should care about.”
“Okay,” said Mungojerrie skeptically. “Whatever. Let’s get outta here.”
***
Somewhere along the coast of Japan…
A girl and her father were walking along a sandy beach. “(In Japanese) Oh, look father,” said the girl. “Two dirty dogs, right on our beach. How did they get there?”
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