"Yes, I did! He was gettin' on my nerves, so I had to zap him. You know?" Jade was pulling against his paw, trying to see what damage she had done to her brother. "No, I'm afraid I don't. You'll have to tell me." Mistoffelees had been pulling Jade toward the old car, and now he let go. She tumbled toward the old car, and he shooed her into the car. "Hey! That's playing dirty!" She shouted and banged her paws against the window. Jade sat down and watched the Jellicles fawn over her brother. I'll teach them, she though bitterly. I'll disappear, and maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to scare them. She smiled, stuck her tongue out at Mistoffelees, and fell asleep.

Jade woke up and realized that she wasn't in the car. She wasn't even in the junkyard. Jade heard someone cackle, and she whirled around to be faced with Macavity. Jade screamed. Macavity laughed, a cruel sound that sounded out of place coming out of his mouth. "Don't scream, little kitten. Nobody cares when the jade stone disappears." "My daddy cares." Jade countered "No he doesn't. He thinks you're just a burden on his life. He likes your brother, Cornelius, better. Cornelius doesn't sass him during magic lessons, and Cornelius doesn't leave the junkyard without permission." Macavity laughed. "So he asked me to bring you here." "That's not true!" Jade started to cry. "He wouldn't do that!" "Then why are you here? Now stop crying. You look weak." Macavity slapped her on the face. Jade was too shocked to cry. No one had ever hit her. No one. She thought back on her life. There was the time when her daddy had come in and found her exploding things, and she had set his tail on fire. But he hadn't hit her. There was the time when her mama had come in and found her zapping Cornelius over and over. But she hadn't hit her. And, there was the time when she had said a word she had picked up from Rum Tum Tugger. He even looked surprised. Jade had been eavesdropping when she heard him say it. She knew it was a bad word. But she said it anyway. And no one had hit her. She was stunned. "And, in case you're wondering, your daddy said that if you were any trouble, smack you." Macavity seemed to want to monitor her reactions. "He wouldn't say that." Jade whimpered. Or would he? she wondered. "Oh yes he would. And he said when you could behave better, to bring you back. So you are going to stay with me for a while." Macavity smacked her again. "So stop whimpering, and get to work. Scrub the floor, wash the windows, feed the rats." "Feed the rats, sir?" Jade looked in the next room where the rats were. They were big. "Yes. They are cannibals, so you just have to kill one of them." Macavity turned to her. "And remember, no one cares when the jade stone disappears." "But my friends..." Jade was trying not to cry. "Are playing in the junkyard. You are in reform school, so shape up! Stand up straighter!" Macavity looked at her and straightened. "Hey! That's something Jennyanydots would say!" Jade exclaimed, and when he reached over to hit her, everything changed.

Jade woke up and started screaming. Macavity was gone! She was in the junkyard! And Mistoffelees came running over followed by Victoria and Cornelius. "What's the matter?" Victoria asked, her voice shrouded with concern. Jade threw her arms around Mistoffelees. "I had a dream, and you gave me to Macavity! He said 'No on cares when the jade stone disappears', and he said you wanted me to behave better, and he said to feed the rats, and he smacked me, and he said 'Stand up straighter!" just like Jennyanydots! I was so scared!" Mistoffelees looked her in the eye. "I would never give you to Macavity. You are my kitten. Macavity is evil. Okay?" "Okay. But he said-" "It was a dream, dummy." Cornelius was preoccupied with the fact that Jade seemed not to be in trouble anymore. "Don't call your sister a dummy." Victoria was looking Jade over, making sure she was okay. "Who said she was my sister?" Cornelius smiled at his sister to show he was joking. "Look at her, all vague and aloof. In fact, I'm not so sure she isn't completely arrogant. You do know that you are s'posed to be merry and bright, not all sad and dull, like you are no-" "Cornelius!" Victoria cut him off. "I wanna go back to sleep." Jade complained. "Then go back to sleep." Cornelius winked at Jade. "We'll all feel bet-" "Cornelius!" both Victoria and Mistoffelees yelled at the same time. Jade had already fallen back to sleep. She dreamt of zapping Cornelius and not getting in trouble. "A very pleasant dream." she mumbled in her sleep.