Pouncival threw back the curtain and grinned to himself as he saw Alonzo screw up his face when the light hit him.
“For Growltiger’s sake, Pounce, shut the curtain and go away!” The huge black and white tom rolled over and snuggled against Jezzie.
“Nope, I can’t do that. Munkustrap is asking for your presence immediately, if not sooner.” Pouncival flopped down beside the pair. “You know, if you hadn’t been up all night.......”
“All right, all right, I’m up.” Alonzo sluggishly pulled himself away from Jezzie and yawned.
“What were you two doing last night anyways?”
“None of your business.” Jezzie was awake, her starry eyes tired. “Couldn’t you have waited another hour?”
“Osiris is here.”
Alonzo grimaced. “Why is that creep here anyways? He usually keep his tribe away from us.”
“I have no clue, but Munkustrap wants his esteemed second in command to be there when he finds out.”
Alonzo turned to Jezzie. “If it involves Osiris, it’s serious. I have to go.” He kissed her lingeringly and followed Pouncival out.
“Osiris.........” Jezzie fell back among her pillows and stretched slowly. “I wonder what that’s all about.” She rose and gazed in the mirror by her bed. She looked a little rumpled, but that would have to do.
She stepped out into the sun, shielding her eyes. She was a delicate, fairy-like queen who was renowned far and wide for being the most beautiful (and modest) cat alive. She took no pride in the compliments paid to her, and she was well-loved for her kindness and compassion.
“Jezbet!” Mistoffelees, a close friend, bounded up behind her on all fours. When he reached her, he stood up and grinned. Even though he was small by the tribe’s standards, he was a giant compared to Jezzie.
“Misto! I thought you would’ve been at the meeting!” She stood on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek in greeting.
“Nah, I’m not old enough, or important enough, for that matter. At least that’s what Osiris says. Hey! Do you want to see my new trick?”
“Sure, what is it?” Jezzie’s eyes widened as he bent down to the ground and plucked a bit of ribbon that was half buried. Tugging on it, he pulled up a huge edifice of vines that seemed to grow from the ribbon. Jezzie gasped with pleasure and tried to touch it, but her paw passed through it. Laughing, Misto dropped the ribbon and the illusion disappeared.
“That was amazing, Misto! You have to show me how!” Jezzie bounced excitedly.
“All right then! First, get a picture in your mind of what you’re going to pull up.”
Jezzie screwed up her eyes and concentrated. “Now what?”
“Then, open your eyes---keep that thought!---and pull up the ribbon.”
It was no surprise to Misto when Jezzie yanked up a likeness of Alonzo. The edges were blurred and wavery, but the figure was recognizable.
“Good work, for a beginner.”
“A beginner? I’ve been doing magic all my life, just like you!”
“I’m also a year older than you.”
“Oh, right.” She smiled sheepishly. “How about breakfast?”
“There’s stuff in the alley by the bakery-----wanna try there?”
“Sure--I’ll race you!” Jezzie took off on all fours. As the pair left the boundaries of the Junkyard, the magic “gate” that protected it from the outside world shimmered slightly. Now all they looked like was a pair of cats out for a morning trot.
“BAGELS!” Jezzie leapt gracelessly into a sack of bagels and buried herself in them. “Oh boy, BAGELS!”
“You’re dippy! Let me in there!” Misto shoved her aside. “I want some!”
*************************************
“You want what?” Munkustrap stared at Osiris in shock. “You want us to charter her? Like some commodity?” Alonzo clawed his way across the table, growling at Osiris, and was barely held back by Mungojerrie.
“Easy, there, me bucko! Let ‘im explain ‘isself. But,” and Mungo glared at Osiris, “’e ‘ad bettah do it fast.”
Osiris shrunk away from the malevolence in Alonzo’s stare. “The Tandenpaw should be shared with all the cats in the city. Its powers should be available for all.”
“You don’t even treat her like a person!” Alonzo turned to Munkustrap. “To him, she’s an object!”
“And all she is to you is a glorified sex toy! You always did like them young, Alonzo!” Kamina, a fluffy white Persian, glared at him. They had had a previous relationship, and that was a cause in itself for the tension in the meeting.
“That has nothing to do with what is happening here!” Alonzo hissed.
Osiris nodded. “Agreed. Now, moving on, will you agree?”
“And if we don’t?”
“We will take it, and share it.”
“BASTARD!” Alonzo was practically foaming at the mouth with rage. Mungo’s muscles strained as he tried to hold Alonzo back. “If you call her that one more time----”
“Alonzo!” Munkustrap cut his subordinate off with a wave of his paw. He turned to glare at Osiris. “It is through no pressure of ours that Jezabette does not share her powers with the outside world. She is extremely distrustful of strangers, and I think---”
“I think we should see her.” Kamina said with distaste. “Bring her in. Let’s see what the little princess looks like.”
Munkustrap jerked his head at Tumble. “Go get her.”
A few tense moments passed as Alonzo surveyed Osiris and Kamina with growing fury. Finally, Munkustrap breathed a sigh of relief as Jezzie entered, visibly agitated.
Kamina burst out laughing. “What a little twirp! She definitely couldn’t hold her own against Alonzo! Munkustrap, I didn’t know you favored pedophiles as your second in command.” Alonzo’s roar of rage choked in his throat as Jezzie laid a gentle paw on his arm.
Jezzie smiled sweetly at Kamina, and Alonzo recognized the gleam in her eyes. He barely supressed a grin himself. Jezzie walked over to Kamina and stood on her tiptoes to whisper in the Persian’s ear.
“PAIN!”
“AHHHH!” Kamina dropped to her knees, clutching her head as razor sharp bursts of pain lanced through it. Jezzie stepped back slowly, a look of superiority on her face. She glanced up at Osiris. “Not quite what you expected, hmmm?”
Osiris watched Kamina writhing on the ground and then stared at Jezzie in shock. “But I thought you were just a Tandenpaw!”
“Magic can be channeled easily enough. It’s all in the mind.” Jezzie waved a dismissive paw at Kamina, whose moans were beginning to subside. “As Kamina just discovered.”
Osiris swallowed hard. This was no cat to be trifled with, appearances aside. “Well, uh, Miss Jezzie, er, will you help us? Will you heal our wounded?”
She curtsied. “I am at your service, Osiris---within reasonable limits, of course.”
“WHY YOU LITTLE WHORE!!!!” Kamina, rising to her feet, swiped at Jezzie weakly and staggered back. Jezzie planted her foot into Kamina’a stomach and shoved her backwards. Kamina wriggled like a flipped beetle trying to right herself, and Alonzo yet again had to be restrained from tackling her.
“All right, everyone! Let’s have some semblence of order here!” Bombalurina shoved the two groups apart. “Kamina, if you want your tribe to have any access to Jezzie’s powers, you had better pull yourself together or wait outside. Do you hear me?”
“Yeah, I hear you. Just don’t yell, even my fur hurts.” Kamina sank to her knees.
“Are we agreed?” Osiris looked hopefully at Jezzie, who barely nodded.
“Now get out!” Alonzo pointed toward the exit.
“Alonzo, calm down.” Jezzie laid a gentle paw on his arm. “They’re going.” She wrinkled her nose slightly as Kamina strutted by her. *Repulsive!* she thought. She shrunk back against Alonzo and felt relief wash over her as he encircled her with his arms.
“Angel, you didn’t have to say yes,” he whispered gently.
“Yes, I did.” She felt the tears welling in her eyes and squeezed them shut so Alonzo wouldn’t see the tears. “If I hadn’t said yes, I would be just like them.”
Sensing that she didn’t want to pursue the topic, Alonzo lifted her into his arms and carried her back to her den. “Let’s sleep.”
****************************************
“Scallops! Jezzie’ll be pleased!” Alonzo stuffed pawfuls of the food into his waist pouch--all Jellicles carried one, and he was no exception. He couldn’t resist eating a few, and was chewing contentedly when the attack came.
He was struck between the ears and fell to the ground. Rising slowly, he saw through blurred vision that his attackers were Kamina and Osiris, along with.......
“Oh Sweet Heavyside, NO!” He felt his knees turning to water and he sank to the ground.
“Oh yes, I’m back.” The shadowy figure loomed over him and its putrid breath enveloped him.
“Kamina! Osiris!” He could barely think, much less speak. “You don’t know what you’re getting into!”
Osiris glared at him. “It is better to be the right paw of the Devil than to be in his path. Our Master may be weakened but by no means is he defeated.”
Kamina lashed Alonzo across the face. Spitting out blood, he managed to gasp out, “You have no idea what you’re doing! Destroy him!”
“You fool! No matter what is in store for us, it’s no worse than what we have planned for you!” She looked at the monster beside her. “Master?”
“Proceed. And, make it bloody....leave the Jellicles a mess to clean up.” He walked away. Turning before he disappeared, the creature faced Alonzo. “Don’t worry, I’m not going after your precious Angel yet..............I’m going to wait until I’m ready. But never fear, you’ll be dead before then.” Kamina and Osiris leaned over him.
Alonzo’s screams followed Banshee down the alley.
************************************
“OOOOOOH, THE SUN’LL COME OUT TOMORROW!!!!!”
“POUNCE! SHUT UP!”
“TOMORROW! TOMORROW! I LOVE YA! TOMORROW! YOU’RE ALWAYS ONE DAY AWAY!!!!”
“I’ll give you tomorrow!” Tumble tackled Pounce, and the pair tumbled off the oven. Jezzie giggled as they rolled in the dust, snapping and growling at each other.
“Bella, how do you put up with him?”
“Sometimes I don’t know, to tell you the truth!” Bellvoix bit into her finger to keep from screaming with laughter. “Alonzo would think this is hysterical! Where is he?”
“He went to go grab some lunch---scallops, I hope. They’re our favorite.”
Vicky smiled. “If you two weren’t so in love with each other, I would find this rather frightening. He’s never been like this with any other queen. You have him whipped.”
“Ha! He does these things for me because he wants to!” Jezzie leaned back and stretched happily. “I hope he comes back soon.........”
“JEZZIE!” Mungojerrie exploded onto the scene, panting and crying. “Oh, Jezzie, come quick, it’s bad, oh Sweet ‘Eavyside, it’s bad.........”
“What? What is it? Mungo!” Jezzie sat up, her body shaking. “Tell me!”
Munkustrap slowly entered, tears running unheeded down his face. Jezzie stared at him, and Victoria watched her sister’s face crumble.
“Munkustrap?”
He gazed at her slowly. “I’m so sorry, Jezzie........” His voice broke, and he wordlessly held out Alonzo’s pouch, covered in blood.
To be continued.........