A head popped up from the pile of sleeping cats. Sharp, bright eyes searched the abandon warehouse, red brown ears perked forward. A head came up behind her, a young black cat with a white face who had been dislodged when she sat up.
Macavity's eyes flashed with a mixture of anger and greed when he saw Mistoffelees. He pulled farther back into the shadows of the half loft he sat on.
Next to Mistoffelees a white and black face appeared giving the black cat a questioning look. Mistoffelees shrugged and gestured to Electra. Alonzo pulled gently on her ear and the young cats looked around, trying to discover what had woken her. A white paw reached up behind Mistoffelees pulling gently at his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder and smiled down at the white cat, sniffing the air one last time before allowing himself to be drawn back into the pile by Victoria. He slipped his arm around Electra's waist and drew her back into the pile with him. Alonzo shrugged letting his head fall back down pulling Cassandra closer to him.
For a long moment everything was still in the abandon warehouse (called the house by the Jellicles), and Macavity slipped away thinking he was unnoticed.
On the edge of the pile, Munkustrap sat up and sniffed the air unable to dismiss whatever had woken the younger cats quite so easily. Demeter sat up behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She sniffed the air sleepily and not finding any unusual scents she sunk back into the pile drawling a somewhat reluctant Munkustrap with her.
Victoria peered over the edge of the steep river bank watching the murky water wash by. Behind her Mistoffelees knelt in front of Jennyanydots' kittens, Elmera and Tekle entertaining them with slight of hand tricks. A few feet away Munkustrap was sprawled in the early morning sun half asleep and listening to the kittens laugh.
Suddenly Victoria screamed. Mistoffelees spun coming to his feet just in time to see her disappear down the bank.
"Victoria!" He skidded down the bank after her.
Munkustrap scrambled to his feet following the black cat down the steep incline. "Stay here." he called over his shoulder to the wide eyed kittens.
Mistoffelees was already at the water's edge on his knees and had Victoria by the hand, but he couldn't pull her up against the current and it was starting to pull him in.
"Munkustrap!" He yelled frightenly as he slipped forward in the mud his knees already touching the water's edge.
"I've got you." Munkustrap grabbed Mistoffelees by the waist and reached down his arm grabbing Victoria's wrist. Between the two of them they hulled a wet and coughing Victoria out of the water. She stumbled into Mistoffelees' arms and Munkustrap caught Mistoffelees as he fell back.
"Victoria," Munkustrap said slowly, looking over Mistoffelees' shoulder at the young cat.
Victoria looked at him with large blue eyes.
"Stay away from the river," It wasn't the first time he had told her that, nor would it be the last "especially when it's been raining"
Victoria nodded wide eyed, and Munkustrap rubbed his head up against her with a sigh.
"We better get you some place warm." he said. Munkustrap helped the young cat up the slope. When they got to the top Jennyanydots' kittens ran to them throwing their arms around Victoria. Munkustrap smiled at them reassuringly and gently pulled them away from the white cat before they could knock her down. Victoria curled against him shivering.
"Let's get back to the house." Munkustrap watched Mistoffelees jump over the edge of the bank and turn a somersault coming to his feet.
"Mistoffelees, can you take the kittens back to their mother?"
"Of course." Mistoffelees took the kittens by the hand and swinging their arms they walked off in the other direction.
An hour later Victoria was sleeping in-between Alonzo and Plato. Plato had his head propped up on his hand and was talking to Rum Tum Tugger who was sitting on a paint can with Etcetera standing behind him leaning over his shoulders and Electra at his feet rubbing up against his knees.
"Munkustrap!" Jennyanydots ran up to Munkustrap looking very worried.
"What's wrong?" Munkustrap left off the mouse hole he had been watching.
"I can't find my kittens." She cried.
"I saw them just an hour ago. Didn't Mistoffelees bring them home?." Munkustrap frowned.
"He did, but they've disappeared. I can't find them anywhere." Jennyanydots looked on the verge of tears.
"I'll help you look. Don't worry." Munkustrap humored her. He doubted the kittens were in any real danger but it was her nature to worry "Come on."
Munkustrap looked everywhere he could think of for the kittens, but he just couldn't find them. Jennyanydots was getting frantic, so when they ran into Jellylorum he was glad to suggest that the two of them look in one direction while he took the other. Jellylorum could usually calm Jennyanydots down.
"Stoff, down here!" Alonzo jumped off the crate just missing a mouse as it ran under him.
Mistoffelees jumped down pouncing on it. He smiled at Alonzo who looked rather irritated.
"That's the second one you've caught."
"You want it?" Mistoffelees shrugged, keeping the mouse pinned under his paws.
"No." Alonzo scowled.
"I can let it go." Mistoffelees picked his paws up and the mouse scurried away.
Alonzo pounced on it catching it and eating it in one bit. "I like grain fed mice." he wrinkled his nose. "but I can catch them myself."
"I know," Mistoffelees smiled and flipped his tail slightly.
Alonzo growled and jumped on the smaller cat and they both tumbled to the ground laughing. Mistoffelees slipped away twisting to roll Alonzo on his back. They tumbled to a stop at Munkustrap's feet.
"Have either of you seen Jennyanydots' kittens." Munkustrap looked down at them rather amused.
"No." Alonzo disentangled himself swatting playfully at Mistoffelees.
"Not since I took them home." Mistoffelees ducked behind Munkustrap. "Have you looked around her house?"
"That's the first place I looked." Munkustrap side stepped the young cats as they continued to play.
"Maybe you should check again." Mistoffelees pounced on Alonzo, "Kittens move around a lot."
"Maybe you should come with me." Munkustrap said. Mistoffelees had a knack for find things that all the Jellicles were well aware of.
Obediently Mistoffelees stood up and slipped away from Alonzo's swat.
"And what am I suppose to do?" The black and white cat sat up.
"Go find Pouncival." Mistoffelees shrugged.
"I haven't seen him in a couple days." Alonzo frowned.
"Well, look for him." Mistoffelees smiled mischievously and followed Munkustrap.
Alonzo growled irritably after them then gave up and went looking for Pouncival.
"Mistoffelees I don't think they're here." Munkustrap sighed and leaned against Jennyanydot's porch.
Mistoffelees ignored him, sniffing the air with a frown. "Do you smell a rat, the big sewer kind?"
Munkustrap sniffed the air. "Yes, why?" They weren't that far from a sewer drain, so it didn't surprise him.
"Uh-oh," Mistoffelees dove to his stomach and reached under the porch.
Munkustrap frowned and stood up straight. Suddenly there was an unmistakably kittenish squeal from under the porch and Mistoffelees jerked both the kittens out from under it by the scruffs of their necks, coming up to a crouch and pulling a kitten to each side. Following them closely was a huge rat. Munkustrap hissed at the rat, and it jumped startled by the unseen fourth cat, and ran back under the porch.
The kittens clung to Mistoffelees wide eyed, looking first to Munkustrap, then to the porch then back to Mistoffelees.
"Never go after anything that's with in five pounds of your weight." Mistoffelees advised them standing up and padding them on the head. They continued to cling to him one on each side. He looked at Munkustrap who wasn't sure wither to be amused or annoyed.
"That's sound advice." He nodded and scooped Tekle up setting him on the porch.
Mistoffelees disentangled himself from Elmera and set her next to her brother. Jennyanydots chose that moment to show up with Jellylorum and begin cooing and scolding her kittens.
"Where were they?" Jellylorum asked.
"Under the porch." Mistoffelees leaned on the edge of the porch looking very amused.
"Along with a very large rat." Munkustrap pulled the young cat away from the edge knowing what a tempting target his ankles would make.
Jennyanydots frowned and hugged her kittens to her. "You just can't do anything with rats. They're completely unruly. Not at all like mice."
"They don't even taste good." Jellylorum sighed
"Could one of you...?" Jennyanydots started to ask
Mistoffelees shook his head, "It was at least within five pounds of me, probably five pounds more."
The kittens giggled. Jennyanydots raised an eyebrow but nodded her understanding.
"I'll send Pouncival and Tumblebrutus over to get it." Munkustrap hated hunting rats. "They like rats."
"Thank you dear." Jennyanydots hustled her kittens inside with a nod to the other cats. The kittens chattered excitedly, the rat having already become as big as Munkustrap.
The warehouse was warm and Munkustrap had drifted of to sleep with Mistoffelees curled up beside him. Mistoffelees began to whimper in his sleep and stir restlessly. Munkustrap woke groggily and began licking the young cat's ears reassuringly to quiet him. Mistoffelees mewed softly and turned over in his sleep continuing to whimper. Finally awake Munkustrap shook him gently and called his name. Mistoffelees sat up with a frightened gasp and looked around in confusion.
"Shhh," Munkustrap pulled him back down and held the trembling cat close. "It was just a dream Stoff, everything's all right."
"J... just a dream?" Mistoffelees stammered.
"Mmm-hhh, and not a pleasant one either, I suspect." he rubbed his head against the young cat's. "Care to tell me?"
"It...."
"Look at what that... that... impossible cat did to my cross stitch!" Jellylorum stormed up to them and waved a tangled mess of string and fabric in Munkustrap's face.
Munkustrap sighed and sat up. Mistoffelees rolled onto his stomach and Munkustrap rubbed his back absently, aware of how quickly he was still breathing. Obediently he took the sewing from Jellylorum. He studied it half heartily, barely listening to Jellylorum's ranting. It was always the same with Tugger. He glance at Mistoffelees when he took the work from his hands, but let him have it. He couldn't tangle it any more then Rum Tum had. Jellylorum continued to yell about all the trouble Rum Tum Tugger had caused going back at least to the beginning of the week which was the last time she had come to Munkustrap complaining about the troublesome cat. Suddenly Mistoffelees sat up and handed Jellylorum her cross stitch perfectly neat and ready to be worked on again.
"You sweet kitten!" Jellylorum stopped mid-sentence and bent down to rub her head against Mistoffelees'. "How did you do that?"
Mistoffelees just smiled at her. He had yet to tell them how he did most things.
"You will talk to Rum Tum Tugger?"
"Yes," Munkustrap nodded, knowing he wouldn't talk to him about Jellylorum's sewing because it wouldn't make any difference.
"Good." Jellylorum nodded her head sharply, "And don't forget to send Tumblebrutus and Pouncival to get ride of that rat." She called as she walked away.
Munkustrap groaned. He had forgotten. "I can't believe it's not noon yet." he mumbled
"Jemima will know where Pouncival is." Mistoffelees said helpfully. "And he'll know where to find Tumblebrutus."
"Do you know where she is?" Munkustrap started to stand up
"Up in the loft." Mistoffelees still looked slightly shaken.
"Are you all right?" Munkustrap knelt back down in front of him putting a paw on his shoulder.
Mistoffelees nodded.
"You can tell me about it after I send Tumblebrutus and Pouncival after that rat." Munkustrap rubbed his ears affectionately and walked away.
Mistoffelees watched him for a moment then left, not interested in sleeping any more.