CHAPTER I
The New Kitten

As Misto woke up, his mystic powers told him that something had changed. The air was filled with the promise of a day rich in surprises. The sun was inching its way up past the horizon, and the city began filling up with noise. He yawned and stretched, almost pushing Munkustrap of the blanket they shared.
"Whassup' Misto?" Munkustrap mumbled, "ya got fleas?"
"If I do, you can have them back," Misto grinned, "don'tcha know, the early bird gets the worm?"
"An' he can keep it too." Munkus turned over and opened his eyes. "Why are you awake this early?"
"I had a feeling, sorta like a warning. I think something's going to happen today."
"Something bad?"
"Maybe, but I don't think so."
Munkustrap groaned. He wasn't sure he liked all this mystic mumbo-jumbo, but he had watched Coricopat and Tantomile on many occasions, and there were something there. Something more than he could understand.
"Perhaps I should have a chat with Old Deuteronomy," he said, "maybe he'll know what it is."
Mistoffelees looked up, and smiled at Munkus. "Thanks for not laughing at me."
Munkus smiled back, and stood up. "Why should I laugh at you?" he said, pretending to be awestruck, "you're the greatest Magical Cat ever, aren't you?" Both he and Misto laughed. They walked into the alleys, looking for Old Deuteronomy

"Wake up, sleepyheads!" The voice rang through Mako's head, and for a second he thought his ears was going to fall off.
"You wouldn't want to sleep away your first day at the Junkyard, now would you?" A second voice penetrated the fog in Mako's head.
He opened his eyes and saw two cats sitting in front of him. They weren't very big, but they had a quiet elegance. The tom was a little larger than the queen, and both had short, black and orange fur. Mako stood up and looked around. The room seemed to be an old oildrum, filled with pillows and blankets.
"Where am I?" Mako said, wincing, as stars danced before his eyes. Maybe standing up so soon was a bad idea.
"Be careful," the female said, "your head took quite a beating yesterday. No sudden movements for you today."
She grinned and shook her head, "but I'll bet Macavity feels just as bad."
"Who's Macavity?"
"Do you remember anything from yesterday?" she asked, ignoring his question.
"I remember that we were thrown in the harbor. And that something was chasing me..."
"Yes," the male nodded, "you had a really nasty shadow hanging over you, kid."
"What was it? I can't remember."
"Don't worry about that now. Do you think you could keep down some food ?"
Mako's stomach growled assent before he could answer. The two cats laughed and he smiled sheepishly.
"By the way," said the female, "if you don't remember; I'm Tantomile, and this is Coricopat."

The white sheet was warm and sunny, a perfect way of starting the day. Victoria stretched and meowed. No reaction. She meowed again. Still no reaction. She localized a leg, and clawed her way to the hip.
This time, the reaction was immediate.
"All right, all right! I'm up, I'm up!"
The human stretched and yawned. "Almost like a cat," Victoria thought, "I'm glad I've got such a nice human."
She followed the woman into the kitchen and rubbed against her legs as the food bowl was filled. The human stroked her head and said, "here you go. The food's been served, mistress. I just wish you wouldn't wake me so early every day."
After breakfast, Victoria jumped out of the kitchen window and walked towards the Junkyard. She wanted to tell Jemima the gossip she heard yesterday.
Halfway there, she ran into Munkustrap and Misto. They were taking it easy, joking and laughing, clearly on their way somewhere, but obviously not in a hurry.
"Hi, where are you two going?"
"Hi, Victoria. We're looking for Old Deuteronomy, have you seen him?"
"No Munkus, but he's probably at the vicarage. Hi, Misto."
"Hi, Vicky. Looking for Jemima? I saw her back at the Junkyard."
How did he always know what she was thinking? It was unnerving. She hoped he didn't know about the gossip.
"Yes. I've got something to tell her."
"It's just a rumor you know. Alonzo didn't put the moves on Bomb. He's totally fixated on Cassandra." 
He did it again! And he spoiled the gossip too.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Misto." She turned up her nose, and walked right past him. She could hear Munkus and Misto snickering as she walked away.
"Ooh, that . . that . . peeping tom!" (bad pun . . I know)

As Munkus and Misto got nearer to the vicarage, Munkus could see that the magical cat was getting more and more agitated. He seemed about ready to climb the walls.
"Take it easy Misto. What's bothering you anyway?"
"There's something in the air today. Something wrong. I can't make heads or tails of it, and it's eating away on my nerves."
"Stop worrying. We're almost there, and Old Deuteronomy is sure to know what's going on."
A lean, black cat named Modan was lying on top of the vicarage wall, out of sight in the shade of one of the large maples. He was so black, he almost seemed violet, and his eyes had the same color as his fur. As Munkustrap and Misto approached the wall he turned to look at them.
"Oh? And what are those two doing here?" Modan thought, "the boss told me to expect those two creepy freaks, not Munkustrap nor that mage-brat."
He crouched, ready to explode in action if necessary. Fight or flight. It didn't matter much to him.

Back at the Junkyard, Mako and the twins was cleaning up after their breakfast, when Victoria approached them from behind. Like drawn by a string, they turned their heads as one.
"Creepy," Victoria thought, "the way they always know that you are behind them."
Then it became less important as she could hear Jemima and Electra coming. Their voices could be heard all over the Junkyard, even though they were still out of sight.
"He is, I tell you! He is the greatest tom ever!!"
"Relax Electra. All I said was that there are other toms too!"
"Yeah. Like Admetus, right? I've seen the way you're staring at him!"
"I was not staring! I was just looking at the game!"
"Hah!"
Then the two kittens walked into the 'yard, and saw that their conversation had an audience.
"Oh!"
"That wasn't...I mean, it was...but..."
Victoria came to their rescue, and whisked them away with her. They left the Junkyard and headed for her home.
The last Mako and the twins heard was: "I've got some really juicy gossip for you!"
"That was three of our younger members."
"The white one is called Victoria, and the little one is Jemima."
"And the easily excited one is Electra." Tantomile and Coricopat explained, taking turns to speak.
"So I won't be the smallest kitten around here? That's good."
Mako smiled in a way that made the adult cats exchange a worried glance.
'What do you think he means?'
'I don't know, but I don't like the futures I'm seeing.'
'Maybe we should take him to Old Deuteronomy sooner than we had planned?'
'Maybe. Let's not jump to conclusions though.'
'Agreed. Give him some time to shake the past off his back.'

Munkustrap paused as he and Misto approached the vicarage.
He looked around.
Nothing.
Still, he had a feeling of being watched.
Mistoffelees was a few yards ahead, and didn't notice Munkustrap's tension.
Trusting his powers, he blundered in where others feared to go. He knew it was a bad habit, but it was so hard to break it.
"Are you coming?" he shouted as he jumped up into the lower branches of one of the large maples.
"Misto, slow down!" Munkustrap ran to catch up with him, but he had already leaped across to the stonewall. Before either of the Jellicles could do more than blink, Modan, seemingly coming out of nowhere, had slashed a deep gash in Misto's side. The mystery cat crumpled atop the wall with a loud thump.
His eyes were wide-open in shock, but the pain washed away every thought of resistance. Before Munkus could recover, he was bowled over by the fleeing tom. In the few moments it took to get up, Modan was long gone.

"Now that you've got some food inside, why don't we start the grand tour?" Tantomile rose and stretched.
"Sure," Mako replied, feeling a lot better. "I would like that."
The two... twins? mates? started walking, and Mako had to scramble to keep up.
Most of the Jellicles had arrived by now, and Tantomile and Coricopat introduced him to the others.
The first to be introduced was Skimbleshanks, a kind-looking older tom, who treated the new kitten as a nephew from the start.
"Ah think you'll haveta go see Jennyanydots, young fellah. You look a tad peckish, I say."
"We were thinking of seeing Old Deuteronomy first," Coricopat said, "there's more to this one than the naked eye can see."
"Oh-ho! One of those, aye?" Skimbleshanks raised an eyebrow. "You'd better get along then."

"Oh! The poor little kitten!" Both Jennyanydots and Jellylorum seemed to want to put him to bed and spoonfeed him, but Tantomile told them they had to see Old Deuteronomy first.
After Alonzo and Cassandra, Mako met Tumblebrutus, Pouncival, Electra, Bombalurina, Demeter, Admetus, Plato and the Tugger, who stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Mako.
"It can't be," he muttered, "he has been gone for so long..." He tore his gaze from Mako's face, and walked up to Coricopat. "Where did you find him?"
"He walked into the Junkyard last night. Why do you ask?" Tantomile frowned.
The Tugger turned to face Tantomile, "Because he's the spitting image of my father, that's why!"
"Your father?" Coricopat said, "But didn't he leave years ago?"
Spinning to keep up, the Tugger rounded on Coricopat. "Yes, he did. And good riddance, too." He turned to Mako. "Who was your father, kid?"
"My mother called him Jack or sometimes Boots." Mako answered truly before he could think of a good way of sidestepping the question.
"Damn him! Why did he have to come back?"
"He's not here! He left before we were born."
"Of course! Just like him. Listen kid, I'll talk to you later. Ok?" Not waiting for an answer, the Tugger slipped by them and disappeared into a backalley.
"Let's go see Old Deuteronomy now."
"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Coricopat and Tantomile ignored the other Jellicles' questions and dragged a befuddled Mako out of the Junkyard.