Standing just inside the circle of trees was an old, rather decrepit-looking female Coricat that Eliot had never seen before. She was small with a grey and black striped coat rather like Munkustrap's except that it was torn in places. She looked as if she had been in more than one losing fight. Her long black tail hung limply behind her as if paralyzed.
For a moment the cats stared at her in stunned silence as the caslikohs' song grew ominous. Then Mistoffelees stood up and moved toward her, sniffing at her curiously. She was just about to touch his upturned white face when Munkustrap ran forward and pushed the young cat away, glaring down at the small female as she started to walk into the hall with a distinct limp.
Jemymah crawled toward her in kitten-like curiosity, but Skimbleshanks pulled her away, giving the older female a look of repugnance. Munkustrap moved along close beside the trespasser without actually touching her, casting an admonitory frown at the kittens who tried to approach her.
As she limped further into the hall, Bombalurina circled her cautiously and the older female tensed. Their eyes met for a moment then Bombalurina hissed and turned away. Elektra held out a paw to the grey and black female, but Jenyenidahts jumped between them and the discouraged kitten turned away. Jenyenidahts shot a look of disdain at the intruder before hurrying after the black and red kitten.
"Who the hell do you think that is?" Pavel hissed at his companions.
"I don't know," Eliot hissed back. "She doesn't look like she could possibly hurt them, but all the older Coricats seem to be scared of her."
"It's Grizabella," Mozu whispered. "She comes around every now and then. I've seen her a couple times, but I don't know why the others always react to her like this. I don't think the kittens know either, really."
"Uh oh, look at this!" Jabez whispered excitedly.
They looked and saw Pouncival in a fiercely whispered conversation with Tumblebrutus and Plaetoh. Tumblebrutus shook his brother by the shoulders and gestured toward Grizabella. Pouncival nodded and the two older cats pushed him toward her. The brown and white kitten hesitated, but Grizabella had already spotted him so he rose from his crouch and beckoned for her to come closer. Faint hope glimmered in her eyes as she limped toward him. Egged on by Tumblebrutus and Plaetoh, who watched in anticipation, Pouncival ignored Munkustrap's meaningful stare and stretched out his paw to the old cat. But just as her paw was about to touch his, he reached out and raked his claws down her arm. She recoiled with a gasp as Munkustrap, incensed, chased off the offending kitten.
Then Demeetar, somewhat haltingly, put out her arms to the older female as if to embrace her, but drew back sharply when Grizabella tried to touch her. She looked over her shoulder, first at Grizabella, then at Munkustrap, then retreated to the comforting embrace of her older sister.
By this time Grizabella stood in the approximate center of the hall. She gave a withering look to Munkustrap and began to sing in Coricus with a voice that was amazingly clear for one so old. Whatever it was she sang made Munkustrap cringe and turn away. She turned to find Vyktorea and Etsetera who had crawled up close to her with a nervous Jelilorum trying to hold them back. Grizabella spared a brief glance for the kittens then glared fiercely at Jelilorum as she continued her song. The tone was ominous and defiant and caused all three of them to cower away from her.
Cazondra rose to her feet, anger flashing in her blue eyes when she saw her kitten frightened by this interloper. She moved threateningly toward her but was stopped by Munkustrap who gave her a cautionary look. The brown and cream healer haughtily stalked off to stand beside her mate.
Grizabella looked around the hall as she sang and stopped suddenly when her gaze came to rest on the Terrans, or more specifically, on Eliot. Her eyes were green and piercing, and Eliot found himself drawn irresistably toward her.
You idiot, what are you doing?! His brain screamed at him. There's probably a very good reason why the other Coricats don't like her. But the message didn't seem to reach his feet, which continued to carry him onward.
He was vaguely aware of the fact that Admeetus had moved up behind him and put a protective arm around him, hissing at the unwelcome female. She reached out to touch Eliot's face, and Admeetus snarled and leaped forward to attack her.
Before he actually made contact, though, Munkustrap jumped up and knocked him out of the way then stood over the old cat and said, "Go!"
She glowered at him till he broke the stare, then slowly, painfully, limped out of the hall. The cats watched her go, then by some unspoken communication, agreed that it was time to return to their homes.
"Who was that, anyway?" Eliot asked Vyktorea as they followed Alahnso and Cazondra out of the hall.
"She is Grizabella," Vyktorea answered quietly. "The adults say that we must not go near her, but they don't tell us why. They only say that she's a traitor."
"A traitor, huh," Eliot murmured, remembering the piercing green eyes that looked so much like Munkustrap's. "I wonder how she betrayed them."
©1999 Delilah