Phantom looked out from her den. Her beautiful eyes flicked over the sleeping toms and she smiled as she saw Alonzo. He was obviously meditating on his third name. He was staring into space and ignoring the other cats around him. Phantom giggled quietly and crept up on him.

“Rahh!” She jumped on him.

“Phantom.” Alonzo looked at her. She looked teasingly at him. “I’ve lost my place.”

“What place?” She rubbed against him and flicked her tail in his face.

“I can’t remember now.” He frowned and lay down.

“Come and play.”

“No.”

“Please.” Phantom accidentally trod on his tail. He yowled loudly and every cat around looked at him.

“Oh go and annoy someone else.” He told her and nursed his tale.

Phantom stalked away and out the junkyard. Fine. He wanted her to find someone else? She would. I was only playing. She sulked. She looked in a puddle at her reflection. Her fur gleamed and she saw a shadow behind her. She spun round and gasped.

“Hello Phantom.”

“Do I know you?” Phantom asked. The stranger was an older cat. He was a strange colour, ginger with tan stripes. He limped a little and had a really strange bald patch on his side.

“No.” The stranger smiled. “I know you though. You’re a Jellicle.”

“Yes.” Phantom agreed. She was strangely drawn to this stranger. “But who are you?”

“Maxamillion.” Phantom giggled.

“What?”

“It’s a name that’s been passed down our family.” Maxamillion smiled.

“Oh.” Phantom looked at him. “Where do you come from?” “From Veyahdies Lair.” Maxamillion smiled, he always smiled. Phantom smiled and tossed her head.

“Can I see it?”

“Wow.” Phantom looked around the inside of the hut. It was made from a clotheshorse with a waterproof sheet wrapped around it.

“This is nice. It’s so cosy.”

“Have a biscuit.” He offered her a box.

“Thanks.” She laughed.

“So why have you argued with Alonzo?” Phantom got such a shock she nearly choked on her biscuit.

“How did you know?”

“I keep my eye on the Jellicle tribe.” Maxamillion patted her on the back. “I’m a sort of protector.” “How do you know about me?”

“I’m a magical cat.” Maxamillion laughed. “I’m not magical like Misto. I see into the future and stuff.”

“Cool.” Phantom smiled. “Read mine.” Maxamillion looked at her.

“You’re going to have a long and happy life with Alonzo.”

“I need you to do me a favour.” Maxamillion said later. “In your junkyard, behind the tyre, there’s a rabbit hole. Dig there and you’ll find something. Give it to Alonzo.”

“What is it?” Phantom asked.

“You’ll see when you find it.” Maxamillion smiled again. “Promise me. Promise me now.”

“Jellicles promise.” Phantom agreed.

It was late and Phantom fell asleep on an old chair. She’d met several cats and liked them. The next morning she woke up to find that a towel had been put over her and her collar had been taken off and put next to her. She picked up her collar and went into the den. “Hi queen.” Maxamillion smiled. “You should be getting back soon.”

“I like it here.” Phantom said quietly.

“You’re going back.” Maxamillion ordered. “Remember that prophesy I gave last night? About you and Alonzo? My prophecies always come true.”

“Oh.” Phantom looked down.

“Have some breakfast and I’ll walk you back.”

After breakfast they set off. They got to the entrance to the junkyard and Phantom looked around. Maxamillion had gone. She cleaned her face and wandered into the junkyard.

“Where have you been?” Munkustrap asked her. “Seeing a friend.” Phantom smiled.

“Where’s your collar?”

“Oh no.” Phantom put her paws up to her neck. “I left it on his table.”

“Whose table?”

“Maxamillion’s.”

“What?” Munk snarled. Phantom drew back.

“Maxamillion’s.” She whispered.

“What did he look like?” Munk asked.

“Ginger with tan strips.”

“How old?”

“Very old.” Phantom’s lip quivered. “I’ve not done anything wrong.”

“Wait.” Munk told her. “Listen. One more question then I’ll tell you something. Did Maxamillion have any funny markings? Limps? Scars?”

“Yeah.” Phantom nodded. “He limped and had this bald patch on his side.” Munk started.

“Right. You’re not to breath a word to Alonzo. Understand?”

“No.” Phantom sulked. “Why? He was a friend of Alonzo’s.”

“You could say that.” Munk nodded. “Alonzo’s father was called Maxamillion. He went up to the Heavyside lair the year before you were born.” Phantom giggled.

“This cat was Maxamillion too.” Munk snarled.

“Listen. Maxamillion, Alonzo’s father, was badly hurt in a car crash. He could hardly get up to the Heavyside layer.” Phantom sighed. Munk was so serious sometimes.

“This one came from Veyahdies Layer.”

“Ok.” Munk sighed. “Go and find your friends and if you tell Alonzo he’ll be really upset.”

“Won’t! He knew Alonzo well.”

Phantom went to her den. She sat up suddenly. “Oh no.” She gasped. “I promised to find that thing for Alonzo. I can’t break that promise.” She ran out of her layer and over the tyre. She found the rabbit hole and dug. She dragged out a bag. She sniffed it. What is it? She frowned.

“Alonzo.” She called.

“Hi queen.” He kissed her ear. “Where did you get to last night?”

“I went to see a friend. I found this.” She dropped the bag. “Here.” Alonzo opened it. A silver circle disk fell out.

“Huh?” Alonzo frowned and licked it clean. “Dad’s.” He gasped. He looked in the bag again and pulled out a pearl collar. He stared. “Where do you find this?”

“In the rabbit hole behind the tyre.” Phantom told him. “What’s going on?”

“These are my Dads.” Alonzo told her. “He told me that he’d give them to me one day and he never did.”

“Oh.” Phantom shivered and told him the whole story.

Alonzo stared at her. “Take me there.”

“Ok.” Phantom nodded and they set off. Munk saw them go. He jumped in front of them.

“I suppose you’re going to see Phantom’s friend?”

“Yes.” Alonzo stood up to Munk. “And you’re not going to stop us.”

“No.” Agreed Munk. “Can I come?”

“Suppose so.” Alonzo nodded. “Let’s go.”

Phantom led the way through the streets. “Here.” She went to the gap in the wall.

“Wait.” Munk said. “What did you say this place was called?” Phantom sighed. She wanted to go and see Maxamillion.

“Veyahdies Lair.”

“Look.” Munk stuck his claws out and wrote Veyahdies in the dust. “Now look.” He crossed out the H and wrote it down. Then he crossed out the E and wrote it down. Then the A, the V, the Y, the S, the I, the D and then the E. “If you shuffle it. It spells Heavyside.”

“No.” Phantom shuddered. “He’s real. I’ll prove it.” She raced through the gap in the wall and into the junkyard. She went over the barrel and Munk and Alonzo raced after her.

Phantom stopped. The clotheshorse was still there, but the sheet was ripped up. It looked like it hadn’t been moved for years. “This is the right place. It is.”

“Shall we go in?” Alonzo said.

“Up to you.” Munk nodded.

“I’m going first.” Phantom went in. She looked around.

“No one’s been here for years.” Alonzo said. Phantom looked at him and picked up her collar from the table.

“How did my collar get here then?”