THE FOX AND THE CAT
by Kathy McManus and Kathryn. D. Green
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This Zorro--real life crossover is based on an incident in the life of Kathy McManus' cat, Melchy. One evening, during the summer of 1999, Melchy was missing for several hours; Kathy M. and I engaged in an IM chat during that time. Months later, during a JDB List Serve fanfiction contest, the two of us played a "What if" game: "What if Melchy were to go back in time to meet our favorite masked hero? What kind of adventures would he have? How would he help Zorro?" The result is this story. Enjoy!--Kathy Green
ZZZZZ
After a day filled with long naps, a few too many snacks, and a little play time, Melchy was ready for a good night's sleep. Hopping on his favorite barstool, he turned around three times before curling up in a tight ball, tucking his head underneath his front leg.
The sleepy cat was barely aware of what was going on around him. Another cat meowed. Someone opened the refrigerator, but since the smells wafting toward his sensitive nose were not chicken or tuna, Melchy paid no attention. He noticed that his "mother," Kathy McManus, was gathering some dirty clothes to take out to the laundry room, but decided it really was not worth his time to beg her to let him outside.
However, he had not counted on her dropping the laundry on the first step. Kathy left the door open just long enough for him to sneak off the stool and run out into the breezy summer night.
It was a night that cats dream of. It was not too hot or too cold, and the air was filled with little fireflies darting everywhere, blinking on and off.
Sitting down on the border between the patio and the grass, Melchy tucked his tail underneath him, staring into the night. The cool breeze caressed his wet nose; as always, his rabies and I.D. tags dangled from his collar. Keeping one eye on Kathy and the other on the lightning bugs, he knew he would be fine as long as he did not move from where he sat. Yeah, it would probably mean a scolding, but being outside was worth it.
Suddenly, a firefly hit him square on the nose, startling him out of his daydreams. As Melchy raised a soft velvet paw to swat it, the bug took off across the yard, with Melchy in hot pursuit. The insect was a tricky little fellow, but Melchy was determined. He would get that light flasher if it was the last thing he did!
The firefly flew into the remains of an old tree that had fallen during a storm, the previous summer. Melchy lost his footing and fell headfirst into the hole, scraping his fur on the tree roots. He had been here before; it was a great place to hide. But before he could climb back out, he noticed that something was different this time. The dirt had been replaced by a cool, smooth, hard surface. Instead of the trunk over his head, he saw nothing but hard slabs of something that resembled the tiny weights that Baby, one of the other two cats he lived with, pulled out of the coat tree every day.
With a violent tug, Melchy yanked himself through the crack he was wedged in and got a good look at the strange surroundings. His green eyes widened. Where was the back of the house, or the room where Mommy took the dirty clothes to? Where were the fireflies and moths, and the tall grass? And what was this huge, dark animal with the rock-hard feet?
His green eyes grew even wider, and his whiskers quivered. "Meow, meoooow!" His plaintive wails echoed throughout the cave.
ZZZZZ
Don Diego de la Vega and his servant boy, Felipe, were just finishing a science experiment in the cave when they heard the meows. "What was that?" Diego cocked his head to one side.
Felipe shook his head. He rubbed the back of his neck.
"But you did hear something?"
Felipe made signs indicating that he had heard the noise, but was not sure what it was.
"Me--yeow!"
"That sounds like a cat." Don Diego set down his test tube and squared his shoulders. "Come, let's go and see."
Cautiously, Diego and Felipe searched the lab and Toronado's adjoining stall. They tipped over crates and baskets, and peered under various objects.
Felipe found a frightened, grey-and-white cat crouching next to a crack in the cave wall behind Toronado. He motioned for Diego.
"You found it?" Don Diego asked. At Felipe's nod, Diego approached him and picked up the shivering cat.
"There, there, gato, don't be afraid. It's all right; Diego will not hurt you." The caballero spoke soothingly.
The cat pawed furiously at him, desperate to get away. "Hold on, little fellow," Diego said, laughing. "What's this strip of leather fastened around your neck?" He gazed at it intently. "Why, it looks like a collar! I've never heard of a cat wearing one of these things. And what kinds of tags are these?" He stared at Felipe, who just shook his head, puzzled.
Scruffing the cat by the neck, Don Diego carried him back to the lab and laid him on the table. As soon as the caballero took his hand off the cat's neck, the animal took off like a bolt of lightning, escaping their grasp. Finally, after they had chased and caught him three times, Felipe clutched the struggling cat against his chest while Diego examined the collar.
"There's a name written on this collar; it must be the cat's. Hola, Señor Melchy! What brings you to my cave?"
"Me--OOOOWWW!!"
"Obviously, he doesn't speak Spanish." Diego could not resist the little joke. Felipe smiled at the thought. The cat fought desperately to get away but Felipe held him firmly, stroking his head to soothe the frightened cat.
Diego clasped his hands behind his back. "Well, Felipe, why don't we take him out to the kitchen and see if food might help calm him? We can get a better look at those tags as well."
Checking to make sure the library was clear, they carried Melchy through the front rooms and down the hall toward the kitchen. "Maria, what do you have for a hungry cat?" Don Diego asked, taking Melchy from Felipe. The de la Vega cook turned to look at the poor grey-and-white creature who was trying to crawl up Diego's arm and escape.
"Ohh, what a beautiful creature," she breathed. "What's the matter, michito; why are you trying so hard to get away?" She took him from Diego, holding the cat close to her face. He still did not look very happy, but he did calm down somewhat.
"Don Diego, there is some fresh milk on the table; see if he wants some."
Diego poured some milk into a saucer and held it up in front of the cat. Melchy sniffed it and put a paw in the liquid, but just shook his other paw at it. Felipe laughed, motioning to Diego that he did not think the gato liked milk. Wiping milk off his face, Diego agreed.
"I never heard of a cat who doesn't like milk." Maria petted his silky head. "What do you want, Señor Gato?"
"Maybe this is what he's after. His name is Melchy." Don Diego strode to the counter where the remains of a late lunch--roast chicken--still rested on a gleaming silver tray. Cutting three slices of chicken from the bird, he brought them over to Melchy. Felipe leaned against the table and watched.
Melchy reached out from under Maria's arm and sniffed the chicken. Before Diego could lay the strips of white meat on the floor, the cat very daintily started nibbling a piece, continuing until all the pieces were gone. A self-satisfied burp followed, that left everyone laughing.
"What's all this?" Don Alejandro walked into the midst of the group and rested his hands on the table.
"We found a cat," Diego told him, taking Melchy from Maria and handing him to his father.
"A cat is causing all this merriment?"
"He burped, Don Alejandro," Maria told him. "He was so cute."
Don Alejandro rubbed the top of Melchy's head. This time, Melchy allowed it, feeling better now that his hunger had been satisfied. "Where did you find this furry fellow?"
"Outside," Diego answered quickly. "He was, uh, outside."
"Well, he must belong to someone. Is this a collar he's wearing?"
Don Diego nodded. "It is."
The elderly caballero shook his head. "Most unusual for a cat." He fingered the shiny metal tags dangling from Melchy's collar. "Well, perhaps these tags will tell us who he is and to whom he belongs. Have you checked them?"
"We tried, Father, but he had other ideas." As Diego spoke, Felipe showed Don Alejandro the scratches that covered his arms.
Maria pointed at the table. "Sit down, Felipe, and I'll rub some witch hazel on those scratches. You, too, Don Diego."
Obediently, Don Diego and Felipe perched on hard, unyielding benches at the kitchen table while Maria doctored their scratches. Meanwhile, pulling Melchy closer to his chest, Don Alejandro read one of the tags, the one shaped like a heart. It was an identification tag.
"What does it say?" Diego wanted to know. "All Felipe and I could find out was that his name was Melchy."
Don Alejandro rubbed the cat's back. "Well, Melchy, where did you come from, hmm? It says here, son, that he is from Tennessee--from some place called Chattanooga."
Diego whistled. "All the way from Tennessee? That's a long way from here. So, you are an americano cat, are you? How did you get so far from home?" Melchy licked his lips.
"Something is even more confusing than that, Diego," his father interjected, a bewildered expression on his face.
"What's that, Father?" Thanking Maria, Don Diego rose to his feet.
"On this tag that says Chattanooga, TN, there is a date. September 25, 2000."
"That can't be!" Diego said in wonder. He and Felipe gaped at each other in shock. The servant boy rubbed the back of his neck in evident bewilderment. Maria looked from one to another, furrowing her eyebrows.
ZZZZZ
Before he went to bed, Diego carefully went through the atlas and any books he had on the United States, looking for information on Tennessee and the city of Chattanooga. As he undressed and put on his snow-white linen nightshirt, he pondered the information he had gathered during two hours of research.
All he knew about Tennessee was that it was a small state in the southern half of the country. He knew almost nothing about its cities and towns. Try as he had, Diego had not been able to find Chattanooga on any map or in any of his leather-bound books. Nashville, Memphis, and Jonesboro were all listed, but he had not found even a mention of a place called Chattanooga.
What bothered Don Diego even more was the date on the tag. The cat coming from Tennessee could be explained. The people he had come with might have been killed, or maybe they had just lost him. But the date--what about it? It had to be a date.
"September, the ninth month, the twenty-fifth day, 2000," he whispered, crawling under the soft bedcovers. He had read it several times over, as had his father and Felipe. All three were fairly fluent in English, so he knew they were not reading it incorrectly.
2000! Imagine the year being 2000. Why, that's almost two centuries from now! he thought. At that moment, the memory of two young americano visitors rushed to mind. Todd and Allison Bennett, he recalled, had been transported to their time from the year 1998. A.D. 2000 would only be two years after that.
The de la Vegas had taken care of the Bennett children until they had found a way to return to their own time period. Since then, Don Diego had grappled with their adventure, the practical, scientific side of his nature arguing that it was impossible for the children to have traveled through time, while the other side pointed out that no other explanation could account for Todd and Allison's appearance and disappearance in their area. Diego still struggled over the issue sometimes.
It made Diego's mind whirl to think of it now. Even though he knew it was a very silly thing to do, he got out of bed, picked up a flickering candle, and slowly approached his polished mahogany bureau, where his desk calendar stood. 1820. Yes, that was the current year.
Bewildered, Don Diego blew out the candle and crawled back into bed. Pitch-blackness now enfolded him. Mulling over the possibilities, the caballero finally fell asleep.
He woke up to find a weight pressing his chest and two green eyes staring at him. "Buenos dias, Señor Melchy. What can I do for you today?"
"Meo-ow."
Chuckling, Diego ruffled the silky-soft fur on top of Melchy's head as the cat purred contently. "All right, Melchy, move aside so I can get up." Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Don Diego got up and stretched.
He had never known that a cat could be such an hindrance when a man was trying to get dressed. First, Don Diego looked for his trousers, only to find Melchy curled up on them; the cat resisted the caballero's efforts to take him off. Following that battle, they fought over the wool socks. Every time Diego would try to pull them over his feet, Melchy would pull them back off and try to carry them away.
At that point, Felipe entered the room carrying a gleaming silver tray. Shaving water sloshed out off the china bowl resting on the tray. Instantly sizing up the situation, the servant boy immediately set the tray down on the mahogany bureau, then leaned against the wall, shaking with silent laughter. Don Diego ignored him.
Finally getting as far as the ruffled linen shirt, Diego perched on the bed to pull it on, only to jerk his knee up so suddenly, he banged it against his chin, when sharp claws dug into his right knee. The cat continued to claw his knee every few seconds until, losing patience, Diego picked him up and handed him to Felipe. "Hold Melchy, would you?"
As Diego combed his hair and shaved his face, he gave Felipe his instructions for the day. "Victoria's expecting a wagonload of supplies to be delivered this morning. I promised her, yesterday, that you would help her unload them." Through the mirror, he saw Felipe nod his acquiescence. "This afternoon, after your lessons, we'll do some research and see what we can find out about Melchy." Felipe nodded again, cradling the purring cat against his chest.
Don Diego half-turned to look at the cat. "Felipe, if Melchy subjects his owner to the same treatment he gave me when he dresses, whoever owns him must have a lively time of it when he gets up in the morning." Felipe grinned. Shaking his head and smiling, the caballero dropped his gold timepiece into his light-blue velvet vest.
As Diego took Melchy from Felipe, the boy signed a request. "You want to visit Kinona at the mission school after you help Victoria?" Felipe nodded. Kinona was the young Chumash woman Felipe had fallen in love with, and whom the alcalde had sought to enslave after driving her people off their land. A month before, Felipe had fought a spear fight with Black Feather, her former fiance, for her hand.
"You may, tomorrow," Diego promised. "There won't be time today. We'll be too busy."
The breakfast bell jingled. "Let's go." Diego and Felipe left the bedroom, Melchy curled against Felipe's shoulder.
In the kitchen, Maria smiled at the cat, pointing out to Diego a plate she had fixed for Melchy of chicken and bacon. "Your breakfast is in the dining room," she said to Don Diego.
"I hope it's as good as his," Diego could not resist saying. Laughing, Maria shooed him out; Felipe perched at the plank table to await his own meal.
The de la Vegas enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. When it ended, Felipe went to Los Angeles, to help Victoria unload the supplies she was expecting. Don Alejandro went to the breeding barn to check on the condition of the pregnant cows. And Don Diego went to the library to read Leonardo da Vinci's book on time travel. Even as he ruffled through its crisp, gilt-edged pages, he could not believe he was actually considering such a possibility again.
ZZZZZ
A frantic banging at the front door startled Diego, making him jump.
"Don Diego, please, is anyone home?" a woman yelled. The knocking continued at a furious rate, causing Melchy to leave his spot by the empty fireplace and hide under a satin brocade armchair.
Dropping the Da Vinci book on the ivory chessboard, Don Diego glanced at the clock resting on a black bookshelf. It read 11:05. Diego rushed into the foyer and opened the door in alarm.
Marissa, who worked for Victoria Escalante at the tavern, stood so close to the door, she almost fell into Diego's arms as it swung open. "Please, please, Don Diego," she gasped, panting, as the caballero steadied her. "Señorita--Señorita Escalante says--you must come quickly! She--she told me--"
"Come in, Marissa, and have a seat. Let me get you some water." Diego led her into the drawing room as he spoke.
At Diego's urging, Marissa sat down on the satin brocade sofa. Carefully, she took the glass he handed her and gulped the water in one swallow. Beads of perspiration rolled down her forehead; Diego handed her a handkerchief to wipe them off.
"Gracias, Don Diego. I ran all the way. Victoria said it was very important." Marissa dabbed her face.
"What is it?" he asked, trying not to rush the girl. Had something happened to Victoria? Had the alcalde arrested her again? Had bandits robbed her or kidnapped her? If so, why hadn't Felipe returned to tell Diego himself?
"Felipe has been arrested, Don Diego." Don Diego froze and his mouth dropped open, as the unwelcome news slammed into his brain. "The alcalde has him in jail under heavy guard. Señorita Victoria thought you should know."
ZZZZZ
"Tell me again, please, Victoria, what happened," Diego asked the tavern owner. None of this made any sense. The two stood next to the bar in the dining room. Diego rested his elbow on the edge of the bar.
"Felipe was helping me unload the supplies I had received from Monterey, and I was also telling Sergeant Mendoza that someone had broken into my tavern last night and taken every bit of money I had." Victoria took a deep breath. "Mendoza was telling me that it had been a very quiet night and as far as he knew, there had not been any trouble. Then I asked him, 'Then where are my 300 pesos?'"
Anger welled up in Victoria's voice. "And in the middle of all this, the alcalde strutted in here with two lancers and said that Felipe was under arrest! I demanded to know on what charge, and he said for robbing my tavern! I know he didn't do it!" She slammed the red dustcloth on the bar's smooth surface.
"And so do I." Don Diego glanced at the flood of sunlight pouring through the open doorway. "I'll go over there right now and see if I can persuade the alcalde to drop the charges." He glanced down at his gleaming gold timepiece as he spoke. It was after twelve. "What time did the alcalde arrest him?"
"At 10:00."
Don Diego nodded. "Thank you, Victoria. If you'll excuse me, I must see the alcalde now."
Diego marched across the plaza toward the alcalde's office with a determined step. His fists were clenched so hard his knuckles had turned white. A hard knot of rage pressed against his heart. He was getting very tired of Luis Ramon and his vicious, underhanded tactics! Maybe this time, he would teach Ramon who was boss.
As his anger rose in intensity, his silent threats came faster; in an effort to keep his emotions under control, Diego took several deep breaths. An explosion of rage, he knew, would not get Felipe released and would only get Diego imprisoned in an adjoining cell. Zorro could take care of Ramon much better and more effectively than Don Diego ever could. Before he entered the cuartel, he took one last deep breath, admonishing himself to stay calm. As he clenched one fist against his side, he raised the other to knock on the door.
"De le Vega, what a pleasant surprise." The alcalde's voice was as smooth as silk. "Come to see your servant boy? Well, you can't; he is allowed no visitors."
"On what grounds are you holding Felipe?" Diego asked, trying to speak casually.
"Why, robbery, of course. Someone stole 300 pesos from Victoria Esclante's tavern last night. It might as well have been him." Ramon's eyes crinkled in amusement at the rage welling in Don Diego's blue eyes.
"Then you are holding him unjustly!" Diego snapped.
"Temper, temper, de le Vega. I'd watch what I said if I were you." The alcalde wagged his finger. "The boy is perfect to frame for the robbery, and besides, Zorro may decide to show up on his behalf."
Don Diego pressed his lips together. I might have known, he thought. Out loud, he answered, "So, that's what this is all about. You are trying to trap Zorro?"
"Well, now that you mention it, that would be a benefit. Besides, you and the boy owe me for thwarting my plans for the Chumash girl. I don't forget such things easily." The alcalde's wide, dangerous smile spread across his face. "There is nothing you or Zorro can do for the boy. When I took the Indian girl into my custody, I warned you all that I had never hung a deaf-mute before, but there was always a first time. Well, he's practically swinging from that rope right now. He will hang at dawn."
An upsurge of fresh rage welled up in Don Diego with such force that it was all he could do to refrain from gripping the alcalde's neck and choking him to death. Quickly, Diego left the office before he did something he knew he would regret. He must not lose his calm, but somehow, he had to get Felipe out of jail before it was too late. And if at all possible, he must find out who had stolen Victoria's money.
"I would not put it past the alcalde to commit the deed himself, if it were not for the fact that he would have had to get out of bed to do it," he muttered, clenching and unclenching his hands. "Father's going to be furious when he learns of this!"
ZZZZZ
"Something must be done about this outrage!" Don Alejandro was ranting. "Diego, we must get Felipe out of jail!"
He paced the Oriental carpet as he spoke, his fine leather boots clumping on the marble floor. His son leaned against the ceiling-to-floor library bookcase, with arms crossed. Outrage etched the aged don's face. Behind him, the late-afternoon sunshine streamed through the open window and formed a square of light on the carpet.
"I know, Father; I'm just not sure what we can do. I've been looking through my law books, trying to find some clause or section. But so far, I've come up with nothing." Tight-lipped, Diego glanced down at several leather-bound volumes. His father picked up an ivory chess piece and slammed it down on the chessboard.
"Blast the law books! Now is the time for action, Diego. Not books, but real hands-on action! If we don't do something immediately, the alcalde will hang Felipe faster than you can open those books."
Don Alejandro ran his fingers over the ceremonial sword that hung on the yellowish-beige wall. He then perched on a satin brocade armchair next to the fireplace, not bothering to hide the distaste he felt for his son at that moment. He loved Diego very much and was proud of him, but the de la Vega heir seemed so scared of getting involved in anything.
Melchy, who lay curled up on the fireplace hearth, lifted his head and meowed at Don Alejandro. Smiling in spite of his evident rage and distress, the elderly caballero bent down to pet the cat.
"Did you ever find anything out about the tags?" he asked Diego. "The way they read, it almost sounds like he came from the year 2000. Imagine that, a cat from the future." Melchy purred as the aged don rubbed his back.
"Ridiculous, I know." Diego smiled wanly. "I wish we could find out where he belongs, but at least he's safe for now."
Diego trudged out to the front garden, with Melchy at his heels. A cool breeze ruffled the tall caballero's coal-black hair. Picking the cat up, he stroked the silky fur and described to Melchy his frustration at not being able to tell his father about being Zorro, and his distress that his father did not think he cared about Felipe. Melchy nestled against Diego's chest, pressing the ruffles that lined the front of his shirt flat against the surface.
"I do care about Felipe, Melchy, and I will get him out before the alcalde hangs him tomorrow. Tonight, Zorro will ride." Don Diego pressed his lips into a thin line of determination.
"Meeee-oow."
ZZZZZ
Zorro approached the cuartel around 11:00 that night, sitting tall and straight in Toronado's ornate saddle. Silently, he cursed the fact that there was a full moon and that it was shining more brightly than usual. Glittering stars dotted the sky, and a breeze ruffled his satin cape. From his vantage point on the hill above the pueblo, he could see the jail fairly clearly. The gallows, he noticed, had been built that afternoon. "The alcalde means business," he muttered.
Cautiously, Zorro approached the cuartel on Toronado. To his relief, he found no guards posted outside, except for the usual two sentries in front. He slipped around to the side of the building and peered in the window. Six lancers milled around in the cell-lined corridor.
Zorro shook his head. Six was a few more than he could handle by himself. Maybe if he'd had a plan and Felipe to help him, he could have managed it. But even then, it would have been risky.
Zorro ground his teeth in frustration. He had to get Felipe out of there, and he had to do it that night. But six guards! The alcalde had said that he did not think Zorro could get to the boy. Well, this was why. If only he could sneak through the bars of the window, or distract the guards somehow.
Looking down at his costume, he saw pieces of cat hair on his cloak and started to brush them off. Cat hair had been everywhere since Melchy had shown up.
"Melchy!" Zorro whispered. Their furry feline houseguest could help!
Zorro pressed his legs against Toronado's sides, and the stallion galloped back to the cave. Enroute, Zorro planned what he was going to do. Melchy was small and could easily crawl through the bars of the window. Cats were excellent climbers and would most likely not have any trouble getting in and out of such small entrances. They also made great distractions.
Zorro sat down at his desk in the laboratory and wrote a note addressed to Felipe. Sneaking into the empty library, he picked Melchy up from Don Alejandro's chair.
He carried the cat toward the secret entrance in the back of the fireplace. He had expected Melchy to claw him and try to get away, but the cat just sat there on Zorro's shoulder and demanded to be petted.
"You know who I am, don't you?" Zorro whispered to the gato. "You are not afraid of me, because you know that I am Diego, the man who gave you chicken." He rubbed Melchy's whiskered face as he spoke. "I need your help now, Señor Melchy. Felipe's life depends on your aid."
"Meow."
He carried the cat into the cave. With one hand, Zorro snatched the note and inserted it underneath his sash. As he approached Toronado with Melchy resting on his shoulder, a panicky horse bucked and reared, causing Melchy to hide around Zorro's neck and making Zorro more than a little anxious. "Calm down, boys." he said, attempting to soothe both the cat and the horse. "We must work together to save Felipe."
Mounting Toronado, he placed the cat on the saddlehorn in front of him. Instantly, Melchy dug his extended claws into the stallion's back. Frantic to get rid of the source of the unexpected agony, Toronado bucked and reared in a violent effort to throw Melchy off.
"Whoa!" Zorro hastily dismounted and grabbed Melchy. "Calm down now, both of you! Toronado, this is just a cat. He can't eat you or hurt you in any way." He spoke in a soft, soothing tone. "Melchy, this is a horse, and he won't hurt you either. Please let's try this again."
After several more minutes of Zorro's efforts, Toronado and Melchy started to relax. Zorro was able to proceed on his mission. Minutes later, stopping at his vantage point again, he folded the note he had written to Felipe and attached it under Melchy's collar. He then waited for the moon to cooperate. In a few minutes, he saw, a clump of clouds was going to hide it. Once that happened, Zorro would only have several minutes to act.
ZZZZZ
Zorro watched as Melchy stood on the ledge of the narrow jail window. Silently, he prayed that Melchy would cooperate. Cats, he knew, had minds of their own. Dogs were much easier to handle in that respect.
Melchy looked back toward Zorro and then down into the jail cell. "Por favor, gato, please go down to Felipe," Zorro whispered over and over. It would only be a short time until the moon would come out again. "Melchy, please! If you pull this off, it will be all the chicken you can eat."
As if he had understood Zorro, Melchy leaped into the cell. He landed on the lumpy cot beside Felipe, who sat morosely in a slump, head down. His rosary dangled from his fingers.
Felipe turned at the jolt, smiling wryly at the cat. What is Melchy doing here? he asked himself. How did he get here?
The cold wetness of Melchy's nose as he nudged it against Felipe's hand made the young boy feel strangely better. But why was the cat here? Silently, he shoved the rosary into his woolen sash and took Melchy on his lap.
Then he saw the note. With deft fingers, he unhooked the parchment from Melchy's collar. Slowly and carefully, Felipe unfolded it, knowing that even the smallest rustling might alert the guards. Rising to his feet, he held it up near a flickering candle in its sconce.
Felipe, I am waiting outside behind the building, the note stated. With a little cooperation from the cat, we should be able to secure your freedom. Since we know that Melchy is not fond of strange men, his reactions should cause enough confusion to let you slip out the door. Zorro.
Quickly, Felipe refolded the note and slipped it inside his sash. Scratching Melchy behind the ears, he mouthed an apology to the cat for what Felipe was going to do. Slipping Melchy out through the bars of the cell, he stood back and waited for the fireworks to begin.
The first guard who saw Melchy tried to pick him up around the stomach area, leaving both sets of claws free. An enraged Melchy dug his front claws through the sleeve of the soldier's tunic into his left arm.
Screaming in pain, the lancer dropped the cat. "He scratched me, the little devil!" The guard swore.
"It's just a cat." One of his cronies laughed. "Can't you handle a cat?" He picked up a still-enraged Melchy and tried holding the front legs in his grasp. Up came the back legs, striking in every direction.
The lancer wiped blood from his face, swearing revenge on the cat who was now trying to slip past another set of guards to the office door.
"Don't pick up that cat!" the lancer shouted. His warning, however, came too late. Corporal Sanchez squeezed Melchy's face a little too tightly.
He felt what the claw did before he actually saw it strike. "Madre de Dios!" he screamed. Blood dribbled from a deep cut right below his right eye.
Melchy scrambled out of the man's arms and leaped on the stone tile floor, running back towards the cell. In their frantic efforts to avoid Melchy (whom his mistress, in 2000, would call "the master of getting underfoot"), the guards stumbled over one another. A tall, thin lancer tripped over Melchy and landed square on his backside. Melchy leaped right over him, on his way back out the cell door.
The yelling, swearing, and shouts of "Get that cat!" had attracted the attention of the sentries standing guard outside. As they rushed into the alcalde's office, Zorro smiled with pleasure. Melchy was outdoing himself.
Waiting for his chance, Felipe found it when two lancers left their post to find a cage for the cat. In their haste to leave, they left the door to the alcalde's office wide open. All but one of the remaining soldiers chased Melchy down the corridor.
The servant boy tested the cell door. As he had hoped, it was not locked. After all, there were six soldiers guarding Felipe, so they must have figured he could not escape.
Out of the corner of his eye, the one remaining lancer saw Felipe reach for the cell door. The man pulled out a knife to threaten Felipe, inching closer. In a sudden burst of inspiration, the servant boy shoved the door open wide, hitting the guard in the stomach. The lancer doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach and moaning.
Rushing into the alcalde's dark, empty office, Felipe darted out the front door and around the corner, where he found Zorro waiting on Toronado. Reaching downward, the masked hero helped the boy climb onto the coal-black stallion's back behind him.
Meanwhile, Melchy escaped from the determined private who had just grabbed him. Rushing back into the now-empty cell and leaping onto the cot like a thunderbolt, the cat jumped back onto the windowsill.
In a final act of seeming defiance, Melchy looked down on the soldiers and shook his paw at them in disgust. He then leaped into Felipe's extended arms. "Quickly, Felipe, let's go," Zorro ordered. Off the trio rode into the night!
ZZZZZ
Alcalde Luis Ramon was not happy at being awakened at 3:00 in the morning, to be told that his prisoner had escaped. He was even less pleased to learn that a cat had helped Felipe get away. "A cat?!" he sneered. "Heads will roll, believe me! You let Zorro win again, and you dare to blame it on a cat. Mendo-ozaaa!!!!"
The chubby sergeant rushed into the alcalde's bedroom. Ramon pointed at the cowering lancers. "Mendoza, lock up these men until morning. They will all hang in the boy's place."
After a reluctant Mendoza marched the lancers out, the alcalde decided to put on his silk robe and go to his office. As he strode through the doorway, he felt a smug satisfaction in knowing that, that even though Zorro had triumphed, he could punish the lancers publicly. That would be a good way to show the people of the pueblo how powerful he was.
Before he had a chance to sit down at his desk, Ramon felt the point of a blade press against the back of his neck. The smugness turned into fear. "Zorro!" he hissed.
"Yes, Alcalde." Ramon dared not move. Silently, he cursed himself for not bringing a sword with him. Zorro swung his Toledo-steel saber downward and allowed the alcalde to turn around.
"You are a very stupid man," Ramon growled at the masked man. "I will call my lancers."
"Why don't you do that, Alcalde? I welcome the challenge." Zorro looked so relaxed it made the alcalde even madder.
The amused glint in Zorro's blue eyes turned hard. "I just wanted to have a little talk with you about our young friend, Felipe."
Backing the alcalde against the adobe wall, Zorro pressed the blade against the alcalde's throat for a long moment, then moved it backwards a couple of inches. "Jailing a young boy for a crime he did not commit was terrible, Alcalde, even for you. And don't you think posting six guards was overkill? Especially since they were brought down so easily by one ten-pound cat. I do not know who stole the money, but I strongly suspect you do. I think it would be a good idea if that money was returned to the señorita in the morning, don't you?"
A reluctant alcalde nodded sullenly, tight-lipped. Zorro narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips tightly. "And, oh, yes--the guards. I think I'd rescind their punishment." The sword came a little closer to the skin. "Will you?"
The alcalde again nodded. Zorro pointed the tip of his sword toward the stone-tile floor and backed away.
"Lancers!" Ramon shouted. "Zorro! Arrest him!" Whirling around, he realized he was too late. The Fox had disappeared.
ZZZZZ
The pressure of little claws on Diego's knee, two days later, made him put his book down and scratch the cat behind the ears. By then, the de la Vegas had figured out that when he did that, it meant he wanted food, and they all indulged him in that. Felipe, especially, was generous with Melchy, since the little cat had saved his life. He even allowed Melchy to sleep with him, something the cat seemed to really enjoy even though it left Felipe unable to turn over or shift position. Felipe would lie curled on his side, and Melchy would nestle against the boy's stomach.
Don Diego had once again gone through his books and maps, trying to find out whatever he could about where Melchy had come from. One of Melchy's tags said something about a rabies vaccine, but as far as he knew, there was nothing one could do about the disease. There was no cure for rabies, and the only sure way to prevent it was to avoid getting bitten. As far as he could tell, there was no town called Chattanooga.
Don Diego thought of writing an americano friend he knew from his days at the university, but he knew he would not receive an answer in time. All he had to go by was the information on the tags. September 25, 2000, had to be a date. The cat was from the future, as surely as the Bennett children had been; that was the only explanation. He did not know if he could truly believe it, but it had to be.
He had stayed up late the night before, reading theories of time travel; during his hours of research, he had stumbled across one hypothesis suggesting that the earth was full of time doors that could open and shut with no warning. Diego felt very foolish even considering such a possibility, but he was willing to do so. After all, a similar time door in a nearby cave had evidently transported Todd and Allison Bennett to 1820 and back again.
Don Diego had a hunch he wanted to try out. He glanced at his father and Felipe, who were playing chess. I'll wait till they're finished, he silently decided.
After the boy had checkmated Don Alejandro's king, the aged don left the room. Don Diego picked up Melchy and headed for the cave, with Felipe at his heels. Diego strode down the steps into Toronado's stall.
"We found him here, beside a wide crack in the wall, remember?" Diego gazed down at Melchy as the cat nestled in his arms. "According to the book I was reading, last night, time doors can exist in such places." Felipe gaped at Diego with an expression that revealed he could not believe what he was hearing.
"Yes, I know it sounds outrageous, Felipe, but even Leonardo da Vinci believed in time travel." Don Diego shrugged his shoulders and laughed nervously. "And remember the Bennett children? Todd and Allison?" Felipe nodded.
Felipe scratched Melchy behind the ears, the way he loved it. Silently, he bid the cat goodbye. Don Diego was so sure of this time-travel theory of his that Felipe half expected the cat to disappear the way Diego had just said he would.
Diego petted the cat's head and rubbed him under the chin. "I shall miss you, Señor Melchy," he said softly. "The world will someday know about the adventures of the Fox and the Cat." Melchy purred his response.
Gently setting Melchy in the crack of the cave wall, Diego stood back with Felipe, waiting for something to happen. For the next several minutes, as Diego stood with his arm around Felipe's shoulder, Melchy just crouched inside the entrance of the crack, licking his paws. Just as Diego and Felipe started feeling very foolish, Melchy disappeared into the wall.
ZZZZZ
It was 4:00 in the morning, and Kathy McManus was sick with worry about Melchy. Berating herself for letting her beloved cat sneak out, she was thankful for the online company of Kathy Green, an email pen pal who lived several states away. The two had been sending instant messages back and forth to each other for the last few hours.
Kathy M. had checked every hour to see if Melchy could be found. She was getting ready to leave in the car again and drive up and down the street, looking for Melchy, when her sister, Becky, came out and walked over to the back door. "Katie, it's Melchy. He's back."
Flinging the door open, the two young women picked up Melchy simultaneously. Together, they petted him and yelled at him at the same time. "He's found," Kathy M. wrote Kathy G. via MSN Instant Messenger. "He's all right."
Later that night, as Melchy lay curled up on top of his "mother," he sighed and felt completely safe. But in the back of his mind was his adventure with the The Fox.
THE END
©2000 by Kathy Green and Kathy McManus