Vyktorea gave a startled cry and Plaetoh growled. Soon all the cats were aware of the intruder's presence.
"It's her again!" Pavel whispered. "Why does she keep coming around, I wonder?"
Eliot watched as Munkustrap took up his defensive stance beside the older cat and noted the similarities between the two. He suspected he knew the answer to that question, but was hesitant to voice it. "Mm," he grunted. "Who knows?"
As the mood changed, so did the song of the caslikohs, becoming very brooding with perhaps a hint of sadness. Coricopat and Tantomile, the latter holding Quaxo to her breast, hissed as they edged past Grizabella. Tughar made a gesture of contempt as he walked casually by. Several kittens tried to approach her, but were pulled away by their elders.
The ever-mischievous Pouncival made as if to nuzzle her affectionately, then pushed her roughly to the center of the hall. She stumbled and Demeetar reached out as if to steady her, then shrank back. Grizabella looked at her beseechingly as Bombalurina pulled her away and Munkustrap came between them.
Then Old Dutironomy stood up and said, "Stop."
Munkustrap turned to stare at his grandfather, who just shook his head. The grey and black chief scowled at Grizabella before stalking off to join Demeetar and Bombalurina.
Grizabella looked around as the caslikohs continued their melancholy song. She was alone in the center of the hall. None of the cats would come near her. She reached out to them and Eliot felt the buzz of telepathic communication. The old cat was trying to give a message, but the Jellicles were shutting their minds to her. Eliot got an image of some kind of danger, but nothing more.
Grizabella beat her fists in the air in her frustration. Then Vyktorea stood up and moved toward the older female, her mind open to whatever message she might want to convey. A spark of hope shone in Grizabella's eyes as she reached out to touch the little white Coricat's outstretched paw. But Plaetoh, ever mindful of his father's warnings against Grizabella, grabbed Vyktorea and hissed at the interloper before hurrying his beloved away.
A resigned look settled on Grizabella's face and she made her painful way out of the hall, pausing only once to look back.
The next day, Vyktorea tried to catch her father as he started out to meet the other hunters. "Papa, wait!" she called to him.
Alahnso turned to face his youngest kitten. "What is it?" he asked.
Vyktorea faltered, unsure how to start. "Papa, last night," she began tentatively, "Grizabella..."
"What about her?" Alahnso hissed.
"She...she was trying to give us a message," Vyktorea continued. "A warning. I couldn't understand all of it because Plaetoh kept trying to protect me from her. What I did make out was 'danger, danger, beware!' " She looked up at her father with concern in her eyes. "What do you think she means?"
A look of uncertainty passed across Alahnso's face before he said sternly, "You should put no faith in anything that traitor says!"
"Why not?" Vyktorea asked insistently. "How is she a traitor?"
"You're too young to be told," Alahnso growled.
"You always say that!" Vyktorea cried in exasperation. "When, Papa? When will I be old enough to know the truth?"
"Later," Alahnso replied with a tone of finality. "Now go help your mother."
Frustrated by her father's abrupt dismissal, Vyktorea obeyed nonetheless.
Alahnso continued on his way to join the hunt. He found Munkustrap talking with the Terran males while the other hunters lounged nearby.
"Anyway, I plan to work on my ship today," Eliot was saying. "If you want to send someone with us to keep us out of harm's way, I would appreciate it."
Eliot was surprised by his own humbleness. He tried not to look at Admeetus, but unprompted, the grey and white Coricat rose from his spot between Bombalurina and Tumblebrutus and went to stand beside the blond Terran.
"Admeetus, you don't have to go with them," Munkustrap said, knowing how much he must have disliked missing the hunt to kitten-sit the aliens. "You've done more than your fair share of protecting the Terrans. I can send someone else, like, uh..." he trailed off, thinking, Not Tughar, certainly, and not Plaetoh, either; I've seen how he reacts when Eliot and Vyktorea are together. Hmmm...
"I want to go with them, Munkustrap," Admeetus told his chief.
Munkustrap blinked in surprise, especially when Admeetus turned and rubbed his head against Eliot, badly startling the small Terran, who nearly fell over from the shock.
"Well, all right," Munkustrap shrugged and turned back to his hunters. "Are we ready?"
"Munkustrap!" Alahnso called, jerking his head to indicate that he wished to speak to him alone. The two moved off a little as the other hunters began stretching.
"What is it?" Munkustrap asked, a trifle impatiently.
Like Vyktorea, Alahnso hesitated before beginning, "I don't know if you'll think this is important, but...Vyktorea mentioned that last night Grizabella was trying to give us a warning."
"Yes, I felt her trying to force her way into my mind," Munkustrap snarled then frowned. "But a warning? What kind of warning?"
Alahnso shrugged, "Something about 'danger' and 'beware' was all that Vyktorea could tell me."
"What would...Grizabella want to warn us about?" Munkustrap said after a pause.
It was a rhetorical question, but Alahnso apparently felt the need to answer, "She's your mother. Surely you would know better than me." Alahnso immediately regretted this remark when he saw the look of pain and anger in his friend's eyes.
"Yes, she is my mother," Munkustrap said slowly, "but that doesn't mean I know how her mind works."
"Maybe we should tell Old Dutironomy," Alahnso suggested.
Munkustrap considered this, then shook his head. "We won't worry him with it now," he said. "Come on."
Putting Grizabella out of their heads, they joined the hunters and set off into the forest.
©1999 Delilah