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Summary: When Mistoffolees makes friends with a non-Jellicle, all heck breaks lose... even though his bud saved a lot of lives...
Part One: The Challenge
Jellicle cats are black and white. Two Jellicles, one black and one white, sat atop the old car trunk at the end of the junkyard. They leaned forward, tails rigid, eyes gleaming with curiosity. For there, by the drain pipe, a group of cats was forming around Munkustrap, the gray tabby and second-in-command, who appeared to be trying to quiet them all down. The black cat stirred and lept from his perch to the ground.
"I'm going to investigate," Mistoffolees said to Victoria, who nodded. She, too, wanted to know what was causing such a riot.
Mistoffolees covered the distance to the mob in a few easy leaps. However, trying to get through to Munkustrap was much more difficult. Every single male cat in the entire tribe seemed to be trying to make as much noise as possible. Mistoffolees turned to Tumblebrutus, who was trying very hard to squeeze in between Coricopat and Skimbleshanks but failing. "What's going on?" he shouted.
"Pouncival spotted a pack of Pekes in an alley not too far from here," Tumblebrutus answered, equally loud. "They're trying to decide what to do about it."
"What, you mean Rumpus and Alonzo are fighting over who gets the glory again?" Mistoffolees remarked dryly.
Tumblebrutus grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised." He paused. "Seriously, though, what'll they do about it? I mean, we can't have Pekes just running around near the junkyard like this."
"They'll probably send somebody out to track the Pekes while Munk takes three years selecting a suitable army for attacking invading Pekes. They'll need somebody pretty quick and quiet, though." He thought a moment. A slow smile spread over his face. "Somebody quiet, small, and black."
"Someone like Mistoffolees?" Tumblebrutus inquired teasingly.
"Someone like Mistoffolees," Mistoffolees confirmed.
Tumblebrutus shook his head. "Forget it. For one thing, Munkustrap would never even consider letting you go. He'd just say you're too young. For another thing, even if there was a chance he'd let you, how are you going to get through? It's impossible! Believe me, I've tried."
"Hey, you don't think Terpsechorean powers don't come with the power of persuasion? As for getting through, nothing a little magic can't fix!" With that, Mistoffolees vanished into thin air.
Tumblebrutus smiled wryly. He needed a conjuring turn like that.
Mistoffolees succeeded in making it to the front, but he decided he'd better get a little more info before attacking Operation Persuade Munkustrap. Pouncival was talking to Munkustrap, and Mistoffolees wasted no time in tuning in to the conversation.
"I'm not sure where I was when I saw them," Pouncival was saying. "All I remember is that I had just left the railway station after checking for any problems with Skimble. Anyway, I had been making my way back to the junkyard when I thought heard a growl. I took a quick look behind me and saw a pack of THEM - Pekes. I'm no fool. I just ran... and luckily, they don't appear to have followed me."
Munkustrap stood over him. "Are you sure you can't be more specific about where you were? You can't pinpoint the location at all?"
Pouncival shook his head nervously. "I really wasn't paying attention. My only guess would be the old alley behind Bloomsbury Square... You know the one? Behind the -"
"Right," Munkustrap interrupted. He turned to Rum Tum Tugger and Alonzo, who were standing behind him, waiting for orders. "Tugger. You go get Rumpus. He's usually out patrolling somewhere this time of night. He's obviously somewhere on the other side of town, or he would have found Pouncival's Pekes. Alonzo, you start gathering cats for our little brawl with the Pekes. Meanwhile, we'll probably need someone to track them. Hmmm..." Munkustrap considered the matter a moment. Rum Tum Tugger and Alonzo quickly left to perform their assigned tasks.
Mistoffolees started to make his move. He saw a golden oppurtunity, and he was going to use it. He tapped Munkustrap on the shoulder. "Hey Munk," he began, "I was wondering -"
"Not now, Misto," Munkustrap cut him off with a wave of his hand. "I'm very busy right now. I have to find someone to track the Pekes."
"What I was going to say," Mistoffolees began again, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice, "was why don't you send me? I quiet, small, and I blend in real well. I'd be perfect for the job."
Munkustrap looked up, blinked once, said "No," very decidedly, and went back to his thinking again.
Mistoffolees crossed his arms. "And why, might I ask, not?"
Munkustrap didn't even bother to look up this time. "Because you're not even a full-grown adult cat yet, and if the Pekes got you then..." He stopped for a moment. "Besides, you're my littlest brother. You don't send your littlest brother out on these kinds of missions."
"But you can send your other, more "adult" younger brothers," Mistoffolees returned. Munkustrap was silent. "Look, Munk, I'm not as helpless as you seem to think. I am the Houdini of catdom, you know. And I'm not exactly weak, either."
Munkustrap sighed. "Oh, all right," he said. "But I won't like it. Don't get yourself into any big trouble. I really don't want you to do this, Mistoffolees."
Mistoffolees started to leave, but noticed Munkustrap's glare in his general direction. He bit back a grin. He loved getting under his brother's skin. "By the way, he called out, "anywhere other than the alley you'd like me to look?" He paused for affect. "Or are you to high and mighty to tell me that?"
Munkustrap's shoulders shook. Finally he couldn't hold it any more. He burst out laughing. "Go wherever, you dummy," he chuckled. "You're still lean and mean. For the vague and aloof sort, you sure have snappy repartee. Maybe you can insult those stupid dogs to death."
Mistoffolees, well pleased with himself, leaped silently away.
Part Two: What He Found in the Alley
Despite his conviction in his argument with Munkustrap, Mistoffolees had to admit he was nervous. He wasn't usually so outspoken, but he felt he needed to do something about the Pekes. Bloomsbury square wasn't far ahead. Just a couple more steps and he'd be there. He stopped to compose himself. He would have to be absolutely silent in case the Pekes happened to have a sentry posted or something. As he did so, he heard it.
A crackling noise.
Coming from the alley he was standing near.
There was only one thing to do. RUN!
Or rather, that was what his brain told him to do. The rest of him managed to smother the niggling little voice in his head that instructed him to flee. He started to approach the noise.
It crackled again. Mistoffolees came closer. It crackled again. Closer still.
Before you could blink, a large gray male cat suddenly shot as if from a cannon out of a pile of papers and hit Mistoffolees in the side. Biting and scratching, it tore into Mistoffolees' side. Mistoffolees quickly summoned some lightning. One quick shot for mere affect only, and the cat backed away, crouching.
"Who the heck are you?" the cat said. Mistoffolees studied him. He was a pretty big cat, and his coat was the color of steel, with a white patch much like Mistoffolees' on the front.
"I'm Mistoffolees," he of that name said. "Who are you?"
It was the other cat's turn to study him. Yes, Mistoffolees thought, he was definitely suspicious of something. After a long pause, the other cat said, "I'm Sam."
"Sam?" Mistoffolees said, mildly surprised. "That's all?"
"Yes," Sam said, "That's all."
"Oh." Another pause. "Well, where is your Jellicle tribe?"
Sam blinked. "My what?"
"Your Jellicle tribe. Where do you and your family live?" Mistoffolees explained impatiently.
"I don't know what this 'Jellicle' thing is," Sam began, "but I currently live here. And I haven't any family. My mother was killed by a dog a long time ago, and I don't even know who my father was."
"Oh..." Mistoffolees said. "Then how did you get here?"
"It's kind of a long story," Sam said. "But I'll give you a quick summary. For reasons unknown to me, I somehow decided a train ride would be a nice change of pace, so I hopped aboard. I'm not really tied down to anyplace, you know. I just go wherever I feel like at the moment. Anyway, I managed to sneak aboard without much trouble. I just hung out in the back of the caboose and watched the countryside go by. We had just arrived at the next train station when some big brown cat suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started answering questions. When I gave no reply. He started to chase me right out of the train! I just kept running and I ended up here."
"Skimbleshanks," Mistoffolees whispered under his breath.
"What did you say?" Sam questioned.
"Oh, nothing." A change of subject was in order. Mistoffolees suddenly remembered what he had come for. "By the way, did you happen to see a large band of dogs running about on your way here?"
Sam didn't answer. He put his finger to his lips, and then motioned for Mistoffolees to turn around. Slowly, Mistoffolees did so. He saw a thick, stubby tail just hanging around the corner of the alley. Without a word, Mistoffolees pushed Sam into a trash can and climbed in himself. "Pekes," he whispered.
"What's a Peke?" Sam asked, too loudly.
"That. Now, shhh!" Mistoffolees hissed sharply. But it was too late. The Peke had heard them. The tail disappeared, and in its place an ugly brown head appeared, jaws parted. It growled and stalked into the alley, sniffing. The cats stood dead still. The Peke was moving closer. In a few moments, Mistoffolees knew, it would have them. Softly, and with utmost care, he raise his head so that his eyes were just level with the trash can's rim. He concentrated very hard on the Peke's tail.
Sam came up just in time to see the Peke lifted, as the though by an invisible hand, up into the air, shaken a few times, and then thrown out of the alley. It fell to the ground with a thump. For a few moments it lay motionless. Then it roused itself, looked around nervously, and ran, whimpering, away.
"You have a funny sense of humor," Sam remarked, amused. "How did you do that?" He was, for once, completely flabbergasted.
"Magic," Mistoffolees said seriously, and leaped out of the trash can. "Come on. We've got to follow it. I need to know where the rest of the dogs are hiding."
"Why?" Sam asked.
Mistoffolees explained the entire situation to him.
Sam yawned, but tried to turn it into an "Ah," and then added, as an afterthought, "I'll help. Nothing better to do."
"I don't need an "Ah," Mistoffolees said. "What I need is to find those Pekes. So if you're coming, let's go." He disappeared.
"Does he have to do that?" Sam complained, and headed out into the street.
Mistoffolees was waiting a few buildings down. Sam made him promise that he wouldn't disappear anymore, and so Mistoffolees more or less stayed with him, although his black coat made him a little hard to see anyway. The Peke left an alarmingly strong scent, and they were able to follow it without much difficulty.
In fact, the single Peke's smell was so strong that when they got nearer to the Pekes' hideout, the stench was almost unbearable. Mistoffolees scrunched up his nose. "Be really quiet," he said. "The last thing we want to do is get caught." He paused for a moment. "I'd better figure out where we are, too, so I can report that to Munkustrap." He smiled. "I can just see him now: 'You mean you were right there, at the hideout, and you can't remember where it was?'"
"That's so pathetic, it's funny," Sam chuckled. Then he squinted. "That sign over there says 'The Drones.' So I guess this is Drones Alley?"
"It'll work." With some effort, Mistoffolees managed to collect himself. He was all business now. He jumped on top of a barrel, and then froze, listening. Nothing except barks, howls, growling noises. He jumped to a bucket and stopped. Nothing. Now the bike tire. Nothing. The next leap gave him a beautiful view of the entire gathering. Of course, beautiful might not have been the adjective Mistoffolees would have used. There were Pekes everywhere! The were fighting, gossiping, eating, scratching, and everything else that Pekes do.
For several minutes Mistoffolees sat simply staring at the dogs below him. He had finally shook himself, and had turned to say something to Sam, when something white caught his eye. He turned quickly, but it had disappeared. "That couldn't be..." Mistoffolees said to himself. "No."
"What?" Sam whispered.
"Nothing," Mistoffolees said briskly. "Now, here's the plan. You just follow them. If they don't go anywhere, see if you can pick up on anything they say. I'm going to go back to the junkyard and report to Munkustrap. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Good." Mistoffolees disappeared. Sam just shook his head
Part Three: A Little Brawl with the Pekes
It was considerably easier going back than coming. For one thing, Mistoffolees knew exactly where the majority of the Pekes were, so he could move a little faster than before. He also knew where he was going, as an added bonus, so he got back to the junkyard in pretty good time.
The junkyard itself was a total mess. Munkustrap was sitting on top of the drain pipe, desperately trying to give out orders, and Pouncival sat under him, looking at the sites with interest. Alonzo was explaining different battle tactics to a group of Jellicles, presumably the army that he had been commanded to put together. However, he seemed to be having a little bit of trouble, for Coricopat and Tumblebrutus were have a cartwheel contest, Admetus was doing a handstand, and Skimbleshanks was looking around absently. The final spectical was Rum Tum Tugger trying to explain what was going on to Rumpus Cat, who kept trying to just take off and tackle them himself. Several female cats were sitting on the car trunk, merely watching, with worried faces, with the exception of Demeter and Bombalurina, who seemed to be talking about something. Jellylorum, in fact, appeared to have fainted. After taking this all in with some amusement, Mistoffolees crossed to junkyard to Munkustrap.
"Ahem," he said pointedly when Munkustrap didn't notice him.
"Yes?" Munkustrap said in a rather grouchy voice as he turned around. "Oh, it's you." He frowned. "Shouldn't you trail them a little while longer?"
"Relax, Munk," Mistoffolees said. "I have a friend who's watching the Pekes." Munkustrap raised he eyebrows but said nothing. "I found the hideout. You ready or not?"
"Not," Munkustrap said, sounding almost defeated this time. "We've had... a bit of an accident while you were gone."
"Accident?" Mistoffolees narrowed his eyes. White flashing in the corner of his eye... "What sort of 'accident'?"
"Well, while he was searching for Rumpus, Rum Tum Tugger met up with a Peke... He scratched him once and ran. Unfortunately, it was one of those determined types, and it followed Tugger all the way back here. It could tell it was outnumbered, of course, as soon as it saw us. Even a dog isn't that stupid. Anyway, Victoria was sitting on the car trunk nearby, and he grabbed her, threatening to hurt her if we came nearer. Just like something from one of those stupid 'movie' things humans are inclined to watch. So now we've got to not only drive the Pekes away, we've also got to rescue Victoria."
Mistoffolees groaned. "I knew it. Well, what are we standing here for, you idiot?! Let's go!".
"Hold it!" Munkustrap countered. "Look at these guys. It'll be no good if we attack the Pekes with no order. Alonzo," he added, shouting, "get your army inline and under control! It's time to get down to business."
Munkustrap outlined a few battle tactics against Pekes with the army while Mistoffolees sat behind him, only half listening. He had heard it all plenty of times. However, when a group of female cats started to approach, Munkustrap jostled him awake with his elbow. Demeter, with Cassandra behind her , stepped forward.
"Munkustrap," Demeter began, without even a hint of reluctance, "some of us think we should help with the fight. I mean, you can't expect us to just sit here while you all leave us in suspense. Not all of us, of course," she added. "Just me, Bombalurina, Cassandra, and Rumpleteazer."
"Yes," Mistoffolees said instantly, at the same moment Munkustrap said no. Mistoffolees continued before Munkustrap could comment. "But don't fight unless we ask you to, or if you see an emergency or something. But we can always use help."
Munkustrap pulled him aside. "What are you, nuts?" he hissed. "We can't have them hanging around while we fight!"
"They won't be just hanging around," Mistoffolees retorted, "they'll be helping. Hopefully they won't have to fight, but we can post them as scouts or warn us if somethings happening. Things like that. It'll only be useful. They have heads on their shoulders."
Munkustrap sighed. "Your logic is maddening. Fine. We let them come, but they're under my orders." Mistoffolees nodded, and they returned to the group.
After Munkustrap told Demeter they could come, he started to talk about safety issues and following orders. When it began to look like he was never going to stop, Mungojerrie threatened to steal Munk's collar if he didn't start moving, and the whole party set out to follow Mistoffolees to the Peke's Palace, as it came to be called (although no cat would want to live there).
"And don't disappear," Coricopat said. Mistoffolees just smiled and decided that if Coricopat ever met Sam, they'd get along marvelously.
There were no major mishaps on the way there, although there was a temporary cat fight between Alonzo and Rumpus over who got to tackle the chief Peke first. However, Mistoffolees quickly ended this by telling them that he could easily pick them up by magic and dump them in a nearby puddle if at all necessary. This made even Rumpus calm down.
When they were pretty close to the Palace, Mistoffolees motioned for everyone to be extra-quiet. He, Munkustrap, and Rumpus carefully scaled the wall that seperated them from the Pekes. Mistoffolees jumped from the barrel, to the bucket, to the bike tire - and came face to face with Sam. "All's well," Sam whispered, with a glance towards the others.
"Who's this?" Munkustrap questioned Mistoffolees.
"This is my friend Sam," Mistoffolees answered. "I'll explain later. Right now, we have some Pekes to pulverize." He jumped to the top of the wall and hung there, clinging to the edge with his paws so that only his eyes were viewable from the other side, if you happened to be looking for them. "Almost all of them seem to be asleep," he reported. "I don't see Victoria anywhere, but there's one Peke guarding some sort of cave thing, so I guess that might be..." He didn't finish, just looked at Munkustrap and said, "What do we do now?"
"Well," Munkustrap said slowly, "I think a night attack might be in order. We'll have to assemble quickly, but I think we can do it. If we divide everyone evenly so that we more or less surround the entire area, we can make up some sort of signal and all close in at once. Then... Mistoffolees, you'd blend in the best; we'll have you get Victoria out of that cave - or whatever it is - and bring her back. I guess two of the girls will stay here and watch over the wall, and two will go over to the other side. Bring Victoria back here when you've gotten her, and then join in the fun." They all jumped down to the ground, and Munkustrap began giving orders. "All right, we're splitting up. I want Alonzo and Admetus to stay here. Cassandra and Rumpleteazer, you too. Mungojerrie and Rumpus on the opposite side, and take Bombalurina and Demeter. Skimbleshanks and Tumblebrutus, on the left, Pouncival and I on the right. Everyone else, spread yourselves out in between those posts. Mistoffolees, you're getting Victoria, and oh, do whatever you like with this Sam cat," he added.
"Just choose a spot," Mistoffolees said to Sam, and prepared himself for a little fighting.
Once more, Mistoffolees leaped to the top of the wall. "All but one are still asleep," he whispered back. He looked at Munkustrap, who nodded. "Go to your positions!" One by one, the cats silently blended into the night.
Alonzo tapped him on his shoulder. "So Misto, how are you going to do it?"
Mistoffolees would only answer, "You'll see. But whatever you do, don't tell me I can't disappear."
Alonzo grinned and started to say something. He might of said, "Whatever," or, "If you must," but suddenly there was the sound of a soda can being flattened. The signal!
One minute, there as absolute silence. The next, there was the sound of surprised Pekes and angry cats fighting with all they had.
Mistoffolees stood stock still. He kept his eye on the pile of rubbish that supposedly held Victoria. He studied the Peke that stood guard at the mouth of the cave. A blur of gray caught his eye. He had learned to always follow blurs, and he spotted Sam, crouched in a perfect position, directly above the Peke. Mistoffolees made a motion that meant, "I'll distract him, you kill him!" Then he crouched and extended a paw. Bam! A long white lightning streak flashed through the air. The Peke leaped about ten feet in the air, and when he came down, Sam was waiting for him. He didn't exactly kill the dog, but he certainly gave it something to remember. It ran away, stumpy tail between its legs. "Guard the door!" Mistoffolees said to Sam when he was within earshot, and slid into the cave.
Inside, it was dark; blacker than Mistoffolees himself. The smell was awful. "Victoria?" he called softly, a hint of panic in his voice. "Are you there?" He heard a slight growling noise, and two red eyes appeared in the velvety blackness, glowing as bright as light bulbs with no lampshade. "Uh oh..." Mistoffolees whispered.
They eyed each other for a moment. Mistoffolees decided that for once, he was going to make the first move. He lunged at the Peke, biting and scratching and kicking and basically giving the thing a nice, bloody time. For a few agonizing seconds, it seemed as though it wasn't going to give up. It fought back, tearing a gash down Mistoffolees' shoulder. Mistoffolees was desperate now. He unleashed his lightning once more, but this time he shot to kill. And kill he did. The white magic cut through the night for a split second, and then collided with the Peke's stomach. The wretched dog jerked once and lay still.
Mistoffolees stared at the body in shock. Then he reminded himself to be bloody (check), bold (well...) and resolute (maybe), and marched deeper into the cave. His shoulder wound hurt pretty badly, and he licked it once or twice to get some of the dirt off. Suddenly, an extremely welcome sound met his ears. "Mistoffolees? Is that you?" The voice sounded timid but relieved...
"Victoria!" Mistoffolees cried happily. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Come on, let's get out if here."
"I'm fine, just scared... But you're not fine. What happened?"
"I'll explain later. Right now I have to take you to that wall... Cassandra and Rumpleteazer are there. They'll take care of you. Now come on." Mistoffolees took her paw and led her carefully to the mouth of the cave. He took a quick look out and immediately said, "Get back for a minute. There might be trouble."
What he saw was this: Munkustrap and the Chief Peke were going at hammer and tongs, and neither seemed ready to back down, or even be hurt. Even during this moment he couldn't help thinking that Alonzo's and Rumpus' fight was pointless. However, A Peke was sneaking up behind Munkustrap, who couldn't do anything about it because he was fighting the Chief. "Sam!" Mistoffolees screamed. "Get the sneak!" Sam, with Rumpleteazer following, immediately tackled the 'sneak,' and Mistoffolees himself went into action. "Mental note: never give up your lightning powers," he whispered to himself as he fired a blast. Mistoffolees hadn't meant it to hit the Chief, and it didn't, but it sure did scare him. This gave Munkustrap a few extra seconds to recuperate. But as it turned out, he wasn't needed. Sam, having finished off the sneak, took a dive at the Peke and rammed right into his stomach. Coughing and sputtering, the Chief reeled back. It was all over for him. Every single Jellicle in the area stopped what they were doing to help kill the Chief, although in the end, it was actually Bombalurina who administered the deadly blow.
"Told you they'd be useful," Mistoffolees said to Munkustrap, who merely rolled his eyes.
With their Chief dead, it was no trouble at all to convince the Pekes they'd be better off somewhere else. Soon the last Peke had been cleared from the area.
Victoria came up to Mistoffolees. "Okay," she said Mistoffolees, "you're bleeding and need to be cleaned up. Don't argue, just come over here and I'll lick it clean for you." And so Mistoffolees found himself sheepishly sitting on a deflated tire while Victoria tended his wounds. As a matter of fact, everyone sat down to clean up and rest. They ended up spending the night there, curled up in whatever warm place they could find that didn't stink too much.
In the morning, the veterans of the last night's army all trooped back to the junkyard, exhausted but triumphant and happy.
Part Four: "I'm Not Tied Down"
They had only been back for a couple of hours when the conflict began. Sam had returned with the group, and as it turned out, there was a bit of a problem with that...
It all started when Munkustrap started question Sam about various things. "So," he had remarked casually, "How did you meet Mistoffolees?" Sam had replied with the whole story. Munkustrap listened attentively, and then asked, "So, where is your Jellicle tribe?"
Sam answered in an exasperated voice, "Will someone tell me what this Jellicle thing is already?" He looked around. Half the cats in the area seemed to have frozen, and the rest seem to be wondering why the others had stopped what they were doing.
Munkustrap's nostrils flared. "You mean you aren't a Jellicle?"
"Not last time I checked." Sam glanced about nervously. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
His answer was a barrage of cats suddenly bearing down upon him with rage equal to that shown towards the Pekes. Although Sam was a gifted fighter, he was no match for this many cats at once. At this point, Mistoffolees stepped in. Or rather, he suddenly appeared in the middle of the pile and 'lightninged' them all back. "Lightning," he whispered under his breath, "is a very useful thing to have."
"You're telling me," Sam whispered back.
Behind there were called of "Get away, Mistoffolees," and "What are you doing?" and "Get off so we can kill him!"
"Now what is going on here?" Mistoffolees asked the crowd.
Alonzo explained the entire matter. "It's an ancient rule that if you find a cat that you know isn't a Jellicle, you have to kill it immediately. It's like wild rabbits kill any rabbit they find that stinks of man."
Mistoffolees snorted. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. We're not rabbits. If Sam hadn't told you he's not a Jellicle, you wouldn't have known the difference. He helped me get Victoria and he saved a lot of lives when he attacked the Chief Peke. And now you're going to kill him?"
"Yes," said Plato, snarling. He and Mistoffolees glared at each other until Munkustrap broke them up before another fight started.
"All right," Munkustrap said, regaining command. "I can see your point. On the other hand, duty calls. I say that we get Old Deuteronomy to decide what to do. No one at all is allowed to harm Sam until we've come to a decision. And don't hurt Mistoffolees, either," he added as an afterthought.
Like it or not, the crowd had to accept what Munkustrap said. They all dispersed, mumbling, some disturbed, some indifferent, some, mainly kittens, happy, for they looked up to Sam after what he'd done during the fight. Old Deuteronomy was called, and in two days a sort of cats' trial was established. Old Deuteronomy, of course, was the judge, and he had a council consisting of Munkustrap, Admetus, Alonzo, and Pouncival.
"Now, what seems to be the trouble?" Old Deuteronomy said as he settled on his tire. The entire problem was explained to him. "Oh," Old Deuteronomy said thoughtfully. "Well, Mistoffolees, you seem to be the one who will speak in... what is it?... Sam's defense. So, what is your argument against adhering to this murderous tradition?"
Mistoffolees took a deep breath. "Old Deuteronomy," he began. "I do not wish to tamper with any sort of useful law, but killing Sam just because he's not a Jellicle is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. Not only is it cruel, it's also terribly ungrateful and dishonorable. If Sam hadn't been there to help us fight, a lot of us, myself included, might not be here. He helped me rescue Victoria, he saved Munk's life, and just plain made a good job of the whole entire battle. It's bad enough that we have to fight with other species. Must we go and kill our own kind, too?"
"A very eloquent argument," Old Deuteronomy said, absentmindedly stroking his chin. "A very eloquent argument indeed. I will talk to the council." He turned to the group and began to talk to them in urgent, hushed tones. Mistoffolees stepped back politely, pulling Sam with him.
"Well, I've done my best," Mistoffolees said. "I hope they don't kill you."
Sam gulped. "Please don't disappear if they do decide to kill me," he said in an attempt at humor.
"Don't even think that way."
After what seem liked ages, Old Deuteronomy finally turned around. "Well," he said gravely, "this is what we have decided. Mistoffolees, you're right, it is a pretty stupid rule to a certain extent. Sam, you are free to live with us without any threat to your life if you choose. However, any cat that is not a Jellicle that you may find shouldn't be immediately killed, but it should be brought to either Munkustrap or myself for further inspection. Council dismissed." And that was that.
Later that night, Mistoffolees was awakened by a faint rustling noise. He jumped up and crept out of the drain pipe to investigate. There was Sam, crinkling some papers right outside the pipe. He grinned when he saw his friend.
"I was hoping you'd come out," Sam said. "I wanted to say goodbye."
"Goodbye?" Mistoffolees said. "What for? You just got here! They can't kill you anymore. They wouldn't dare disobey Old Deuteronomy."
"It's not that," Sam assured him. "It's just that I'm not a Jellicle, and I'd never be comfortable living around them, because they would never be comfortable living near me. You're the only one that's been truly friendly towards me." He smiled. "Besides, I got used to be a wanderer. Nowhere to be, just going where I please. That's the kind of life I led before, and it's the kind of life I'll lead for a long time."
"Just don't disappear," Mistoffolees said wryly.
"Touche, amigo," Sam said, laughing. "Don't worry, I'll visit. But you never know when I might appear. I'm not tied down, you know."
"No, you're not," Mistoffolees said, "but I am. Good-bye, Sam. Don't forget to write, if we ever learn how."
"Good-bye, Mistoffolees," Sam chuckled. "Send me a little of your sense of humor when you get the chance."
"Right." The looked at each other for a moment. Then Sam leapt away.
Mistoffolees felt something at his side. He turned and saw Victoria sitting next to him. "He'll be okay, won't he?" she asked.
"Yes," Mistoffolees told her. "He's not tied down, you know."
They turned and walked back to the drain pipe together.