Chapter 15

Chapter 15

            They reached the bottom of the tree at what Buster’s chronometer told him was dawn on Cattatonia.  There was enough light for him to see his clothes had become filthy rags and that blood—most of it not his own—spattered his fur.  Whiskers fared even worse with her white fur looking almost brown after the night’s adventure.

            That didn’t seem to dampen her spirits.  She threw her front paws around him to kiss him again.  “That was the most magical night of my life!”

            “Maybe you should get attacked by monkeys more often.”

            “No, not just that.”  She looked up at the tree.  “Being with you, so far away from everything.  I’ve never felt so free before!  Is this how it is for you every day?”

            “Not quite.”

            “Still, it’s wonderful.  I wish I could feel like this forever.”  She let out a sigh, her smile fading.  “But now I suppose I have to go back.”

            “Whiskers—”

            “Take the tunnel back.  I know how to get inside on my own.”

            “If that’s what you want, but—”

            “I have to do what’s best for everyone, not myself.”

            Buster looked down at the ground.  He supposed Whiskers was right.  She had a whole plane to think of, just as he had his crew to think about.  They couldn’t put their selfish desires before any of that.  They had responsibilities.

            He touched the side of her head with one paw.  “Maybe someday, when you’re the queen, we can meet again.”

            “Maybe.”  She gave him another kiss, just a peck on his jowls.  “You’d better go before someone knows you’re gone.”

            He nodded and then got down on all fours to crawl through the passageway again.  He didn’t take so long this time since he knew where he was going.  When he got to the trap door, he found Lady Isis wasn’t there to guide him back.  No matter, he knew where he was going.

            He had hoped the others would be asleep when he arrived.  He wasn’t so lucky.  The moment he came through the door, Jake grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him against the wall.  “What happened to you?”

            “I was meeting with Princess Whiskers.”

            “Where?  In a garbage dump?” Dodger asked, his nose wrinkling.

            “I had to take a circuitous route.”

            Jake put a paw to a spot of blood on Buster’s fur.  “Were you in a fight?”

            “Some monkeys attacked us.  We drove them away.”

            “Monkeys?”

            “It’s a long story, but I’d really like to get some sleep.”

            Jake refused to let go.  “I want to know everything.  Right now.”

            “Can I at least sit down?”

            Dodger kicked over a cushion and Jake let Buster ease down the wall to sit on it.  He explained to them about the hidden passage leading outside and then his meeting with Whiskers.  He didn’t mention the kisses.  “On our way down, we ran into the monkeys.  We’re both fine.”

            Dodger snorted.  “You were lecturing me on endangering the mission?”

            “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t refuse to see her.”  Buster took a deep breath.  “She isn’t like her mother.  She wants peace between our races.  If she could make her mother understand, then we might be able to make some progress.”

            “For that you snuck off alone and nearly got killed?” Jake said.

            “No.  We weren’t in any real danger.”

            “Spot would have puppies if he knew what you were doing down here.  So would Dad.”

            “I did what I thought was best for our mission—for the Bloc.”

            “You jeopardized your life, hers, and everyone else’s.”  Jake finally let him go.  “That’s something I would do.”

            “Jake—”

            “You’ve always been the responsible one.”

            Buster sighed.  Jake had a point.  He could have been killed up there in the trees.  So could Whiskers.  That would have doomed the Bloc and Cattatonia to decades of animosity if not an outright war.  “You’re right,” he said.  “I’m sorry.”

            Jake bent down to pat Buster’s head.  “Good boy.  Now get some rest.  They’ll probably be waking us up soon.”

            #

            Whiskers found Isis waiting for her in the bedroom.  “What were you and that Dog doing?” Isis asked.

            “Climbing the trees.”

            “Are you injured?  I can call for a doctor—”

            “I’m fine.  I just need to clean up.”  Most cats cleaned themselves, but not royalty.  They had servants to groom them.  That was good in Draco’s case, since his tongue couldn’t reach most of his crevices anymore.

            After taking off the remains of her robe, Whiskers leaned back in a chair to let Isis bathe her.  She closed her eyes, seeing Buster’s face in her mind.  He was so strong and brave and handsome—for a Dog.  She liked the wrinkles of his skin, the way his jowls drooped, and that curly little tail of his.  He was so unlike anyone she had ever known before.  When he fought those monkeys, she saw that he wasn’t a bully like Draco; he was a true warrior, albeit a warrior who wanted peace.

            “Do you think cats and Dogs can ever get along?” she asked Isis.

            Isis paused in her work to say, “I don’t see why we should ever want to.  The Dogs are foul, disgusting creatures.”

            “Captain Bulldog isn’t that bad.  He’s nice.”

            “Nice?  What sort of talk is that?  You know what your mother said.”

            “Mother may be queen but she isn’t always right.”  Whiskers looked down at Isis.  “She’s old and stuck in her ways.  When I’m queen I’m going to make some changes.”

            Isis shook her head.  “I haven’t heard such impudence from you since you were a kitten.”

            “Maybe I’m just seeing the light.”

            “That Dog is brainwashing you.  He’s trying to make you one of them.”

            Whiskers snickered at this.  “That’s silly.  Buster didn’t try to do anything.  I did most of the talking.”

            “So it’s Buster now?”

            “He’s a very nice Dog.  He saved my life from the monkeys.”

            “Monkeys?  What were you doing around monkeys?”

            “I was showing him Cattatonia.  The real Cattatonia.”  Whiskers sighed.  Isis was a loyal servant, but she was often prissier than even Mother.  “Have you ever been up in the trees?  Above the mists?”

            “No and I shouldn’t ever want to be.”  Isis pointed a paw at Whiskers.  “You shouldn’t be up there either.  You’re a princess, not a feral kitten.”

            Whiskers thought of Cassie, whom Draco had taken from the trees.  Maybe that was who she should be talking to, except Cassie would probably tell Draco.  She couldn’t let on that she was having second thoughts about the wedding.

            Isis finished getting the dirt and monkey blood from Whiskers’s fur.  Then she dressed Whiskers in a nightgown.  It was morning, but she could still get a few hours of sleep.  Not that there was much point to it; she wouldn’t have anything to do once Buster left.  She would be back to making appearances on behalf of her mother.  That was to be her lot in life.

            She curled up on her cushion and closed her eyes.  She fell asleep almost immediately and dreamed.  She dreamed she and Buster were on a ship made of glass, cruising amongst the stars.  As they kissed, the glass ship headed towards a star.  Buster didn’t seem to notice no matter how hard she tried to warn him. 

            The ship didn’t have any controls, so there was nothing she could do but watch for the end.  As the ship became hotter and hotter, she and Buster clung to each other.