Kapitel 9: Chapter 9: Proof

Susan was certain it would have turned into a battle if it had gone on much longer.

The fight, however, was ended before it began by a commotion from one of the four entrances. Susan looked up as the crowd parted and a brown mass streaked her way toward them. The crowd fell totally silent as the cat made one last leap and collapsed at the base of the pedestal, almost on top of Susan and Tucker. Susan gasped and wanted to look away but somehow couldn't manage it.

The cat was horribly injured. Susan could tell her fur was multi-colored but only because the tip of her tail was clean. Most of the rest of the cat was torn and bitten and soaked in dirt and blood. She was panting heavily, her sides heaving in the effort, front paws twitching uncontrollably. She could barely lift her head, but did, just a little, and let out a pathetic mew.

Susan instinctively bent to the cat, cradling her head in her hands. The cat looked up at her and Susan knew she was dying. She tried not to cry as the Council jumped down and came to stand around.

"Tinker," Albert said softly, "tell us."

"It's horrible," Tinker whispered. "I barelyÉ made it backÉ" Her voice trailed off and she coughed heavily, once."Who attacked you?" Albert asked.

"They caughtÉ they caught me but IÉ got away finallyÉ butÉ I know they followed me." She somehow mustered enough strength to raise her voice, her panic clear in it. "They're coming!"

"Who?" Asked Miku and Muku in unison.

"The rats," Tinker said as she sagged again, strength gone. Her pupils dilated to fill her whole eyes and, her last message delivered, she died.

Susan, still holding the small cat, almost let go in surprise as a beautiful rainbow of light rose from the body and passed through her and up toward the surface, glowing softly as it dissipated and vanished. A hum of sympathy rose from every cat throat as Tinker's light went out.

Susan gently released Tinker's head, letting it settle softly on the ground and sat back, tears running down her face for the poor thing. She sat there quietly crying and trying to stay out of the way as mayhem erupted.

Cats flooded the center of the square, shoving and leaping over each other. Susan could make out individual voices only occasionally as the cats shouted and accused each other. She curled in on herself as she was buffeted by the cat bodies suddenly pressing against her from all sides. Tucker managed to crawl into Susan's lap, ears flat sideways, pupils huge in his misery. She cuddled him without fear, needing him as much as he needed her at that moment.

"What was that?" Susan asked him, speaking directly in his ear so he could hear her.

Tucker looked up at her, putting both paws on the sides of her face, soft pink nose touching hers.

"It was her last life," he said. "When we lose lives, the magic of each one leaves us and shows up as a different color."

"And the last life is a rainbow?" Susan said.

Tucker nodded, very sad. "You can always tell," he told her, "what life a cat is on by the color of their magic."

Susan wanted to ask more questions about it, but Tucker looked so upset she didn't. "You knew her?"

"She was Vinnie's cousin," Tucker said simply, and Susan left it at that.It seemed like forever before she heard the gong sound. It took three tolls of it before the cats took their places again on the steps, the Council returning to their thrones. Susan could tell they were all badly shaken, however, starting at the least noise or touch from anther cat. The four guards who held Vinnie back approached and lifted Tinker's body onto a black cloth before taking a corner each and carrying her away. Susan saw a pair of cats, one howling openly, turn and follow the procession out.

"Vinnie's aunt and uncle," Tucker said softly. "She was their only kitten."

Susan hugged Tucker a little harder as she felt a heavy body press against her right side. Vinnie looked up at her and Susan couldn't resist running her fingers through his thick mane. He licked the back of her hand. Tucker swiped his tongue once across Vinnie's nose in sympathy.

"How touching," Julian hissed at them. "And juvenile, pathetic and weak."

Susan felt Tucker tense but felt her own anger rise even faster. Without thinking, she reached out and cuffed the silver spotted cat across the back of the head.

And all eyes were on her again. Way to keep on making a good impression, she thought.

Before Julian could react, Cynthia was prying Tucker out of her grasp, assisted by George. On her right side, Vinnie was being forced back as well. Susan let both cats go, knowing she hadn't helped her cause and not wanting to drag them into it deeper. Tucker reached for her with a loud, "NO!" But he was dragged away against his will and Susan was left to face Julian and the Council alone.

"I demand satisfaction!" Julian was a mess of rage and Susan decided in that moment she wasn't afraid of him anymore. He was just a cat. She could totally take him.

"Oh, stop being such a baby," she said.

Julian's eyes were so wide, Susan was sure they would just pop right out of his head. She actually grinned at the image. I think his head might actually explode, she thought as she watched him struggle with her laughter.

"Council!" He howled his rage. "JUSTICE!!!"

Albert, tail thrashing, hissed at the captain of the guard, surprising both Julian and Susan.

"Enough! We have more important things to discuss than your revenge."Julian yowled softly, deeply, but slunk low. His silver eyes practically tore a hole through Susan, however, and she knew their conversation was far from over.

Bring it, she thought. Stupid cat.

"We must discuss the rat threat," Albert told the gathered cats. "The child is now secondary. Take her," he nodded to Susan. "Keep her safe until this is resolved."

Susan was surrounded by a dozen cats, all of them large and angry-looking. She looked up at the pedestal.

"You could just let me go," she said. "Like you said, you have bigger things to worry about than me."

"You will be dealt with," Albert said heavily. "Make no mistake. Take her!"

Susan felt a cat push against her legs from behind. She turned, mad again. "And what if I don't want to go?"

Twelve sets of claws and fangs made up her mind.

"Fine," she said to Albert. "I'll even go quietly. But I'm not your enemy." "We shall see," the orange tabby said.

Susan followed the cats out of the square to the sound of Tucker howling behind her.

Instead of going back toward his house, however, she found herself winding down a narrow staircase on the other side of the square, deeper under the City. She hadn't known there was further down to go and tried not to feel nervous.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked. None of the cats answered. Susan hugged herself with both arms as they reached the bottom of the stone staircase into a cold, damp hall of rock. She looked up at the occasional light, passing the time trying to figure out where the power came from, as they led her down the long passage, past doors and hallways.

Susan started to feel cold as the damp of the stone cut through her thin raincoat. She was starting to get scared again. At least in the City she could imagine she could escape. Down here in the dreary dark, she felt like she was marching to her doom.

The cats finally stopped in front of what Susan's mind could only call a cell. The door was heavy, rusted and pitted metal with a narrow slot at the bottom and a tiny hole at her eye-level. The door swung open in a glow of blue light. Susan froze.There is no way I'm going in there, she thought just before heavy bodies push against her, forcing her to stumble forward and into the small cell. She turned, too late, as the door clanged heavily shut behind her.

Susan pounded on it with her fists, feeling the cold and wet on the old steel.

"Let me out!" She yelled. "You can't leave me here! Help! Someone! TUCKER!"

Susan dropped her arms, leaning against the door with her back, feeling lost and very afraid. The room was barely lit, just enough for her to see it was empty except for a low shelf just big enough for her to curl up on.

Susan, despair and fear finally winning, did just that. And, for the second time in as many days, this time not bothering to fight it, she cried herself to sleep.

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