Demeter paced nervously. Just beyond her was Munkustrap who was impatiently sitting down.

The anticipation was immense.

Soon the runners they had sent out to different cat leads will be returning. These leads were important. They were links to Chryssie’s location.

She is out there, on the same earth. We just have to find her. Now Earth isn’t a big planet and two thirds of it is water, so how hard could it be to find a human? Demeter wondered.

Then she remembered Munkustrap say that finding a human would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

There were millions of people here, and we only can get so much. The runners came back, weary and panting but still ready to report. "Munkustrap, we don’t have anything. The leads showed us all they could, and showed us a series of girls that resembled Chryssie’s description but none of them was her."

"Well keep looking for new leads."

"We asked our old ones to see if they had friends to help, or if they had any other places to look. They send their sympathies and their promises to keep their eyes open."

Munkustrap got angry. The last thing he needed was sympathies.

"Just keep your ears open."

The runners nodded their heads and then lay down.

Demeter approached Munkustrap quietly, worried about him, and trying to avoid his mood.

"Munkustrap, why don’t you rest? It’s obvious that we aren’t going to get a decent lead tonight."

"Because I have a feeling that it will be tonight."

"Munkustrap, you’re stressed. Please, just sit and take a break. You have been like this all night for the past week now. All the time it was that feeling. You’re destroying yourself."

"I just feel like I owe it to her, I need to do this. She’ll know, I’ll know."

"Munkustrap please..."

"Demeter, understand me! I need to do this." Demeter sighed. When he was like this, nothing could persuade him otherwise.

"All right, but you have to promise me one thing. You at least have to sleep in this afternoon."

"I have to..."

"You WILL sleep this afternoon." Munkustrap smiled tenderly at her. He knew she was worried about him.

"I will sleep this afternoon."

She then smiled as if relieved.

Just then a late runner came in and called,

"Munkustrap, I think I may have a new lead!"

"Who is it?"

"It’s a special cat that goes by the name of Electoral. She has communications with the world’s leaders’ cats. She thinks she could help us!"

"Good, good! How far away is she?"

"I’m not too far at all, sir." A teenage cat came in.

"Electoral?"

"Yes I am. I live at that computer hardware warehouse just up the road from here. There I have access to computers. I can send messages electronically to private message centers. There, my friends will pick them up. All the capitol cats are computer educated. They know how to tap into their masters’ computers and they know how to look for people by name. All they have to do know is find which of the females match that particular persons descriptions."

"Very impressive. How soon do you think that this will be?"

"Oh, I guess, maybe a week at the latest. My feline friends are very often on the computer and are glad to hear from me."

"What do we owe you?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Nothing at all? The others all wanted something. Why don’t you?"

"Well I have heard the tragic tale and I only want to show how sorry I am, so I am doing this of my own free will."

"The thing is called sympathy Munkustrap." Demeter called.

Munkustrap smiled and then said "All right, thank you. I have a promise to keep, so if you will excuse me." He then turned.

He stopped as he said "Can you work here? Or do you need to be at the warehouse?"

"The warehouse."

"Do you mind if we send someone with you?"

"Oh no, that would be great! It’s ever so lonely in the workhouse, and I’d like a companion while I work."

"Good, Pouncival and Tugger, please go with her and assist her in anyway she asks you."

"Tugger do this, Tugger do that!" Tugger mumbled under his breath as he turned to follow Electoral.

"And no whining!" Munkustrap called, annoyed at Tugger.

"Don’t worry, I’m sure she has plenty of cheese!" said Pouncival happily as he bounded after Electoral.

"Munkustrap, maybe you shouldn’t have sent Tugger with Pouncival. You know how they constantly bicker."

"Well, I’d rather them bicker then have him drunkenly swagger near me like he did in the Peke’s and the Pollicles."

"So he was a little uncoordinated."

"And the coordination kept coming my way." Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tugger with the kits.

They were all like crazed she cats over a rock star, all hopeful. Jemima wanted to hug him, and Etcetera pushed her out of the way, but then Electra pushed her.

Jellylorum caught the kits shoving each other and called out

"What is going on?" Etcetera and Electra looked over Jellylorum’s way, but Jemima stood up and gave Tugger a hug.

She then dropped to her knees.

Munkustrap noticed Tugger lag to tease the kits a little more. "Tugger, stop playing with the kits and get out of here!"

"Geez, I’m going!" He said and then sauntered out of the camp with Pouncival and Electoral.

"Hah, hah! Got busted Tugger?"

"Hush up, you ameteur. It takes a real cat to do what he wants."

"Well then I suppose you’re just a figment of imagination like the rest of us."

"Pouncival did it again." Munkustrap chuckled.

"Yeah, lets see. I think Pouncival has around twenty, and Tugger has about three in the "I got you!" scale".

"You know, I think you may be right. Now I am going to lie down for a little while."

"Good idea, you need rest."

"OK you guys this way." Electoral said as she reached the computer warehouse.

She led them inside, into a dimly lit room.

Pouncival noticed there was a stool and he leapt on top of it. Tugger came walking by and sat down in a chair. Electoral took her place at the computer keyboard.

Pouncival was anxious. His tail kept moving from side to side and kept tapping Tugger.

Tugger stood up and put a paw to the side of Pouncival’s face and knocked him off.

"Aaaah!" Pouncival gasped as he fell.

"OK, I go sit somewhere else."

"You do that and mind your tail." Tugger said and concentrated his attention on the computer.

"You two are funny together." Electoral said as she got into her desired program. She pressed a button and a screen appeared.

"What did you do?"

"I’m telling everyone what I need." She typed

"Electoral, need help with project/ need name Chrysta Chaseman identified/ send files with results/ thank you."

"That’s it?"

"Well here’s the cool part." She clicked a button and then a three dimensional globe appeared. It showed all of the continents and countries. There was a little bar at the bottom of the screen that read

"Forwarding to.." Beside it, lists and lists of country capitols were racing by so fast that the capitols were unreadable.

"That does it for the European continent, this is Asian, this is African, this South American, that was Antarctican, this is Austrailian, and this is North American. Whoever is leading them, their cats will get the message."

"So what do we do now?" Pouncival asked.

"We wait. Would you guys like something?"

"Oh, I would, but Pouncival would just eat you out of house and home."

"Well at least I don’t turn my nose up at anything that isn’t wanted."

"I’m not that picky."

"Really, I suppose you want out right now."

"Yes and No."

"Then go stand between the doorway so you’d be in and out."

"Hah, hah." Electoral took out a bit of sardine and cream.

"Not very much but I hope it will suffice."

"It’s good for me!" Poucival said enthusiastically.

"I don’t think he’s old enough for cream yet."

"Oh Tugger! That bites. That bites hard."

"Hush up, young one!" Tugger said, imitating Munkustrap.

"What do you have against him all of a sudden?"

"Nothing, I just suspect him of trying to cheat Chryssie of her innocence."

Electoral looked a little questioning.

"A.k.a. Tugger is jealous because she was starting a relationship with Munkustrap and not him."

"How would you know that?" Tugger asked sharply.

"I read it in you diary."

"A what? Never mind. It’s not true."

"Pretty soon Tugger, you’re going to have the longest tail of them all."

"Very funny."

"You guys are too much." Suddenly a beeping sounded from the computer.

"We have replies coming in. Asia, Europe, Australia, Antarctic, Africa, South America, and I believe we are still waiting on North America. Then the beeping stopped as North America on the three dimensional globe became high lighted.

"I’m going to tell the others that we have replies."

"No wait, get it done quicker. I’ll look in Europe first. Any particular characteristics?"

"No, just an ordinary girl. She’s about fourteen, or so it looks like."

The files of Chrysta Chaseman were big files. Electoral typed in a couple of commands and then a box appeared on the left hand side of the screen. Electoral typed in

"Thirteen/ Fourteen/ Fifteen year old" and immediately all the files deducted as those who were not thirteen, fourteen or fifteen were eliminated. She then combed through the pictures of the girls.

"No, none of them are her."

"That means she’s not in Europe." They then clicked the African segment and looked through the girls.

"Not living here either." Tugger said. South America, Antarctica, or Australia didn’t hold much luck either. They then settled down to look through the North American girls. A picture flashed by that looked vaguely familiar.

"Turn back to that one." A small picture appeared on the screen.

"Can you enlarge it?" Electoral typed in commands and the picture appeared half the screen size. It was Chryssie, or Chrysta Chaseman that they knew.

"That’s her! Where is she?" Electoral showed Pouncival and he sighed.

"Who would have thought that she would be there. Can you get her address? I’m going to go and tell Munkustrap now!" He then zoomed out the door.

"That’s where Chryssie is? Gee whiz, they made it hard enough. Not only do we have to get over there, we have to FIND her too. Can you access her address?"

"Yes but it will take time."

"Then go for it. We need this address." Pouncival ran mildly through the night. He found the Jellicle site and rushed in, hardly even breathless.

"Is Munkustrap awake? We have something." He then dashed into Munkustrap’s cave.

There he saw Munkustrap on the floor in deep sleep and Demeter on the rock staring at him.

"Demeter, it’s only me, Pouncival. I need Munkustrap." Pouncival then shook Munkustrap awake.

"What the blazes is going on?" Munkustrap said, unsure of where he was.

"Munkustrap, we found her."

"Where is she?"

"She’s in the North American continent.. in New York."

"New York! But that’s like finding a smaller needle in a smaller haystack."

"Electoral thinks she can upload the address, or at least the general area that she’s in."

"Good, tell her to do so." He came back a few minutes later

"Twelve, Fifty One street, New York."

"Thank her for us then get Tugger back here." Pouncival turned and ran back again. Soon he returned with Tugger.

"Now does anyone know how to get from here to New York?"

"That’s all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, we’ll never make it unless we get aboard a schooner or a great ship." Jellylorum said.

"Aye, she has the right idea." Said Skimbleshanks.

"We’ll need to cross the ocean on a boat. My train passes by a station that is just behind a cruise-docking area. There are tons of people, and there would be really no one except a few employees who would be working the baggage area, we can all find our way in there."

"And if someone got lost and left behind?"

"That’s what we need to be careful about. We need to make sure everyone is aboard."

"All twenty four of us?"

"You got it."

"All right, we’ll make sure we can get on and off. Tonight." Munkustrap and Skimble road in the train to the stop. There they jumped off the train at the station and headed towards the area. It was closed.

"Skimble, we need to find a cruise ship from here to New York."

"Well then lad, lets take a look in this thing." Skimble had found a brochure that advertised cruises.

"Ah, hah! Here we go laddy, this is just our ticket. The Serene Cloud to New York. Sails tomorrow at ten-thirty PM. Sharp!"

"Skimble you astound me. Let’s take this back to the others."

"All right then. Come on laddy, or we’ll miss the early train home."

Munkustrap and Skimble hurried back to the train station and just caught the train.

As they roared home, Munkustrap took another look at the brochure, just to occupy the time. Soon they arrived back and all the cats were surprised to see them back so early.

"Well Munkustrap. What’s going on, what’s the news?"

"We have found a reasonable trip. We are to go on the ship Serene Cloud to New York, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!" Jennyanydots gasped

"But how will we keep our home safe? You know other cats have wanted this nice place for a while."

"Do you remember Angelina? Jemima told me that she talked to her, and Angelina will take care of it for us."

"I hope you’re right Munkustrap, though I don’t see how an oracle can protect a junkyard."

"Angelina has her ways." Munkustrap said.

"Now all of you get rested up. We have a long day tomorrow." The cats all awoke early the following day.

There was much hustle and bustle around the junksite, getting it tidy, packing away all their belongings, making sure that they all knew where to go.

At last after a hard day they all were ready. The kittens were talking in excited whispers and they all walked quickly towards the station. There they saw a train taking people.

Skimble led them to a small car, and loaded them all into it. He then jumped on, and the train started down the tracks. The kittens were talking loudly and excitedly for they had never been on Skimble’s train.

Soon the train came to a halt and the cats and kittens jumped off and stealt away into the night.

Munkustrap led them to the dock where they saw a huge ship, all white with just a black border at the top and black lettering on the starboard side. Munkustrap looked around and led them all to the loading area of the baggage.

They loaded all of them, keeping count. All twenty two were there and including Munkustrap and Skimble was twenty four. Skimble and Munkustrap dashed on and told the others to hid in the shadows. They heard humans come and go, and then felt the door close. All was dark. Cassandra tried to get close to Munkustrap. He glared and stood up, and walked over to some of the kittens. Jemima crawled up to him and asked

"Munkustrap, what will we do for food and all?"

"After we get started, we’ll climb to higher decks, then we can see. Now for the food.."

"Tha’s whot ol’ Mangojerrie an’ Rumpleteasa’ is ‘ere fo’!" Rumpleteaser happily announced.

"Aow come on, Munk’strap! We con’ jus’ stay in ‘ere fo’eva,’ not bein’ able t’ sneak o’ oll."

"Righ’ we nee’ ta ‘elp ou’ fellow Jell’cles."

"All right, if you must. But be quick and don’t let the humans catch you."

"We proffess’nals. We ‘on’t ge’ cought."

"Then get going, the kittens won’t do well until they eat." Munkustrap said and turned to tend to a very ill looking Jemima.

"We’ll be bock soon." They scurried off. They found their way into a large hall, and went down it. They then were caught by the scent by food. They followed it into the kitchen. There they saw several pounds of salmon.

" ‘Ello! Wha’ ‘ave we ‘ere? Mangojerrie, taike a loo’ ‘ot this!"

"Aow, th’ jockpot!"

"Cam’ on then." They cautiously crept along the sides of the counter in the kitchen, and slowly made their way towards the big heap of fish.

They grabbed the napkins and made sacks. They then hit the jackpot and loaded their sacks with the fish. Suddenly they heard human footsteps coming and they ran into action. Rumpleteaser slid behind Mungojerrie.

The human burst through the door as the cats disappeared into a box. What they didn’t know was the box they had climbed into was the freezer.

"Hey Mack! Where’s the fish?"

"What fish?"

"The fish I had laid out!"

"I haven’t seen any fish."

"Blast it! Where are those suckers?" As the human scrounged around outside Rumpleteaser whispered to Mungojerrie

"Aow, it’z cold in ‘ere."

"Iye, know. We’ll ge’ ou’ of ‘ere soon though." They waited a few minutes more, in the cold and the dark.

They then quietly pushed open the freezer door, and saw the human with his back turned towards them doing various things to food. They crept towards the door then hurried towards it. They got out just as the cook looked up.

"That’s funny. I could have sworn I felt a rush of air going through here." He said and shrugged and returned to tending the food. Rumpleteaser and Mungojerrie ran back to the other cats.

"What happened? Are you all right?"

"It usually doesn’t take you that long to borrow food."

"Aow, tha’ dumb cook appea’ed so we ‘ad t’ ‘ide in th’ freeza’."

"Yeah, tho’ Iye theink tha’ Teasa’ cou’d ‘ave chos’n a betta’ playce."

"Aow shu’ up Mangojerrie. I don’ wan’ t’ ‘ear it."

"Di’o ‘ere."

"Both of you hush! You brought us enough food to last for a week! Lets all take a healthy share tonight." Jennyanydots equally divided the fish that they had agreed to use for that night, and made sure everyone had a decent meal.

When everyone had finished and when most were napping, Jemima found her way to Munkustrap.

"Aren’t you excited? We finally found her. After all this time and suffering, we have found her."

"But Jemima, we still have a long way to go. We still need to pinpoint her, and we need to find out a bunch. We need to find 12, 51 Street."

"We’re in luck though. I believe Tugger has a friend who knows his way around New York. He said that his friend said he’d be happy to help us."

"What’s his name?"

"Tobagrowl, believe."

"We’ll see." They felt the boats engine stop. Then they heard male voices shouting

"Welcome to New York!"

"Come on then everyone! This is our stop!" Munkustrap called and he and Jennyanydots counted all the cats.

"Pouncival’s missing, I’ll find him, you get off." Then he dashed off.

"Pouncival!" On the dock, Tugger looked after Munkustrap and prayed silently

"Come on little buddy where are you?" All the cats seemed to be tense.

Then Munkustrap bounded out of the ship with Pouncival running beside him. Tugger breathed a sigh of relief then got his cool composure back.

"You get busted?"

"Yeah." Pouncival said looking down.

"Well next time, stay with the group." Tugger said and flounced off. Jemima came beside Pouncival and said

"He was worried about you, but he never likes to show it. He is really quite found of you."

"Then why doesn’t he show it?" Pouncival said sadly.

"Pouncival, I know you look up to Tugger."

"He just doesn’t understand that I want him to be my bud, he just doesn’t see it."

Jemima looked at him a moment and darted forward, kissed him on the cheek then scurried away, looking at him for a minute, quite bashfully. He seemed the same way.

"Tugger!" Munkustrap called.

"Yeah, what the matter Munkustrap?"

"Do you have a friend here in New York?"

"Oh yeah, Tobagrowl. He lives just under that dock."

"Then lets see if he will help us get to Chryssie’s area."

"All right." Tugger walked to the dock and looked under. There he saw a cat eating. The cat looked up and asked

"Who is it?"

"Hey man, it’s The Rum Tum Tugger."

"Ahh Tugger, my man, how ya doin’?"

"Just fine here. Yourself?"

"I’m doing great. So why are you in the neiborhood?"

"Ah we just going to find our way around the ‘hood. Can you tell us where 51 Street is?"

"Sure, 51 Street is the street just beyond the train station. The train station, if you follow the opposite direction the dock’s pointing, is about 400 yards away."

"Thanks dude."

"All right, you take care now. Good seeing ya Tugger, by the way, how’s the Mrs.?"

"There is no Mrs. yet."

"Oh, I keep thinking about the other boy when I see you."

"Take care now."

"So long!" Tobagrowl went back inside and the cats continued on their way.

"They’re here, sir! I saw them! They were asking for her directions just now!" said a voice, low and excited.

"Good, make sure they find her, and watch them. I’ll be there shortly."

"My word lad! It’s a train station, my line of work!" Skimble said happily as they approached the train station.

"We have to find a place for all of us to stay."

"Munkustrap! Jellylorum has found it, a great place for us to live! Come and see!" Jemima eagerly called.

Munkustrap trotted over to the excited kitten who rushed him to a comfortable spot.

"This IS nice, but we have to be closer to the station."

"How’s this Munkustrap? I’ll work down at the station. Chryssie wouldn’t live so close to the station unless she had to. So she must take the train. I’ll find out everything about her then, where she goes to school, what she does after school, about her in general. AND I can be working at the same time!"

"Good idea Skimble, but who will help?"

"I would recommend Munkustrap, Mistoffelees, and another cat that she knew well, like Jennyanydots."

"Oh no, I have to help them watch the kittens."

"Demeter?"

"I have to help with the food for us. Though, I would suggest Tugger. He never has anything to do except cause trouble."

"And I suppose it may be helpful to get Asparagus on the job too. He’s always very useful." Jellylorum said thoughtfully.

"Tugger will watch her when she gets home, along with Mistoffelees. Munkustrap will watch her at school with Asparagus."

"That sounds like a good plan to me." Tugger said.

"Oh boy, here we go."

"For right now, we are only watching and learning about her. We make no moves to help her remember, we are only learning about what our lass has become."

"Well does Munkustrap have to go? I mean, we need him to protect me.. uh, us." Cassandra asked.

"Can’t Plato go in his place?"

"No because we need him to protect us. Besides he doesn’t know Chryssie well enough. Munkustrap does. And he’s not here just to protect you." Demeter said thoroughly annoyed.

"Well thank you for that explanation Demeter." Cassandra said heatedly.

"Lasses please, now’s not the time to start a fight, in a strange country and all. We just have to stick together for right now." Demeter nodded her agreement. Cassandra just sulked.

"All right then, I’ll see where she goes tomorrow." Skimble said and one by one all the cats settled themselves for a long night in the new country.

Skimble, Munkustrap, Tugger, Asparagus, and Mistoffelees risen early and headed towards the train station. He saw people already there, one of which was Chryssie!

He followed her into the car taking note of the destination. He was thrilled to see the train number was 45. That was his number on the train in England. He also saw that it was the S.C. Express.

Munkustrap just had his eyes on the human and was watching her with great intensity. He watched who she talked to, and where she was going.

Asparagus paid attention to her destination. She was going to the New York country.

Mistoffelees tried to hear her say anything using extra hearing perception.

Tugger just worried about who was looking at them getting on the train.

They all crept onto it, following Skimble who felt right at home. They crept onto the train, but lost sight of Chryssie.

The train started to move and Skimble looked from corridor to corridor. The others had stayed together, in case. Skimble said after he had returned.

"I cannot find her. Maybe she went into another car, but personally I think we should get used to our new surroundings first."

"Yes, that’s wise. I don’t think we’d do a very good job trailing Chryssie if we don’t know the area ourselves." When the train stopped they saw Chryssie get off.

"Where did she go? Find that out Skimble."

"Aye, in the meantime, you four follow her to school for that’s most likely where she’s going."

"Right, we’ll see you later." Skimble then made himself ready for the next stop.

"Well then, let’s follow her to the school." They walked a good distance behind her, staying in the shadows of trees and trying to remain as anonymous as possible.

They saw a large ground of white buildings. There were teenagers everywhere, and they all were walking towards the buildings.

"Come on, we have a long day ahead of us." They followed Chryssie into her class. There they hid in the corner.

Chryssie sat down at a desk. There they noticed that there were birds and other animals in cages around them. Chryssie was watching a bird in a particular fashion of interest.

"Ms. Whitman, why do you have birds and animals if this is English class?"

"Oh it’s a class experiment. I want to see how many of our students are in tune with nature."

"In other words we are writing a poem."

"Bingo."

"You called it. I suppose these cats are to be in here too?"

"Cats?"

"Yeah, they’re right there."

"Oh, I suppose, if they will stay away from the birds."

"I’ll keep an eye on them, but don’t you think that they were just dropping by? I mean, they may want to stay or leave whichever they wish."

"All right Chrysta, leave the door open so that they may leave when they’re ready." Chryssie stepped over to the corner where Munkustrap, Tugger, Mistoffelees, and Asparagus were hiding.

"Come on out. No need to be afraid. No one will hurt you here." Mistoffelees knew it was Chryssie and walked right out to her. "There we go. If I see you again, I’ll call you Mistic. You have that magic air about you." Tugger came out and nudged her.

"Oh, hello there. My you’re handsome. Come here." Tugger just flounced away.

"Stubborn are we? I’ll call you Elvis. You look to be like that."

"What are you doing Chrysta?"

"Just naming them, or trying to name them Ms. Whitman."

"Oh, I see. Well the bell is going to ring soon."

"All right. Hello there, come on out. Shh, it’s OK, don’t be scared." Mistoffelees flashed Asparagus a look like

"It’s OK, it’s Chryssie. Just pretend that it’s Alonzo or one of your friends." Asparagus crept out to her where she lifted him into her lap and stroked his back lovingly.

"It’s OK, poor sweet thing. I’ll call you Lion." She murmured. Soon Asparagus relaxed and got off her lap.

"Oh I see I’ve missed one. Come out." Munkustrap walked out proudly.

"Oh I see we have a royal one, aye your majesty?" She said as he looked up at her,

"and yet we have such a kind looking face. I’ll call you Prince. Royal, but the kind." She said and looked quizzically at all of the cats that sat before her. A flicker of remembrance flashed in her eyes.

"I don’t get it, it’s like I know you cats from somewhere." She whispered to herself.

"She knows us, she really knows us!" Mistoffelees whispered to the others.

"Yes, we’ll watch her. Come on, into the corner." Munkustrap said and they all relaxed while Chrysta stood up and looked at the clock. "Wow all ready for class to start." She said and whistled. She sat down and the students started coming in.

The bell rang and the class set to work under the instruction of Ms. Whitman.

"Just before I let you go, tonight’s homework is to finish the poem." The students then left.

"Come on you three, lets follow her."

"Quick, before we lose her." They all scrambled after Chryssie. They saw her walk into a class and they followed her inside. There were music risers and a grand piano.

"What are you four doing here?"

"Meow?" Tugger said when no one else would.

"All right Elvis. You all are cute. Get in the back if you must, if you can understand." The cats, to Chrysta’s amazement went straight to where she wanted them.

"Hmm. That is so odd." She thought. Her music teacher came out.

"Only sixteen again. Well come on then, get your music." Then they started a series of songs.

Chryssie, Munkustrap could tell, was bored. She flipped inertly through the pages, singing the same melody, without enthusiasm.

She needs something that will interest her, like the Jellicle songs, Munkustrap thought. Soon the bell rang, and she got up to her next class, PE.

"We can’t go in there. There are girls in there."

"Then we’ll wait outside." Soon they saw uniformed girls run out to the courts. Chryssie was among them. She was with the girls playing tennis.

She grabbed a racket and two balls, and the girl who was with her did the same. They then started to play against the wall taking turns, unless one was too close to the other for comfort. Chryssie played with amazing agility and skill.

"What’s the matter? Are you tired? Come to think of it, I need a rest too." She began to easily hit the ball against the wall in a relaxing form. Soon the girl who she had been playing with was ready and they began again. They played long and hard.

Chryssie glanced the cats’ direction and saw them. She squinted and got a confused complexion.

"Hmm, I think they must like me or something." She guessed and then continued playing.

The teacher then asked them to go back inside.

"Munkustrap, gee whiz, she has to be Chryssie. No one could play like that!" They followed her throughout the entire school. All day, all periods, everywhere. They found that she ate her lunch in a small place that had no other people.

"Hello, you four. Yes, I know you’re here, come on. Come out, and have lunch." Chryssie called.

"I can’t imagine why you are following me." She said and gave them pieces of her sandwich. The food tasted good, and she ended up dividing her whole sandwich between the four.

"Now that you’ve eaten, I hope you are much more comfortable. Then she ate the remainder of her lunch while talking to them. She then got up and continued on with her day, and she glanced behind her. She saw the four following her.

"Oh my." She murmured and went into her sixth and seventh classes. After what seemed like an eternity to Munkustrap, school was finally over. He said,

"Here’s where we part. Mistoffelees, Tugger, follow her to after school activities or home."

"Gotcha chief." Tugger said and scampered after Chryssie.

"Watch her carefully Mistoffelees. She knows us somehow." They followed her to the train station and tried to keep with her, but lost her.

They settled down and waited for the first train stop. There they saw Chryssie going home. They watched her walk into a small apartment. There they saw a woman waiting and she looked angry.

Chryssie held her breath and fought tears when her mother started screaming at her, for nothing in particular. She walked past the screaming woman into the house where Tugger and Mistoffelees could barely see the outline of a fat man, sitting on a chair, in his boxers and a tank-top, surrounded in wrappers of junkfood and various sorts of candy and junk. The mother followed her in and closed the door.

They got real close and could hear the mother yelling at the father and Chryssie. Tugger hissed and then looked around. He saw an open window and climbed the tree. There he squeezed inside. Mistoffelees followed.

There they saw Chryssie sitting unhappily on her bed and doing her homework. She then looked up and saw them.

"You cats again? You can’t stay here, I’m sorry to say. They hate cats. They hate me. They hate everything. Everything that goes wrong they blame on me. But I don’t care anymore. I don’t have friends, I don’t know who would care about a worthless kid like me. But then again, you two and the other two followed me around today, do you care?"

"Reow." Tugger said the best he could, though he was thoroughly tempted to talk to her in English.

"Very well then, you be my friend. How of you Mistic? Will you be my friend too?"

"Reow." Mistoffelees said.

"Well then that’s settled. You two can stay here, if you promise not to get caught. Otherwise, it’s my neck on the line. Got it?"

"Meow."

"OK then." Chryssie then crept downstairs where it was quiet. The lady and the Man were watching television. She crept into the kitchen and made herself a sandwich and took out the remaining salmon they had.

"I hope they won’t miss it." She murmured and crept back upstairs.

"Here you two go, fresh salmon." She laid the fish down for them and then ate her sandwich. Then she finished her homework.

She quietly went to the sink in the bathroom and washed her hair, and changed into her night clothes. She then went back into her room. It was early in the evening actually, about eight thirty, but she looked tired, and she looked sad.

She put on music, and then curled up in the rickety mattress that was her bed. It took her a while to sleep, but when she did, Mistoffelees curled up by her head, and whispered,

"Good night, Chryssie." Tugger curled up close to her heart and close to her chin. The next morning she awoke early.

"It’s too early." She muttered to herself, but knew that if she wanted to catch the train, she had better get moving. She dressed quickly and rushed off, collecting her things and making her lunch.

She quietly slipped out the door into the darkness of the remaining night. She hurried to the station and paid the usual guard.

"Good morning Chrysta." The guard said warmly.

"Hello Charley." She said happily and boarded the train. She went to her usual spot and saw a cat waiting there.

"Another cat, though I haven’t met you. You look like a Skimble." She sat down at a desk where she took out a poster and a sketching pencil. She had made a deal with the train company. If she could ride the train to and from school everyday then she would design advertisements to hang at their station. After sampling her work they had agreed. She then started to work on a very complex part of the poster. Charley came by everyday to make sure she was coming along in her work.

"You’re doing beautifully, keep it up." He said as he had come in to take a look. He then started to make his usual rounds. Skimble sat on the edge of her desk and just watched her work. He knew that the train would be stopping soon, and that Mistoffelees had said to spring the news to her or reveal himself to her. As the train came to her stop, Skimble felt himself growing to mansize and he stood behind her.

"Your stop, Chryssie."

"Thanks Charley."

"I’m not Charley lass." She slowly turned to face him. When she saw him, she leapt to her feet.

"Nice mask. Really funny. I like it." She said nervously.

"It’s not a mask. Go ahead, touch it lass. It is real, Skimbleshanks assures you."

"Skimbleshanks?" She wondered as she eased forward and touched the man’s face. It was real, and the eyes closed from the touch. She stared into the eyes and she knew she was talking to a human cat.

She grabbed her things and tore out of the car, and ran to school where she sat down at her English class desk.

She puzzled over it all throughout her first five periods. She also sat in deep thought over lunch.

She didn’t see Prince or Lion. Then she pondered it throughout sixth and seventh. When she left her seventh period class, there she saw Prince, Lion and Skimble. She backed away into the shadows, and noticed that the cats had followed her. She watched in horror as the cats became man-sized right in front of her.

"H-Hello C-Chryssie." Lion said timidly. Prince came forward, and quite close.

"Chryssie, don’t you remember us? It’s Asparagus, Skimble and Munkustrap."

"I-I don’t know this Chryssie. My name is Chrysta. I don’t know you. S-Stay away." she stammered. Munkustrap came closer and started to put a paw on her shoulder. She took one look at his claws and then dashed out.

"Follow her. It’s now Mistoffelees and Tugger’s turn." Munkustrap said and followed her in cat form to the station where they barely made the train.

When Chryssie got home she frantically rushed up to her room. There she saw a sandwich and drink waiting for her. She nervously ate and drank. Then she tried to calm herself.

"I’m just hallucinating. My doctor said I had that problem. I even walk in my sleep. I’m hallucinating. This is not real. Human cats, that’s silly."

"Not as silly as you think Chrychaesa." She froze, for that was an unfamiliar voice.

"Yeah Chryssie girl. I mean, look at us." She turned again and saw all of them, Munkustrap, Mistoffelees, Asparagus, Skimbleshanks, and Rum Tum Tugger.

They formed a circle around her. She looked from cat, to cat, to cat. Images entered her head in flashes and waves of familiarity crashed over her.

She saw herself as a cat, like a reflection in a mirror.

"At last, she’s regaining her memories. She’ll know us shortly."

Thousands of memories crashed around her, like the ocean in a violent storm. She couldn’t stop herself. Her breathing became raspy and she had fear in her eyes. Then she fainted.

"Ahh, Munkustrap, catch the lass." The cat known as Munkustrap picked her up as she slowly drifted to unconsciousness.

"Ahh, poor lass, she’s overwhelmed!" Skimble proclaimed.

"She’s supposed to be. She’s remembering years worth of memories, and the thing is she has to relive it. But she’s remembering years in seconds. So imagine what’s going through her right now." Mistoffelees said.

"She’s unconscious. I hope she’ll be OK." Asparagus said worriedly. "Hey, don’t worry about it. If she could survive all those times with Macavity, then she could survive this." Munkustrap bent over Chryssie and said

"Get me some water Mistoffelees. Please?"

"Sure." Mistoffelees said and immediately returned with a cloth, moist with water. Munkustrap took it and gently wiped Chryssie’s forehead. Her breathing slowed and she opened her eyes.

"Munkustrap? Is that you? Where am I?"

"Chryssie?" She sat up bewildered.

"Goodness. I must have been out of it." She stretched. Then she saw her hands and muttered

"Oh yeah. I’m human."

"That doesn’t matter. You know us now." Tugger said. They then heard yelling and pounding on the door.

"That’s not all I know!" She cried and then said

"Everybody out the window!" The cats one by one climbed out. Chryssie then climbed after them.

Her feet just touched the floor when she heard the door give way.

She saw five cats waiting for her, and she nodded to them. They took off. They ran until they reached the train station, and then went behind it to where they saw the Jellicle yard.

All the cats stopped what they were doing when they saw Chryssie. Munkustrap became man-sized and said,

"It’s all right, she’s back with us!" There was a joyous yell from somewhere in the back when the cats started to take real shape.

Chryssie found herself surrounded in cats and they all shouted for glee.

"Look it’s Chryssie!" Jemima yelled. All the cats surrounded her.

"Chryssie, I never thought I’d see you again!" Demeter said happily brushing away tears.

"Demeter it’s so good to see you!" Chryssie said and reached out to hug her. Her fur was soft against her skin.

Chryssie felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Jennyanydots.

"Jennyanydots and Jellylorum!" She said happily and hugged them.

"Coricopat and Tantomile." She acknowledged them. They nodded in return.

"Hello kittens. You’re nearly as big as me. In fact, some of you are!" The kittens surrounded her in playful bounds.

When some of the excitement died down, Chryssie laid down to rest for a while.

She felt a purring behind her and saw Asparagus just purring, but he stopped the instant that she looked at him.

"Sorry." he sheepishly said.

"Oh, no. That’s all right, I just didn’t realize you were behind me. No need to get hysterical about it." She got up and moved on all fours to a quiet little corner.

There she looked at her hands in sorrow. She was human and she hated it.

Skimble approached Munkustrap who was thinking by himself.

"She needs you again lad. She is back there, looking at her hands. I think she really needs someone right now, don’t you."

"I’m just not used to going to her. It seemed as though she was always with me."

"Well now you have to be with her."

"I’ll do that." Munkustrap said and walked to Chryssie’s corner and entered.

"Hello Munkustrap." She said sadly.

"Chryssie what’s the matter now?"

"Look Munkustrap." She said holding out her hand and his paw. He saw what was upsetting her.

"Does that mean that there’s something different between us?"

"No, it only means that I’m going to be useless to you, and you’re going to have to be a whole lot more careful with me. Since I’m so.." she said as she winced and held out a scratch.

"Fragile." She said as she gingerly shook her hand.

He leaned forward to touch her face.

She jumped as one of his claws came close to scratching her.

He realized that he would have to be more careful. He tried again and this time succeeded into gently stroking her face with the pad.

She leaned her face into his palm, enjoying the touch and savoring the remembrance. She felt him get closer to her because she could feel his other arm about her. She raised herself to her knees and felt him line against her. She took the paw away from her face and held it and placed her hand on his shoulder.

He looked down at her.

She smiled uncertain what to do.

He kissed her, and the feeling was different, the sensation the same. Chryssie and Munkustrap then heard giggling and saw Electra, Etcetera and Jemima giggling at them.

Chryssie laughed a little and looked down.

"We have to get back to England." Munkustrap said presently.

"If you want to come with us, you’ll have to leave New York. Do you have any relatives in England?"

"I have an aunt. She lives in Victoria Grove."

"Excellent. But will you come with us?" Chryssie thought a minute. Munkustrap could tell that she loved New York.

"I’ll go." She said quietly.

"I’ve been separated too long from all of you."

"We know how you feel." Munkustrap said quietly.

"Munkustrap, Lad! We’ve got it! We know how to get her back to England with us!" Skimble joyously cried.

"We pack her in here. We get on as usual, and when they close the door to leave harbor we let her out again."

"You’re right Skimble!"

"Now how to we get her off again."

"The same way."

"It’s not like the humans would just leave it by a bunch of cats, they’ll cart it off to the luggage return."

"Well how about we make the box look like a package of some sort. You know, send Chryssie to her aunts house via mail."

"Why not she get off like the other passengers?" Jennyanydots suggested.

"That’s a good idea. Now how will we get her up there?"

"I’ll pretend I got lost."

"All right. Now where should we meet?"

"Where else? Home."

"Got it."

"Though I’m not leaving you guys until the day we dock."

"That would be tomorrow dear."

"As long as you will tell me when to leave."

"But what if they ask why you were down there? I mean, why didn’t you see the "Employees only" sign?"

"I’ll try to pass for a blind girl."

"Hey! That’s a good idea! Mistoffelees will help you!"

"What if they try to help her to her cabin?"

"She says she knows her way around, she just got in the wrong door."

"All right, we’ll hope this works." The next day, they packed Chryssie into a box that looked like a suitcase and told her to hold still.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser had stolen a tag for the case the night before.

They had Chryssie fill it out to the best of her ability and they attached it to the case.

They then boarded the ship while the workers loaded Chryssie on board.

Soon all was quiet and the hustle and bustle of New York was left behind. The cats then helped Chryssie out of the box.

"Wow, it was awful in there!" She claimed as she freed herself from it.

"Well you’re on the way to England again."

"My real home away from home."

"Don’t talk like that." Tugger said.

"England is your home with us."

"Well don’t forget that when I left England, I woke up in New York and couldn’t remember anything so I thought New York had always been my home. Now why did the Everlasting Cat choose those parents?"

"Why does she yell at you Chryssie?" Munkustrap asked softly.

"Oh, she just thinks that everything is my fault, whether I did it or not. She wants something but she doesn’t know what it is. If she doesn’t know then how and I?" Chryssie asked.

"Aren’t you angry about it?" Mistoffelees asked sitting down beside her.

"No, she’s just confused. I can’t be angry at confusion. But I can be angry at how she hits when she doesn’t get it. I mean, I get angry to have her smack me around, but I’m not that angry. Besides, she’s long gone, and I don’t have to worry about it."

"What about that brute of a father?" Jennyanydots asked.

"Well the thing is, he isn’t my real father. He is just an uncle. The real human Dad disappeared and I don’t know what has become of him. Mother said that he ditched and she decided to go under widow, or divorced and decided to live with that poor excuse.

All he does is sit around, watch television, and eat and drink. It’s sickening actually.

Every time Mother brings someone home, and normally she has nice men, she sends Uncle away from home for a night, and makes me clean up after him.

Then she has me in the kitchen cooking up nice meals for her and her date. When I serve them, Mom tells me I’m her adopted daughter.

They usually are impressed, not by her, but by me. They ask, "Do you like working under your mother?"

I just tell them the entire story. What she does to me, who she really was and what status she was. They would just leave."

Munkustrap and the others listened. They shuddered, and knew that her life before this was actually much better, Macavity and all.

But they realized that the Everlasting cat put her there for a reason. Maybe to maintain her personality. Maybe to maintain her strength. No one could be sure if even that was the reason.

Many of the cats started to yawn and one by one, they all found a place on Chryssie, some in her lap, some nestled under her arm, a head or two on her shoulder.

Munkustrap watched all of them cuddle with Chryssie, and she looked up at him. She sat up and motioned for him to get behind her. He slid behind her and she leaned against him, and he could sense it was the Chryssie on the inside, so he ignored her form.

They all awoke early. Soon Mistoffelees told Chryssie,

"It’s time for you to join the humans." He waved his hand in front of her face and told her to close her eyes. Then he told her to open them.

"I can’t see! Mistoffelees it worked." Then she whispered to him to take it a step further.

Tugger was asleep, and Mistoffelees quietly crept up on him. He wrapped a sheet over him and made it shine with magic. He then pulled the sheet off him, and there was Tugger the Pollicle. The cats gasped.

"He’s still... Tugger. Right Mistoffelees?" Jemima asked timidly.

"Yes he’s still Tugger." Chryssie asked someone to guide her to Tugger.

"Darn, actually, He’s much cuter as a Pollicle but then what would I know?" Pouncival cracked.

"Nothing." Etcetera said flatly.

Asparagus who was closest gently took Chryssie’s arm and helped her to him. When she felt Tugger she said

"Thank you Asparagus."

"How did you know it was me?"

"I could just feel it." She tapped Tugger and said

"Get up, if you want to help me."

"Why what’s going on?" He asked rising.

"You’re a Pollicle now."

"WHAT?"

"Shh, Mistoffelees transformed you to help me. He’ll transform you back, just like he’ll return my eyesight. But I need you to help me out."

"All right now Tugger, oh and leave the doggy biscuits alone will you?" Pouncival teased.

"As soon as I get out of this I’m going to give you the worst you have ever gotten."

"Tugger move!" Chryssie gave him a little push to get him going.

"Geesh I’m only a Pollicle." "Get moving!"

"OK OK Gee whiz." When they had gotten into the hall, Chryssie said "Now bark if you see anyone."

"Aww man I can’t bark, I have a rep to maintain!"

"Shut up you idiot I said bark!"

"Bark!"

"No no no when you see someone coming."

"Bark!"

"Tugger!"

"I see somebody coming!"

"Oh, well why didn’t you say so?"

"I was just doing as I was told. I was told to shut up! Why is it when you give orders you yell at them when they follow it?"

"Shut up!"

"Yes ma’am!" The employee said

"What are you doing down here Miss?"

"I got turned around. I’m blind, and I guess this one here just kinda got a little backwards."

Tugger started muttering under his breath.

"Bark, bark, bark, hmm, hmm, hmm."

Chryssie gave him a little push.

"Yee!" He squeaked.

"Do you need me to take you back to your cabin?"

"Oh, I just want to go on deck. Ralphie here knows his way around by then." Tugger gave her an indignant whine.

"Sorry, you’re making him nervous." She quickly explained.

"I see. This way Ralphie." Tugger made no move.

"Ralphie, go on." Chryssie gave him another nudge.

"Sorry, I guess this place scares him."

"I see." The attendant took Tugger by his collar and led him on deck.

"Now I trust you’ll be able to get around here?"

"Yes, thanks." The attendant walked away.

"Ralphie?" Tugger whined.

"Shut up Tugger, now see if you can see shore."

"First a Pollicle, now Ralphie. What next? Poochums?"

"Come on Bowsie Wowsie, go and see shore and get back to Mummy and tell her what’s going on." Chryssie teased.

"Fine Mummsy Wummsy, I just get to tackle you when you can see."

"Hey! Don’t forget I don’t have claws."

"Heh heh, too bad for you."

v "Tugger!"

"Hold on, we’re nearing the British coast."

"Fine, no teeth!"

"Fair enough!" Soon the boat docked and Chryssie let Tugger lead her off the boat.

They snuck back through the station and left. Tugger escorted her to the ball.

There the cats were waiting for them. Mistoffelees was ready in an instant.

Flash! They both were themselves and Chryssie got the first lunge on Tugger. They tackled each other and Tugger had her pinned, by pressing his paws down on her human wrists and sitting on her.

"I’m going to get you!" She said, breathless.

"Not if I get you first." He said, and kissed her. Fortunately for Tugger, no one had been watching.

"Oh, get out of here." Chryssie said and rolled over and stood up. She flashed a quick smile at Tugger to assure him that she had no hard feelings against him and wandered to find Munkustrap. She found him and hugged him.

A voice whispered evilly from the shadows.

"So Chryssie’s back, and she’s human."

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