seemed like every remaining farm, ranch, and town on the planet.
Back on Sherwood Station, a familiar figure made an informal visit to the clinic. “Captain Vesey!” Janina said, delighted to see her former boss. His eyes warmed when he saw her but he didn’t look happy. “What brings you here?”
“I was hoping you might be willing to help me find another cat. You could have your job back.”
“Captain, the Barque Cats—”
“It doesn’t have to be a Barque Cat. I just need a cat to catch mice and bugs. We’re overrun with them. They’re somehow getting into sealed cargo containers and have even bitten crew members. Dr. Vlast, I don’t suppose you could recommend a good poison that kills rats without getting into the ventilation system and doing in the entire crew?”
“I am in the business of healing animals, not killing them, not unless absolutely necessary,” Jared said stiffly.
“Of course, of course. I just thought you might know … how about it, though, Kibble? Any barn cats had litters lately that you know about?”
“Sir, the barn cats were also caught in the epidemic scare.”
“Yes,” Jared told him. “And because nobody set a high monetary value on them, they were disposed of much more casually.”
“We should unload all the rats into the council chambers on Galipolis,” Captain Vesey said bitterly. “Dammit, I miss Chessie. I even miss that rotten kitten of hers.”
CHESTER: EXPLORING BUBASTIS
Oh this was fun! Over the rooftops and through the town, looking down on the streets below and peeping into the houses through the little cat flaps they all had in the tops.
I left my boy sleeping, but it began to look like ours was the only quiet house in the whole city.
The night was much cooler than the day had been, and a breeze carried the fishy smell from the river. It blew right up my tail and seemed to penetrate my whole body, enlivening me to the tips of my whiskers. They vibrated with the excitement of exploration. No ship, no cage, not even my boy to restrain me. I was a free wild cat stalking his new domain. I tried roaring but it came out as a yowl.
Another yowl answered, I thought, but then realized the remark hadn’t been addressed to me.
Chester?
Jubal’s sleepy inquiry sounded alarmed.
No fight, just high spirits. Sleep!
Poor boy, he worried about me. But what he didn’t realize was that though he remained a human child, while we had been separated, I almost became a full-grown cat. I could look after myself now.
And interesting things were happening in the streets below. I saw the rather ugly black cat Pshaw-Ra had called Bes, the feline physician, scratching on a door two down from the one behind which Jubal slept. I backtracked to sit on the roof of that house. The human inside opened the door and murmured something respectful to Bes. Behind the cat was his human assistant, carrying a little basket full of tiny wrapped packages. I sniffed the air to see if I could pick up the scent. Catnip? No. Something much different. Muskier. What was it?
I trotted back to the upper cat flap, similar to the one I’d used to exit our lodgings, and pushed it in enough to see into the room below. Bes rubbed noses with a cloud-gray female who had arrivedon the
Ranzo
and sniffed her tail. She reciprocated. They were establishing rapport in the way of our species.
“Pshaw-Ra told us the tale of the awful treatment you endured at the hands of those you trusted,” he said soothingly. “I have brought a little treat for you that will undo any exposure you may have had to disease or illness there, and also calm you so you can sleep well and begin adjusting to this, your new home.”
The human assistant folded the contents of the packet into a gobbet of fish and offered it to her by setting it before her. “Please partake,” Bes invited, and with a little trill, she did.
Bes and his assistant departed and the physician scratched on the next door. If they were going to visit
Back on Sherwood Station, a familiar figure made an informal visit to the clinic. “Captain Vesey!” Janina said, delighted to see her former boss. His eyes warmed when he saw her but he didn’t look happy. “What brings you here?”
“I was hoping you might be willing to help me find another cat. You could have your job back.”
“Captain, the Barque Cats—”
“It doesn’t have to be a Barque Cat. I just need a cat to catch mice and bugs. We’re overrun with them. They’re somehow getting into sealed cargo containers and have even bitten crew members. Dr. Vlast, I don’t suppose you could recommend a good poison that kills rats without getting into the ventilation system and doing in the entire crew?”
“I am in the business of healing animals, not killing them, not unless absolutely necessary,” Jared said stiffly.
“Of course, of course. I just thought you might know … how about it, though, Kibble? Any barn cats had litters lately that you know about?”
“Sir, the barn cats were also caught in the epidemic scare.”
“Yes,” Jared told him. “And because nobody set a high monetary value on them, they were disposed of much more casually.”
“We should unload all the rats into the council chambers on Galipolis,” Captain Vesey said bitterly. “Dammit, I miss Chessie. I even miss that rotten kitten of hers.”
CHESTER: EXPLORING BUBASTIS
Oh this was fun! Over the rooftops and through the town, looking down on the streets below and peeping into the houses through the little cat flaps they all had in the tops.
I left my boy sleeping, but it began to look like ours was the only quiet house in the whole city.
The night was much cooler than the day had been, and a breeze carried the fishy smell from the river. It blew right up my tail and seemed to penetrate my whole body, enlivening me to the tips of my whiskers. They vibrated with the excitement of exploration. No ship, no cage, not even my boy to restrain me. I was a free wild cat stalking his new domain. I tried roaring but it came out as a yowl.
Another yowl answered, I thought, but then realized the remark hadn’t been addressed to me.
Chester?
Jubal’s sleepy inquiry sounded alarmed.
No fight, just high spirits. Sleep!
Poor boy, he worried about me. But what he didn’t realize was that though he remained a human child, while we had been separated, I almost became a full-grown cat. I could look after myself now.
And interesting things were happening in the streets below. I saw the rather ugly black cat Pshaw-Ra had called Bes, the feline physician, scratching on a door two down from the one behind which Jubal slept. I backtracked to sit on the roof of that house. The human inside opened the door and murmured something respectful to Bes. Behind the cat was his human assistant, carrying a little basket full of tiny wrapped packages. I sniffed the air to see if I could pick up the scent. Catnip? No. Something much different. Muskier. What was it?
I trotted back to the upper cat flap, similar to the one I’d used to exit our lodgings, and pushed it in enough to see into the room below. Bes rubbed noses with a cloud-gray female who had arrivedon the
Ranzo
and sniffed her tail. She reciprocated. They were establishing rapport in the way of our species.
“Pshaw-Ra told us the tale of the awful treatment you endured at the hands of those you trusted,” he said soothingly. “I have brought a little treat for you that will undo any exposure you may have had to disease or illness there, and also calm you so you can sleep well and begin adjusting to this, your new home.”
The human assistant folded the contents of the packet into a gobbet of fish and offered it to her by setting it before her. “Please partake,” Bes invited, and with a little trill, she did.
Bes and his assistant departed and the physician scratched on the next door. If they were going to visit
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