Part 13 (1/2)

*I believe there's quite a big one in the new building in the market square. Mr Featherstone was telling me about it the other day. Come on! What are we waiting for?'

*Me, to finish my cake!' said John obstinately. *It's all very well for you with steak and kidney pie inside you as well. I think that invisible insides need more food than other people's.'

*Your visible one seemed to think much the same thing,' said Rosemary.

*Oh well, if you imagine I'm just greedy,' said John, and trailed off into huffy silence. It was broken by the sound of voices behind them. Two cats were trotting down the steps.

*Well, I'll do my best, Fuggins,' said one of them, a sleek, rangy tabby. *A lot of Broomhurst fellows have slipped in quietly already. The Fallowhithe animals don't seem to suspect. Simple creatures they are. Fish heads for us and tails for them when it's over, I think her Royal Greyness said?'

His huffiness forgotten, John whispered, *Don't let on you understand!'

*And the pick of the best hearthrugs for Broomhurst animals!' said Fuggins. *Only a few days to wait now, my boy! There's a gang of alley cats down here that I want to enroll. See you ona the night!'

Fuggins trotted purposefully away along the path, and the tabby, by means of a dustbin and a broken-down fence, leaped on to the wall and went along the top until he was out of sight.

*There were cats running along the warehouse wall all the time you were talking to Mrs Flackett,' said John. *Dozens of them.'

*Don't you remember? Carbonel told us that wall tops are the main roads of Cat Country.'

*Things seem to be moving,' said John.

Rosemary guessed that he had got up because of the shower of crumbs which suddenly fell at her feet.

*Well, get on, girl!' he said impatiently.

*I like that!' said Rosemary hotly.

*That's a good thing,' said John maddeningly. *This way!' and Rosemary swallowed her crossness and hurried after the sound of his retreating footsteps.

The pet shop was not difficult to find. It was in the new block of shops next to Mrs Flackett's offices. They looked up as they pa.s.sed. It was difficult by daylight to imagine its roof top was the same as the high place they had flown to with moon-flooded trees and milky stream. The shop they were looking for called itself *Chez Poodles'.

*Oh, look! The whole of the window is full of kittens!' said Rosemary.

They stared through the window. On the floor, which was covered with shavings, were kittens sleeping, kittens fighting, kittens playing. There were drifts and heaps of kittens, black, grey, tabby and tortoise-sh.e.l.l. From the roof hung a mobile, and as it swung, they jumped and patted the bells and b.a.l.l.s that hung from the moving arms, to the delight of the little knot of people in the street outside.

*But I can't see Pergamond or Calidor!' whispered John.

*Look over there!' said Rosemary.

Two kittens had begun a tussle in a corner, a black with white paws and a grey. It was not easy to distinguish them clearly as they rolled and tumbled, but there was something about the jaunty way in which the black one hurled himself on the grey which seemed familiar. By the time that John was looking in the right direction, half a dozen more kittens had thrown themselves into the fight, and the black cat was hidden beneath a pile of thrusting noses and kicking legs.

*I'm sure it was Calidor!' said Rosemary.

As she spoke, the black kitten crawled out from the bottom of the pile, and shaking each paw in turn, looked with interest at the mound of cats, still milling on top of one another.

*Go in and buy him, now!' said John, hurriedly pus.h.i.+ng a handful of small change into Rosemary's hand. *I'll wait outside.'

But as he spoke a white-overalled arm leaned over the wire barrier at the back of the window, and a hand picked up the black kitten by the scruff of his neck, and lifted him out of sight.

*Quick!' said John.

Rosemary dashed into the shop. By the window stood the a.s.sistant still holding Calidor by the scruff of his neck, while on the other hand she rested his hind legs through which curled his short tail.

*The three royal white hairs!' said Rosemary to herself. *Calidor!' she said softly. *It's me, Rosemary!'

The kitten gave a little soundless mew, and the two people who had been examining him, looked round. One was a small plump woman in a very fas.h.i.+onable but extremely unbecoming hat, and very high heels. The other was a girl of about Rosemary's age. But there the likeness ended, for she looked as though she had never been dirty in her life, and not one of the pale hairs of her ponytail was out of place. It must be admitted that one of Rosemary's plaits was in the knotted condition that results from pus.h.i.+ng up the bow when it gets loose, instead of re-tying it, and there was a smudge on her cheek.

*Now do make up your mind, Dossy darling! First you want a grey kitten, and then a ginger, and now you want a black! Daddy said you could have one if you were good at the dentist's, and really you weren't very good so you shouldn't have one at all. But I do so hate to see her little face cloud over!' the woman went on to the a.s.sistant. But even with the prospect of a kitten that she did not deserve, Dossy's *little face' seemed clouded. Rosemary thought she looked down-right cross.

*I want a white kitten!' announced Dossy.

*I'm afraid it just happens that we haven't one in the shop,' said the a.s.sistant with weary politeness. *Not one.'

*Oh, please!' said Rosemary, who felt she could not wait a minute longer. *May I have the black kitten? How much is it?'

But this was all that was needed to get Dossy to make up her mind.

*You can't have it!' she said. *I'm buying it.'

*But you said you wanted a white one, and I must have it for a special reason!' said Rosemary desperately. *It's a very special kitten!'

*Well then, if it's so very special, it's all the more reason why I should have it,' said Dossy tartly.

*I think my little girl must have first choice,' said the woman. *We'll take the little black fellow after all!' She turned to the a.s.sistant and paid over the money.

*Please, may I hold him, just one minute?' said Rosemary unhappily. She took the little animal in both hands and held him to her cheek. He felt very small beneath his fluff of coal black fur.

*You'll have to go with her,' she whispered.

*I don't want to, I don't like her!' said Calidor.

*We'll rescue you somehow. John is outside. You won't be able to see him because he is invisible. But I know he'll think of something.'

Calidor gave a sad little mew.

*Cheer up,' said Rosemary. *Remember you are a royal kitten and you must be brave. Couldn't you manage a little purr? That's better! Where is Pergamond?'

*In a cage at the back of the shop by herself. I'm so glad to see you, Rosie!' he said. Calidor gave her cheek a little lick.

Dossy was looking on curiously.

*Mother!' she said in an aggrieved voice. *That girl's talking to my kitten!'

*Take him to the car, darling, and show him to Daddy. I shan't be a minute.'