When Minou went up on the roof that night, the Tatter Cat wasn’t there. Instead there was another cat waiting for her. The School Cat.
“She says hi,” he said. “She couldn’t make it.”
“Have the kittens arrived?”
“Seventeen or so, I think,” said the School Cat.
“Where are they?”
“You know the car park behind the petrol station? It’s best to stick to the gardens until you get to the big hawthorn, then go through the hedge. There are a couple of abandoned caravans there. She’s moved into one of them. Temporarily.”
“I’ll go straight there,” said Minou.
“Give me some fish before you go.”
“It’s not for you, it’s for the Tatter Cat. I’ve got some milk with me too.”
“I don’t want any milk. If you give me a piece of fish I’ll tell you some news. For the paper.”
Minou gave him a tiny piece.
“Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament,” the School Cat said. “Make sure it’s in tomorrow’s paper.”
“Thanks,” said Minou. He’d been sitting in on the history lesson again.
She passed through shadowy gardens to the garage where they repaired cars in the daytime. The garage was closed but the petrol station was open; it was all lit up and they had the radio on. All night long.
It seemed the Tatter Cat had got what she wanted. Background music.
The car park behind the petrol station was dark. And very quiet. There were a few overnight cars and right at the back there was a row of caravans.
An ordinary person would have found it difficult to find their way on such a dark night, but Minou, with all her cattish traits, had excellent eyesight and easily found the Tatter Cat’s home.
It was an old, rundown caravan. There was a broken window with a curtain flapping in the wind and the door was half open. Inside, the Tatter Cat was lying on an old blanket on the floor. Under her, a tangle of kittens.
“Six of them!” she cried indignantly. “Six! Unbelievable. What did I do to deserve something like this? Can you see them? Get out from under me, you riff-raff!” she said to the babies. “Look, now you can see them better. There’s one ginger. He’s a dead ringer for his dad, the Pump Cat. And the rest are all tortoiseshells, like me. And now give me something to eat, I’m dying of hunger.”
Minou knelt down next to her and looked at the six writhing kittens.
They had tiny little tails and blind eyes and teensy little claws. In the distance the radio was playing.
“Hear it?” the Tatter Cat asked. “Cosy, huh? It’s all mod cons here.”
“Is it safe?” Minou asked. “Whose caravan is it?”
“Nobody’s. It’s been empty for years. Nobody ever comes here. Did you see the Pump Cat around anywhere?”
“No.”
“He hasn’t been here once to see his children,” the Tatter Cat said. “Not that I want him hanging round the place, but still! And now give me that fish. You’ve got milk too. In a bottle. Are you expecting me to drink out of a bottle?”
“Be quiet now. I’ve brought a saucer.”
While the mother cat lapped up the milk, Minou looked around. “I wouldn’t feel at ease here,” she said. “A car park, that means people. Lots of people in the daytime.”
“We’re in a quiet corner,” the Tatter Cat said.
“But your children would be much safer in Mr Tibble’s attic.”
The Tatter Cat made an angry gesture that sent her kittens sprawling and set off a chorus of pathetic squeaking.
“Shut your traps!” their mother roared. “They just guzzle away all day and all night. And the least little thing has ’em screaming blue murder!”
Then she shot Minou a vicious glare through the dark with her burning yellow eyes. And she hissed, “If you take my kids away, I’ll scratch your eyes out.”
“Take them away? I’d take you too, of course.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’m fine right here.”
“Later, when they’re bigger, I could look for homes for them.”
“No need. They’ll make their own way. Let ’em become strays, like me. They should steer clear of humans. I always say, there are two kinds of human. One kind’s nasty lowlife skunks.”
She was quiet for a moment and took a big bite of poached fish.
Minou waited patiently.
“And the other kind?” she asked.
“I’ve forgotten the other kind,” the Tatter Cat said. “Erk-erk-erk-erk…” a gagging sound came up out of her throat.
Minou patted her on her skinny shoulders and the Tatter Cat spat out a fishbone.
“Just what I needed,” she said. “Choking on a stupid bone. Be a bit careful next time you bring me some fish, will you? I’ve got enough problems as it is with this whole kitten crèche hanging off me. But you know what’s so great here? I’m really close to all those posh gardens. Because just over there”—she waved one paw—“it’s all big fancy houses.”
“They have dogs at big fancy houses,” said Minou.
“Sometimes, but if you’re lucky they keep ’em chained up. And the blackbirds in those gardens are as fat as the ladies that live in the houses. And in weather like this, they always leave the garden doors open. You can sneak in and there’s always something to nick. It’d actually be better if you came to live here with me. Why not? There’s plenty of room. We can go hunting together! And I’m sure, very sure, that if you ate a nice fat thrush, you’d soon turn back into a respectable cat again—damn, that’s right!”
“What’s the matter?”
“I’m such a moron,” the Tatter Cat said. “I forgot there was something I had to tell you… all this maternal love has gone to my head.”
“That’s OK. Tell me now.”
“It’s not for the paper. It’s a personal message for you. Your aunt was here. Your Aunt Sooty. She wanted to talk to you but she’s too old to go up on the rooftops and that’s why she left the message with me.”
“What did she want?”
“She asked if you’d drop by. She’s had a visit from your sister.”
Minou jumped. “My… my sister? But she lives miles away. Right out on the other side of town. What was she doing here?”
“Take it easy,” said the Tatter Cat. “That’s all I know. I’m as purrplexed as you. Ha-ha, good joke, huh? And when you come tomorrow make sure you get all the bones out of the fish first.”
“Is it all right if I bring my human to visit? Just once.” Minou asked. “And Bibi?”
“Bibi’s OK,” the Tatter Cat said without hesitating. “She drew me. Have you seen it?”
“It’s a beautiful likeness,” said Minou.
“But I don’t know about Tibble… I’m scared he’ll start fussing,” said the Tatter Cat. “He’s a fusser. Even worse than you. He’ll want to take my babies away… arrange vets and jabs and looking for homes… All that…”
“I’ll tell him he’s not allowed to make a fuss,” Minou said. “See you tomorrow.”
On the way home she took a detour through Aunt Sooty’s garden. She stayed in among the shrubs, but as soon as she let out a short miaow, her elderly aunt came out through the cat flap.
“You haven’t made much progress,” Aunt Sooty said disapprovingly. “No tail, no whiskers and you’re still wearing that horrible two-piece suit.”
“I heard…” Minou began.
“Yes, yes,” Aunt Sooty interrupted her. “Your sister was here.”
Minou trembled and her voice was a little hoarse when she asked, “My sister from Victoria Avenue?”
“Yes, of course it was the one from Victoria Avenue,” Aunt Sooty said. “You don’t have any other sisters, do you?”
“She chased me away,” said Minou. “Out of the house and out of the garden. She was angry at me. Because I wasn’t a cat any more. I wasn’t allowed to come back, ever, that’s what she said.”
“Quite understandable,” Aunt Sooty nodded. “But she says hello. She’s not angry any more. She feels sorry for you.”
“Can I go back?” Minou asked. “Does she want me back?”
“Not like you are now!” Aunt Sooty exclaimed. “First you have to turn back into a respectable cat, obviously.”
“It was such a lovely garden on Victoria Avenue,” Minou said. “It was my own garden and my own house… and our Woman was kind to us. Do you think the Woman would want me back?”
“Of course she would, as long as you’re normal again,” Aunt Sooty said. “And shall I let you in on a secret? Your sister has found out where it came from. This… condition of yours. She had the same thing.”
“What?” Minou cried. “Is she—”
“Shhh… not so loud,” Aunt Sooty said. “No, she isn’t… but almost. She started getting human traits too. Her whiskers fell out… her tail began to disappear… It was all because you ate out of the rubbish bin at the institute. That’s what your sister says.”
“Is that what caused it?” Minou said. “That was the building next door to our house in Victoria Avenue… There was always a rubbish bin outside. And sometimes I found something to eat in it.”
“Exactly,” said Aunt Sooty. “You ate more of it than your sister. She got over it.”
“Just like that? Did it go away of its own accord?”
“No, she says she found some kind of cure… something that made her normal again. But if you want to know the details, you have to drop by.”
“Oh,” said Minou.
“And if I were you, I’d do it sooner rather than later,” said Aunt Sooty. “It’s gone on long enough. What are you waiting for?”
“I’m not a hundred per cent sure I want to,” said Minou.
“You’re mad,” Aunt Sooty cried. “Your one chance, your last chance to turn back into a proper cat. And you’re not sure you want to!”
“I’m umming and ahing,” said Minou.
Aunt Sooty went back into the house in a huff and Minou went home, to her own roof, where she sat down to watch the moon rise over the Social Security Building. The smell of blossoms rose up from the gardens far below and in the gutters around the roofs there were all kinds of cat smells. It was very confusing.
The next morning Tibble gave her a package.
“A present,” he said. “Because I’ve had a pay rise.”
“How beautiful, thank you,” said Minou. It was a pair of gloves.
“They’re for the reception,” explained Tibble.
“The reception?”
“There’s a reception this afternoon at the Metropole Hotel. To celebrate Mr Smith’s anniversary. And I’d like you to come with me, Miss Minou. A lot of people will be coming.”
“Then I don’t want to,” said Minou.
“It would be very good for you,” said Tibble. “And for me too. We’re both shy and we both have to Learn to Dare. I think the fishmonger will be there too.”
“Oh,” said Minou.
“I bought the gloves,” Tibble said, “because I thought, then, if you scratch someone, it won’t be so bad.”