Cats didn’t have meetings. Any attempt to get them to attend a meeting would only result in fewer cats coming than would have been there by accident. Their meetings had to simply happen.
Hunter knew humans had meetings. He saw them every morning in the junkyard, standing together, talking and gesturing with their hands. They discussed what they were going to do next. Right after the meeting they would hurry off and dismantle another part of the yard.
There was no need for them to be sly or stalk the wrecks. The humans just attacked them like a pack of dogs. Maybe dogs had meetings too?
Hunter was tired of how independent cats were. Being independent left them divided. And being divided would lead them to be destroyed. Besides, how independent was the colony if it sat around waiting for Taylor and his pack to feed them? The colony was nothing more than a pack of dogs. The only difference was that they weren’t wearing leashes or drooling, and they didn’t stink.
Hunter looked around the circle of wrecks that ringed the clearing at the center of their colony. It was as if nothing had changed. Not one car had been removed. While the rest of the yard was exposed, this section remained unchanged. Maybe the colony would be spared after all. Hunter wondered if Taylor was controlling the humans and making them take other wrecks. He had seen him chase humans away before. Maybe Taylor wouldn’t let them take these wrecks, and everything would be fine. But Hunter knew that was wishful thinking.
Hunter understood how the cats who didn’t venture far from the colony could think nothing was wrong with what was happening to the junkyard. For them the human sounds and smells had always surrounded them. What existed now was the same, only stronger.
As Hunter entered the clearing, he counted the cats he could see. Twice he had counted every toe on every paw. There were other cats who remained out of sight. But when he spoke, they would be able to hear him. They might even come out, or they might wander away. There was no predicting.
His teenage kittens were with him, scattered around. They had already met as a family and discussed the need to leave the junkyard. They, of course, would do what their father wanted. They had explored the yard and knew that he was right.
Mittens was not with him. More and more she stayed in their den. Their den was the most protected place in the yard. Mittens was doing what most frightened cats would.
That instinct was Hunter’s biggest challenge. He was going to have to convince a colony of cats that, first, they were in danger, and second, that since they were in danger they would have to leave. He couldn’t even convince his mate to come out of the den, so what chance did he have of convincing all the other cats to leave? He knew Mittens would follow him and the kittens, but the others? Well, he had to try.
On the edge of the clearing, sitting on top of a car in a little halo of sunlight, sat King. He was watching Hunter, but also pretending to ignore him. Hunter did the same. That was their unspoken agreement—an agreement that was about to be broken. Hunter hoped that wasn’t the only thing that was going to be broken. King could afford to look away from Hunter. Hunter was not going to attack him. Hunter would never have that luxury. He kept an eye on King. If the big cat caught Hunter by surprise, bowled him over or trapped him beneath his bulk, there would be no chance of escaping injury.
Hunter walked into the center of the clearing. He made sure not to face King. There was no point in waiting any longer. “We need to leave,” Hunter shouted.
Several heads turned toward him. A few other cats turned their ears in his direction but looked away. Nobody responded.
“We need to leave the colony,” he said louder. “It is no longer safe for us to be here.”
“Yes, we need to leave,” said another cat.
He looked over. It was his oldest male kitten. He had hoped it was another cat, but one voice was better than none. Two of his other kittens added their agreement.
“So now we know what Hunter and his kittens want,” said King.
He turned to face Hunter, but he didn’t get up. It was his way of saying Hunter and his ideas weren’t worthy of rising to his feet for.
“It isn’t safe here anymore,” Hunter said.
“It looks safe to me,” King replied.
“Then you’re looking but not seeing,” Hunter said.
He could see the hair on King’s back rise.
“Or maybe you’re seeing without thinking,” King snapped. “It’s sad that the brave Hunter is so afraid of a few loud noises and foreign smells.”
“It’s more than loud noises.”
“Then you admit that you’re afraid,” King said.
“Of course I’m afraid,” he said. “It is wise to be afraid when there’s danger.”
“The humans are just working in the yard,” an old she-cat called out.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” said a second elder.
“They’ve done this before. You’re just too young to remember,” the old she-cat added.
“Not just too young, but too new,” King said. “Some of us were born and raised in this colony. You were allowed to come and live here.” He paused. “Perhaps I made a mistake by doing that.”
“I’m more concerned about the mistake you’re making in choosing not to leave,” Hunter said.
“The mistake would be thinking there was danger when there isn’t and leaving a perfectly good colony,” King said. “A kitten jumps in fright and runs if a butterfly lands unexpectedly close.”
“Those are awfully big butterflies fluttering around the junkyard taking away cars,” Hunter said.
“Cars have always been taken away,” an old tom said.
“Taken away and brought in,” Hunter said. “Has anybody seen any cars being brought in?”
Nobody answered.
“Has anybody seen any cars taken away from this part of the yard?” King asked.
“None, not one,” a cat behind Hunter said, and others voiced agreement.
There was no point arguing.
“Perhaps you’ve been spending too much time with that house-cat mate of yours. I’ve noticed she is too frightened to even come out of your den,” King said. “Maybe you are afraid too?”
“Is there anybody here who questions my bravery?” Hunter asked. He looked around the clearing. Almost every cat was present. As Hunter looked at them, cat by cat, each one turned away or looked down at the ground. Nobody questioned Hunter’s bravery, not even King.
“A good leader knows when to lead,” Hunter said.
“And do you think you are a leader?” King asked. “Do you think you can be the king?” King slowly got to his feet.
“I think somebody has to be the leader,” Hunter said.
“And you think that’s you?” King snapped. “Is giving orders such as ‘We all have to leave’ going to be your legacy as the king? Do you think we are cats or dogs?”
“There are things we could learn from dogs,” Hunter said and then realized he shouldn’t have.
There were howls and cries and protests throughout the yard.
“Let him speak his mind,” a she-cat shouted. It was the mother of the kitten he had saved. The noise died down. “When you make noise like that, you’re acting like a pack of baying dogs. Let him speak.”
Hunter wasn’t sure what to say, but he knew he had to talk. “I know right now they haven’t disturbed any of the cars around our colony, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“How can you be so certain?” another cat asked.
“I’ve studied humans, and I know them.”
“Has one of them told you their plans?” another cat asked.
“I don’t always understand them, but I understand their actions. They are going to clear away all the cars and build the dens pictured on the fences that surround us.”
“I’ve seen no pictures,” King spat.
“The pictures are on the other side of the fence. You haven’t seen them because your life is only on this side,” Hunter said.
“And your life may soon be on neither side of the fence!” King snapped. He jumped to the ground, and Hunter tensed, waiting for the charge, but it didn’t come.
“You are free to leave at any time,” King said. “In fact, I invite you to leave the colony, and take those runt kittens and house-cat mate of yours with you.”
“My kittens are only half grown and already they’re better hunters then you’ll ever be,” Hunter said. “And we will leave. But I don’t want to leave the other colony cats behind to die when they could live.”
“If there was danger, and there isn’t,” King said, “then the shortest route to death would be leaving. Do you have such little wisdom that you don’t know a cat’s den and familiar surroundings are the best place to be when there’s danger?”
“What if those surroundings are the danger?” Hunter asked. “Wouldn’t leaving be wise, instead of hunkering down in some hole?”
“If it’s so dangerous, why don’t you just tell the humans to leave us alone,” King said. “Don’t they listen to the wonderful Hunter?”
Hunter didn’t answer. Of course they didn’t, but he still needed King to believe he could tell them what to do, or at least Taylor.
“For all we know, maybe you’re the one who has been telling them to remove the cars so we have to leave the junkyard!” King said.
“And why would I do that?” Hunter asked.
“So that you can be king,” he snapped.
“I don’t want to be the king,” Hunter said. “I only want to be a good leader.”
“Cats don’t need leaders. Dogs need leaders. Besides, where exactly is it that you think we should go?” King asked.
“I don’t have a place yet. The raccoon is looking for a good location where—”
“The raccoon!” King said. “First it was humans and now a raccoon! Should we wait to see what the rats and dogs think we should do too?”
“The rats have all left,” Hunter said. “Their colony was removed and most of them killed. My runt kittens and I killed many of them. Even dogs run from danger. Are we not smarter than the dogs who know when danger is coming?”
“Everything is smarter than dogs except rocks and dirt. I am going to stay, but any cat who wishes to leave may leave. That is the way a real leader works. Just remember, any cat that leaves with Hunter is not welcome back. We will fill the colony with cats who wish to be cats, strong, independent, brave and wise cats.”
“Shortly there will be no colony and no cats. To stay is to die,” Hunter said. “My family will be leaving as soon as we’ve found another location. Any cats who wish to follow are welcome. Any cats that remain, I hope your death will be swift and without pain.”
Hunter turned and walked away.