A Cat Called Kat

Chapter Three - Terri has an Ache

With the money problems solved for the time being, we could start thinking about the future.

So, the next afternoon, after all the customers had gone home for their siesta, we gathered at the back table in the restaurant... by chance the same one where we had eaten all those months before

For a council of war.

I mean... even though we didn't have any sort of hope or any sort of army, there was no question about it...

We were at war.

The first thing that we agreed was that we needed more information. The trouble was that we were completely cut off from anything that was happening inside La Villa Strangiato and we had no way of getting anyone inside without taking impossible risks.

I'm proud to say that it was me who came up with the idea of seeing whether Zi'Anna had any contacts. I was sort of vaguely aware that there were whole heaps of maids and cooks and cleaners and things about the place and they would at least have some sort of idea about what was going on.

And Terri said that she knew a couple of the guards quite well and that she could try and get in touch with them.

We were talking about this when Dr Nil suddenly stood up. We sort of paused but he gestured to us to keep talking as he stalked silently towards the door that led out to the kitchen.

So we tried to carry on... but it was pretty tricky with the good doctor stalking across the room like that. He reached the door and pulled it sharply open.

Geraldo was there, listening so intently that he pretty much tumbled into the room as the door was opened. He looked as if he was about to run away but the doctor grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and marched him over to the table.

"I thought you had mice!" he observed.

Of course Uncle Alfredo wasn't angry - as I've said before, he didn't do angry - but he was as disappointed as I had ever seen him. "We will talk about this later, Geraldo," he said.

"Excuse me, Uncle," Terri said. "This matter relates to the Family Andretti and I think I should deal with it." She thought for a moment and then added. "In fact, I insist."

He looked surprised for a moment that his niece should assert her authority in this way but then he nodded and acknowledged her right. "Please be gentle with him," he requested.

"I won't hurt him," she promised. "He and I are just going to have a little talk."

She turned to me. "Cat, would you come too."

She led Geraldo across the restaurant to a small table in the far corner. "How much did you hear?" she asked him. The tone was light but she was looking him straight in the eye and there was something about the way she spoke that made it completely clear that lying was not an option.

"I heard quite a lot but I didn't understand most of it," he admitted.

"But you did understand enough to make a very interesting story to tell to your friends in school tomorrow."

He hesitated then realised that he had no choice but to tell the truth. "Yes, Miss."

I had to squish down a smile at the word, 'Miss'!"

"OK, this is an area where partial understanding is more dangerous than complete," she told him. "Do you remember my Nonno?"

Geraldo nodded.

"He was the head of one of the great..." she used a word that I didn't know but I could guess what it meant. "He was recently killed in an attack by my former cousin, Simone, who he had previously disowned. Terri and I are his only legitimate heirs and so I am now head of the Family Andretti."