The Jellicle Chronicles - Year Seven

Broken Doll

Rumblepurr sometimes did not like his job. Staring at the six completed volumes on the shelf, he could almost tell what each one had inside it. He considered writing an index to the volumes, but he would have to constantly update the index. Index… Index cards? He could get some 8-by-5 cards and place notes on the card, and alphabetize it… Very well, he had solved a problem, albeit a simple one. That is when his eyes went back to the notepad and the seventh volume sitting on the desk with all the rest of his writing materials. He looked once more over at the empty blankets. Altaica… 

      Shaking his head, Rumblepurr went to the desk and sat in his “chair.” The empty blanket was another problem he had yet to solve. He wanted so badly to go over there, slip inside the blanket and have her there to love her. Wait… Queen Demeter said to wait, but for how long!? His heart was breaking each time he saw the spirit in her crushed… Damn Macavity and that … Angry, the Writer Cat pounced on his notepad and turned it back to the previous months, until he found the story Altaica gave. Sun Ken… If I ever find that little bastard… 

      Rumblepurr colored under his fur as he realized he had just sworn. No, his inner mind said softly. Remember what Quaxo had said. The Human God said something in that sermon. “All things happen for the good…” No matter how hard Rumblepurr tried, he did not see where the good was or what good would come from the death of their kitten… All he knew was the loss - the inconsolable loss and Altaica’s shame… 

      Something wet hit Rumblepurr’s paw. He looked hurriedly down, and realized he was crying again. A scrap of handkerchief came out of his vest pocket, and he dried off the tear tracks on his cheeks. Cannot afford to get the page wet and smear the ink… 

      He looked once more at the symbols that held the name, and they seemed to etch into his brain. Slowly, he raised his eyes to the ceiling… 

      “God? Are you my God too? If so, can you tell me… Can you help me find the good in this? I need to know so I can go back to Life again. I need to know so that Altaica will not need to cry again. Help me?” 

      The wind whistled by the opening, but nothing spoke or answered. Rumblepurr bowed his head. Slowly, he opened the volume to a blank page, and flipped his notepad back to the most current story. Nasty one, he thought immediately… Certainly there could not be a worse… 

      Rumblepurr immediately took his Pince-Nez off and stared at the notepad. Someone lived and faced a Hell more chilling and hopeless than he ever did… Readjusting the nose-glasses, he stared at the symbols as if he had found the Rosetta Stone. Picking up the fountain pen, he boldly stroked the title in block letters, “Broken Doll…”

      “Psst, Quaxo…” 

      The dark Sentinel looked over from his position atop the Warehouse nearest the Yard. “If you’re about to tell me you saw another mouse, I will have to push you off.” He threatened gently, a small smile playing on his lips. 

      Augustus shook his head. His expression was dark. “Do the Enforcers usually come this close?” He gestured down into the alley, a look of distaste on his face. 

      Beneath them, one of Macavity’s ferocious “bully boys” was stomping along through the dark passage, grunting. But he was not alone. What looked like a young cat was being roughly dragged along the ground, the scruff of its neck caught in the huge tom’s jaws. The other thing that bothered him was the form - cat form! Both the Enforcer Trainee, for that was what this fool had to be, and his captive were in Housecat Form! 

      Balancing on the narrow rim of the wall, Quaxo’s eyes narrowed. He had never seen the feline that the Enforcer was half-carrying, but he could see enough to know that it was a Jellicle and it was being harmed.