“I, the ruler of the geo realm, have come to….” the woman began in a booming voice that echoed through the chamber.
“Ebb, what do you want?” Thorson interrupted with a snarl. His words caused a brilliant explosion of light, leaving a demonic gargoyle-looking creature glaring at him.
“What gives you the right to dump those cougars in my province?” Ebb snarled back.
“I didn’t. It happened without my doing a thing!”
“Don’t send me your problems or bother making up excuses for your failures!” Ebb ranted.
“My plan was to eliminate them. How they got to earth is beyond me. You can just blame the enemy for that!”
“Then I suggest that you finish what you started. You know what happens to those who overstep their bounds!” she screeched in a rage -filled tone.
“You forget, my dear Ebb. I am not limited as you are,” he sneered.
“Limited? Me? You are a good liar to be sure, but do not believe your own lies. I know about you. You hide your vile form behind that mask of false fur. I am superior. I can take whatever form I choose!” Ebb snorted.
“And yet here you are begging me to save you from two of the enemy’s creations.” Thorson mocked his visitor and then vanished, leaving her to stew.
CHAPTER 27
Mr. Jones, John’s father, had been shocked to walk into his home and find a mountain lion in his living room. Without thinking he had flung his briefcase at it. He had watched in disbelief as the giant cat gutted the case in a single swipe. Fear had filled Mr. Jones as the cougar stepped toward him. Then the unbelievable happened. The cat introduced himself as “ Cheshire Cougar, the Marquis of Cougars.”
“ I had no idea,” Mr. Jones muttered apologetically.
Cheshire and his friend Leana took the whole misunderstanding in stride. Wanting to show his gratitude for Cheshire’s protecting his son in Evermore, Mr. Jones decided that the family would have a special dinner in Cheshire’s honor. After scavenging the remains of the wrecked pantry and making a quick trip to the grocery store, a feast of fruits and vegetables was set on the table before the Jones’ honored guests. Cheshire and Leana were given two of the nicest chairs in the dining room, but they had to practice balancing on them in order to sit at the table with the humans. At last they were ready to tackle eating at the table, human-style, so they and the family sat down at the table for their special dinner.
“I’m sorry for the welcome, but you have no idea how unexpected this was. I should have recognized you from the photographs,” Mr. Jones apologized to his guests after the mealtime prayer.
“Foto-graffs?” Cheshire repeated the word with an expression of confusion.
“Remember my camera?” David hinted.
“Oh, that!” Cheshire commented, having made the connection between the word and the strange smelling rock-sized object that David had shown him when they had visited Evermore.
“Who is your…?” Mr. Jones cut his question short when he noticed that Leana was holding Bart. Leana had scooped the family cat up and was cradling him in her front paws like a baby.
“He is an adorable cub. Has he spoken his first word yet?” she asked after noticing the shift in attention. Bart gave Leana a sour look and in a burst of feline anger he broke free and darted out of the room, leaving her with a sheepish expression as the humans roared with laughter.
“John, didn’t you say that no animal can talk here?” Cheshire asked in an attempt to take the attention away from his friend’s embarrassment.
“Yep,” John answered between bites of veggie burger.
“So Leana is your girlfriend, right?” Mrs. Jones completed her husband’s dangling question.
“Girlfriend?” Cheshire pondered. He had never heard this word before. He decided that this was a human word and he asked what it meant.
“You know. When a male and a female court,” Mrs. Jones continued.
“Oh!... I’m not sure really,” Cheshire answered guardedly after hearing what the word meant.
One look at their confused faces convinced Chesh that his answer had not completely answered the question, but he said no more. He cared for Leana a great deal but he also needed to learn to cope with his handicap so that he could be more than a liability to her.
“Like I said, you are romantic to the core,” Leana teased Cheshire after swallowing a piece of strawberry.
CHAPTER 28
Sitting in the den of the Jones’s home, the Joneses and the McLeods spent the evening getting to know Cheshire and Leana. The McLeods came over after dinner and, having been told about the cougars’ presence, handled meeting them for the first time better than the Joneses.
The den was of average size; the walls were made with what looked like stacked rock that surrounded a square section of red stones that had a hole in the middle and smelled like smoke. The floors were highly polished hardwood that both Cheshire and Leana found difficult to walk on. More often than not they had to use their claws to get any traction at all. This caused Mrs. Jones to cringe slightly. Both cats assumed that their hostess felt bad that her guests were having such a difficult time walking.
The one item in the den that captured Cheshire’s interest was a model of an Army helicopter that rested on the coffee table. Not knowing what it was, Cheshire assumed it was a decorative rock.
“What do you think of the helicopter?” Mr. Jones asked after noticing Cheshire’s interest.
“Is this a helicopter?” Chesh replied with a nod toward the model.
“A model of one. The real thing is much larger and flies through the air carrying people.”
“Is it an animal?”
“No. It’s a machine. See?” Mr. Jones answered after leaning forward and pushing a button at the base of the model. Lights on the model blinked on, and the blades started spinning. Seeing this Cheshire jumped backwards.
“It’s safe. This model was a gift to me. I fly one. I am an Army helicopter pilot.”
“You fly? I could never do that,” Chesh exclaimed.
“Why?”
“Well, I fell and ended up here.”
“Good reason.”
“Cheshire, you must see some of the cars my company has designed. They will keep you safely on the ground,” Mr. McLeod interjected.
“What is a car?” Chesh questioned.
“A machine that transports people across land.”
“Doesn’t anyone walk?”
Across the den, Leana had moseyed over to one of the huge house windows and was taking a break from the group. She had been talking to John’s and David’s mothers. Leana had found the human females’ habits interesting. The idea of nail polish countered everything that Leana had learned as a cub. She had been taught that red claws were the marks of a warrior, constable, or shadow dweller. Perfume, on the other paw, was a subject that she planned to look into. Did perfume help to attract a mate? Did males find it attractive? Leana had decided to ask Cheshire about it later.
Thoughts of Cheshire brought the guilt that Leana had been trying to ignore. Ever since she had agreed to keep Jeremiah’s mutinous meeting a secret, Leana had not been happy with herself. Her feelings of remorse had gone away during dinner, but now that dinner was over she felt worse than ever.
“Oh my! I have let the sun set on my actions; and to make matters worse, my head is pounding,” Leana lamented after looking out the window. After observing the moon-lit front yard she turned her attention back towards the group in the living room.
At this point, Chesh, the Joneses, and the McLeods had gotten into a discussion about Cheshire’s title.
“The title of Duke is the highest position that any council member can hold.” Cheshire attempted to explain the way titles were viewed in Evermore. Their conversation had not been very long due to the time of night and to the migraine that had taken over Cheshire’s mind.
After the McLeods had left, John’s parents had wished the two cougars a good evening, Cheshire padde
d over to the couch where Leana had lain down. Sullenly Cheshire stared out the window and then gently rested his forehead against the glass pane. The human house felt confining in spite of its size. Cheshire missed the open air of a den courtyard. These comforts had been replaced by insecurity and a migraine.
“David’s parents called me a hero,” Cheshire mumbled.
“It’s because you are.” Leana interjected.
“Am I?” Cheshire’s ears sagged.
“Of course you are,” she insisted.
“No. Heroes charge in and out of battle. They don’t end up like I did. I was removed from the battlefield on a travois,” he sulked.
“Is that what you really believe?” Leana’s eyes widened. She could not believe what she was hearing. Cheshire nodded in response.
“Cheshire Cougar! A hero is someone who stands up for what is right no matter what the cost. A hero is a cat who still stands for what is right even when he has to put his life on the line. Chesh, you are a hero,” she continued.
“You really think so?”
“I know so.”
“Thank you for sharing that,”
“Where did you get that crazy notion about what a hero is?” she inquired.
“Stories,” he admitted.
“ Not very good ones.”
“ Perhaps not. The future will be better.”
After wishing Leana a good evening, Cheshire started to look for a place where he could sleep. On his way down the hallway Cheshire had noticed that John’s bedroom door was open. Cheshire had started to enter the room but had been stopped by Bart, who glared at him suspiciously from the foot of the bed.
“He is your master. I would not dream of taking your place,” he whispered to the smaller cat and continued on to the TV room. The plush couch in the TV room was not as comfortable as his nook at home, but it was better than the floor.
“My brain feels like it is being clawed,” Cheshire yawned as he curled up on the couch, resting his head on the arm. After getting comfortable Cheshire looked back on the day’s events. Memories of Leana and his evasive words crashed into his mind. There were too many things happening at once for him to deal with them all, but hiding behind his injured ego was not really a part of his true character.
“Heavenly Master, help me to get a grip on my pride.”
CHAPTER 29
The air in the human realm was filled with vulgar odors, but they paled in comparison with where Cheshire now found himself. The tunnels he wandered now were dark and wreaked of sulfur and fear. These tunnels appeared to be made of decaying black stone and there was barely enough light for him to be able to walk. Cheshire did not know how he had gotten here or how to get out, so he just walked aimlessly. Just when he had started to lose hope he saw light radiating from the tunnel ahead.
At first Cheshire had run toward the opening, but what he saw through it made him freeze in his tracks. Through the opening was a large fire-lit cavern, and in the center of the room was a large golden statue with an outstretched arm and glowing green eyes. The statue appeared to be a caricature of Cheshire. The mouth of the statue grinned arrogantly as it appeared to look down on its captive. Under the paw of the statue Cheshire saw himself stretched out and tied down to a table of gold. In the face of his captive twin Cheshire could see a cat who’s very appearance seemed to have been twisted and broken. Horrified, he turned and started to run. Then another light caught his attention. Inside this room Cheshire saw himself bound to the wall by golden vines. The room was filled with snakes that were heading toward the bound cougar.
“No!” Cheshire squalled and then fled.
It was not the presence of light that attracted Cheshire to the next room, but the wretched smell of death. Inside the room Cheshire found a mother wolf and her pup lying lifeless on the floor.
“Divine Master, what has happened here?”
“Cheshire?” Leana’s voice echoed behind him. Cheshire quickly turned to find Leana standing in the entrance behind him. When she saw the lifeless bodies and Cheshire, she gasped and stepped back.
“Oh, Cheshire! What have you done?” she exclaimed in a tone filled with fright.
“Lea, I found them like this.”
“You could not tell, could you? They were innocent and you killed them,” Leana continued.
“No! No! I did not hurt them. I could never do this...Gah! My neck is burning!” Cheshire winced in agony. In mid-sentence his bite mark had sent waves of pain through his body, causing him to stagger forward toward Leana, who backed away.
“You’re turning, aren’t you?”
“No. I don’t know what’s happening, but I need help.”
“That explains it. Cheshire would never do something like that. He is gone now and you have replaced him, Demon,” Lea hissed as she backed slowly away from Cheshire.
“Lea,” Cheshire pleaded.
“No, Monster!” Lea exclaimed and fled.
Desperate to set things right, Cheshire chased after her. At a fork in the tunnel, Leana darted right and disappeared into the darkness. Cheshire started to follow but was stopped by a wall of flames that exploded from the floor. Through the flames Cheshire could see the silhouette of a winged creature. Suddenly the creature stepped forward and flapped its wings once. A gust of hot air parted the flames revealing Griffin, who regarded Cheshire with a smirk as he walked through the flames unharmed.
“Having problems are we?” Griffin sneered.
“Yes. You are alive,” Cheshire growled.
“I was referring to that little incident in the cavern back there.”
“I did not do that!” Chesh snarled.
“Of course not, but it is only a matter of time before I will gloat over your handicap,” Griffin mocked in a patronizing tone and poked Cheshire in the nose.
CHAPTER 30
From the first time Bart had laid eyes on the two cougars, he had wanted them gone. Bart considered the Jones household his personal kingdom, and he considered the two new cats a threat to his shoebox throne. Therefore he continued his blanket dislike of Cheshire and Leana all the way through bedtime.
When Cheshire entered John’s bedroom, Bart thought that this was going to be his last stand. There was no way he could take on a cat that size, but he would not allow himself to surrender. Bart’s fear turned to shock when Cheshire spoke kindly to him and walked away. True, the two new cats spoke the human tongue and could not understand him, but both cougars possessed an inner tranquility that he did not sense often.
Bart wanted to learn more about this other-worldly tranquility, so the next morning he sneaked into the TV room where Cheshire was sleeping. After jumping up on the arm of the couch, he found himself face to face with the sleeping cougar. Having recovered from his momentary fright at being so close to the cougar, he sat in awe looking down at the large cat.
“This cougar looks similar to the one on the cat food bag except for the nick on the back of his neck and the markings on his muzzle,” he thought to himself.
After sitting and observing Cheshire for a few minutes, Bart decided to test his own courage by actually touching the sleeping cougar. With two failed attempts behind him, Bart finally built up his courage enough to reach out with his paw and gently tap Cheshire on his nose.
The instant that Bart’s paw made contact, Cheshire awoke with a start. Seeing that he had startled the cougar, Bart jumped off the couch and bounded for the door. The house cat was so badly distracted by his fear that he plowed directly into Leana who had been standing in the doorway. Bart frantically searched the room for another exit. Spying an open window, Bart leapt through it, taking the screen with him as he crashed through and landed in the flower bed.
“Wheew! Thank you Master it was only a dream. Claws! I can do without dreams like that.” Cheshire sighed after realizing he was in the human realm safely away from the hellish place that he had been trapped in during his sleep.
“I think Bart’ll be having nightmares now
. Heavens, he looked as scared as you did. How bad was it, Chesh?” Leana asked as she waited patiently for Cheshire to wake up enough for her to deliver her message.
“Bad enough that I do not even want to think about it.” he shook his head as if to dislodge any remnants of the dream.
CHAPTER 31
Inspired by the photos of Evermore, the Patuxent Automobile Company had built a small, boxy SUV and named it the Cub. The Cub was square, featured large round headlights, a 4 cylinder engine, and had been a gift to David from the company. Cheshire and Leana stood and stared at the deep green thing. Cheshire crouched when David started the engine.
“ It purrs like a kitten,” David boasted.
“What kind of kitten?” Leana asked.
“That is just an expression,” John explained.
“If that is a cub I don’t want to meet it’s parents,” Leana whispered to Cheshire. He nodded without taking his eyes off of the Cub.
“I even have a 6 speaker stereo,” David continued. He then reached inside the car and pushed a button. The violent sound of screaming guitars surrounded both cats and caused their whiskers to twitch.
“How awful!” Lea gasped.
“Is this Cub friend or foe?” Cheshire cringed.
“Sorry,” David switched the radio off.
“What does it do?” Chesh continued.
“You ride in it,” David called over his shoulder as he opened the rear hatch and motioned for Chesh and Leana to get in. They did not move.
It took a complete explanation of the vehicle to get them inside the SUV. The rear end of the small vehicle bounced and sank when both cats climbed cautiously into the back. After the two cats had settled comfortably into the cargo compartment, safely hidden behind tinted glass, John and David got in and drove them around Louisaburg.
“How do you like my truck now that you have ridden in it?” David asked as he navigated a small gravel road.