My Book: The Cats of Stony River by Pookie

[Pookie]

Why her? Was she chosen by some higher power for this or did the cats just know who was safe to approach?
The answer might scare her, so she put those thoughts out of her mind until she felt eyes on her. She looked up and saw Bart and Belle looking at her intently. She felt a chill. Could they read her thoughts too? Did they know how they actually frightened her sometimes? In spite of that, though, could they tell she loved them dearly…almost more than her beloved dogs, even more than she could ever tell them? Bart and Belle simply sat there, gazing at her as if in understanding, as if something unsaid had passed between them with perfect acceptance.

“Aha! Gotta love DSL,” Pook said triumphantly. “It’s installing. Once it’s installed, I’ll show you how it works. It’s not hard.”
“Okay,” said Bart.

Belle turned shining, happy blue eyes on her and purred so loudly she shook the desk. The kitten loved to learn new things, and so far, she was discovering one wonder after another in her new home. She couldn’t wait to learn enough to start using the computer by herself.

Pook and Saav started Bart and Belle’s contact list with their own address, and sent themselves an invitation they would accept when they got home later on.
“What time do you usually get on the computer?” asked Bart.
“Usually between ten and eleven at night, after Mom goes to sleep. A little later on weekends, usually around eleven, since she stays up a little later then,” replied Pook.
Bart nodded. “Okay, we’ll look for you around then. This is going to be fun!”
“Yeah, it is,” said Pook. “We’ll send you pictures of us and where we live and stuff, too.”
“Pictures of your forever home?” Belle asked hopefully.
“Yes. And of the dog and our stuff, and our Mom and family, and anything you like,” Saav replied.

Carrie smiled. “I need to get something out of the back and get to work,” she said, giving Belle a kiss. “Have fun.”
While Carrie busied herself with some rearranging and vacuuming, the cats typed and clicked away on her computer. After quite a while, Carrie got curious, and came over to see what else they were doing.
“What’s this down here?” Carrie asked, pointing to the taskbar.
Pook brought it up. “It’s a collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s works for Bart we’re downloading so he can read it later.”
“Oh. And this?” She pointed again.

 

[Pookie]

“That’s a real easy, beginner’s series of spelling, vocabulary and math lessons for Belle,” Saav answered. “We put a whole load of ebook sites on their favorites list here, along with the animal rights sites, news, weather, radio stations, and educational stuff.”
“That’s neat,” said Carrie, and pointed to another one. “That?”
“Um…” Pook swallowed, but brought it up. “We’re joining a cat-owners group.”

She stared at Pook. “But you’re a cat!”
“Exactly,” nodded Pook. “These people need all the help they can get. We thought we’d join in and help them understand cats.”
Carrie gasped. “No. Absolutely not! If they find out, you could be –“

“Carrie,” Pook broke in loudly. “Listen. We know about the Internet predators and the sickos and the weirdos, okay? We really do. We never put personal stuff or give any indication that we are anything but a couple of older ladies who love animals.”

“Mom taught us all about that,” Saav interjected hastily, before Carrie could say anything. “She didn’t allow us to have our online journals or our forum or let us join anything until we understood that, and she checks on us regularly with a special program only she can get into and use. Honest. You can ask her. You can check on what we all do here, Mom can show you how.”
“Besides, look at this.” Saav scooted Pook away from the keyboard and pawed at it quickly. “Here’s my profile, the only personal info on me on the net.”
Everything was undisclosed except the required fields, which were drastically altered. The picture was that of a peaceful meadow full of birds, rabbits, and butterflies, and gave their location as Georgia. It gave a very vague impression of a 60-some-year-old retired librarian who had two cats and loved animals.

“Here’s mine,” Pook said, and Saav moved aside while Pook located hers. It was almost exactly the same as Saav’s, but the picture was different. Pook had chosen a view of Stonehenge at twilight, and she looked like a postal clerk in her late 50s in Maryland with a dog and a cat.
“See?” said Saav. “Mom did everything but choose the pictures for us. We’ll be safe, really. You can check.”
“I see. That’s pretty good,” Carrie admitted.

“I’m not letting anyone know, either, Carrie,” agreed Bart. “I know a little about bad people and so does Belle. We won’t give so much as a whisker away.”
Carrie sighed, then looked at Belle.

 

[Pookie]

“I don’t even know how to use it yet,” said Belle. “So I’ll just let you and Bart decide when I can have a…a whatever that is.”
The cats were silent, letting Carrie think.

“You’ll keep your word to keep yourselves safe?” she said finally. “Because if you blow it, not only are you in danger, but we people are too.”
“I understand that, Carrie,” said Bart. “I’ll make sure Belle learns too.”
“We promise, and we’ll help Bart keep safe,” promised Saav. Pook nodded seriously.
She shrugged. “Okay. I’ll hold you to it. All of you.”

Bart nuzzled her hand, and she petted him, looked at the screen, hearing Mozart playing softly in the background from the stream-in, and looked at the cats in front of her, still in awe and some fear. “You girls sure have learned a lot.”
Saav sort of shrugged. “We still have lots to learn, but we’re getting there.”

They spent the afternoon’s remaining hours looking up other sites for Bart and Belle, interrupted by a call to snacks from Ralph and by the occasional customer. The cats had to revert to non-sentient felines when anyone came in, and they did it quite well by flopping on the desk and having a wash when the door opened. Carrie felt bad that they had to do that, but she was proud of them, for it fooled everyone.
“Sorry you have to do that,” she told the cats after a customer left after taking nearly an hour to select a silver lamp and a vase.
“Gaaaahhhh, I thought she’d never leave,” Pook said, yawning.
“Me too. Thought she was going to spend the rest of the day here. Why do humans take so long to make up their minds?” asked Bart.
Carrie shrugged. “I have no idea, Bart. I wish I knew. But you watch – I told her to pick that one with the burgundy shade, but she picked the one with the pastel blue shade. She’ll be back tomorrow to exchange it.”
“How can you tell?” asked Saav, looking up.

“She said her living room was in bolder, richer colors, not pastels. That shade is going to look completely wrong. She’d have done better with that one with the deep beige shade. But pastel blue? Ick!” she explained.
“Are they the same price?” asked Pook.
“Close enough, I’ll let her swap them. Builds good relationships with customers, and encourages them to come back.”
Bart smiled. “And it pays the bills.”
“What’s a bill?” asked Belle.

 

[Pookie]

Pook sighed and turned to the computer. “Those, Belle, are something we cats are very lucky not to have. Look here, I’ll show you…”

Bart was sound asleep in the windowsill and Belle was preening in front of a mirror a couple of days later when suddenly Pook and Saav bolted through the cat door and flew into the shop, whooping and hollering. Bart jumped straight up, and Belle was so startled she instantly fluffed up. Carrie was at the counter looking at a catalog, and jumped slightly at the "pop" of the cat door.

"We're getting a laptop!" exclaimed Pook, her pretty green eyes glowing with anticipation. Saav jumped up on the counter.
"Can we borrow your DSL line for a little while?" Saav asked Carrie. "It takes forever to download that service pack on dial-up, and all the laptop needs is that. The anti-virus is already installed and everything."

"Sure, little one," Carrie smiled, reaching for the cable behind her tower. She unplugged it and drew the cable over the counter. "Where's the laptop?"
"Mom's bringing it in," said Pook, nuzzling little Belle and licking the kitten's ear.

Saav hopped over to Bart's windowsill and purred against him. He gave her a whisker-kiss.
"I missed you girls yesterday," he smiled.
"We missed seeing you too, but it was cool talking to you on the messenger," said Pook.
“I saw that,” said Carrie. “All three of you are very good spellers.”
“Thank you,” smiled Saav. “Belle will do well, too.”
Belle's eyes lit up. "I'm learning real fast! Bart says with a little more work, I'll be able to type on messenger and do my own posts! The computer is fun!"
Bart's chest swelled with pride in the little kitten, and he nodded. "She's doing really well. She's learning everything just as fast as I can teach it, and she found a homework help group on one of those educational sites you girls added.”
“Great!” purred Pook.

"Hi everybody," called Joyce as she came in, carrying a small, older laptop and power cord.
"Hey there," Carrie smiled. "Here, set that right up here and I'll connect you."
"Thanks, Carrie. Mind if I leave it here to download and pick it up this afternoon with the girls?" Joyce asked.

 

[Pookie]

"No problem. This is a cute little laptop. Where'd you find it?"
"At a computer show in South Carolina back about five years ago. I just got a new one. This one’s ancient and a little slow, but dependable and stable. I dragged it out and set it all up for the girls...I guess you heard about the cat group thing," Joyce said.
"They did that here, on mine," laughed Carrie. "They were bored and too stuffed to play."

"Yeah, they told me. So, I guess it's time they had their own. And, also, a laptop is a lot easier on their paws, and it doesn’t take two of them to make it work. They’re into so much, now, anyway with their classes and their forums and projects…this will be better for them.”

Carrie eyed Bart and Belle. If Joyce thought Pook and Saav were safe on their own, she felt she could think the same of Bart and Belle. Their messenger conversation yesterday had included several tips on Internet safety which Bart had carefully copied and kept in a folder he created. "Hmmm. You’re sure they’re safe on their own computer?”
“Absolutely. I can check on them on this too,” Joyce replied, tapping the laptop. “And I did. It was never necessary, but I’ll be more than happy to install the program and show you how it works.”

Bart pricked up his ears. Belle's eyes got wide, and the two traded a hopeful look. Their own would be nice, since they had just discovered the ultimate joy of collecting pictures of beautiful cats, both domestic and wild. Belle was saving pictures of nearly everything she was curious about, from other cities around the world to space shuttles, and Carrie had found all of these on her computer and teased them about using up all her hard drive space. Bart had taken a test to determine his level of education so far, and was now in a home-school curriculum equivalent to about the eighth grade. Belle was sticking with her primary-grades curriculum and working very hard at her lessons.
“That’s a neat idea,” Carrie admitted. “And you say it’s easier for them?”

Joyce nodded. “The touchpad mouse is much better for their paws. Also, it doesn’t take both of them to make it work.”
“I never thought about that,” Carrie said, looking at the laptop.

“Paw-friendly,” smiled Joyce. “Go check out Justin’s stuff at Computer Shack. That’s where I got my new one.”
Justin O’Brien owned half of the only full-service computer store in the town, and he, Carrie, and Joyce were good friends.
"I'll run over there at lunch. Thanks."

 

[Pookie]

"Hey, thanks for letting me do this here. What a timesaver!" Joyce gave her friend a hug and checked her watch. "Well, I better run to work. See you this afternoon. Be good, girls."
She breezed out the door, and Carrie looked over at the little laptop, then at Bart. He, too, was looking at the girls' new (used) computer in the same way she had seen him look back longingly at the bucket of dead mice the first day she saw him. She knew he wouldn't ask for one; he never asked for anything. The kitten might be another story; then Carrie saw Belle start to say something, but was cut short by a very sharp look and quick hiss from Bart.

She sighed and smiled, looking at the keys rubbed shiny from use and the stray little cat hairs on the keyboard. One very well-loved and much-used computer, it was. Pook and Saav looked at it proudly.

"All ours," said Saav a little dreamily. “Our very own, just our stuff there.”
Pook sighed, smiling. “Wow.”
"Carrie?" said Bart.
"Yes?"
"Can Pook and Saav come over on Wednesday nights and hook up to our DSL? We all want to be in the cat group chatroom at the same time," Bart asked.
"Sure, I think I have a network hub thingy down here where I can hook up to three computers into," she said, stooping to look behind the desk at the tangle of wires, cables, and boxes. She found it, and made a mental note to pick up an extra DSL cable. No, she thought, getting up, make that two DSL cables. Damn, I know pets are an expense, but…
Carrie smiled at herself. "Yep, I found it. I'll get an extra cable or two also."
"Thank you, Carrie," said Pook.
"Yes, thank you," Saav echoed with a smile.

"Thanks! That will be fun," said Bart. Belle watched, her little blue kitten eyes dancing with delight. Now she would see her new friends a little more. She purred thunderously.
Saav giggled. “Wonder if those humans in that chat room will ever figure out they’re talking to real cats?”
“Don’t you dare – “ began Carrie ominously.

Pook laughed and poked Carrie with a soft paw. “Don’t worry. We promised, remember?”
“Promise to be even more careful there, okay? Live chat rooms can be, you know…” asked Carrie.

 

[Pookie]

“Dangerous,” Pook finished for her.
“We promise,” said Bart. The other three nodded.
“Okay, kitties. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”
Carrie was confident about taking them at their words, for they had not gone back on any of their promises to her.

The shop was opening now, and Carrie pulled back the curtains and set out the 'Open' sign. It was 9:00 and Ralph was already next door in his beloved kitchen, rattling pans and getting ready for the usual lunch crowd.

Bart, Pook, and Saav had come to love this little routine. Soon Ralph would call for them, and plates overflowing with warm leftovers from last night would be waiting. Then there would be a wash-up and a nap, and all-out playtime til lunchtime. Sometimes Carrie brought her lunch and sometimes she went out, but she always shared with them after she was done. The afternoon would be spent between the computer, snacks, and customers. Tomorrow the routine would be a little disturbed; at 10:30, Belle had her first appointment with the vet, but it wouldn't take long. She wasn't looking forward to it, but the older cats assured her that it would keep her healthy and would help her live a long, long time. And she'd be back within an hour or so, and she knew they'd all be waiting for her.

Ralph poked his head in the back door. "Cats! Bart! Belle! Girls! Come and get it! Morning, Carrie, how are you?"
The cats shot out the cat door and flew toward the restaurant's kitchen.
"Great, Ralph, and you?" she smiled.

"It's another wonderful day! Good to be a part of it," he grinned, and returned to his kitchen. Carrie smiled. Ralph's positive attitude and genuine love of life was contagious...and real. She looked over at the little laptop, smiling again. She would certainly be paying Justin a visit today.
A little while later, four stuffed cats dragged through the cat door.
"Did you get enough to eat, guys?" she asked.
Bart looked up at her from a chair, yawned, and belched loudly. "Yes," he smiled, winking at her.

Carrie laughed. Such a typical male, she thought. Bart grinned, and went back to his wash. She tried to imagine all the cats in that group's chatroom and smothered a laugh. She wondered what they were doing in that group. Were they posting messages? What were they saying to the other members? What kind of flea shampoo or cat litter did they recommend?
"You know, if you had the messenger at home, we could all talk at night before you go to bed," said Bart.
Carrie looked at him. "I never thought of that."

 

[Pookie]

"You're home a lot at night alone," Pook pointed out. Belle looked at Carrie sadly. She didn't know that.
"That's true," she said thoughtfully.

Bart saw the look in the kitten's eyes. "Carrie's husband is a consulting engineer, and he's often away from home, out of town. That's why Carrie bought this shop. It gives her something fun to do, keeps her busy, and she makes a living at it," he explained. "Right now he's on a job, and she only sees him one weekend a month."
"Oh," said Belle, feeling a little better, but still concerned that Carrie spent so much time alone.

"I have a computer at home. I'll do that, and I can say good-night and even good-morning to you guys. That's a neat idea, Bart. Usually after I walk the dogs and get a bite and clean up a little, it's either TV or a book. This will add a little variety to the routine."

A customer came in, a lovely but icy and haughty tall bleached-blond woman carrying a little yapping poodle. Instantly the cats fluffed up and Bart and Pook hissed.
She saw the cats. So did the dog. The dog went into a frenzy of barking, trying desperately to get out of the woman's arms.
"Get those damn cats out of here!" she shouted. "They're upsetting my poor little Peachie."

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "Get the damn dog out of here. It's upsetting Bart, Belle, Pook and Saav."
"What did you just say to me?" the woman demanded, stepping toward Carrie.
Carrie repeated herself loudly over the barking and hissing.

The woman looked like she had just been slapped. "No one talks to me like that!"
"I just did," Carrie smiled politely. "Twice."
Furious, the woman stormed out, her face beet-red. "You haven't heard the last from me!" she shouted over her shoulder from the doorway.
"Thanks for the warning," replied Carrie, making a face.
The cats settled down, angry.

"Why do people act like that?" asked Belle.
"I don't know. Sometimes people think the world turns around them," said Carrie.
"Had a lot of nerve bringing in that dog and demanding we get out, we live here," Bart muttered unhappily.
"That too," nodded Carrie.

 

[Pookie]

"We saw a bumper sticker about people like that once," said Pook. "It said, 'The more I see of people, the more I like my pets.'"
The other cats laughed. Carrie smiled and sighed. "That's how I feel sometimes," she said.

Saav, looking for a diversion away from that upsetting scene, looked at their new (used) laptop. "Is that done yet?"
Carrie looked at the screen. "Yep, all finished. You want to try it?"

"Oh boy!" exclaimed Pook, and all three cats and the kitten took off to gather around it on the counter. Saav rebooted it, and the operating system came up.
"Wooooooooo!" squealed Saav. The laptop, with its touchpad mouse, was very much easier for them, and the screen was bright and the colors were vivid.
"Let's check our emails," suggested Pook.
"Okay," said Saav, pawing in the password.

"Hey, you know, after we check our emails, you can go find a screensaver with cats on it and download it for your new computer," Bart pointed out.
Pook looked up at Carrie, and she nodded.
"Go ahead, cats," she smiled. "I won't need my computer for a while.”
Pook purred at her and smiled back. "Thanks, Carrie."

"In fact...." Carrie looked at her watch. "I have an errand I need to run real quick. I'm just going to close the shop for a few minutes and bug out. You guys want anything?"
"Yes, please," said Bart suddenly.
"Sure, my man. What can I bring you?"
"Yourself back safely. I didn't like that woman who was in here earlier, and she did threaten you. Be careful," he said, looking at her levelly.

Something about his tone and his concern gave her a shiver. Does he know something I don’t know? She was afraid of the answer to that question.
"I will, Bart. I promise," Carrie reassured him. She swung her coat on and collected her purse, pulling the curtains to and putting the 'Be back soon' sign up in the door before locking it securely behind her.

Carrie walked into the local computer store, and found one of the two owners at the counter putting up some blank discs in a display case.
“Hi, Justin,” she greeted him. He turned around.
“Hello, Carrie, how are you?” he asked.
She sighed. “I’m fine, but I need a little help.”
“Okay. What can I help you with?”

 

[Pookie]

“I need a good laptop for my….business,” she stammered. Oh my God, I almost said ‘my cats!’
“New or used?” he asked.
“Just a good used one,” she replied.
“Hmmm. What will you be doing on it?”
“Probably storing a lot of web pages and pictures, information on suppliers and dealers, that kind of thing. I’m starting to do a little more out-of-store consulting and I need something…portable,” she lied. I am so bad at this! I almost said ‘paw-friendly!’

“I see. Carrie, are you okay?” he asked her suddenly.
“Oh, sure, I’m fine. I just decided to take a different step here and I’m just hoping it’ll work the way I hope it will,” she said with a smile, hoping like mad she sounded convincing. Justin knew her fairly well, as he had built and installed both her computers and had often accompanied her and Joyce to movies and plays. Justin could always be counted on to be there for them.

“I guess that would make you nervous. I was nervous as hell when I opened this place and went from a repair business to a full store.” He patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Carrie, you’ll do fine. Just like your shop is a tremendous success, this new venture will be, too. Have faith in yourself.”
He just made her feel worse, for he was truly trying to help her and she had lied to him. But she knew why she was doing it.

Carrie smiled. “I appreciate that. I guess major changes can be just a little daunting at times.” At least that wasn’t a lie; it made her feel a little less guilty.
“They can be. But the good news is I can help with this. I just refurbished a really good one that I think will do just what you want it to, and if you like it, I’ll give you fifteen percent off plus your small-business discount. Over here.”

He showed her to the shelves of laptops, and handed her one of them, explaining its features. He told her about the others, but he was right; the one he had shown her first would suit her – or Bart’s and Belle’s – needs quite well. She decided on it, and asked about the DSL cables.

“Carrie, if you want to really be portable, wireless is the way to go, and you won’t be tripping over cables all over the place. If you go out of town, take a DSL cable just in case, but lots of hotels are wireless now,” Justin suggested.
Carrie remembered Pook and Saav and the chat nights too. “Oh. That too is a possibility, being away. How do I do that?”
He explained what she needed, and it seemed simple enough. “I’ll come by in a few minutes and install it for you – free,” he offered.

 

[Pookie]

“Great! Okay. Can I get an extra wireless card? I can carry a spare in my purse or something just in case I lose the one.”
“Sure. Whatever you’d like. Anything else you need? Got blank discs on sale – buy one pack, get a pack free, and jump drives are twenty-five percent off. Your business discount applies to the sale items too.”

She picked up everything she needed, and was quite pleased with the price after her discounts. Justin, like the other shopowners in Stony River, treated his customers well, and promised to come by the shop to install the router as soon as his partner arrived.
“Should be about fifteen minutes or so,” he told her.
“I really appreciate this, Justin. Thanks,” she replied. “See you in a few.”

 

[Pookie]

End of Chapter Three.

Enjoy!

 

[Pookie]

Chapter 4 – Meows

A few moments after Carrie left, the cats heard a noise at the door, and saw a tall, slender 40-ish woman with long auburn hair and green eyes peering in through the door’s window. She wore a down-filled ski jacket, slightly faded jeans, and hiking boots. For some reason, this woman seemed familiar to all of them, even Belle.
"Who is that?" whispered Bart. "I know her, I think."
Saav stared. "I don't know, but I know her too...somehow."

Then they saw it. There was a cat sitting on her shoulder, looking in at them with intelligent, curious green eyes like the woman's, blending in with the blues, grays, and black of the jacket. The cats were drawn to them. They abandoned the computer and flew to the windowsill for a better look, nosing between the curtains and jumping up.
The woman saw them and laughed. She had an incredible smile. "Well, hi there, little cats. You all are so beautiful," she said through the window.

The cats and kitten purred and purred, and the big grey tabby on the lady's shoulder leaned toward the window, smiled at them and winked. The cat wanted to come in. They wanted both of them to come in, but they couldn't unlock the door without the key, and Carrie had it.

"I'll come back in a little while. Bless you babies," she said, kissing her hand and putting her hand lightly on the window. The cats and kitten sniffed at the glass where her hand had been. There was a small warm spot. She smiled and the cat on her shoulder winked, and they went across the street.

The cats and kitten were awestruck.
"One of us," breathed Bart.
"Wow! She's so pretty! And that kitty can talk, I know it," said Belle.
“You’re learning,” Bart told the kitten. Belle purred proudly.

Pook and Saav looked at each other, ears twitching. "I hope they come back," Pook whispered.
"They will," Saav replied.
“What’s happening here?” asked Bart. “Seems we’re running into ones like us all over the place.”
Pook shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe we can find out somehow.”

 

[Pookie]

“We haven’t found anything about the clowder over here,” said Belle. “All Bart and I found were just a few odd Celtic and Egyptian tales. Nothing about unusual cats here…not sentient ones, anyway.”

“Well, and a few fables about flying cats in what’s now Eastern Europe. We don’t know how we got here, though, to the USA. That seems to be the missing link,” added Bart.
“Yeah, I know,” Saav said. “We looked too. Mom even went to the library, but no luck.”

They watched while the woman and her cat disappeared into the bookstore/coffeeshop, The Daily Grind, across the street. Reluctantly, the cats and Belle hopped off the windowsill and returned to the little laptop on the counter, and began hunting for a cat screensaver. They found one, and while it was downloading, Belle asked about Africa after studying the antique globe on display in the shop the night before with Bart. They searched for information about Africa and began reading the web pages and looking at the maps and pictures.

The three older cats were so engrossed in helping little Belle learn that when Carrie's key slid into the lock, they all jumped. Bart breathed a sigh of relief.
"We saw a magic lady!" Belle exclaimed. "She's coming back with her cat."
"What?" Carrie blinked.
“Yes! With her cat!” Belle said.
“Ohhh no, not that weirdo who dresses up in the black robes and carries that stuffed panther or cougar or whatever it is? I thought she was in therapy,” sighed Carrie. “Don’t tell me she’s back!”
“Not quite, Carrie. We heard about her,” Saav told her. “This is someone completely different.”

Pook and Bart described the pretty redhead with the cat who had come by earlier, and what had happened.
"Oh my," said Carrie. "Definitely not the weirdo, then. Where did she go?"
Bart nosed across the street. "To the bookstore over there."

"Then we better look like we're open," Carrie smiled, opening the curtains and putting her sign back out. Then she went to her Jeep, and brought in a large box and a bag.
The cats watched intently. "What's that?" asked Belle.
"Hmm. I don't know. Let's see what it is," Carrie smiled. She put them on the counter and opened the bag first. "Oh. Here's some wireless cards, a couple of nice jump drives, oh, and some computer cleaning stuff."

 

[Pookie]

"We only need one card, for Pook’s and Saav’s laptop. You have two," said Bart.
"We need two. You always need to have a spare on hand. You ever misplace one of these at three in the morning?”
“Gee, I’d have to think about that,” smiled Bart. “Um…no.”
Carrie laughed at him. Bart winked at her.

"But why two?" asked Belle.
"Well," said Carrie, opening the box and pulling out a laptop computer. "What else would you connect this thing to for Internet?"
The cats stared. Belle started to say something but was stopped by a short hiss from Bart.
"Yes, Bart and Belle, it's yours," smiled Carrie, putting it in front of them on the counter.
Belle gasped. Bart's eyes grew huge. It was a used laptop that looked brand new; a little bigger than the girls', but the same name brand. Belle put a paw out to it, then snatched her paw away.
"Go ahead, open the top. It's yours," Carrie assured her.

"Wow!" said Bart, as Belle lifted the top and opened it up. Pook and Saav gawked.
"That's cool, Carrie!" said Pook. “That’s better than ours!”
“It sure is,” Saav smiled happily. “Neat!”
Carrie smiled. “Justin’s coming over to install the wireless router in just a few minutes. This card is for you girls, and this one is Bart’s and Belle’s. Now, see, everybody can be online.”
She plugged the power cord in. “Fire it up, Bart.”
Bart pawed the power button and it sprang to life. Carrie moved a small mahogany Shaker-style breakfast table behind the counter next to her desk, and moved both laptops from the counter to the table, where they would be out of the way. A pretty little walnut stationery box held the jump drives and cleaning items. Then she placed a very colorful, room-dividing Oriental screen around it, making a private little computer nook for them. In front of the screen, she placed a pair of rubber plants to distract from the space between the screen and the wall where the cats could slip back and forth.

“Ooooo,” said Belle. “I like the dragons on that.”
"What's that for?" asked Bart, indicating the screen.
"How am I going to explain cats using computers to my customers?" Carrie asked him.
He blinked. "Oh."
"That might be a challenge," said Saav.

 

[Pookie]

Ralph poked his head through the door. "Cats! Bart! Belle! Lunchtime!" he boomed.
In all the excitement of the morning, Belle forgot herself.
"Wow, great! I'm starving!" she said, jumping from the counter.
Ralph turned white. Carrie stared at Belle. The cats froze.
Crap! Bart thought, and hissed at Belle. Belle cowered.

Pook and Saav shuddered. Carrie’s heart made a sickening thunk in her chest. Ohhhh nooooooo!
Ralph’s eyes narrowed as he studied the cats at his feet, his gaze finally resting on Belle.
"Did that kitten just say that?" Ralph asked.
Carrie nodded, as her throat went dry. It was too late.

Ralph stared at Carrie, thunderstruck. Then a look of slow realization stole over his face.
"I'll be damned. My mother was right all along," Ralph said, a huge grin spreading from ear to ear.
"Y-your mother?" Carrie stammered.
"She always said, 'Of course animals talk. You just have to believe.' She believed. I guess I did too. I take it this is something you all don't tell people, right?"
"Right."
"I'll never tell. People would think I was on something, anyway. Let me guess. The other ones talk too."
Carrie nodded, but she knew Ralph, and she trusted him. She knew he wouldn't even tell his wife.
“Who all knows about them?”
“You, Joyce, and me,” she replied.
“No one else?”
Carrie shook her head. “Not a soul.”

"Well, isn't that something." He looked down at the cats and little Belle, whose drooping head told them how ashamed she was. "C'mon, Belle, don't look so sad," he said, and scooped her up into his arms. "I'll make you a deal. If you get tired of talking to these folks over here, you can always come over and chat with me."
Ralph winked at Carrie. She relaxed noticeably, relieved. This must have been something meant to be, and Carrie always thought there was something especially kind-hearted about Ralph. Belle purred in Ralph's arms as he carried her to the restaurant, the cats following the jolly man to plates

 

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heaping with seafood and, of course, plenty of vegetables for one growing kitten.

Carrie sank to her desk chair behind the counter, still shaken. Ralph had taken that pretty well, she thought. She couldn't be mad at little Belle. Belle already knew she had made a bad mistake, and one not likely to be repeated. The little ones have to learn, she knew. Well, it was meant to be, or it wouldn't have happened. Whether it was meant to be that Ralph learned the secret or Belle needed to learn not to talk around other people, or both, it was meant to be and that was that. Carrie wondered about Joyce, holding on tightly to that secret for almost a year. And what had made Carrie ask her if the cats could talk those months ago? Rumors of talking cats from a fellow she hardly knew at all shouldn't have been enough to stir her curiosity that much. But Pook and Saav knew Carrie, and trusted her. Carrie wondered if Joyce had fussed any more at the little cats after she picked them up that afternoon.

Probably not. She was known for keeping her head and she obviously understood things that weren't exactly understandable, much less explainable. Carrie always felt closer to animals than people, even her husband, and she wondered about that. Why was she more comfortable around her dogs at home or her cats at work? She'd never been able to figure that out. Why were every one of her few friends pet owners? Ralph had cats at home and for many years had even had a horse. Did his cats talk? Did they use his computer? Did they join internet cat-owners’ groups?
Am I losing my mind?

If she kept this up, she'd drive herself nuts. She sighed. She needed to stop thinking about it.
Justin walked into the shop, providing a welcome interruption to her thoughts.
“Hi. You okay? You look upset,” he said,
“Oh, I’m fine, just thinking about…new ventures,” she laughed, trying to sound casual. Justin looked at her closely, and decided she must be a bit tired.
“You’ll do just fine,” he said with a smile. “Well, let’s get you wireless.”
“Great,” she replied. She watched as he hooked up the router and made sure it worked with his laptop.
“Want me to check your laptop connection?” he offered.

She suddenly realized it was behind the screen with the other laptop. That would be impossible to explain. He’d think she was crazy for hiding

 

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two laptops back there with no room for a human to work on them. “Ahh, no thanks, I think I can handle that. If I run into a problem, I’ll call you.”
“Okay. Well, you’re all set. Let me know if you need anything,” Justin said, turning off his laptop and getting up from the floor next to her tower.
“Thank you, Justin. I will,” she promised.

“Off to the next problem,” he smiled, and went out the door.
Carrie sat back down, worried. That was close. She sighed and got up, put on some coffee, and wondered if the woman with the cat was coming back today.
As if on cue, the shop door opened with a jangle of bells, and a stunning redhead with dancing green eyes poked her head in.
"Hi! May I bring my cat in with me or would you rather he stay out here?" she asked, smiling.
What a smile, thought Carrie. "No! Don't leave him out, bring him in," Carrie replied. "Pets are welcome here.”

What am I doing, she thought. Of course. The magic woman, Belle had said.
"Oh thank you! His name is Meows, and he'll stay on my shoulder,” she said, coming in. The big grey tabby seemed to smile at Carrie.
“He’s beautiful,” said Carrie. “May I pet him?”
“Certainly.”
Carrie reached up and scratched the cat’s ears. Meows purred at her loudly.
"Would he like a bite to eat? My cats here are next door feasting on seafood. Ralph always has plenty of leftovers,” Carrie offered.
"Would you like that, Meows?" the woman asked her cat. Carrie swore she saw the cat nod. “I think he’d love a little something right now. Thank you!”
"C'mon, we'll get him a plate," said Carrie, rising and going out the back, the lady and her cat following her. They went into the kitchen. "Ralph, you got an extra plate? Seems we have a visitor."

"Sure!" Ralph replied, reaching for a plate. The cats on the floor looked up.
"Oh, I saw these dear faces in your window when I came by earlier," she said, kneeling to pet them. Meows jumped off her shoulder and sat down, waiting for a plate and looking like he was trying not to drool. The cats purred at this lady's gentle petting, and Belle looked up at Meows and put out a little paw.

 

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Meows gave her a whisker-kiss, and she purred and rubbed against him. Carrie felt the big grey tabby was happy. Could he talk? One of us, Bart had said.
Ralph came over with a plate and set it in front of Meows. The cat looked at Ralph gratefully, and began his lunch, eating slowly, taking care not to be messy.
"Now he's a handsome one," Ralph smiled. He scratched Meows's ear and went back to work. The other cats and Belle returned to their plates, and Carrie led the woman out, pointing out the cat doors and assuring her the shop cats would make sure he got back after lunch.

"I love your shop here," said the woman. She introduced herself as Suzanna Pearson, and told Carrie she had just bought the huge Victorian house on the corner half a block from Carrie's shop, and was starting to turn it into a cozy bed-and-breakfast. She was planning to live behind the enormous house in what used to be the caretaker's cottage, and was remodeling that, too. The property had stood empty for over two years, and badly needed updating. For now, Suzanna was staying in a suite in one of the hotels downtown within walking distance to her new enterprise.

Carrie listened to her singsong voice, and Suzanna's laughter was infectious. Carrie introduced herself, and Suzanna told her she wanted to give the house its original pre-WW1 look, and was interested in antique lamps, furniture, and anything else Carrie could think of.
"I am so NOT an interior designer," Suzanna admitted. "But I want this place to be as close to perfect as I can get it."
"I can help," said Carrie. "When you're ready for the decorating, I'd like to see the place and we can go from there. Meanwhile, these may help."

She went behind the counter and got several catalogs out and piled them on the counter.
"Oh goodness," laughed Suzanna. "I didn't know there is so much out there."
"Well, a lot of these are copies and reproductions of the originals, but they are really, really good ones. It's ok to have a few reproductions in with the real antiques, as long as they're high-quality. Plus, it'll save you some money. Take these home and look through them, and get some ideas."
Suzanna looked alarmed. "Don't you need these?"
"No," said Carrie, shaking her head. "I have more copies of those back here."
"Oh, okay, thank you. This will really help," smiled Suzanna. "This is all so exciting."

 

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"I'm glad you bought that place. I hated seeing it just sit there, and I can't wait to see it all fixed up and vibrant."
The two women chatted a little longer, and Suzanna looked around the shop, asking about items here and there, admiring many, and talking about her plans for the property.
After their lunch, the shop cats waited for Meows to finish, then led him back to Carrie and Suzanna. They piled in through the cat door, talking away.
Carrie and Suzanna looked at each other.

"I knew this morning," Suzanna said with a wink. "None of yours spoke to us, but I knew."
"Thank you for lunch. It was delicious, and I enjoyed it very much. I also am enjoying the company of your cats," Meows said politely to Carrie.

Carrie stared at him, then smiled. Gee. Why am I not really surprised? Have I become so jaded now?
"You're - you're welcome," Carrie stammered. She looked at Suzanna. "Is he always like this? So proper?"
"He puts his 'people manners' on when we go out. When we're home, he slurps and belches and scratches just like everyone else," Suzanna laughed. Meows smiled. Bart laughed.

"We act like slobs everywhere," said the big orange tabby.
Meows shrugged. "I like making her look good." He nosed at Suzanna.
"I'll tell ya, she looks great with you on her shoulder like you were this morning," said Pook.
"Hey," said Bart. "Wanna see our new laptop?"
"It would be a pleasure," Meows replied. The cats all headed for the table behind the screen, and disappeared, whispering so they couldn't be heard by humans in case another customer came in.

"Oh, they use computers too," Suzanna smiled. "I had to get Meows a laptop, too. He wouldn't stay off my computer and I started needing it more, so the only answer to that was to get him his own."
"It's so amazing, these cats...using computers, reading, talking, educating themselves, knowing what they know...I've only had Bart for five months, and Belle was adopted just Christmas Day. Pook and Saav aren't mine, they belong to a friend who kept their secret for almost a year. Pook was the one who broke the secret to me. Her owner never said a word."
Suzanna nodded. "Meows spoke to me after I had him for about three days. He was only seven months old. Scared the crap out of me, but then I

 

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realized what a gift I had. He's three years old now, and you folks are the only ones who know about him. He told me we would know if we ran into others like us. They must have talked over lunch."

Meows poked his head around from behind the screen. "Yes, we did. We had a most enlightening conversation." He disappeared back behind it.
Suzanna snickered. "Damn cat ears."

Carrie shook her head with a smile. “Pook and Saav spoke to Bart first. Then…I don’t know. It’s very odd, the feral cats coming through last year and moving on like that. And only certain people finding the talking, sentient ones. Weird.”
Suzanna narrowed her eyes at Carrie. “Your two and the other two all come from the Ash Mountain clowder?”
“They have a name?!” Carrie felt a chill.
“You didn’t know?”
“Do I look like I know?” asked Carrie, annoyed.

Suzanna reached out and patted Carrie’s shoulder. “I’m not being coy. I am being careful. Only those who actually have these cats are supposed to know the tale, and I believe yours here are of the clowder.”
“What tale?”
“About where they came from. Who and what they are.”
“Can you start at the beginning?” Carrie asked.
“Sure,” said Suzanna, eyeing the coffeemaker. “But it’ll cost you some java. Can’t tell this kind of thing without coffee.”
“Sounds like I don’t want to hear it without having a well-stocked bar at my elbow,” muttered Carrie, getting up.
Her new friend laughed. “Well, it’s a bit early for that, I’m afraid.”

“Like hell it is,” said Carrie, going behind the counter and pulling out a tiny bottle of Courvoisier cognac. “How about it? You driving?”
Suzanna shook her head. “No, walking. You?”
“Depends upon how weird this story is. One, I’ll be fine, it’ll be out of my system by the time I close up. More than one, I call a cab.”
“What cab? There’s a taxi service here?”

Carrie laughed and got out two brandy snifters, then pointed toward the back of the store.
“Police department’s right across the alley. They’ve taken me home before when my car died on me and when I broke my arm in the alley, and the chief lives close to me and can bring me in, or Ralph can, it’s no problem,” said Carrie, pouring a fairly generous amount into both glasses.

 

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“Ah, okay. Good. I don’t think you’ll need more than one, though. It’s not that scary,” Suzanna assured her.
“Sure. I’ll be the judge of that,” Carrie replied, and handed Suzanna a glass over the counter. She pulled up a couple of chairs to a small end table, set out her “Closed” sign, and locked the shop door, leaving the key in the lock inside. The two women raised a toast to cats, sipped, and the cats stole out from behind the screen.

“Excuse us,” said Meows. “Suzanna, my friends have not heard the tale. They were separated from the group before they were able to hear it. May they listen in, please?”
“Of course,” replied Suzanna, raising her glass to them.
Bart eyed the cognac. “Perhaps some ice cream for us might be in order?”

“Okay,” agreed Carrie. She got up and went to the little refrigerator she kept in the back, and came back with vanilla ice cream for them. She put the bowls on the floor around the end table so the cats could have their treats and listen in easily.

“The Ash Mountain Ferals, as they are officially called, began in England in the days of King Arthur and the Isle of Avalon. There was a very young farmer living on the west coast of Wales who was said to have some very special powers. In fact, it was said at the time he was a healer, and some claimed to have seen the great Taliesin riding out to meet with him in the groves,” began Suzanna. “The young man’s name was Garaen, and one night he was summoned to the town in the middle of the night.

“One of the town’s richest merchants’ daughter was ill with a fever, and the merchant begged the young farmer to do everything he could to save her, and that he would pay the young man anything he wished if he would save her life and restore her health. Garaen told the father he would try, and if she did survive and get well, they would discuss and agree on a payment later. If she died, the merchant owed the farmer nothing. So the deal was struck, and the young man went in to the daughter’s bedside.”

Suzanna paused to sip her cognac, then continued:
“She was about dead, and after examining her, he realized that there was only one thing he could do. It was risky at best and involved a spell, and it had to be done exactly right or there would be disastrous results. He stepped back out of her room and told her father what he had found and the conclusion to which that had led, and after some thought, the father asked the healer about the spell. Garaen told him about it, and since it took the two of them to do it, he explained what the father’s role in the spell was.”
“What was the spell?” asked Belle.

 

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“Ssssshhhh!” hissed Bart.

“No one knows,” replied Suzanna. “It’s never been attempted since, and after a time no one remained who knew about it. Anyway, so the young man and the father go into the daughter’s room, and – “

“What was her name?” Belle wanted to know.

“Eliana,” said Suzanna. “So, they start the spell, but unknown to the healer, the father did not believe in magic or spellwork and halfway through the spell, he got nervous and very frightened, and became convinced the healer was actually trying to harm his daughter and take her from him. As I said, if the spell is messed up, well, here comes disaster.

“The door to Eliana’s room had been left open, and in walked a cat. The father went nuts, taking the cat’s presence as a sign that his daughter was being harmed somehow, and suddenly he fell over with a stroke, dead, just like that. Garaen and Eliana, because Garaen believed and Eliana was the object of his ministrations, turned into sentient cats.

“They knew they couldn’t stay in town, so they ran to the hills, and there they lived and started a family. The clowders grew from them, ending up in Europe and, later, Egypt, by ship. The cats were caught and put on board to keep the rats under control, and in 1492, on the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria….”

“That’s how we got here!” Pook cried.

“Exactly,” smiled Suzanna.

“Holy cow. That’s a wild one,” Carrie muttered. “And I thought Jack and the Beanstalk was weird.”

“Makes sense, though. If you find it hard to believe in magic, you’re going to have a hell of a time believing in sentient cats. Ask someone who’s a real witch or a Druid if their cats talk to them exactly as yours do. They’ll look at you as if you’re out of your tree,” Suzanna explained.

“Well, that’s true,” nodded Carrie.

“What was the father’s name?” asked Belle.

They all smiled at her.

“No one knows,” Suzanna replied.

The cats finished their ice cream and went back to the computer.

Carrie laughed. She went over to the coffeemaker on the end of the counter. "Would you like some coffee now? That wasn’t quite as scary as I thought it might be.”

"Actually...." Suzanna checked her watch. "If you haven't had lunch yet, would you join me for a bite?"

"Sure," said Carrie. "I'd love to."

Meows stuck his head out again. "May I stay here please?"

 

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"Yes," smiled Suzanna. "If it's okay with Carrie."

"Of course. They're having fun."

"Okay, you can stay. Just be good and don't break anything or make a mess."

Meows looked insulted. "Far be it from me to make a mess in a fine establishment such as this," he sniffed, and disappeared again.

Carrie's eyebrows went up. Suzanna laughed.

"That's a polite way of saying go jump," she whispered to Carrie.

"It certainly is," Carrie agreed, putting her coat on and picking up her purse.

The afternoon flew by for the cats. Meows turned out to be a wealth of information as well as an excellent and patient teacher, and little Belle absorbed the maps of the world as fast as Meows could show them to her. Then she wanted to learn about the oceans, then volcanoes, and from there she learned about earthquakes and hurricanes. Meows seemed never to run out of interesting facts and he answered her incessant questions simply and accurately. They took another break around three, when Ralph called them for a snack. Meows and Suzanna were very happy to find Carrie and the cats, and the two women were fast friends by the end of the day. When Joyce arrived to pick up Pook and Saav, she was glad to meet Suzanna and Meows, and to share their secret with them. Meows was sorry to see two of his new friends leave, but Joyce promised she would bring them over the next day, Saturday, for a visit. Carrie asked Suzanna to bring Meows over any time she wished, and he promptly asked if he could visit on Saturday. It would be New Year's Eve, and they decided to have a little party for all the cats that afternoon in the store.

Carrie told Joyce that Ralph now knew of the cats' amazing abilities, and she wasn’t upset at all, though Belle did apologize. It wasn't necessary, Joyce was comfortable with Ralph and after all, she felt Ralph deserved to share the exciting secret because he was so good and generous to the cats. Also, Pook had spoken suddenly without warning to Carrie, so Joyce understood how sometimes it happened, but to the right people. Carrie and Suzanna agreed with that, too. Joyce, along with Carrie, was also very impressed with Meows's 'people manners'.

When everyone left and Carrie, Bart and Belle were left, Belle looked around.

"Sometimes it seems empty in here when all our friends leave to go to their forever homes," she sighed, nuzzling Carrie's hand. Carrie looked down at the tiny blue-eyed kitten.

 

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"It does, doesn't it, little one?" she replied, petting her.

"Don't worry, we'll be meeting them on the computer later," Bart reminded her. Meows was going to add them all to his contact list so they could chat and he could continue to teach Belle and answer all her questions from home. Bart was eternally grateful to Meows for that.

"It's been quite a day," said Carrie. "We made some new friends."

"I'm glad you and Suzanna get along so well. I never see you with friends much at all," said Bart.

"I don't really have many friends," Carrie said. "I just work all the time when Kyle's away."

"Well, it's good for both of you. Suzanna's only been here a few weeks, and she doesn't know anyone, and she's almost as busy as you, getting that place in shape down there."

"I like them a lot," said Belle. "Meows is so smart!"

"He really is. He's an entire Encyclopedia Brittanica on paws," Bart agreed. "I knew he was smart when I saw him from the window this morning."

Down the street, Suzanna let Meows off her shoulder and plopped the pile of catalogs on the desk next to her computer in their hotel suite.

"Whew. I have a lot to look at," she told the cat.

He nodded. "True. But I think you found the right person to help you with it. And you've got me, too. You know I'll help."

She smiled that dazzling, warm smile of hers, and scratched his chin. "I know, and I appreciate you. Hungry?"

Meows gave her a helpless look. "After all I ate today? You should have seen Ralph's idea of a 'snack.' Not right now, Suzanna, maybe later. But thank you, anyway. Where'd you and Carrie go for lunch?"

"Oh, down to that little Chinese restaurant a couple blocks from the B and B. They have a great lunch buffet."

"That's nice. Looks like you two get along real well," he replied, hopping up on the nightstand on his side of the bed where he kept his laptop. Meows pawed it on. "I'm adding my new friends to my messenger. I never use the thing, but I stuck it on here anyway just a few days ago just in case I needed it."

"Good thing you did," she said, and turned on the news on TV and picked up a catalog and put it on the little sofa. She went to the tiny kitchenette and put on a kettle of water for tea. "You guys seemed to get along really well."