294. Game of Cats

294. Game of Cats

To sequester their great-grandfather, the Atshebies had to leave the park round Castle Attor. That was clear to the Kittykids. And though they didn’t mention this out loud, they all had a naggigng notion leaving safe grounds might mean they could be sequestered themselves. 

Only Neferclari, most prudent of the kids, voiced a kind of reference to this risk they might run.

“This is Apple Island, nothing bad happens here. Even Pedubastis has said so.”

So they displayed their wings and spread them and  flew off towards their greatgrandparents home. When they got to the gate, they landed before it, hesitating to enter.

“He might not be here,”said Nefernedi.

“It’s early, but he is more likely to be at his golf course,” agreed Neferniki.

“We won’t know unless we ring the bell and ask if he is home,” said Neferedi.

“If we ask someone who isn’t him, that someone might try to stop us from sequestering him,” said Neferviki.

The Atshebies knew from experience that there were those who  would always try stop them from doing as they pleased. Especially at gates. So they decided not to ring the bell at the gate.

“We´ll send a spy,” said Neferniki, “and I myself can be the spy, if you like. I’ll turn into a cat and sneak in.”

“No, let me be the spy, please,” said Neferhari, “for I make less noise than you do.”

“None of us ever makes noise unless we want to,” said Neferclari. And that was true. The Kittykids could be very stealthy.

“Any of us could be the spy,” said Neferviki.

But unknown to the Atshebies there were already two spies present at that place and that time. Their names were Adelcat and Aldecat and most of the time they gave the impression of being two great big statues of  winged lions that guarded the gate of AEternus home. Not that it needed much guarding, this being Apple Island, where almost all doors are left open. But the Atshebies were so busy agruing who should be scout and explore the premises that they did not notice one of the lions had vanished and that the other no longer looked as if made of stone.

“A litter of kittens?” the Atshebies suddenly heard a ladies’ voice say. “These are the prowlers that threaten AEternus?”

“Mrs. Virbonus, they have turned into kittens just now,” said the lion who had remained at the gate. Adelcat, I believe he was.

“Heavens! What were they before that?”

“They looked like little fay kids. I think they want to look cute to fool us.”

And then Neferhari said, “Hi, Great-gran!” And he turned himself into his fay child true self.

“Why, yes. Hi, of course. But what are you doing here? These are my great-grandkids, Attor’s babies. They aren’t dangerous at all, Adelcat. But thank you for warning me, both of you. They shouldn’t be out here alone. Where are your parents, children?”

“Up North,” said Neferhari, “with our other great grandma. The great lady one.”

“We were there too,” said Neferniki, “But we returned home with Pedubastis and our parents stayed behind.”

“We returned because we were eating too much, Pedubastis said. But we think it was because our nanny can’t stand the cold. We did got a lot of gifts from St. Nicholas. That’s what we went there for. To decorate the trees and receive gifts.”

“On the sixth of December, his day,” added Neferniki.

“And to sing carols and winter songs,” said Neferclari.

“We sing very nicely. Would you like to hear us?” asked Neferviki.

“Ah, so you’re  a jingle of carollers come for pretty pudding! That’s what you are  doing here!” laughed Divina.

“No! We´ve come to sequester great- grandpa,” said Nefernedi innocently and the other kittens frowned at him a little for having given them away.

“You want to play with your great-gramps? Of course you do! Your daddy is away and you need a substitute. Did Pedubastis send you here?”

The Atshebies looked a little guilty when they said that Pedubastis had no idea they were there.

“She thinks we´re playing in our garden.But she said nothing bad ever happens in Apple Island, so it¡s alright for us to be here, isn’t it?”

“Of course it is! AEternus!” shouted Divina over her shoulder, “Come to the gate this minute!”

“Of course I will,” AEternus was heard to shout back, “for I am about to leave through that gate.”

And he appeared right behind the open gate with his golf bag, full of magnificent clubs.

“Forget about going to your club. Atty’s kids are here and they want to play with you.”

“Why?” asked  AEternus. “Why would any kid in his right mind want to play with me?”

“We chose you because you have a stick,” said Neferviki.

“She means a golf club,” said Neferniki.

“You want to play golf?” asked AEternus, sounding a little surprised.

“Not exactly. But we´ll explain when we have sequestered you,” said Neferhari.

“AEternus, you have just been sequestered. Better accept that. Make no resistance and don’t try to put up a fight, ” said Grandma Divina. “Just take these kids somewhere fun  and play with them.”

“What? Why should I do that?”

“Because if you are nice to them, I will be nice to you. And if you aren’t I will make your Christmas season hell.”

“So what else is new?” said AEternus.

“I have to do some online Christmas shopping. So what’s new is you are going to play with your great-grandkids. Find some way to amuse them! Go!”

And great-gran Divina pushed AEternus out of the gate and into the street before it, and shut the gate with herself inside. And Adelcat and Aldecat folded their wings and became moss-covered stone lions again.

“Look,” said AEternus to the Atshebies, “I have no idea why you are here to pester me, but the way I see this is that I have no choice now but to play with you.”

“Good!” said Neferhari.

“You have sticks. Now we have to find a stone,” said Neferclari.

“A stone? Civilized people don’t play with sticks and stones,” said AEternus.

“But you have to clobber it,” said Neferedi, “the stone, of course.”

“I? Clobber a stone? Why would I want to do that? What has it done to me?”

“You don’t have to want to,” said Nefernedi.

“In fact, you have to not to want to,” said Neferclari.

“But you have to do it,” said Neferhari.

“And it has to annoy you,” said Nefernedi.

“Why?”

“Because you are our slave.”

“I am? And that is the only use you have for a slave? Why exactly do you need for me to crush a  stone? What has the stone done to you? Or what have I, for the matter?”

“Pedubastis says that is what slaves do. Break up stones.”

“No way!” said AEternus. “I am going to entertain you kids for a while, because I am a very civilized being and I don’t want to argue with my wife in December. Civilized peole avoid fighting in December. But like I said before, civilized people don’t toy  with sticks or stones. And they don’t  have slaves either. And it is important for you to learn that. So I am not your slave, no matter why you think you need one, and I will pretend to be your friend and play with you at a much more civilized game. Understood?”

And AEternus transformed himself into what looked to the Atshebies like an older boy. About seven or eight, or maybe small for nine. But older enough for the Kittykids to respect him. And then he made a golf course appear. Not his usual golf course, but a mini golf course. And he spent the rest of the morning teaching his great-grand kids to play mini golf.

And AEternus was very nice to the Kittykids while he taught them to play mini golf, and they were very pleased with him and looked up to the nice, cool  older boy he seemed to be. But when it was lunchtime, he made a sack appear, and said there were faux hotdogs and hamburgers in it, but the Atshebies had to walk into the sack to get them. And because they thought he was a cool older boy, they entered the bag without thinking twice, which meant they trusted him a lot, because the Kittykids were by nature mistrustful.  

This story is being told to you by Little Dolphus, the intellectual Leafy.