It was a sunny day in early spring when I visited Robert in his home. We are old friends but as often with friendships we had our disagreements. He kept four cats and required scarcely anything of them. I had tried to convince him that he was undermining their moral fibre by allowing them to sponge off him, but he in his amiable way simply turned aside my admonitions. I said nothing of it as he greeted me and led me to his living room, with its glass doors opening out onto an expansive lawn running down to the edge of the woods.<\/p>\n
Then the cats filed in, one by one: little Jemima, amiable Munkstrap, placid Jennyanydots, and finally the dignified Bustopher Jones.<\/p>\n
I saw a flash of orange at the woods\u2019 edge. Jennyanydots sprang to unaccustomed alertness. \u201cLook, look!,\u201d she hissed in agitation. \u201cThere he is again!\u201d<\/p>\n
(I must explain here that I am condensing the narrative a bit. Lacking Robert\u2019s fluency in Catalogue, I rely on his translation from the cat speech. And as I discovered, in reality cats are as prone to talking over one another as we.)<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, the poor thing,\u201d Jemima said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDisgusting!\u201d Bustopher Jones yelped. \u201cSomething should be done.\u201d<\/p>\n
An orange cat emerged from the woods, looked about, and started toward us across the lawn.<\/p>\n
Plainly alarmed, Jennyanydots yowled, \u201cHe\u2019s heading toward us! What shall we do?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow, now,\u201d Munkstrap purred soothingly, \u201cthere\u2019s no need to panic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just wants a little milk and some company,\u201d Jemima said. \u201cI feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know this cat,\u201d Bustopher responded sternly. \u201cAn illegal, criminal cat probably from Caxico, or perhaps Cata Rica, or even Catzil. Someplace with awful, disgusting habits where they have no decent behavior. Look: you can see he has no idea how to lick himself properly. Disgusting!\u201d he repeated.<\/p>\n
The orange cat certainly did look rather ragged, and distinctly lean.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimply because he\u2019s here uninvited doesn\u2019t mean he\u2019s a criminal,\u201d Munkstrap remonstrated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s here to intrude and disrupt our family, and that\u2019s criminal enough for me,\u201d Bustopher shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree with Bustopher,\u201d Jennyanydots said. \u201cHe should be put over the border into Caxico.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that he\u2019s really from Caxico,\u201d Jemima objected.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s where he belongs anyway,\u201d was Jennyanydots\u2019 \u00a0scornful reply. \u201cCertainly not here.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut look at him,\u201d cried Jemima. \u201cSee how forlorn he is. Is he not one of Bast\u2019s kits, just as we are? Is he not as deserving of her bounty as we?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you want him lapping from your milk dish?\u201d the larger female shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t worry about milk,\u201d Robert put in. \u201cI just got more and plenty of cat food and litter as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bustopher Jones snorted and Jennyanydots sniffed. \u201cIt\u2019s our house and family,\u201d they chorused. \u201cNot his.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh come now,\u201d I said. I had not meant to intervene, but felt driven to. \u201cIt\u2019s Robert\u2019s to decide, after all. It was his grandfather who built the house that shelters you and his mother who started the business that pays the milk bills. You are but guests here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennyanydots snarled, a shocking sound from her, and bared her teeth at me. She looked rather ridiculous, to tell the truth.<\/p>\n
Bustopher Jones drew himself up and shot out his chest. \u201cThe milk is not the issue, nor the food. Worthy as he may be in Bast\u2019s eyes and much as we no doubt owe to Robert and his ancestors, it really is our family and our house, just as Jennyanydots says, just as much as it\u2019s Robert\u2019s. Have we not remained on the alert all these many years, prowling the house constantly to patrol for intruders? Have we not stood always ready to ward off mice, rats, dogs, and even more fearsome beasts like werewolves and unicorns? Who could be more faithful? What does the orange one know of all this?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, Bustopher,\u201d Jemima chuckled, \u201cYou haven\u2019t caught a mouse in years.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe mice aren\u2019t the issue,\u201d Jennyanydots snorted. \u201cIt\u2019s the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
The orange one had by now reached the door and stood with his nose practically pressed against the glass, looking in at the elysian world within.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink what he might be able to bring,\u201d Munkstrap entreated. \u201cA whole new world of experiences and ideas, refreshing and reinvigorating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jennyanydots was having none of it. \u201cDisgusting and corrupting, more like.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou watch,\u201d Bustopher Jones admonished, \u201cA horde of others just like him would soon follow. There\u2019s never just one. They will descend on us with their raucous, uncouth behavior and bizarre, filthy habits. They will want to take over the house and the patrolling of it for themselves and displace us. They know nothing of us and our community and will show us no respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would learn our ways, surely,\u201d Munkstrap responded.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet him learn our ways first,\u201d Jennyanydots shot back.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we not have some compassion?\u201d Jemima pleaded. \u201cWe have so much and he so little.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd what of all the others?\u201d Bustopher demanded. \u201cIf we somehow are obliged to open our doors to one why not to a dozen, or a score? We should be submerged!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just want to keep my home,\u201d Jennyanydots wailed. \u201cIs that so much to ask?\u201d<\/p>\n
The hall clock struck the hour. I drew my watch from its pocket and found that the time had quite gotten away from me.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, dear,\u201d I said. \u201cI must run. I shall be late.\u201d<\/p>\n
I took my leave of the cats as I rose. Robert accompanied me to the door. I glanced back to see the orange cat, now on his haunches, still peering in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very sorry to leave you at such a moment,\u201d I told him.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very vexing, very much so.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat shall you do?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know. I cannot impose a solution. That would be wrong, and leave much ill-feeling. We must come to a common view.\u201d<\/p>\n
I did my best to give him encouragement, but my heart was heavy with foreboding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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