Sure, Priscilla had made some mistakes—like playing with R2-D2’s head—and yes, she had hidden a lot at first…but maybe that was because she’d had to live all her life with mean old Mrs. Cormier. Perhaps all she really wanted was a home where she’d be treated with kindness and respect. And all this time, Megabat had tried to stop her from getting what every creature—fancy or regular—deserved.
Megabat flew out of Daniel’s pocket and landed on the ground in front of the cat. “Mine’s sorry,” he said sheepishly. “Megabat should have been more nicer to yours and not tried to stink yours up with mine stink potion.” The cat took a step closer and carefully licked the top of his head. It felt rough, like sandpaper, but Megabat didn’t mind.
Then Priscilla turned, waving her magnificent tail behind her, and went off to explore the shed.
“Is that why the kitchen was a mess that night and the cat smelled so bad when she came home?” Daniel said angrily. “Megabat! What did you think that was going to accomplish?”
Megabat hunched his wings up, feeling embarrassed.
“Yours didn’t love Megabat so much anymore,” he said in a soft voice. “Mine isn’t fancy or fluffy.” He held up one leathery wing, then let it drop. “Or pretty. Or pure of bread. Hers was stealing all yours’s love away,” he said with a little sniff, “like the puffer rats was stealing all Birdgirl’s seeds. Mine thought if hers wented away…” His voice trailed off.
He half hoped Daniel would tell him he was fancy too, but instead…“It’s true,” Daniel said flatly. “You aren’t fancy or fluffy or purebred.” He paused and Megabat felt his eyes start to well up with tears. “And love is exactly like seeds.”
Daniel walked over and picked a seed off the top of Birdgirl’s pile. Meanwhile, a single tear escaped from the corner of Megabat’s eye and splashed to the floor. So the cat really had stolen Daniel’s love, and now that Megabat had been a bad bat, he’d never get it back.
“Love is exactly like seeds,” Daniel went on, “because it can grow.”
Megabat blinked in confusion.
“Didn’t you know that’s what seeds do? They turn into new plants that make even more seeds.”
“Yours gots a love plant?”
“No,” Daniel said with a sigh. “What I mean is, just because I love Priscilla too doesn’t mean I love you any less, Megabat.” Daniel went on. “It just means I’ve got more love to give now. You’re both part of my family. And I love you the same amount, but in different ways. You’re not fancy, but you’re my best friend! Who else would watch Star Wars fifty times with me, or spin in the hammock chair till we puke? I’m always going to love you, okay? No matter what.”
“No matter what?” Megabat asked.
“No matter what,” Daniel answered.
By now, the cat was over in Birdgirl’s craft corner, where the pigeon seemed to be showing off her work in progress: the HOME SWEET HOME sign for the shed door, which was still missing a few letters.
The cat walked around to admire it from all angles. She rubbed her face against it appreciatively. Or, at least, it seemed that way, but it soon became clear that she was actually scratching her neck…and she was getting pretty vigorous about it.
“What are you doing, Priscilla?” Daniel asked, walking over to see. “I hope she didn’t catch fleas or something.”
Birdgirl was the first to figure it out. “Coo-woo,” she said, pointing to a spot on the sign with her beak. The cat had rubbed the beautiful diamond collar right off her neck and dropped it onto the sign where it made a perfect, glittering letter O. The most wonderful, wonderful gift from a cat who was much more wonderful than she’d at first seemed.
“Oooooh,” said Megabat. “So niiiiice.”
It really was a lovely moment.
Until they all heard the sound of footsteps out in the yard. “Daniel!” his mother called. “I just got the weirdest email from some guy who wants to buy our cat for one dollar! Do you know anything about an online ad?”
“Uh-oh.” Megabat took off up into the rafters where Daniel wouldn’t be able to catch him.
“Megabat?!” Daniel had his hands on his hips. “Please tell me you didn’t try to sell the cat.”
“Mine didn’t try to sell the cat,” Megabat repeated obediently.
Daniel stared up into the darkness with disappointed eyes.
“Oka-hay, fine. Mine did a little bit try to sell the cat.” Now Daniel looked really exasperated. “Don’t forgetting yours loves mine no matter what!” Megabat reminded him.
And even though Daniel groaned and Priscilla’s tail twitched in an oh-so-offended way, Megabat wasn’t really worried. After all, they were family.
A Little Bit about Bats
Megabat is based on a real kind of fruit bat (or megabat) called the lesser short-nosed fruit bat. These bats are tiny, weighing between 21 and 32 grams—which is about as heavy as an AA battery, or a mouse—and live in South and Southeast Asia and Indonesia (Borneo), usually in rainforests, near gardens, near vegetation or on beaches.
Of course, even though Megabat is based on a real kind of bat, he’s also made up. I don’t need to tell you that actual bats can’t talk…not even in the funny way that Megabat talks! But it might be worth mentioning that bats don’t make good pets, either.
Bats are amazing creatures and an important part of our ecosystem. North-American bats eat insects, and they’re rarely dangerous to humans. So if you see a bat in the wild, it’s okay to observe it from a distance, but don’t try to touch it or trap it!
Acknowledgments
It takes a lot of people to help a little bat shine. Big thanks to the warm and wonderful team at Tundra, especially the Sams (Sam Swenson and Samantha Devotta) for being Megabat’s number one fans.
Huge gratitude to Kass Reich, who is not only lovely to work with, but who draws the cutest evil squirrels and the fluffiest fancy cats—and to Amy Jo Tompkins, agent extraordinaire, who finds each of my books the exact right home.
Finally, thank you to Cleo, for being the fanciest princess of a cat I have ever known, and to Brent, Grace and Elliot for being my people.
Megabat and Fancy Cat Page 5
