Ghost Doll nodded, wondering where he was going with this.
“Well, by my understanding, a doll belongs in a toy store, am I correct?”
“I lived in a toy store a long time ago,” said Ghost Doll, brightening as she remembered her early life. “It was a beautiful place, and I had lots of friends. Then Lucy came. She chose me to go and live with her. Out of all those lovely dolls, she picked me.”
“Well, I know a toy store where you'll fit in fine,” said Jasper. “There are so many toys that no one will notice you're a bit different. Come on, I'll take you there now.”
Ghost Doll eagerly floated beside Jasper. She was full of questions about the store: where it was, and who ran it? Were there many dolls in the shop? What kind of clothes did they wear these days? Jasper couldn't give detailed answers and finally resorted to saying, “Just wait and see.”
It was around noon, and the pair spent the afternoon flitting from shadow to shadow when no one was watching. Several times Jasper had to push himself towards Ghost Doll to stop her from walking under someone's feet or into the path of a stroller. It was hard work pushing an almost-not-there friend.
It was evening when the pair arrived before a huge building of glass and metal. Lights flashed from every window, and Ghost Doll caught her breath at the wonder of it. “What is it?” she asked. “Is it a church?”
Jasper laughed. “No,” he said. “It isn't a church, although by the way humans worship it, you'd think it was. It's the department store. This is where the toy store is.”
Ghost Doll was bewildered. It looked nothing like the store she had been purchased from. It had been a single-story brick shop with a bay window in which toys were chosen everyday to sit and welcome children in. This was enormous.
“Is it full of toys?” she asked.
“Not quite,” said Jasper. They sat together beside a sandwich board offering a special deal on hamburgers and fries. In the fading light they were hardly noticed; a mangy old cat and a soft illumination. People rushed past on their way to catch buses and trains. Cars honked in the snarl of rush hour. Lights flickered on in windows and the street. Gradually, the noise died away.
“Come on, the coast's clear,” said Jasper, and he walked out into the empty road. Ghost Doll floated nervously after him. It was both exciting and frightening. New friends, a new home, new ways to understand. But what would happen to Jasper if she found a home at the toy store? Ghost Doll didn't like to think about that too much.
One long window of the store was filled with large colored pictures that were moving. Some showed people; others cartoon characters. Ghost Doll stared and stared. “We can't go in there, it's full of people,” she said. “Why is it the same person, over and over?”
Jasper stifled a giggle. “That's television,” he said.
“Oh,” said Ghost Doll, delighted. “Lucy's friend at school had a television. I never saw it, but Lucy told me about it. She didn't say anything about how colorful it was.”
There were still a few customers coming and going through the store's glass front doors. Music came softly from within. Jasper stepped up to the door.
“Come on,” he called encouragingly. Ghost Doll hovered beside him.
“I'm scared,” she said.
“It's okay, you'll be fine. You'll like it here. Now stay close while we get through the door.”
Ghost Doll put a pale hand onto the rough fur of Jasper's back. It was warm, and she could feel a faint purr rising to comfort her.
When she was right in front of the doors, Ghost Doll realized they weren't like anything she had ever known. The door contained a circular box that whirled around slowly inside like a mixer. How were they to get through that? Surely they'd be squashed into paste like cake batter. Jasper felt her hesitate. “It's a revolving door,” he said. “They take a bit of getting used to. Step in on the count of three and then jump out when I say. Ready? One, two, three…”
There was hardly time to blink before Jasper was saying, “jump!” Ghost Doll would have lost her balance if she'd been relying on regular legs, and as it was she kept whirling for a while afterwards. When she stopped spinning she was able to look around. Inside was like a palace. There were lights hanging from the ceiling in chandeliers and mirrors reflecting the many tiny little crystal light bulbs so that everything twinkled.
“Oh,” sighed Ghost Doll, “it's a fairyland.” Jasper purred louder, happy that she approved. “We're not there yet,” he said and walked off toward the center of the store.
“Moving stairs!” exclaimed Ghost Doll. “I've heard of them but never seen them. How clever. Lucy would have loved to come here.” She floated onto the escalator next to Jasper, who appeared to be totally at ease, and they moved up to the next level.
The second floor looked like a living room. Cozy armchairs sat in little groups with coffee tables between them. Rugs lay draped over displays, and reading lamps made soft, inviting pools of light across a much darker floor. On the far side were beds made up with white quilts and fluffy pillows. They looked very inviting.
“Can I live on this floor?” asked Ghost Doll.
“Well, you could,” said Jasper, “but I think you'll like the next floor better.” They went up another set of escalators and onto a floor already closed for the night. It was dark except for a handful of security lights and green exit signs. Rows of shelves loomed in front of them. It was too dark to see much, but they could just make out trucks and cranes, boats, spaceships, and train sets. All these were recognizable to Ghost Doll. Things hadn't changed that much after all.
“This is the toy department,” said Jasper, waving his tail with pride at having brought his friend to the promised destination.
“Now, I suggest you find a nice snug corner and rest until morning. There will be time to meet your new friends before the store opens.”
“You'll stay with me, won't you?” asked Ghost Doll, but she knew the answer.
“I have work to do,” said Jasper. “A cat can't neglect his territory for long or some young kitty will take over. There are people to see and deals to be sorted. I'll come and see you tomorrow night, though, about this time.”
Jasper could see the fear in Ghost Doll's eyes, and he felt unhappy about leaving her on her own.
“It's only for one night, then we'll see how you feel,” he said gently. Ghost Doll hugged him as hard as her ghostly form would allow, and she watched him disappear down the now still escalator.
Chapter 8
A broken black metal box lay on the floor of a brick-lined cavern. Streams of rats came and sniffed it intensely before racing into the dark.
Each rat set off after the scent of the fallen star. The doctor had given them all an injection of a serum he was working on. It would double or triple their strength, he had said. It was a trial, and he couldn't guarantee how long it would last. The rats felt strong and brave. They couldn't wait to tackle the cats. But first, they had to find this stardust the doctor wanted.
They tracked the smell from the black box to the place the stardust had fallen, the now bare, flat block that had once been a row of townhouses. The scent was very faint. The stardust had moved on. It had gone west, back across the main road, through a park, and to the back door of a restaurant.
“What are you scum up to?” asked an old tom cat, his ears torn to shreds and a long scar down one cheek. “Buzz off if you don't want to end up as dinner.”
“Watch it, you ugly old fur ball,” said one of the rats. “Mind your own business; pull your head in if you don't want it taken off.” Before the old cat could lash out with his paw, the rat had bounced out of sight.
Further down an alleyway two young cats serenaded their girlfriend. A fat rat jumped between them, and without missing a note of their song, the two toms pounced. The rat leapt to the windowsill and ran over pretty Queenie, the female cat, as she sat still. She whirled around with teeth bared, but the rat had run straight up the brick wall and looked down upon the trio.
“Got to be quicker than that,” it said, spitting into the alley. “No more easy catches for you.” And it had gone.
“What a nuisance,” said one of the toms.
“Just let me at him,” said the other.
“There's something fishy going on,” said Queenie. “I don't trust those rats. Let's go and see Jasper. He'll know what it's all about.”
They found Jasper outside his favorite fish and chip shop, munching a fillet of Perch with a side order of fries.
“Want a bit of fish, Queenie?” Jasper asked as the three cats approached.
“I wouldn't mind a taste,” said one of the young toms.
“I wasn't asking you,” said Jasper with a low rumble in his throat.
“Was just saying,” muttered the tom.
“So, what's new?” Jasper asked Queenie as he sat back and licked fish batter off his face.
“Rats,” she said. “We've just been attacked by a rat. It came out of nowhere, jumped all over us, and dashed off, giving us lots of attitude.”
“And these two brave soldiers didn't protect you?” asked Jasper.
“To be fair, Jasper,” said Queenie, “it was too quick. I've never seen a rat so bold or fast. It said something along the lines of ‘no more easy catches for you’ before it sped away.”
“I think you are making a bit more out of this than necessary,” said Jasper. He licked Queenie up the side of the head, and she flicked a paw at him to stop.
“We need to take this seriously,” she said. “I can feel something isn't right. My instinct tells me we need to be on our guard.”
“I'll have a look around then,” said Jasper. Queenie got up to leave, taking her entourage with her.
“By the way, Jasper,” said one of the young toms, “Old Murdo Nally has put a price on your head-dead or alive—so you better watch it.”
The cat scampered off before Jasper could touch him. Maybe Jasper could go and see Murdo before Murdo found him.
Ghost Doll wandered down the aisles of stacked toys. So many boxes, so many wonderful designs. She gazed longingly at the dresses on the fashion dolls and remembered the lovely yellow sundress with its full skirt and lacy petticoat that she had been sold with. Her tattered white dress was all she had now. No toy moved as she examined them. They all stood frozen behind their cellophane windows, not a sign that they could move or talk. Perhaps it was whatever new material they were made of, Ghost Doll thought. Perhaps there was no life in it.
On the third row she came across terrible monster-like figures. She'd never seen anything like them before. She'd remembered Lucy's little brother having a tin robot. She'd been frightened of him at first, but he'd turned out to be quite friendly, if a little repetitive in his conversation.
Some of the boxes had holes cut in the see-through plastic at the front. A sticker read TRY ME—PUSH BUTTON HERE. After a while, Ghost Doll gathered the courage to try one. She floated in front of a fearful looking reptile with open mouth showing large, pointed teeth. With all her ghostly strength, she pushed the button.
A great, angry roar echoed throughout the room and the heavy jaws opened wider before gnashing together. Ghost Doll nearly hit the roof in fright. She whizzed around two more rows of shelves to get away from it.
A window faced out into the street. Baby toys, strollers, and cribs stood before it, forming a welcoming nursery. Ghost Doll went over, still shaking. She sat on the wide ledge among photo frames, food bibs, and an assortment of rattles. She turned her head up to watch the stars in their nighttime dance. She sat very still and could hear them singing even through the panes of thick glass.
“Why can't I be like you?” she whispered, tears rolling down her, face. The stars shone down on her and suddenly Ghost Doll realized that she wasn't actually a ghost but a fragment of starlight. The tears still glittered on her cheeks, but she started to smile.
Chapter 9
No one had seen Murdo Nally for some time, but that didn't mean anything in particular. Jasper knew that his archenemy had a large territory to oversee, and he could be anywhere within it. Tiddles and Mopsy, the two ancient tabbies who lived above the empty bookstore, said they had heard Murdo had been in a fight and was a little worse for wear. Jasper decided he'd take that information with a grain of salt. It was unlikely Murdo had suffered any great or lasting injury. Even Jasper couldn't beat him in a fight.
By lunchtime Jasper was beginning to feel a little worried. It was unusual not to have heard anything about Murdo. He must have beaten some cat up fairly recently. But there was no news whatsoever of him or of any fight. Time for lunch, thought Jasper, and he made his way down the street and around the corner to the back entrance of Joe's Burger Bar. Joe was a cat lover and always had tidbits on hand for a passing feline. It was also a good place to get gossip from other cats.
Jasper was about to tell Joe he needed lunch when a movement further along the alley caught his eye. Rats. Jasper hunkered down and slunk along behind a pile of empty boxes. The rats were in deep conversation.
“And so I says to them, ‘There won't be any more easy catches,’” said the smaller rat. “You should have seen their faces when I jumped on the old girl.” The rats snickered.
“Don't give ’em too much information,” said a large black rat with half its nose missing. “We don't want them getting an idea as to what we're up to. Be better to have kept yer mouth shut.” He whacked the smaller rat on the side of the head and knocked him sideways. The smaller rat bounced straight back and forced the bigger rat to the ground, sitting on top of him.
“Don't tell me what to do or say,” he said, sticking his nose into the other's astonished face. “Times are a-changing and the meek will inherit the earth.” And with that, he bent and tore a great chunk out of the other's ear.
Jasper, seeing his enemies so absorbed in their own dispute, crept closer, thinking he'd pounce at the last minute and finish the two off with one blow.
His paw slipped on a greasy packet, though, and the rats caught sight of him.
“What you gawping at, fish breath?” said the smaller rat, blood dripping from his fangs. “Want me to do the same to you?” The larger rat crawled out from under his opponent and shot off under a garbage bag bursting with trash.
“Like to see you try it,” said Jasper, still poised ready to leap. “What were you saying to your friend? What's this about the meek inheriting the earth? How are you going to manage that, shrimp paste?”
“We've got a secret,” said the small rat, unable to keep his glee to himself. “We've got a new friend, and he is making us into super rats.”
“Oh, yeah?” said Jasper. “And who is he?”
“He's a scientist,” said the rat. “His name is Dr. Bor—” but before he could say any more, the large black rat had returned with reinforcements. Ten burly rats jumped out and covered the smaller one completely. Shrieks of pain came from under the swarming heap of rats. Jasper turned away in disgust and left them to punish their own. He bypassed Joe's. He had more interesting and pressing things to think about than food.
The night was withdrawing; the stars had ceased their singing. Ghost Doll sat, upset, on the window ledge, wishing Jasper would come back soon. Why didn't these toys move and talk the way she and the other toys had in Lucy's house? If she was going to live here, she was going to be very lonely. As she sat she began to grow uncomfortable, as if someone was watching her from behind. She shouldn't have sat in the open so long, she thought. It would be awful if customers saw her. Slowly she turned around.
Standing a few feet away was a large group of toys. They stood inspecting her silently, not a friendly smile among them.
“Hello,” she said. “I'm Ghost Doll. I've come to live here.”
A large teddy bear took a step forward.
“Why?” he growled. “You're not a toy.”
“I am,” said Ghost Doll, “or I was. I fell asleep many years ago and have been woken by stardust falling on me. I think I'm a
sort of ghost-star toy now.”
“Well, you can't stay here,” said a spaceman. “This store is for new toys only. You should be in a junk shop or at a flea market.”
“Or at the dump,” said another toy from further back.
“’Specially with that ratty old dress,” said a fashion doll, haughtily. Her friends grouped closely around, and they began whispering and giggling among themselves. Ghost Doll grew pale. They were laughing at her. She was old and battered and unattractive. The toys were right—she didn't belong here.
“I'll find somewhere else,” she said, cowering under the fierce gaze of the toys. She wished they'd all go back to their shelves. They were much better when they hadn't moved. “I have to wait for my friend to come, though,” she added. “He should be here soon.”
The toys talked among themselves. “Okay,” grunted the teddy bear. “You can stay ’til your friend comes, but keep out of sight.”
The group moved away, back to their homes. Ghost Doll stood by herself in the light of dawn. Suddenly, the store lights flickered on. The toys all raced for their shelves and within seconds were all back in place. Ghost Doll dashed for the cover of a bassinet.
“Hey, Charlie!” called a man in uniform. “What was that?”
“Where, Bill?” Another man in an identical uniform came to stand beside the first.
“Over there in the babies’ section. Thought I saw something move.”
The security guards looked towards Ghost Doll. One of them turned on his flashlight and waved it around, but the light from the rising sun made it impossible to see anything against the window.
“Must have been a trick of the light,” said Charlie.
“Or a rat,” said Bill. “Saw a nasty big one the other night in electrical.” The two men strolled down one of the toy aisles, then disappeared through one of the doors marked EXIT.
Ghost Doll and Jasper: A Graphic Novel Page 3
