Cats Aloft

by Lisa Martin

  The tamer grazed Tasha’s back with the whip and she snarled at him as she ran, shaking her great head. She slowed as she reached Cecil, sending him a quick nod. Before the tamer could react, Cecil darted out and fell into step with the tigress, running alongside for a few steps.

  “And up you go,” murmured Tasha.

  In a quick bounding motion he was up on her back, steadying himself and hanging on to her silky fur. The audience laughed and pointed. The tamer’s mouth fell open for a moment, but he recovered and smiled as if Cecil was part of the act.

  “Well done!” Tasha called back to him as she loped evenly.

  “Actually I’ve done this before,” he cried breathlessly. “I once rode a stampeding bison!”

  “Impressive.” She began to speed up. “Ready for the exciting part?”

  “You bet I am.” Cecil felt light-headed and he laughed. “Don’t miss!”

  “I won’t! Just hang on. Here we go!”

  The tamer cracked his whip twice over Tasha’s backside, very near to Cecil’s fluttering tail. Cecil yipped in protest, and the tigress cantered straight down the center of the ring, headed for the tallest barrel. Cecil looked up and saw the rings of fire in the air beyond the barrel, and he dug his puny cat claws into the folds of Tasha’s coat, pressing himself as flat as he could. Her fur smelled exotic, like wild rivers and jungle trees; Cecil was giddy.

  The audience rose to their feet, and the music swelled, filling Cecil’s ears. He felt the strength and grace of the great tigress as she ran. In one fluid movement, Tasha gathered herself and vaulted up to the barrel top. Cecil exhaled in a rush, then suppressed a gasp as she coiled again and sprang off of her powerful back legs into a long, soaring glide, an orange and black arrow through the heart of the rings of fire.

  The crowd went wild.

  “Whoo-hoo!” Cecil shouted. He had felt the heat of the flames as they passed. He had narrowly kept himself from falling on Tasha’s bouncy landing, but now he balanced easily as she cantered around the ring. As he raised his head in triumph, he saw a face in the front row of the stands, at once strange in this place but also as familiar as his own heart.

  He saw his brother Anton.

  My brother! Anton’s mouth was hanging open, his green eyes wide with surprise and worry. Cecil’s heart flooded with relief, but he had to stay focused on his plan with Tasha or all would be lost.

  “Get ready to jump!” Tasha called, still at a canter. She swerved at the edge of the ring and headed briskly toward a long rope hanging from a ladder. The end of the rope was high off the ground, as high as a person could reach. As the tigress drew near the ladder, Cecil pulled his legs under him and tensed to spring.

  “I’m set!” Cecil shouted. It was all in the timing.

  Tasha slowed to a trot under the dangling rope and Cecil sprang with all his might. He unsheathed his claws and dug all four sets into the rope, his muscles taut. Success! He was aboard, clinging to the rope and spinning, swinging like a pendulum, just as they’d hoped. Cecil was trying to be as big a distraction as possible.

  The audience howled at the sight, and the tamer stood scowling, his whip momentarily still. All eyes were on the swinging cat. But Cecil watched Tasha as she continued her circuit around the ring. Here was her chance—now she just had to make a break for it.

  Tasha had reached the far side of the enclosure when the tamer suddenly whirled. His long black whip sliced the air, cracking a hairsbreadth in front of her nose. Tasha reared up, yowling, her huge paws batting the air, then dropped to all fours and twisted away. The tamer darted to the edge of the ring and put himself between it and Tasha, still flexing the whip. Tasha paced narrowly in front of him, glaring with rage, but Cecil could see she was blocked. Now what? They needed more of a distraction, something else to divert attention for just a few seconds.

  Cecil glanced around wildly and saw only one possibility. On the next upswing of his rope, he let go, flying through the air with his legs held out wide, and landed on the tamer’s hairy head. The audience shouted with laughter as Cecil hung on with all his might, his front legs wrapped across the man’s face. The tamer, temporarily blind, stumbled in a circle, trying to pull Cecil off.

  In a panic, Cecil looked into the crowd and found Anton. His brother leaped to the top of the enclosure wall in a quick movement. Bellowing, the tamer pried Cecil’s paws away and flung the black cat to the ground. Cecil looked again and saw Anton set his jaw and coil to spring, his tail held high.

  “I’m coming, Cecil!” cried Anton. In a streak of gray, he bounded into the ring and flew toward the tamer. Cecil felt a flare of pride for his brother.

  The audience saw what was happening and hooted with delight. “Another cat!” they screeched. Anton scrambled past the barrels but lost his footing on the dusty floor. He slid toward the center of the stage and caromed off of the stand that held the rings of fire. Tumbling head over tail into the outer railing, Anton turned quickly to catch Cecil’s eye.

  But Cecil was watching the stand. It teetered and then crashed on top of the center barrel, sending the flaming rings rolling across the stage straight into the hanging curtains, which ignited like dry paper. The crowd jumped to their feet, screaming. The tamer stared, transfixed for a moment by the flames.

  “Now!” Cecil shouted to Tasha. “Run!”

  The big cat hurdled the low barrier and galloped down the aisle as if her own tail were on fire. Cecil rushed over, straining to see through the chaos of the crowd. As the immense tigress swept by, men shrieked and held up their arms. Ladies fainted beside them. A path opened for Tasha as the people fled and she plowed on, straight to the tent wall.

  Anton rushed up beside Cecil, out of breath. “What in the world is happening?” he cried.

  Cecil stood on his hind legs with his front paws against the barrier and peered after his friend. “Right now, Anton, we need a monkey to have the heart of a tiger!”

  Anton squinted sidelong at Cecil. “I’m just going to trust you on that.”

  Tasha pulled up short next to Sergio, who was hopping from foot to foot, chattering and waving his skinny arms.

  “Come on, Sergio!” shouted Cecil at the top of his lungs. “Stop wasting time! You can do this!”

  Three figures raced from the ring down the aisle, chasing after the tigress. The tamer cracked his whip overhead, and the two handlers’ chains clanked in their arms as they ran. They closed in on the great cat.

  Tasha turned to see the oncoming men. She spun back to the monkey, took a step forward, and gave a thunderous roar that shook the stands, echoing across the big tent. The arena went suddenly silent, as if holding its breath. Even the tamer flinched and slowed. In the quiet, the monkey could be heard squeaking pitifully. Finally, Cecil saw a long-fingered paw-hand reach up and yank the hook from the loop in the tent wall, drag back the canvas, and disappear.

  Tasha was gone in an instant, an orange-gray blur against the dusky evening sky. Cecil watched the opening for a few more seconds, making sure she had really and truly escaped, then he sat back and exhaled. She had made it. She was free.

  Mayhem swirled around Anton and Cecil. Some of the humans rushed back and forth carrying pails of water to the fire while others shouted and waved their arms. The workers hurried to cart away the equipment in the ring, and the audience rushed madly for the exits. Just as the smoke began to thicken the air, the two cats hopped the barrier and trotted toward the open tent-flap doorway.

  As they went, Cecil bumped Anton’s shoulder and smiled. “Brother, when you want to create a distraction, you really go all out!”

  Chapter 14

  Release the Hounds

  Hey, what are you guys doing, anyway?” chirped a little voice from very near Anton’s head.

  Anton opened his eyes and looked at Jasper, Camille’s son, through the mesh of the puppy cage. Jasper’s pink tongue hung over his chin as he panted in the small, airless tent. Anton didn’t immediately answer, and Jasper shifted his atten
tion to Cecil.

  “Hey, wake up!” he yipped at Cecil’s backside. “Why are you cats in here, huh?”

  “Yeah,” barked the other puppies, joining Jasper at the mesh and jostling one another. “What’s going to happen? Where’s that really big dog, huh? Where is she?”

  “All right, now,” said Anton, getting stiffly to his feet. “Calm down. Ruby will be back soon. You just have to be patient.”

  Cecil rolled over and eyed his brother skeptically. “You don’t know where Ruby is, do you?” he said quietly.

  Anton shook his head. “I can’t believe she’s not back by now,” he whispered, then turned to the puppies. “Cecil and I will go check what’s happening outside, okay? Be right back.”

  Outside, the tent city was eerily still. A few workers stalked through with their heads down, and the circus animals paced, ill at ease, in their cages on the train track. No visitors waited beyond the gate to see the show; no music played from anywhere. A wide black stripe stained the white canvas on one side of the big tent where smoke from the fire had bled through, and the ladders and ropes of the swinging troupe lay abandoned in the wet grass.

  Last night, Anton and Cecil had crept into the darkened puppy tent to escape the humans running in all directions in panicked chaos. Now, the scene outside was like a field deserted after a battle.

  “Gosh,” said Cecil, gazing around. “Where is everybody?”

  “They have all gone to search for the tigress,” said a glum voice behind them. Both cats whirled to find Sergio, jacketless, his red hat strung crookedly on his round head. “But they will not find her,” said the monkey with a little half-smile. “She is long gone from this place.”

  Anton stared at the slender creature, who stood on two legs and gestured with what looked remarkably like human hands.

  “I’m grateful, Sergio,” said Cecil, stepping forward. “She wouldn’t have made it without you.”

  “That I know,” said Sergio with a wave of his paw-hand. “And it felt good to help her, I can tell you that.” He paused, his round black eyes gazing meaningfully at the cats. “I saw her face as she went. She was—oh!—so very happy.” He sighed. “But now I am without a job.”

  “You can’t work here anymore?” asked Cecil.

  “The ringmaster saw what I did for Tasha. He is furious with me. I suppose humans will not trust an animal who can do the things they can do.”

  Anton could see the point. With paws like that, Sergio could steal keys, unlock cages, get into all kinds of mischief. A thought occurred to him.

  “Why don’t you come with us?” he suggested to the monkey. “We’re going to the Fair and it’s much bigger than the circus. There’s bound to be work for you there. Maybe you could perform in your own show.”

  “My own show? I have long dreamed of such a thing.” Sergio looked off into the distance as if considering, then broke into a toothy grin. “Why not?” he cried, ripping off the tattered red hat and tossing it away. “When will you go there?”

  “Right after we get the puppies,” said Cecil.

  “Oh, please!” Sergio gripped his head as if it pained him. “You are freeing the puppies, too?”

  “We most certainly are,” said a smooth, low voice behind them. It was Ruby, rushing up with dirt-covered paws and looking like she hadn’t slept a wink. “Hello, boys,” she said to the cats, eyeing the monkey as she swept toward the puppy tent flap. “Introductions will have to wait, we’ve got a job to do.”

  “Who is we?” said Sergio.

  “Step back,” Anton advised.

  In Ruby’s wake trailed four enormous black rats, shoving each other and snarling. They ignored everyone, bickering among themselves about dividing shares and who had first dibs. Cecil hissed and Sergio recoiled, but Anton stood with his chin jutted out, trying to show no fear. The rat pack plunged into the puppy tent after Ruby, and high-pitched yips filled the air.

  “That doesn’t sound good!” exclaimed Sergio.

  “Those are the stolen puppies I told you about,” Cecil explained to Sergio. “The rats are chewing through the latch cord so we can return them to their families at the Fair.”

  “Ah,” said Sergio. “Well, that is all good but we must leave soon or the humans will interfere. They do not like to lose control of their possessions, even if they are not theirs to begin with.”

  There was a rustle in the grass and one of the ladies from the tiger act emerged from between two tents. She stopped in her tracks and stared at the trio curiously. Sergio put on a wide grin and murmured to the others.

  “Back up nice and slow, as I am doing,” he said. “We will make a break for it.”

  At that moment the tent flap burst open and the rats charged out, carping and clawing. The lady screamed.

  “We did our job, now which way?” the rats demanded. “Which way?” The lean one named Frankie recognized Anton and gnashed his teeth. Cecil unsheathed his claws and tensed to spring, but Anton held him up.

  “I’ve got this, brother,” said Anton. “That way!” he shouted to the rats, pointing with a paw straight toward the enormous pile of trash in the corner of the field. The rats slithered off, leaving only their putrid stench behind.

  The lady caught her breath and pointed at Anton and Cecil. “You two!” she shrieked. “You were in the show, weren’t you? Where is Czarina? Tell me!”

  “Does she think we can understand her?” asked Cecil.

  “We really should be taking our leave now,” Sergio muttered.

  Ruby bounded out of the tent, six yapping puppies at her heels. “All right, everyone! Let’s get this show on the road! This way.” She took off toward the front entrance at a fast trot, the pups trailing after her. Anton, Cecil, and Sergio quickly fell in behind them.

  “Wait, where are you going?” wailed the lady. “You can’t just take the dogs!” She became more shrill, and then her voice was joined by the shouts of other humans.

  “Quickly!” said Ruby. “Through here.” The circus entrance wasn’t manned and the group sped between the gateposts and left the grassy field behind. They circled a large tree and spilled into the abandoned rail yard where Anton and Ruby had first met the rats.

  “Whoo-eee, that was exciting!” said Jasper.

  “That is one word for it,” agreed Sergio, gazing nervously around at the hulking, rusted machines on the old tracks. “And how far must we travel to arrive at this ‘Fair’?” he asked.

  “It’s a long walk from here, I’ll admit,” Ruby replied. “So let’s hold up here for a moment and discuss our arrangements, shall we?”

  The animals huddled next to the immense wheels of a silent steam engine and quickly mapped out their plan. Ruby would lead with her nose, a puppy on either side of her. The two cats would each walk between two of the other pups, and Sergio would bring up the rear and watch for hazards along the way.

  They struck off in their formation into the heart of the city, the streets as bustling as they had been the day before. Cecil finally introduced Ruby and Anton to Sergio properly and told the tale of the balloon crash and his escape plan for Tasha. Ruby, for her part, explained that when she returned to the tracks the night before, the rats had disappeared. She’d waited them out, surprising them with her offer. The puppies listened to the stories, doing their best to keep up. Avoiding cart wheels, mud, and humans, the squad of creatures was almost within sight of the main gate of the Fair when the puppies began to tire.

  “My paws hurt!” said one.

  “I have a tummy ache,” said another.

  “I can’t make it one more step,” said the smallest pup, dragging his tail along the ground.

  Ruby stopped on a corner under an awning, panting. “Look up there, all of you. Do you see that gigantic wheel, going round and round? That’s the Fair! We’re almost there.”

  “Don’t care about the wheel,” said Jasper, beginning to tear up. “I’m thirsty.”

  Sergio hopped from paw to paw on the hot pavement. “I thin
k we may have a further problem,” he said quietly. He tipped his head toward the street behind them, and the cats turned as well.

  Anton gasped. The ringmaster stood in the driver’s seat of a horse-drawn cart, his narrowed eyes darting from side to side. The cart was headed straight for the group.

  “He’s from the circus!” Anton told Ruby. “He’s looking for the puppies!”

  Ruby glanced around. “We have to hide. Hurry, behind here!” She led the others into a shadowed space behind a fruit stand, but Anton stayed on the corner.

  “Anton, come on!” called Cecil.

  “I know the horse,” Anton hissed. “Let me try something.”

  It was Henry, clopping steadily down the center of the avenue at a measured pace, his bay head bobbing. He spotted Anton and neighed a short greeting, but Anton gestured for him to keep moving.

  “Can you do me a big favor and speed up a little, Henry?” Anton called up as the horse and cart passed. Henry looked surprised, but moved into a trot. “Much appreciated!” said Anton. “And if you could take a turn off this road at the end of the block, that would be super!” Sure enough, as the cart reached the next corner Henry bore left without pausing. The ringmaster, no doubt looking only for white-furred animals, hadn’t noticed Anton right under his nose. Horse, cart, and driver disappeared down the side street.

  “All clear,” Anton called, and the rest of the crew emerged from hiding and pressed on, Ruby promising treats to the puppies when they arrived at the Fair.

  And what an arrival it was.

  Anton could see the guards at the gate from several blocks away, the shiny buttons on their uniforms glinting in the sunlight, their flat hats pulled low over their eyes. One by one they turned and craned their necks, pointing to the gang of ten creatures headed for the Fair entrance. Anton knew the troupe must look bedraggled, and that the puppies were hungry, hot, and stumblingly tired. Beyond the gate was the usual profusion of humans, strolling and talking and gawking at the thrilling sights. A large cluster of musicians stood to one side of the wide promenade and blared jaunty tunes out of gleaming golden instruments in time with a snappy beat.