‘Only because I dug my claws in.’
‘But now you’re defending him.’
‘No, I’m not, at all. Although it’s funny, he was just as horrible to the Laura female as he was to me. But she defended him. She actually really likes him. She told me, when she found me in the shed.’
‘Yes, but there’s no accounting for humans’ stupidity, as you well know. We cats have more sense. If you go back there, I’ll … I’ll wash my paws of you!’
We’d reached my foster homes now. I stopped outside the gate to Daniel and Nicky’s cottage and turned to face Tabby.
‘Did I, or did I not, save your life today?’ I asked him straight. ‘Didn’t I stop you from running out onto the bypass?’
‘Not exactly. I probably wouldn’t have done it. But thanks anyway,’ he added quickly.
‘Well, at least I hope I’ve talked some sense into you. And have I, or have I not, agreed to come with you to talk to Suki tomorrow, even though I really don’t think I ought to be getting involved?’
‘Yes, and I’m grateful. I appreciate it.’
‘So I’m going to ask you to do something for me, in return. To show how much you appreciate it.’
‘Go on. What?’
‘Come with me on Monday, to the Big House.’
He jumped back as if I’d shot him.
‘Not on your life! Sorry, Ollie, but no way. What do you take me for?’
‘What do I take you for? A good friend, I hope. And anyway, you’re always fond of saying that I’m a timid little thing. Well, if that’s the case, and if you’re so much bigger and tougher than me, what are you so scared of?’
‘I’m not scared,’ he retorted, puffing out his chest. ‘I just don’t see the point of it.’
‘The point is, that little girl’s been very ill and Laura said that ever since I’ve been visiting her, she’s been getting better. So if I stop visiting her, she’s going to get worse again, isn’t she?’
Tabby looked a bit uncomfortable. ‘You don’t know that for sure.’
‘But I wouldn’t want it on my conscience. And if you don’t come with me, to protect me, because you’re so much bigger and braver than me’ – I put a lot of emphasis on the bigger and braver – ‘it’ll be on your conscience too, Tabs.’
‘Oh, now, hang on a minute!’
‘And you don’t really want anything else on your conscience, do you, what with Suki and her kittens?’
‘I thought you were on my side.’
‘I am, I am. But I’m just saying … look, I’ve made my mind up. Although it’s true, I was terrified today, and I am only little and timid, I’m going back on Monday, even if it’s just to make sure Caroline’s all right. And if I’m willing to risk it, but you won’t come with me, well, what does that make you?’
‘A cat with a bit more common sense?’
‘No. A scaredy-cat.’
It was a terrible insult. I waited for him to clout me with one of his big paws. But instead, he looked down at the pavement, and swished his tail a couple of times. And then he looked back at me and raised a paw in surrender.
‘OK, I give in. If you’re determined to go, I’d better come with you, or it’ll be you I have on my conscience when the angry man gets you.’
‘He won’t be there, I’m telling you. We’ll go in the morning. I heard them say he goes to the place they call London.’
‘All right. But don’t forget I’m counting on you tomorrow, then, to come and see Suki with me.’
‘Of course. Call for me here after breakfast, all right?’
We meowed our farewells, and I went in to see how Nicky and Daniel were. My head was aching at the thought of all these problems I was trying to sort out. It had been a traumatic day, and it had taken all my powers of persuasion to talk that rascal Tabby round. I must admit I was feeling pretty pleased with myself for the way I’d managed it. But most of all, I just wanted a nice bowl of Kitty-Chunks and a long, long nap.
I slept for a long time, in a comfy chair in Nicky and Daniel’s sitting room, and when I woke up it was getting dark and I could hear Nicky saying, in a loud voice out in the hallway:
‘There you are! For God’s sake, Dan, I was just about to send out the search parties. What the hell took you so long?’
‘Sorry, Nick. I got waylaid.’ He didn’t sound sorry. He actually sounded quite pleased with himself.
‘You did get some firewood, I hope?’
‘Yes, look. A whole bag full. And then, when I was on my way back, the guy who lives in the corner house was trying to start his car.’
‘Right. Very interesting.’ It’s funny, with humans, Charlie. They so often seem to mean the opposite of what they say. Nicky didn’t sound the least bit interested, in fact she went on quite impatiently, ‘Now, it’s freezing in this house and you must be cold too, being out all that time. If I make you a hot cup of tea, do you think you could use some of that wood to get the fire going? Or is it too damp?’
‘It might be. But I’ll give it a try.’
He came into the lounge, shrugging off his jacket and putting his rucksack down next to the fireplace.
‘Oh, hello, Ollie,’ he said as I stood up in the chair and did some stretching and yawning. ‘Have you been asleep in here? Had a busy day?’
‘You don’t know the half of it,’ I meowed.
I watched him for a while as he built up the wood in the fireplace. Nicky was quite right, it was really cold in the room. If it was going to take a while for that fire to warm us up, I’d be better off going next door and getting into my hammock on the radiator. But just as I was about to ask Daniel to let me out, Nicky came back into the room with two mugs of steaming tea on a tray.
‘Sorry I snapped,’ she said, putting the tray down on the little table. ‘I just couldn’t understand why you were taking so long. And I was getting cold. I nearly put the heating on.’
He stood up and pulled her into his arms. ‘You should have done. You must look after yourself, Nick. I don’t want you catching a chill and getting ill. Not now.’
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ she said. ‘The baby’s plenty warm enough in here.’ She patted her tummy. ‘Anyway, what were you doing all that time?’
‘I tried to tell you. The guy on the corner – his name’s Tony…’
‘Couldn’t start his car. So you spent half an hour or more watching him?’
‘No! It was obvious what the problem was – his battery was flat. I knocked on the car window and asked if he wanted some help.’
‘Ah!’ She laughed. ‘I might have guessed.’
‘Well, I couldn’t just watch him going on and on turning the ignition and risking flooding his engine, could I. He and his wife were supposed to be going to visit their daughter. They’re pensioners, and I’m not being funny but he seemed a bit clueless about cars. I asked him if he had a battery charger, and he looked at me like I was talking Swahili! His wife told him to take me round to his garage to have a look for myself. He doesn’t know what he’s got in there, she told me. And yes, there was a battery charger, still in its box like it had never been used, so…’
‘You came to the rescue.’ Nicky laughed. ‘Well, that was nice of you.’
‘The battery’s still on charge, of course. I’ll pop back later and see if I can get it going for him. He phoned his daughter to say they’d go tomorrow instead. I told him he really needs a new battery. But at least he should be OK temporarily, as long as he doesn’t leave his lights on or anything silly like that.’