Things Get Worse, Part II

I kept a wary eye out for the elusive "Princess" for a day or two. I never saw her, except as a gray shadow out of the corner of my eye.

I had enough to worry about as it was. Attila stalked the hallway, spitting at Scam and terrorizing Con. You would think that I would view Attila as an ally--a comrade-in-arms in the war against Scam and Con. You would think Attila and I would become fast friends and spend our evenings sipping milk together and congratulating one another. After all, Scam and Con were the undisputed powers-that-be before Attila showed up. You would think I would rejoice.

You would be wrong.

Attila had as much use for me as she had for Con. That is to say, very little. Con had a basket in a sunny spot in the living room. Attila confiscated it. I expected Con to complain, but I guess he was grateful just to be alive. He surrendered his sunny spot without comment, accepting a dark box in the garage where he was hidden by a mountain of paraphernalia. The only time he came out of hiding was when I came home from work. Then, he set aside his fear of Attila and ran through the war zone of the house to hide in my room. After all, I was his pet, and he couldn't leave me unguarded.

He guarded me rather well from a corner behind a chair in the bedroom. Courage has its limits, particularly in self-centered cats.

I wondered if Princess was a rumor--a joke cooked up by Tiny to keep me on edge. At the same time, I knew Princess must exist. There was evidence--piles and piles of shaggy gray fur on the floor that did not match the three cats I knew.

Oh, well. Princess was obviously shy, and the thought of her did not scare me. She couldn't be any worse than Attila. Attila was the epitome of the word "bully." She was the cat equivalent of that kid in junior high who takes your lunch money for "protection."

Besides, there's nothing frightening about a shy cat who is named "Princess." I was sure wherever she was, she was probably licking her dainty paw and humming Mozart. I pictured Princess as a timid bundle of sweetness who was trying to maintain some dignity among bad company.

Bless her little kitty heart.

Even as I envisioned this delightful little ball of gray fluff, unseen eyes watched me from the shadows--unflinching. A sinister purr welled up in the gray cloud behind the couch, and a sweet, tiny paw unsheathed its claws.

Princess was watching me.

To be continued.