Guardian Cats and the Lost Books of Alexandria

Chapter 40: Neither cat nor human

Marco had no problem locating Sting’s headquarters. It wouldn’t have taken his exceptional sense of smell to detect raccoon odor radiating from the brown truck. Besides, there was Polo, tied to the bumper. Even asleep he looked forlorn.

He must have sensed Marco’s presence because he woke up, squealing with delight, and began running towards him. But the leash caught him short.

Sting came out of the camper to see what the commotion was about. “Knock it off!” he yelled and yanked on the leash, choking Polo as he pulled him back. Then he noticed Marco. “Hey, Rat! Look who’s here! It’s your big buddy.”

“Let him go!” demanded Marco.

“Sure, Marco. No problem. But I don’t see no book. You didn’t come all the way out here without it, did you?”

“It’s not mine to give you, Sting.”

“I don’t care whose it is. Steal it!”

“What are you going to do with a book? You can’t even read.”

“I hear this one’s special. Maybe I won’t have to read it. Maybe it will read itself to me.”

If Marco had any doubts about a traitor in his midst, they were dispelled now. Even if he didn’t have his facts straight, there was no way Sting would know about The Book of Motion by himself. His head hung down, weighted by a muddle of problems. How had his life gotten so complicated?

“What a moron. I don’t know why I’m bothering with the likes of you. Here I thought you'd do anything to get your friend back," said Sting. “Time to proceed with Plan B.” Sting yelled back inside the camper, “You boys know what to do. Now go!”

Tank squeezed through the door, Sting not bothering to move to let him out.

“I’m calling in backup,” he told Marco. “Friends who are itchin' for a good fight.”

“I’m not afraid,” Marco countered. “Cats love a good fight.”

“You’ll be sorry you didn’t make this nice and simple, Marco. Be prepared for things to get rough." Sting looked at Polo, "Right, little buddy?”

Polo was shivering, his eyes pleading for mercy.

Marco needed some leverage. Something besides another attack. He’d already been in too many fights with Sting. He would have to go about this differently, and he’d already given some thought to it. A guardian was allowed to use the power of the Book if it was a matter of life and death. Surely, this was one of those times.

He had memorized the magical words. Cicero said he wasn’t ready to receive the spell, but their haunting sound had stayed with him. So he spoke the words, hoping to transform into a human like Cicero had done. Nothing happened at first. Marco repeated the spell. Again nothing. What was he doing wrong? He tried a third time and was suddenly catapulted into a new form. He was the same size as before and still on all fours, but he had the arms and legs of a human. They were covered in fur, but his face felt naked and his ears were gone.

He was neither cat nor human, but a frightful hodgepodge of both. Sting and Polo were both gaping at him. When Sting started laughing, Marco, mortified at his condition, ran for cover, tripping and falling, forced to use legs that didn’t fit his body.