Exploring Cat Island

[On the shore of Little Lake, deep in the Second World, an exploring
party gathers. Amelia carries maps and a GPS receiver. Samuel, wearing a
pith helmet and jodhpurs, carries a backpack with compass and climbing
gear. Ranger, dressed like Sammy, carries a roll of rope and a backpack
full of food. Beauty carries her food sampling equipment and notebook.
Several other kitties join the group.

Amelia sets the coordinates on the teleporter and meows to the assembled
kitties to follow her. Amelia steps into the teleporter and emerges into
a lush green field. A gentle breeze blows, ruffling the long grass and
blowing tendrils of fog overhead. The field is several hundred yards
across and as long as it is wide, surrounded by forests of oak on the
north, east and west. On the south end of the green field can be seen
some farm fields. Kitties, looking happy, healthy, and well-fed, tend to
the fields. ]

Ok, kitties, it looks like we're here! Lets go meet some local kitties,
and see what we can learn.

[The kitties head to the south. They pass some thickets of thorny bushes,
and Amelia looks them over closely.]

Beauty, this looks like a job for the Secretary of Foods. I thik these
are raspberry bushes. I don't know if any of the Community kitties like
raspberries, but you might be able to determine that.

[As the kitties look over the bramble thickets, one of the farm-tending
kitties approaches.]

'lo, fair kitties. Sure, and I've not seen the likes of you before. I ken
that you must be from afar off. This be so?

Amelia: Yes, we're from far away. We're hoping to hold a Jellicle Ball
here, and we're exploring the island. Can you tell me who we should be
talking to?

Island cat: You will be wanting to talk to McDougal. You'll find him in
the village near the south end of the island. Tell him that Redpaw sent
you to him. 'twil be a warm welcome you get - we don't get many visitors
since we lost the string.

[Amelia is puzzled by this last, but thanks the farm cat for the greeting
and the scouting party continues to the south, skirting the edges of the
tilled fields. Beauty notices fields of potatos, radishes, tomatos,
quinoa and soy. As the kitties walk they also catch whiffs of fish,
suggesting that fishing and fish processing are also worked nearby.

As the kitties continue journying southward, they find a well tended road
and are overtaken by a pony-powered wagon driven by a kitty. ]

Wagon cat: Greetings, yon strange cats. Need ye a ride? I be headed to
the village.

Amelia: Thank you, sir. We'd like that.

Wagon cat: My name be Seamus. Have ye business in the village?

Amelia: Hello, Seamus. Yes, we're on our way to meet McDougal. We're told
he's the one we need to talk to about holding the Jellicle Ball here.

Seamus: Ah, that would be grand! It has been many years since the Ball
was held here. Since long before we lost the thread, even. I would wager
that McDougal will do most anything within reason to assist ye with plans
to hold the Ball here.

[Sammy cat interrupts during a lull in the conversation]

Sammy: Excuse me, Mr Seamus, sir. Dis crossroads we iz coming up on -
does da offur road go towards da ocean? An maybe some fishing boats or
somefing?

Seamus: Aye, it does. There's a fishing port a kilometer or so to the
east. Are ye wantin' to look it over?

Sammy: Yes, sir, please. If you could let us off we could walk dere.

[Seamus pulls the cart to a stop, and Sammy, Ranger, and Beauty climb
down. They wave to Seamus, Amelia, and the others, then start walking to
the east. The cart starts rolling again.]

On 15 Sep 2009 13:21:38 GMT, Amelia T Cat wrote:

[On the shore of Little Lake, deep in the Second World, an exploring
party gathers. Amelia carries maps and a GPS receiver. Samuel, wearing a
pith helmet and jodhpurs, carries a backpack with compass and climbing
gear. Ranger, dressed like Sammy, carries a roll of rope and a backpack
full of food. Beauty carries her food sampling equipment and notebook.
Several other kitties join the group.

Amelia sets the coordinates on the teleporter and meows to the assembled
kitties to follow her. Amelia steps into the teleporter and emerges into
a lush green field. A gentle breeze blows, ruffling the long grass and
blowing tendrils of fog overhead. The field is several hundred yards
across and as long as it is wide, surrounded by forests of oak on the
north, east and west. On the south end of the green field can be seen
some farm fields. Kitties, looking happy, healthy, and well-fed, tend to
the fields. ]

Ok, kitties, it looks like we're here! Lets go meet some local kitties,
and see what we can learn.

[The kitties head to the south. They pass some thickets of thorny bushes,
and Amelia looks them over closely.]

Beauty, this looks like a job for the Secretary of Foods. I thik these
are raspberry bushes. I don't know if any of the Community kitties like
raspberries, but you might be able to determine that.

[As the kitties look over the bramble thickets, one of the farm-tending
kitties approaches.]

'lo, fair kitties. Sure, and I've not seen the likes of you before. I ken
that you must be from afar off. This be so?

Amelia: Yes, we're from far away. We're hoping to hold a Jellicle Ball
here, and we're exploring the island. Can you tell me who we should be
talking to?

Island cat: You will be wanting to talk to McDougal. You'll find him in
the village near the south end of the island. Tell him that Redpaw sent
you to him. 'twil be a warm welcome you get - we don't get many visitors
since we lost the string.

[Amelia is puzzled by this last, but thanks the farm cat for the greeting
and the scouting party continues to the south, skirting the edges of the
tilled fields. Beauty notices fields of potatos, radishes, tomatos,
quinoa and soy. As the kitties walk they also catch whiffs of fish,
suggesting that fishing and fish processing are also worked nearby.

As the kitties continue journying southward, they find a well tended road
and are overtaken by a pony-powered wagon driven by a kitty. ]

Wagon cat: Greetings, yon strange cats. Need ye a ride? I be headed to
the village.

Amelia: Thank you, sir. We'd like that.

[Mercurio, with his laptop open, has been typing
furiously]

Hmmm, zeess eez a fascinatink playce; and dere is
not much abowt it in da Temple Library.... I
wunder whut he meant by "da stwing"..... [he
searches through the library's online archives]

--
Ciao kittiez,

Mercurio
9/15/2009 12:21:43 PM

On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:24:04 -0400, Mercurio wrote:

[The cart progresses through fields of grain and vegetables that Amelia
isn't able to identify readily, and through the occasional orchard. The
kitties pass by several island kitties, all of whom wave in greeting. As
they pass over a small stream a tortie cat beside the road waves the
driver down as he approaches.]

Seamus: Miss Prettypaws, how be ye doing? Can I offer ye a ride to the
village? We have guests as well.

[The tortie girl climbs aboard, and introduces herself all around.]

Top o' the day, visiting kitties! I'm Prettypaws. 'tis a pleasure to make
your acquaintenances. Ye must be bound for the village. I'm pleased to be
able to tell ye that ye're almost there. The village be just around the
bend.

Amelia: Greetings, Prettypaws. You are indeed a pretty kitty - there is
no lovlier kitty than a tortoiseshell. And yes, we are headed to the
village. How big is the village? How many kitties live there?

Prettypaws: Take a look!

[She points over Amelia's shoulder. As the cart rounds a bend in the road
the village comes into view. A wall of huge boulders marks the south edge
of the village. In the open area before the boulders are a few dozen
kitty-sized houses and some apparent trade buildings. There are also
rooms carved into the boulders. Under the largest of the boulders is a
large area, perhaps 30 feet wide, 20 feet deep, and 10 feet high, where
the boulder has split and been carved into a large assembly hall. A brass
plaque is set into the rock above the assembly hall.

An orange tom walks towards the cart from the assembly hall.]

Greetings, guests! You must be the visitors I heard about. My name is
McDougal, and I'm the chief of this island. Welcome!

Amelia: Welcome, McDougal. THank you for your kind welcome. I'm Amelia T
Cat, these are members of the online Community, and we'd like to look
over the island and figure out where we could hold the Jellicle Ball this
year.

McDougal: Aye, 'tis been many a year since we held a Jellicle Ball here.
Since long before anykitty still alive was born. But our legends do tell
us that it has happened before. We've been feeling a mite bit isolated
since we lost the String, so we welcome visitors, sure.

[Mercurio comes up and introduces himself, and asks for an explanation of
the String that kitties have been talking about.]

McDougal: Sure, and I can explain it for ye, though not as completely as
ye might like. There is a magical place in this part of the world, a
place that kitties the likes of ourselves can't enter. A magical world,
where the laws of nature don't hold true and impossible things happen. A
land where magical beings live, who can transform themselves into many
forms. Untold centuries ago one of ancestors stumbled across one of the
residents of this magical land who had been grievously injured, and
nursed him back to health. As thanks for performing this kind service to
a stranger the residents of this magical land granted the cats of this
island the right and the power to enter their magical realm. That entry
is gained through a mysterious cave, the opening of which is under our
assembly hall.

Since the land below is full of such powerful magic, the passage to that
land goes through a labyrinth of passages. Anykitty who ventures into
this cave soon finds himself in maze of twisty little passages, all
alike. It is impossible for find the way through. One of the leaders of
the magical kitties walked through the maze, trailing a silk thread after
himself. The thread was tied off on both ends so that residents of this
island could follow the thread through the maze to the magical land, then
follow it back to return home.

However, one particularly severe winter a big storm blew some branches
into the cave. These branches snagged the thread and pulled it away from
it's anchors. We lost the thread to guide us through the passage! We have
been unable to access this land of magic for generations. We mourn the
loss once every year.

Harri Roadcat: 'Scuse me, Mr McDougal, but are you talking about the
Second World? [McDougal's eyes grow large when he realizes that Harri
knows about this land of magic.] We have met the Second World kitties,
and we've been to the Second World.

McDougal [sputtering with disbelief]: But, but, it can't be so! 'tis a
land of magic and wonder, and 'tis isolated for the good of both worlds!

Harri: Yes, it was, but mine brofur Sammy Redcat and his friend, Tiger,
goed to da Second World cats fur dere bewinking collars, den we getted
introduced to da Second World cats after mine sisfur Cleocatra went to da
Rainbow Bridge. Now we goes to da Second World all da time, and da Second
World kitties come to see us all da time. In fact, I fink dat Aed and
Morgana might be back in the group of kitties dat traveled wif us.

Piglett clasps her front paws in pure joy. Sin ditz wonderful, already we
may be ableta help deze kitties anna we kan all be togerher for da ball.
Amelia, jus in kaze, maybe u shud sen sumecat bak to tell Aed bout diz.
Sumtimes da weecats in Ireland are not alwayz what dem seem. No dizrespect
but as dem sayz 'tis what it 'tis.
"Community Cats" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:24:04 -0400, Mercurio wrote:

[The cart progresses through fields of grain and vegetables that Amelia
isn't able to identify readily, and through the occasional orchard. The
kitties pass by several island kitties, all of whom wave in greeting. As
they pass over a small stream a tortie cat beside the road waves the
driver down as he approaches.]

Seamus: Miss Prettypaws, how be ye doing? Can I offer ye a ride to the
village? We have guests as well.

[The tortie girl climbs aboard, and introduces herself all around.]

Top o' the day, visiting kitties! I'm Prettypaws. 'tis a pleasure to make
your acquaintenances. Ye must be bound for the village. I'm pleased to be
able to tell ye that ye're almost there. The village be just around the
bend.

Amelia: Greetings, Prettypaws. You are indeed a pretty kitty - there is
no lovlier kitty than a tortoiseshell. And yes, we are headed to the
village. How big is the village? How many kitties live there?

Prettypaws: Take a look!

[She points over Amelia's shoulder. As the cart rounds a bend in the road
the village comes into view. A wall of huge boulders marks the south edge
of the village. In the open area before the boulders are a few dozen
kitty-sized houses and some apparent trade buildings. There are also
rooms carved into the boulders. Under the largest of the boulders is a
large area, perhaps 30 feet wide, 20 feet deep, and 10 feet high, where
the boulder has split and been carved into a large assembly hall. A brass
plaque is set into the rock above the assembly hall.

An orange tom walks towards the cart from the assembly hall.]

Greetings, guests! You must be the visitors I heard about. My name is
McDougal, and I'm the chief of this island. Welcome!

Amelia: Welcome, McDougal. THank you for your kind welcome. I'm Amelia T
Cat, these are members of the online Community, and we'd like to look
over the island and figure out where we could hold the Jellicle Ball this
year.

McDougal: Aye, 'tis been many a year since we held a Jellicle Ball here.
Since long before anykitty still alive was born. But our legends do tell
us that it has happened before. We've been feeling a mite bit isolated
since we lost the String, so we welcome visitors, sure.

[Mercurio comes up and introduces himself, and asks for an explanation of
the String that kitties have been talking about.]

McDougal: Sure, and I can explain it for ye, though not as completely as
ye might like. There is a magical place in this part of the world, a
place that kitties the likes of ourselves can't enter. A magical world,
where the laws of nature don't hold true and impossible things happen. A
land where magical beings live, who can transform themselves into many
forms. Untold centuries ago one of ancestors stumbled across one of the
residents of this magical land who had been grievously injured, and
nursed him back to health. As thanks for performing this kind service to
a stranger the residents of this magical land granted the cats of this
island the right and the power to enter their magical realm. That entry
is gained through a mysterious cave, the opening of which is under our
assembly hall.

Since the land below is full of such powerful magic, the passage to that
land goes through a labyrinth of passages. Anykitty who ventures into
this cave soon finds himself in maze of twisty little passages, all
alike. It is impossible for find the way through. One of the leaders of
the magical kitties walked through the maze, trailing a silk thread after
himself. The thread was tied off on both ends so that residents of this
island could follow the thread through the maze to the magical land, then
follow it back to return home.

However, one particularly severe winter a big storm blew some branches
into the cave. These branches snagged the thread and pulled it away from
it's anchors. We lost the thread to guide us through the passage! We have
been unable to access this land of magic for generations. We mourn the
loss once every year.

Harri Roadcat: 'Scuse me, Mr McDougal, but are you talking about the
Second World? [McDougal's eyes grow large when he realizes that Harri
knows about this land of magic.] We have met the Second World kitties,
and we've been to the Second World.

McDougal [sputtering with disbelief]: But, but, it can't be so! 'tis a
land of magic and wonder, and 'tis isolated for the good of both worlds!

Harri: Yes, it was, but mine brofur Sammy Redcat and his friend, Tiger,
goed to da Second World cats fur dere bewinking collars, den we getted
introduced to da Second World cats after mine sisfur Cleocatra went to da
Rainbow Bridge. Now we goes to da Second World all da time, and da Second
World kitties come to see us all da time. In fact, I fink dat Aed and
Morgana might be back in the group of kitties dat traveled wif us.

On 16 Sep 2009 19:12:42 GMT, Community Cats wrote:

Harri Roadcat: 'Scuse me, Mr McDougal, but are you talking about the
Second World? [McDougal's eyes grow large when he realizes that Harri
knows about this land of magic.] We have met the Second World kitties,
and we've been to the Second World.

[Mercurio opens up an IM window on his laptop and
sends a quick message to Aed; a few minutes later
a 'porter twinkles, and Aed steps out]

Meow, Mercurio, so you have found Cat Island!
Ah, and look at this, some Community kitties! How
is everykitty today?


--
Ciao kittiez,

Mercurio
9/16/2009 10:21:04 PM

Harri Roadcat: 'Scuse me, Mr McDougal, but are you talking about the
Second World? [McDougal's eyes grow large when he realizes that Harri
knows about this land of magic.] We have met the Second World kitties,
and we've been to the Second World.

[Mercurio opens up an IM window on his laptop and
sends a quick message to Aed; a few minutes later
a 'porter twinkles, and Aed steps out]

Meow, Mercurio, so you have found Cat Island!
Ah, and look at this, some Community kitties! How
is everykitty today?

Mosey: Hihi Aed, nise tew see yerownself ugin
Here are the Kitz, dey hab grone sinse yoo wast saw dem.
Dey r pretty amazing [smiles] majikle nodnod
Mimzy n Bob Qat boff say hello to Aed n gib him a huggie
Mimzy : Weev been ewzing our majik stones dat Morgana gabe usses
awl for da gud uff da comunity uff korse. Were is her?
--
Ciao kittiez,

Mercurio
9/16/2009 10:21:04 PM

Mosey: Hihi Aed, nise tew see yerownself ugin Here are the Kitz, dey
hab grone sinse yoo wast saw dem. Dey r pretty amazing [smiles] majikle
nodnod Mimzy n Bob Qat boff say hello to Aed n gib him a huggie Mimzy :
Weev been ewzing our majik stones dat Morgana gabe usses awl for da gud
uff da comunity uff korse. Were is her?

Aed: Hello, kitties. It's very good to see you again. She is back by our
gathering area, going through some of our historical records.

McDougal, I assume? I'm Aed, current leader of the Second World Cats. We
have been wondering had happened to you island - our history tells of
trade between my world and yours, even when we had no dealings with the
rest of the First World. Mercurio tells me of your lost thread - some of
our elders had guessed that might have happened. Could you show me the
entrance to the cave, so we can see if there's anything that can be done?

[McDougal leads the kitties to the far end of the assembly hall, in the
shadow of the overhanging rock. He pulls aside a wooden screen, revealing
a dark cave.

Mimzy and BobQat meow "The cave! We know this place!" Before anyone can
stop them they dash into the cave, go around a turn, and disappear. ALl
of the adult cats gasp, fearing that the kits will get lost. Mercurio
comes forth and directs other cats to fetch a rope and several lanterns.
He stands just inside the entrance to the cave, chanting softly and
waving his paws. He reaches into his robe and pulls out a pawful of
powder and tosses it into the cave. The powder drifts on the air, begins
to shimmer, and forms a faintly lit path through the cave.]

Mercurio: There, the powder will illuminate the path taken by the kits.
We should be able to find them, but we must do so quickly the powder will
grow dim in just a few minutes. Somecat please tie off one end of that
rope to a something solid, then those who wish may follow me.

[Mosey crowds in behind Mercurio and urges him to move out immediately. A
small group of kitties enters the cave and starts to follow the
glittering trail. Before they even make it to the first turn, though,
Mimzy and BobQat return, bringing Morgana with them.]

McDougal: Blessed be! Kits, you could have gotten lost! Who is this other
kitty who found you?

Morgana: I am Morgana of the Second World. You must be McDougal. The kits
have told me about you. I was in our records archive when the kits ran in
and called to me. They told me I needed to come meet you, so here I am.
Aed, what is this cave? The kits knew their way through with no false
turns or hesitation. I'd be afraid to try it - I'm sure I'd get lost.

"Community Cats"
On Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:24:04 -0400, Mercurio wrote:

[The cart progresses through fields of grain and vegetables that Amelia
isn't able to identify readily, and through the occasional orchard. The
kitties pass by several island kitties, all of whom wave in greeting. As
they pass over a small stream a tortie cat beside the road waves the
driver down as he approaches.]

Seamus: Miss Prettypaws, how be ye doing? Can I offer ye a ride to the
village? We have guests as well.

[The tortie girl climbs aboard, and introduces herself all around.]

Top o' the day, visiting kitties! I'm Prettypaws. 'tis a pleasure to make
your acquaintenances. Ye must be bound for the village. I'm pleased to be
able to tell ye that ye're almost there. The village be just around the
bend.

Amelia: Greetings, Prettypaws. You are indeed a pretty kitty - there is
no lovlier kitty than a tortoiseshell. And yes, we are headed to the
village. How big is the village? How many kitties live there?

Prettypaws: Take a look!

[She points over Amelia's shoulder. As the cart rounds a bend in the road
the village comes into view. A wall of huge boulders marks the south edge
of the village. In the open area before the boulders are a few dozen
kitty-sized houses and some apparent trade buildings. There are also
rooms carved into the boulders. Under the largest of the boulders is a
large area, perhaps 30 feet wide, 20 feet deep, and 10 feet high, where
the boulder has split and been carved into a large assembly hall. A brass
plaque is set into the rock above the assembly hall.

An orange tom walks towards the cart from the assembly hall.]

Greetings, guests! You must be the visitors I heard about. My name is
McDougal, and I'm the chief of this island. Welcome!

Amelia: Welcome, McDougal. THank you for your kind welcome. I'm Amelia T
Cat, these are members of the online Community, and we'd like to look
over the island and figure out where we could hold the Jellicle Ball this
year.

McDougal: Aye, 'tis been many a year since we held a Jellicle Ball here.
Since long before anykitty still alive was born. But our legends do tell
us that it has happened before. We've been feeling a mite bit isolated
since we lost the String, so we welcome visitors, sure.

[Mercurio comes up and introduces himself, and asks for an explanation of
the String that kitties have been talking about.]

McDougal: Sure, and I can explain it for ye, though not as completely as
ye might like. There is a magical place in this part of the world, a
place that kitties the likes of ourselves can't enter. A magical world,
where the laws of nature don't hold true and impossible things happen. A
land where magical beings live, who can transform themselves into many
forms. Untold centuries ago one of ancestors stumbled across one of the
residents of this magical land who had been grievously injured, and
nursed him back to health. As thanks for performing this kind service to
a stranger the residents of this magical land granted the cats of this
island the right and the power to enter their magical realm. That entry
is gained through a mysterious cave, the opening of which is under our
assembly hall.

Since the land below is full of such powerful magic, the passage to that
land goes through a labyrinth of passages. Anykitty who ventures into
this cave soon finds himself in maze of twisty little passages, all
alike. It is impossible for find the way through. One of the leaders of
the magical kitties walked through the maze, trailing a silk thread after
himself. The thread was tied off on both ends so that residents of this
island could follow the thread through the maze to the magical land, then
follow it back to return home.

However, one particularly severe winter a big storm blew some branches
into the cave. These branches snagged the thread and pulled it away from
it's anchors. We lost the thread to guide us through the passage! We have
been unable to access this land of magic for generations. We mourn the
loss once every year.

Harri Roadcat: 'Scuse me, Mr McDougal, but are you talking about the
Second World? [McDougal's eyes grow large when he realizes that Harri
knows about this land of magic.] We have met the Second World kitties,
and we've been to the Second World.

McDougal [sputtering with disbelief]: But, but, it can't be so! 'tis a
land of magic and wonder, and 'tis isolated for the good of both worlds!

Harri: Yes, it was, but mine brofur Sammy Redcat and his friend, Tiger,
goed to da Second World cats fur dere bewinking collars, den we getted
introduced to da Second World cats after mine sisfur Cleocatra went to da
Rainbow Bridge. Now we goes to da Second World all da time, and da Second
World kitties come to see us all da time. In fact, I fink dat Aed and
Morgana might be back in the group of kitties dat traveled wif us.

Mimzy, Mosey's Kit: Wen me n mine bruffer Bob Qat bizited heer wif our Pa
Mosey, we met Aed n Morgana. We wike et heer. Iz nise tew see efferkitty
we meeted before n we r wookin furward tew meeting othurz. Me n mine brofur
r majical Kits, aren't we Bob Qat?
Bob Qat: Yup, we are, Morgana gave usses eech a speshul stone tew help usses
wif owr talentz. Wanna see em?
Mimzy: Wait till we git wheer we r goin. I gots boff uf dem in my majikal
purse.
Mosey: "Kits" Waffs

On 16 Sep 2009 19:12:42 GMT, Community Cats wrote:

McDougal: Aye, 'tis been many a year since we held a Jellicle Ball here.
Since long before anykitty still alive was born. But our legends do tell
us that it has happened before. We've been feeling a mite bit isolated
since we lost the String, so we welcome visitors, sure.

Ahh, well McDougal, we wood like to hold it here
on zees Island! Do you haff a facility to hold awl
of usses, for zee ceremonies, dinner and dance?

--
Ciao kittiez,

Mercurio
9/20/2009 11:00:54 PM