Читаем dac96ddd8db82982e03dd479f970c77c полностью

One day, I had a terrible shock. I’d been off on my own all afternoon, catching mice, exploring other people’s gardens and going through their cat flaps. I could tell from the shadows that it was time for the college bus to bring TammyLee home. So I hurried back. Instead of going under the gate, I climbed the high wooden fence, intending to sit up there and watch for the bus.

I looked down into the garden, and a pair of insolent eyes were staring back at me. Sitting under the apple tree was a young man dressed in black, his bare shoulders gleaming in the sun. He was eating an apple from the tree in loud bites.

I froze. It was HIM. Sitting inour garden, in MY favourite spot. What was he doing there?

Fear and anger kinked and coiled like two snakes in my mind. While he was there, I didn’t dare to jump down from the fence and I wanted to go through the cat flap and get my tea. I couldn’t go home!

He looked up at me, and I saw guilt in his eyes.‘Glad you survived,’ he said, and when I stared stonily back, he added: ‘I’m sorry, puss … sorry I did that to you … I ain’t gonna ’urt you now. I’ve changed, see? Come on, get down.’ He clicked his fingers. ‘Puddy puddy puddy …’

I understood that cats were often addressed as‘Pussy’, which was OK … but ‘Puddy’ was so insulting to my status as Tallulah. I added contempt to my stony stare.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he chucked the apple core against the fence with a bang. The red and white pieces scattered into a clump of asters, upsetting bees and butterflies who were gathering nectar.

I wasn’t prepared to trust him, and I had a quick decision to make. Should I run down the road to meet TammyLee? Or save myself from this monster who had dropped me in the river? I knew I could move faster than he could, but I was still scared that he would cross the lawn in long strides and snatch me from the fence. I had to get out of his reach.

I crawled along the fence like a caterpillar, my tail down, my claws clinging. Instinct made me move stealthily, so that nothing would want to chase me. One paw at a time, I reached the end of the fence where it adjoined the house. I scrambled up some ivy and onto the roof. I’d never been on the roof, so I picked my way over the tiles, which were prickly with lichen. Flicking my ears back to catch any sound from Dylan, I walked to the high ridge of the roof, stretched myself over a nicely rounded, sunbaked tile, and pretended to wash. It wouldn’t do to let that boy see I was intimidated by him. Washing was the ultimate put-down, and a good way of observing him without seeming to do so.

He looked smaller, down there on the lawn, and kind of lonely. Why was he there? Was he waiting for TammyLee? And why wasn’t Amber barking? Then I remembered that, earlier in the day, Max had gone off in the car with Diana in the front seat and Amber wagging her tail in the back. So I was alone in the place.

From the roof, there was a view of the road and the river glinting between the trees. I resolved to spend more time on this lovely roof, despite being dive-bombed by two jackdaws who didn’t appreciate having me on their patch. Glancing down at Dylan sitting under the apple tree, I found myself fascinated by his aura. Unlike when I first encountered him, it was now unexpectedly bright. Mostly blue and green with an outer edge of gold. Being a healing cat, I examined it in some detail, looking first at the area where his heart would be, and it was dark with pain.

I saw that Dylan was carrying the loneliness of anger. He was so angry that the friends he needed wouldn’t go near him.

‘You are doing brilliantly, Tallulah.’ The voice startled me, and I was surprised to see my angel on the roof with me. I’d been so focused on Dylan.

‘Just don’t ask me to go down there,’ I said.

‘I never ask you to do something unless I know you can,’ said my angel. In that moment, my spiritual vision was full on, and even the trees had webs of light around them. I gazed at my angel, remembering that she was the Angel of Secrets.

‘Is something going to happen?’ I asked.

‘Wait and see. Sit up and look majestic,’ she advised. ‘And remember … Dylan has an angel too.’

I fluffed my fur and sat up, aware of the radiance around me and the sunlight shining on my white chest, my eyes golden and alert.

TammyLee paused at the garden gate, staring at Dylan sitting under the apple tree. Her face hardened with rage, and she burst through the gate in a fury.

‘What the HELL are YOU doing here?’

Dylan didn’t move. Only his foot started to tap-tap at the grass. His eyes burned blue as he looked steadily at TammyLee.

‘GET THE HELL OUT of my garden!’ she screamed, and flew at him like a fighting cat, attacking him with her bag. It glittered wildly as she swung it at his head. Dylan put his hands up to defend himself, but he didn’t fight back.

‘Calm down, will you?’ he said.