Anton and Cecil (18 page)

Authors: Lisa Martin

BOOK: Anton and Cecil

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“My,” said Gretchen, wide-eyed and smiling at the brothers. “That went well.”

When the cats returned to the galley they found Cloudy, who had briefly hopped up on the table as the rats rushed past, pouring milk from a tin into a large saucer for them. Anton spotted Hieronymus's eyes shining from the shadows in the corner, the mouse's little head nodding with pleasure.

“Wonderful!” Cloudy exclaimed, stroking each of them while they purred over the milk. “Better than I could have hoped for.” He put his hands on his hips and leaned against the table, chuckling. “Mr. Gray, you have made some fine friends, you have. We shall enjoy our voyage now.” He waved a large spoon over his head with a flourish. “Next stop, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia!”

And though our heroes could not understand him, dear reader, we know that this was very good news indeed.

Two kittens hurried up the path to the lighthouse, tumbling and rolling as they went. It was tiring, but Billy had entrusted them with an important message, so they pushed on until they could see Sonya sitting on the brick apron by the back door. She was cleaning her tail with long strokes, and she looked up smiling when she heard them coming. Her kittens were only a few months old and so dear to her, with ears too big for their faces and skinny little tails. They were allowed to go exploring during the daylight hours, and she wondered what had these two in such a rush.

“Mama!” panted the black one, who arrived ahead of his sister. “Billy says to come!” A butterfly in the grass distracted him and he veered off.

“Why?” asked Sonya, as the second kitten, gray-striped, flopped down in a heap.

“Don't know why,” she puffed. “He says to come
now,
Mama.” She closed her eyes.

Sonya sighed. Billy had been very kind to her since Anton was taken and Cecil had followed. He helped her keep an eye on the kittens and checked on her often, and he let her know when a tall ship came in to the docks because there was always a chance of news of the brothers. But there had been no news, and it was hard not to lose hope. She left the kittens to rest at the lighthouse and started down the path at a trot. Hopeful was better than hopeless, she reminded herself, her heart aching a bit. She thought about her boys every day, whether a ship came in or not.

A crowd had gathered on the roadbed by the docks and Sonya wove her way toward the front, passing cats and people. She nodded to Mildred, the grandmother of Gretchen, that young white cat who had been taken. Mildred was unfailingly present no matter the weather when a big ship arrived, faithfully waiting for news of any kind, good or bad.

“Billy, what's going on?” asked Sonya when she found him near the water's edge. “Why all the fuss?”

Billy turned to her and beamed. “It's the
Mary Anne
. She's come back!” He was trying to contain his excitement and doing a very poor job of it.

“The
Mary Anne
?” Sonya repeated. “The ship that took Anton?” She felt suddenly light-headed and whipped around to find the ship in the distance. There it was, enormous and heaving in the waves under full sail, the little girls on the figurehead clearly discernible.

Mildred stepped up behind them and looked out as well. “Maybe we'll see your boy today?” she said softly.

Sonya moved a little nearer to the old cat for strength, her heart hammering in her chest. “We've gotten our hopes up before, haven't we? I'll believe it when I see it,” she said quietly.

“She's coming about now,” Billy called out anxiously to the crowd, squinting intently at the ship.

Long seconds slipped by. The people milled about, chatting and pointing, but every cat on the wharf strained silently to see something, any sign of a familiar face on the
Mary Anne
. The great ship dipped majestically as it drew closer; some of the sailors were high up in the rigging pulling in the sails as others busily traversed the deck. And then, in the stillness that had gathered along the ground among the cats, Sonya heard a stirring sound. It was the long, joyful meow of a single cat, almost a howl, rising and falling. And then others to her right and left joined in, mewing cries of recognition and deep kindred spirit until it was a whole chorus of buoyant voices. Sonya felt her eyes begin to sting and cloud up.

“What is it, Bill?” she asked, her voice quavering. “I can't see a thing.”

Billy opened his mouth and hesitated. “It's . . .
three,
my dear lady,” he replied, almost in a whisper, nodding slowly, his eyes fixed on the ship. “Great cats above, it's all three.”

Sonya's breath caught in her throat and she blinked hard to clear her eyes.

Finally she saw them, high up in the prow of the ship, sitting tall and proud, side by side, their heads lifted in the cool breeze, one gray, one white, and one black. What she couldn't see was a dapper little mouse, who stood boldly between the forepaws of the gray cat, talking nonstop.

As Sonya and Mildred and Billy leaned against one another to keep their knees from buckling, the great ship glided into the dockyard, unhurried, and the exultant song of the cats on the wharf rose to welcome their lost friends, found again and home at last.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We want to thank our irrepressible and indefatigable agent, Molly Friedrich, and also our editor, Elise Howard, who entered into the spirit of the endeavor with the close attention and enthusiasm every writer hopes for.

We're also indebted to two very dear early readers, Roger Martin and John Cullen, for their patience, support, and humor throughout the long voyage to print.

Anton and Cecil: Cats at Sea

By Lisa Martin and Valerie Martin

Questions for Discussion

ALGONQUIN YOUNG READERS

Questions for Discussion

1. In what ways are Anton and Cecil different from one another? In what ways are they similar?

2. On
page 9
, Anton says, “Right here is the best place in the world for a cat to live. Everybody says that.” Why is the harbor a good place for cats to live? Why do you think Cecil wants to leave a place that “everybody” says is so great?

3. After Anton is impressed, why does Sonya tell Cecil that Anton “may surprise” them with his bravery (
page 68
)?

4. During his travels, Anton meets different types of animals that he's never seen before. How does he feel about these new creaturesâlike Dave the lizard, the clackers, and Hieronymus the mouseâwhen he first meets them? How do his attitudes change when he gets to know them? Why?

5. On
page 81
, Adrianna the dolphin says to Cecil, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” What does it mean to be true to yourself? Cecil is quoting from one of the most famous writers in the English language. Do you know or can you find out who it is?

6. On
page 146
, Gretchen refers to herself as part of the crew of pirates aboard her ship, saying, “Some things you just get used to.” Describe her relationship with the pirates. Does she trust them? How has her time on the ship changed her?

7. Cats and mice are usually enemies. Why were Anton and Hieronymus able to become such good friends? In what ways is their friendship important?

8. “Where the eye sees the eye, the lost shall be found.” Name some of the places in the story where one of the cats encounters an eye. What is the importance of the scenes in the story?

10. What do you think the future holds for the three returned cats? Will they continue their seafaring adventures, or stick to dry land?

11. The sailors think black cats are lucky. When the great whale nearly tips Cecil's ship, the sailors believe that “the whale had been an omen, an evil spirit, a test that had been passed” (
page 28
). And when Anton appears on deck of the new ship, the captain says, “A cat that falls out of the sky is one we'd better make welcome” (page 167). Why are sailors so interested in signs and good luck charms?

Questions for Discussion prepared by Avery Finch

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