Chapter 2

Fancy Francine wanting to be a slave! Diana laughed out loud as she drove home through winding country lanes and sheets of driving rain. The drought had certainly ended very spectacularly this last week!

Diana lived in a large house all on its own at the end of a mile long lane. She enjoyed the solitude, which was greatly alleviated by the presence of seven cats. As she reached her open gate and drove up to the garage, she saw three of the greedy creatures waiting for her, sheltering in the porch. The other four soon appeared (how did all manage to keep dry in this weather?) They prowled around mewing piteously, anxious for food and affection - with food very much the superior priority! She let them in and was almost bowled over in the rush as seven sleek felines made a beeline for the kitchen. A feline beeline, though Diana amusedly.

Diana fed the hungry tribe and went into her sitting room. Sometimes she wondered why these cats needed her. There was a lush expanse of countryside out there, teeming with birds and small tasty rodents and yet these unenterprising animals depended totally on her for their sustenance. What a pitiful lot! She knew that the Americans, thanks to those dreadful Pilgrim Fathers and their continuing malign influence on the national psyche, would despise such a lack of Get up and Go and Protestant Work Ethic! But she loved them all, especially Fortescue, the prettiest and most knowing. Fortescue was a quick eater and adept at pushing her way to the front of the queue. Soon she came and joined Diana, leaping onto her knee and purring loudly.

"I saw Francine again, darling"

Fortescue growled a nasty growl. There was an infinity of feline loathing in that growl. Francine hated cats and Fortescue hated Francine.

"Francine wants to be a slave, darling Fortescue! Silly old Francine. But you could fix it for her. Couldn't you, sweetie pie?"

Fortescue purred for a while and went to sleep. In a few moments Diana too nodded off.

After feeling her mistress sink ever further into sleep, the cat opened her green eyes and looked at her affectionately. Diana was a nice person and she was glad to have her as her owner. But there was work to be done. Seeing that it had stopped raining she crept softly off Diana's knee and made her way outside. She looked very sinister as she crept silently through the night. But her mistress was pretty sinister herself at times and Fortescue loved her for it!

The slaver spaceship from the planet Roar hovered over the woods near Diana's house. It was invisible to the people below thanks to one of the latest, state of the art, cloaking devices. The Captain of the slave gathering mission saw the cat walking towards the clearing. He switched on the intercom.

"Prepare to land and pick up the Lady Fortescue."

But some sort of hitch seemed to have developed. It was two hours before the waiting feline saw the ship land at last. Tail held high, Fortescue walked delicatedly up the ramp and into the ship. Inside the Captain greeted her, now transformed into a haughty and very beautiful lady.

It took hours for the Lady Fortescue to make her detailed report and the ship hovered above the dark and gloomy woods and over Diana's house, now housing only six cats.