88 A Cat's Tale (Interlude)

"The shop's all mine now," said Jurrath as he made a devilish grin.

"Meow, apprentice, you must take wonderful care of me while your master is gone."

"Since your master is gone you must feed me."

"Yes, sir," said Alura as she looked at the cat with awe.

"Meow, that's good. Me and you, we will get many shinies ok," said the cat as he played with a few fel-shards in his hands.

"Did you ever hear the Tragedy of Lollipop the wise?"

"No, sir," said Alura.

"I thought not, it's not a story the Devil would tell you. It's an old cat legend. Lollipop was a great cat lord, so powerful and so wise she could use her wit to influence the devils to give her food,"

"She had such knowledge of the cat way that she could even keep the ones she cared about from working. The cat way of life is a pathway to abilities some consider to be unnatural."