Somewhere in Mexico a beat-up old pickup truck clattered down a dusty dirt road. Beside the side of the road a small gray and white kitten stood holding a cardboard sign that said “Toronto.” The truck slowed to a stop, the driver motioned the kitten to jump into the back of the truck. Once there he noticed that next to the load of cilantro and pinto beans the truck was carrying was a black cat with a long beribboned tail perched on a burlap sack. “Have a seat Toronto here are some bags to sit on,” said the black cat.
Toronto
“Oh my name is not ‘Toronto’ really mostly people just call me ‘estupido gato’ and shoo me out of the way. I don’t really have a name.”
The black cat laughed and looking out at the dry bleak surrounding started singing, “I’ve been through the desert with a cat with no name…”
“If you will stop that caterwauling you are welcome to call me ‘Toronto’ if you wish said the kitten; "although actually it’s the name of the place I am trying to reach.”
“Very well,” said black cat primping and preening at the ribbons adorning his long tail. “My name is Otto the Fey, but you may call me Otto if you wish. “I have been to Toronto and found it to be a very nice city. Why do you wish to visit there?”
“Oh because of this.” The kitten recently named Toronto said. He reached into a small satchel Otto had failed to previously notice. He pulled out a gaudy tabloid newspaper written in English. “When I found this in an ally, I just had to try to find them.” On the cover of the paper was a picture of a fully rigged brigantine. In under this it said, “Pirate cats reported again in Canada. Is there a Toronto connection?”
Gasping Otto snatched the paper from the kitten and began reading the story of the Catavenger and it’s crew. The ship was reported often in lake Ontario near Toronto.
“That’s amazing!” Otto exclaimed, “I know that ship, its sails are rigged differently now. It looks much different actually, but surely that’s the same ship I sailed with Teba many years ago.”
The two cats conspired to travel together to Toronto in hope of finding a clue to the location of the brigantine Catavenger. Fate however intervened, for when the pickup truck pulled into a small fishing village they could see the brigantine anchored off shore, “Catavenger” was clearly written on its side.
Walking into a small cantina they saw the three amigos Topcat, Spooky and Panther entering. Spooky looked over and saw a black cat with a very long tail. Since Spooky had once read the secret ship’s log of Teba, she recognized Otto. Topcat and Panther looked to see what she was staring at. Captain Topcat however was more interested in the kitten standing nearby.
“HE IS THE ONE,” Topcat yelled before Spooky could say anything.
“That gray and white tuxedo kitten.” I dreamed about him before I died he is one reason I returned to life. I knew he would come.”
“You realize who he is with don’t you? Spooky said in turn. “That’s Otto The -Fey the mystical catpanion of Teba.”
“I think we have much to discuss, let us invite them to lunch. I want some fish tacos. I am sick of replicated food.” Said the ever-practical Panther.
Inside the cantina the cats talked of many things, “of shoes and ships and sealing wax and cabbages and kings:” mostly sailing ships.
The cats were anxious to go and see Shel, Teba and their old crew of enchanted toys. “There is one thing we must do first though,” Topcat said.
We must never desert our friends and there is one in need of help now. He motioned to an old black and white TV over the bar. He asked the bartender to turn up the sound. Although the news was in Spanish, Topcat could of course understand it, being able to speak seventeen human languages as well as many animal and other non-human dialects. The news told of mysterious sheep disappearances around Loch Ness. Many were now blaming Nessie the Loch Ness monster.
“That’s ridiculous,” said Panther. “Nessie mostly eats plankton supplement by the tons of cat food our friend Fluffy puts out for her.”
Thus the five cats decided to sail to Scotland to help Nessie and solve the mystery of the missing sheep.
