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“Cats are needlessly afraid of the pound,” Milo repeated. “Trust me, I’ve been there, and the only reason that place gets such a bad rep is because the cats who’ve been there purposely perpetrate that rep. The pound, my friend, is paradise for pets. They treat you like royalty down there.In fact it isn’t too much to say that every cat’s dream is to live in the pound for life.”

“So all those horror stories?”

“Bald-faced lies. I mean, who’s told you that the pound is a wicked place?”

Brutus’s own non-bald face hardened. “Max.”

“And that’s because Max knows. He knows how much better your life would be if you were sent to the pound.”

“But why doesn’t he go and live there?”

“Because Max is one of those cats who’s got it made. He’s his human’s favorite, isn’t he? Odelia gives him everything he needs. The best food, the best home, the best cuddles. And when you’re not looking she gives him all that and more. But he doesn’t tell you that, does he?”

“Max gets special treatment?”

“Of course he does. When you’re not around the liverwurst comes out, and the gold-crusted chicken nuggets, and the hand-caught lobster and the Arenkha caviar and the crab!”

“Oh, my god!”

“Exactly! I’m not jealous, Brutus. I’ve lived at the pound, and I’ve sampled all these delicious foods myself. In fact I’ve eaten so much lobster that I can’t stand the taste anymore. But you? You shouldn’t be denied this nectar of the gods, my friend.”

“Max!” Brutus said between gritted teeth.

“You get the crumbs from his table. And for what? So you can be at his every beck and call. Do as he pleases. Follow his orders and cater to his every whim. Do you really want that for yourself, Brutus? Or do you want to live like a king yourself for a change?”

“I want to live like a king,” said Brutus decidedly.

“Of course you do. And you deserve to. But is Odelia going to give you the kind of life you deserve? No, she’s not. For some strange reason she’s determined to keep Max on as her favorite pet, while she treats the rest of you like mere serfs. Underlings. Max’s minions.”

“I don’t want to be Max’s minion any more, Milo.”

“I commend the sentiment, Brutus. You have nothing to lose but your chains.”

Brutus growled something to himself, then a thought occurred to him.“But what about Harriet? And what about Dooley?”

“They’ll have to choose, too. If you convince them to join you, all the better.”

“I might be able to convince Harriet. She loves me. Dooley? He’s loyal to Max.”

“His loss,” said Milo. “Some of us are born to be slaves, Brutus. And some are born to be emperors—masters of our own fate.” He placed a hand on Brutus’s chest. “I think you know, deep inside, what you want to be, don’t you?”

“An emperor,” he growled, the fire of desire burning bright now.

“So convince Harriet that she can be an empress or stay on as Max’s slave. The choice shouldn’t be too hard.”

He turned to Milo, suddenly overcome with emotion. It was very rare that he felt this strongly about another cat.“Milo,” he said with a quiver in his voice.

“I know, Brutus,” said Milo magnanimously. “I know.”

“You are my savior. My hero. My messiah.”

Milo sighed.“It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it, Brutus.”

“Is that why you left that pound—that paradise—to save the rest of us?”

“Yes, indeed. I could have stayed there forever—basking in the kind of life only the richest cats on earth ever get to experience. Instead I chose to take up the noble quest to free my fellow cat. To be a beacon of light and hope for the downtrodden and the oppressed. Cats like you, Brutus, andHarriet. Even Dooley,” he added after a pause.

“Thank you,” said Brutus, from the bottom of his heart. A tear stole across his furry cheek. He was deeply moved.

“Don’t cry for me, Brutus,” said Milo, touched.

“They are tears of joy, Milo. Tears of gratitude. Tears for you.”

“Thank you, Brutus,” said Milo with a gentle wave of the hand. “Now go forth and spread the word, my child.”

Chapter 34

Once again, Odelia’s cats were awfully quiet on the ride back into town. She didn’t mind. She had a lot to think about after the interview with the former secretary. Obviously Dick Dickerson hadn’t exactly been a choir boy. He’d made a lot of people very angry over the course of his career as a tabloid publisher. Chase was thinking, too, judging from the thought wrinkle creasing his brow, and so were the cats. A whole lot of thinking going on.

Max hadn’t discovered anything of significance, so that was a disappointment.

As they rode into town, Max piped up,“Can you drop us off here, Odelia?”

She directed Chase to stop the car, and Max and Dooley hopped out. Harriet and Brutus and Milo preferred to ride along with her and Chase for some reason. So they dropped the three cats off at the house and Chase took her to the office before he cruised off in the direction of the police station to write up a report on the Brenda Berish interview.