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“Oh, all right, I’ll see the vet,” said Diego. “We’ll see the vet together, okay?”

And she was just about to announce that Diego could stick his vet where the sun didn’t shine when a voice piped up behind her. “What’s all this?” the voice asked.

When she turned, she saw that the voice belonged to none other than Princess. The fancy cat stood staring from Harriet to Diego, an insolent look on her face. Her troupe of cats joined her, crowding around. Suddenly an idea struck Harriet, and a sly smile crept up her lips.

“This is Love Symbol,” she said, introducing Diego, who’d quickly put his mask back on. “Love Symbol is the hottest cat in town—and the richest one, too. Love Symbol, this is Princess, and these are the members of her troupe: Beca, Chloe, Aubrey and Fat Amy.”

“Ladies,” said Diego in an unctuous tone, a faux-sexy smile on his snout. If he’d had a mustache he would have twirled it. “Pretty. Very pretty. Are these your friends, Harriet?”

“Sure,” said Princess quickly. “We’re Harriet’s best friends, aren’t we, Harriet?”

“Best friends,” Harriet echoed. “These cats are the Most Interesting Cats in the World, Love Symbol.”

“And the Most Beautiful Ones, too,” said Diego appreciatively.

“And you, sir,” said Princess, “are without a doubt the Most Interesting Tomcat in the World. May we join you?” She then turned to Harriet. “Unless we’re interrupting something?”

“Oh, no,” said Harriet. “No interruption. Love Symbol and I are old friends.”

Princess’s eyes widened in surprise. “Old friends?”

“Yeah, Harriet and I go way back,” said Diego. “Way, way back.”

“Ooh, Harriet,” said Chloe. “You keep fascinating company. Very fascinating.”

“I’ve always liked you, Harriet,” said Aubrey. “In fact I just told Amy you’re probably the prettiest cat in all of Hampton Cove. Isn’t that right, Amy?”

“You said she had the fattest ass in all of—ouch! What did you pinch me for?”

“Harriet, honey,” said Princess, “why don’t we all join Love Symbol in this very nice limo? Have the party to end all parties?”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain check, girls,” said Harriet. “But you go ahead and have a great time. I’m sure you and Love Symbol will get along like a house on fire.”

Diego gave her a slight shrug, as if to say,‘Your loss, babe,’ and Harriet gave him a little wave.

“If you change your mind…” said Princess as she hopped into the limo.

“I won’t,” said Harriet, and watched with satisfaction as three fleas hopped onto Princess’s silky fur, while several dozen other happy volunteers made the jump to Beca, Chloe, Aubrey and Amy. The Most Flawless Cats in the World were flea-less no more.

She watched the limo door close and the car drive off into the night, and as she walked back to her friends, she suddenly felt such a sense of relief she had to laugh. And when she saw Brutus, Max and Dooley patiently waiting, she knew she’d made the right decision. She might be a small-town cat in a small-town world but she was also a happy cat in a happy town, filled with life and love and laughter and all the friends and loving humans a cat could ever wish for.

And now she also had a flea. Then again, she kinda loved those baths Odelia, Marge and Grandma had been giving them. One stroke of the comb and that flea would be a goner. In the most humane and kindest way possible, of course.

“What happened?” asked Dooley as they walked away.

“Yeah, you didn’t give us the sign,” said Max.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” said Brutus. “I’m glad you didn’t get into that limo.”

She gave him her sweetest smile.“I’m glad I didn’t get in, too, snookums.”

And as they slowly made their way home, and she revealed to them the true identity of Hampton Cove’s Patient Zero, that feeling of despondency and gloom that had settled over her after meeting the Most Interesting Cats in the World gradually ebbed away.

Princess and her troupe might be interesting cats, even the most interesting ones, but they were also mean cats. And now they were flea cats, which served them right.

“You think Odelia might be persuaded to set up a cat show in town?” she asked now.

“Oh, sure,” said Brutus. “And you’ll be the star, love sponge.”

“You’ll be amazing, Harriet,” Dooley assured her. “The whole town will come out to watch and Odelia will put your picture on the front page of the Hampton Cove Gazette.”

“Yeah, it will be the best show ever,” said Max. “The Most Interesting Show in the World starring the Most Interesting Cat in the World.”

“That’s all right,” she said. “I’ll settle for the Most Interesting Show in Town. As long as you are there I’m happy.” She sighed contentedly. “You know I love you guys, right?”

“And we love you right back, Harriet,” said Dooley reverently.

In response, she gave the Biggest Harriet Admirer in the World a peck on the cheek and Dooley actually whimpered. Brutus merely shook his head good-naturedly and intertwined his tail with hers.“What brought all this on?” he asked softly as they fell back behind the others.