Read Online The Cats that Surfed the Web by Karen Golden - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Golden
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terribly.”
He pressed the buzzer. “See you later, Marie,” he said happily.
The elevator was resting on the first floor with its doors open. Katherine couldn’t believe her good luck. Usually she had to wait several minutes for the next available car. She rushed into the elevator—not stopping to even check her mail—and pressed the twenty-second floor. The elevator shot up and opened the doors to her floor.
She couldn’t believe her second stroke of good luck. Normally, the elevator went local and stopped on every floor. As the doors glided open, she heard the distinct feline cries of welcome—the loud waugh of Scout, and the yowl of Iris, but she didn’t hear the me-yowl of Lilac. That’s odd , she thought. She raced down the hall, imagining all sorts of catly horrors—Lilac trapped in the closet, or Lilac kidnapped and held for ransom. As Katherine ran, she called their names: Lilac . . . Scout . . . Iris.
Oh, my god ,” she panicked. She turned the key in the upper lock, then struggled with the bottom lock. “Colleen,” she called through the door. “Are you there?” There was no answer. She opened the door and fumbled for the light switch. “Waugh.” “Yowl.” The two seal-points crashed into her legs. “Owl,” a hoarse voice said, nearby.
When Katherine spotted the lilac-point, she had to look twice. Lilac was moving her jaws but no sounds were coming from it. “Have you lost your voice?” she asked the meowless cat. Scout and Iris continued their caterwauling. “Quiet,” she said, closing the door. Scout and Iris hiked up their tails and marched to the kitchen. Lilac began prancing and pacing in front of Katherine. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, setting down her carry-on.
Lilac bolted and raced down the hall, stopping outside Katherine’s clothes closest. She reached up with her long, gray paws and tried to turn the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t open.
Katherine said amused, “I bet your toy is in there, right? Your bear? You batted it in the closet and then Colleen shut the door. I forgot to tell her to never close the closet.”
“Owl,” Lilac said.
Katherine joined the cat outside the door. “This explains why you drove Colleen crazy with your serenade.” She opened the closet door. Inside, on the floor, the bear was stuck inside one of her shoes.
Lilac flew inside and pounced on her prize—a three-inch teddy bear that was missing both an arm and a leg. With jaws of steel, she gripped the bear by the head and carried the toy into the living room. “Owl,” she said in muffled thanks.
Katherine walked into the kitchen and found a note taped to the refrigerator. “Katz,” it began. “It’s 4:00. Gotta go. Fed cats. Heading for the Laundromat. Call me as soon as you get home.”
She dialed Colleen’s home number and Colleen’s mother answered with her heavy Irish brogue. “Murphy residence,” she said.
“Hello, Mrs. Murphy,” Katherine said.
“Katz, is it you?”
“I just got home. Where’s Colleen?”
“She’s off to the Laundromat. You sound tired. Do you want me to take a message?”
“Yes, tell her: I’m home. I’m in love. And call me later.”
“I’m glad you made it home safely. Should I be planning to bake your wedding cake soon?” she offered in obvious amusement.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. I wouldn’t want to jinx anything.”
“I’ll give Colleen the message. Bye to you for now.”
Katherine hung up the phone. Colleen’s mom was like a mother to her. She always teased that she had four boys but needed a second girl. Katherine, with no living relatives, gladly volunteered.
“Waugh,” Scout said, breaking Katherine’s reverie.
Scout and Iris sat next to their dinner bowls and looked up pitifully.
“Are the royal Siamese hungry?”
“Yowl,” Iris demanded.
Katherine opened a fresh can of tuna and first poured the juice in Scout’s bowl. “Nectar of the gods, my darling,” she said. Scout turned
He pressed the buzzer. “See you later, Marie,” he said happily.
The elevator was resting on the first floor with its doors open. Katherine couldn’t believe her good luck. Usually she had to wait several minutes for the next available car. She rushed into the elevator—not stopping to even check her mail—and pressed the twenty-second floor. The elevator shot up and opened the doors to her floor.
She couldn’t believe her second stroke of good luck. Normally, the elevator went local and stopped on every floor. As the doors glided open, she heard the distinct feline cries of welcome—the loud waugh of Scout, and the yowl of Iris, but she didn’t hear the me-yowl of Lilac. That’s odd , she thought. She raced down the hall, imagining all sorts of catly horrors—Lilac trapped in the closet, or Lilac kidnapped and held for ransom. As Katherine ran, she called their names: Lilac . . . Scout . . . Iris.
Oh, my god ,” she panicked. She turned the key in the upper lock, then struggled with the bottom lock. “Colleen,” she called through the door. “Are you there?” There was no answer. She opened the door and fumbled for the light switch. “Waugh.” “Yowl.” The two seal-points crashed into her legs. “Owl,” a hoarse voice said, nearby.
When Katherine spotted the lilac-point, she had to look twice. Lilac was moving her jaws but no sounds were coming from it. “Have you lost your voice?” she asked the meowless cat. Scout and Iris continued their caterwauling. “Quiet,” she said, closing the door. Scout and Iris hiked up their tails and marched to the kitchen. Lilac began prancing and pacing in front of Katherine. “What’s wrong with you?” she asked, setting down her carry-on.
Lilac bolted and raced down the hall, stopping outside Katherine’s clothes closest. She reached up with her long, gray paws and tried to turn the doorknob, but the door wouldn’t open.
Katherine said amused, “I bet your toy is in there, right? Your bear? You batted it in the closet and then Colleen shut the door. I forgot to tell her to never close the closet.”
“Owl,” Lilac said.
Katherine joined the cat outside the door. “This explains why you drove Colleen crazy with your serenade.” She opened the closet door. Inside, on the floor, the bear was stuck inside one of her shoes.
Lilac flew inside and pounced on her prize—a three-inch teddy bear that was missing both an arm and a leg. With jaws of steel, she gripped the bear by the head and carried the toy into the living room. “Owl,” she said in muffled thanks.
Katherine walked into the kitchen and found a note taped to the refrigerator. “Katz,” it began. “It’s 4:00. Gotta go. Fed cats. Heading for the Laundromat. Call me as soon as you get home.”
She dialed Colleen’s home number and Colleen’s mother answered with her heavy Irish brogue. “Murphy residence,” she said.
“Hello, Mrs. Murphy,” Katherine said.
“Katz, is it you?”
“I just got home. Where’s Colleen?”
“She’s off to the Laundromat. You sound tired. Do you want me to take a message?”
“Yes, tell her: I’m home. I’m in love. And call me later.”
“I’m glad you made it home safely. Should I be planning to bake your wedding cake soon?” she offered in obvious amusement.
“Oh, no. It’s nothing like that. I wouldn’t want to jinx anything.”
“I’ll give Colleen the message. Bye to you for now.”
Katherine hung up the phone. Colleen’s mom was like a mother to her. She always teased that she had four boys but needed a second girl. Katherine, with no living relatives, gladly volunteered.
“Waugh,” Scout said, breaking Katherine’s reverie.
Scout and Iris sat next to their dinner bowls and looked up pitifully.
“Are the royal Siamese hungry?”
“Yowl,” Iris demanded.
Katherine opened a fresh can of tuna and first poured the juice in Scout’s bowl. “Nectar of the gods, my darling,” she said. Scout turned
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