The 3G’s set off, their paws sinking deep into the undulating ochre rivulets. The harsh Egyptian sun beats upon their fur and dazzles their eyes. Before long a brown speck comes into view, moving slowly towards them. As it draws closer, they see a camel wading through the sands. The strange hairy creature reaches them, chuffs into their noses, and in a deep voice rumbles, “I am your humble servant. My masters have summoned me to help you..”. With that he kneels down to the ground, and the 3 Gateros clamber onto his broad back. The camel turns and makes towards a great winding river, flanked by fertile green valleys. Vast stone pyramids begin to appear on the horizon. A gigantic statue of a sphynx cat graces the entrance of a towering temple. An array of kittens cavort up and down the stone steps of a pyramid while 60 or 70 cats bask in the shadows.
All three Gateros gape wide-eyed at he exotic scente before them, when an enormous iron door slowly creaks open. A ginger tomcat in servants attire appears in the doorway.. “My mistress has been expecting you”, he declares. The camel kneels and the 3G’s hop down onto the white sand. They enter the dusky shadows of a vast hall, lined by stone statues depicting cats killing venomous snakes. Papyrus scrolls hang from the walls, and chords of piped music drift on the cool air. “Her Royal Highness the Pharoah Cleopatra”, announces the servant, followed by a trumpet blast. Ten servant cats emerge, carrying a long stretch of red and gold carpet.
They fling the carpet to the ground, it unfurls the entire length of the hall. At the very end, lounging on her back, is a beautiful sloe-eyed jet black queen cat. She is adorned with a magnificent gold collar, set with precious stones. On her legs she wears gold bangles studded with gleaming rubies. Her regal gaze fixes on Millou, who is gazing open-mouthed in wonder. The queen outstretches an elegant paw.
“This…”, she says proudly, pointing at the carpet, “…is my Magic Carpet. It goes wherever I tell it…”.
“Come, my friends, I have been expecting you. Let me show you around my temple..”. She glides effortlessly to her paws,
“My dynasty have been protecting the pharoahs for thousands of years, and we represent the Sun God Ra”. She leads them down a labyrinth of passages filled with painted cat mummies and stone cat statues.
After some time, with a feeling of unease, Lillith glances round. Bobby has disappeared!
“Bobbyyyyyyyyy..”, shout Lillith and Millou, looking left and right, and winding their way back through the maze, to the main hall.
There they have the shock of their lives.. The Magic Carpet is gone…! Just at that moment comes a piercing squawk, and an alarmed falcon flaps into the hall, closely followed by Bobby atop the red and gold carpet, hanging on for a dear life..!
Lillith and Millou scram for cover just in time, as the carpet skids down the hall, tumbling and turning.
“Phew..”, gasps Bobby, picking himself up and turning to an enormous heap of decanted cat toys.
“I’ve been shopping on the Champs Elysee”, he declares gleefully..
“What about that for a Classy cat exercise wheel..?”
Lillith, who has never been a fan of machinery, rather prefers a long tube-like linked maze, much better than the maze they’d just got lost in..
