Alexander the Caracal and the Holy Grail (Sequel to "Alexander the Caracal")

Caligula Filcher

Caligula Filcher had been a long-time annoyance to the inhabitants of Quebec Castle. A former employee of Captain Borna Thorsen, the previous owner of the heavily forested estate, that had been fired for stealing from others who resided in the country house, Filcher just kept coming back, avoiding justice thanks to some family connections in the local law enforcement. He had learned to fear Captain Smith, Captain Thorsen's friend and successor, as well as Darius, resulting in any of his visitations to Quebec Castle being scheduled for when Captain Smith was out of town and had taken Darius with him. Now that Darius had passed on, Filcher did not think he had anything to fear. After all, he was Caligula Nero Filcher! Greatest thief in Oshawa!

If only.

Had he been a character in a work of fiction, Filcher would have been a blackguard who was both ineffective and agreeable. While he was ineffective, and somewhat amusing, if he was agreeable was an academic matter just as if the sea cow was uglier than the walrus. He was not even particularly threatening and Alexander had no reason to believe him so.

In Captain Smith's office, Alan sat with Gemma by his side. Alexander set before the two, staring up at them, rubbing his head against Alan's knee to comfort him. There were a few chairs in Captain Smith's office and there did the two redheaded adolescents sit, before Captain Smith's desk where another chair was located behind. Alexander had lay in that chair on a few occasions since his arrival, which his master had responded by staring at him with raised eyebrow.

"The family loving cup..." Alan uttered in disbelief. "I can't believe it! When did Filcher get so lucky? I thought he would have learned his lesson after Nicole closed a door on that carrot that he calls a nose!"

"I'm sure you can get it back, Alan." Gemma said, placing a hand on Alan's arm. "In our childhood games we always pretended it was the Holy Grail and that you were on a quest for it. Now it seems you really will be on a quest for it, to bring it back here to its kingdom."

"It will be a short quest, Gemma." commented Alan, looking Gemma in the eye.

Gemma Cook was sixteen years old and was an inch taller than Alan. She was a slender girl with light skin, large reddish-brown eyes and red hair that was long and straight. She had an honest face and a cute mouth and was overall considered fairly attractive, but to Alan she was as comely as Helena of Lacedaemon, known as Helen of Troy more commonly. She was wearing a blue kimono and shoes and a pink turban. Childhood friend to Alan and Captain Smith's other adolescent pupil, Gemma was many things to Alan, just as he was many things to her. In their childhood games, Alan had always been a banneret and Gemma a gentlewoman, he had been the Wilfred of Ivanhoe to her Lady Rowena. Now it seemed he would be a banneret and she a gentlewoman once more.

"A short quest but a quest still, Alan." Gemma took hold of Alan's hand and smiled at him. "I will be glad to join you."

"Gemma, no, you cannot. To go into Filcher's store where he sells his stolen wares is to risk Ahab's wrath. Besides, what happened to 'I'm sure you can get it back'?"

Ahab? As Alexander hopped onto his master's desk, he wondered which Ahab was being spoken of. Ms. Burnett, one of the teachers, had been reading from the Bible to the students who attended boarding school here at Quebec Castle and Alexander had heard the name of a king named Ahab. He had also heard the name of Ahab again in regards to a captain when some of the students had been reading a book called "Moby-Dick" together. Was it the king? Was it the captain? Alexander did not know what had happened to either of them. Where were they now?

"Well, as the banneret it is up to you to retrieve the Holy Grail, but that does not mean I cannot accompany you." Gemma explained.

It sounded logical to Alexander. He meowed at Alan who looked to him with a small smile, Gemma as well, and proceeded to scratch the northern caracal's chin and say: "Alright, both of you can come with me to get it back."