Baby I'm Longing For- First Draft

Jamboree

The cats had reached the end of their forty five minute journey, which involved taking the Bakerloo line to Elephant and castle, but hopping off at Oxford Circus in order to pick up the Central Line to Bank station, before catching the Delaware line to Limehouse and then walking the last few yards to Cable Street, Whitechapel. Dressed in cloaks, the group of small cat people, wielding miniature instruments made out of junk, attracted some strange looks, to say the least, from members of the public. However, while one or two humans gawped, most simply went back to reading their newspapers, assuming there must be some sort of strange convention on or something, whilst others made a point of not looking, instead choosing to stare out of the windows at the speeding blackness. Being British, nobody said anything. That was the funny thing about the humans of London. They could've been sat next to a combination of Godzilla and Mr Blobby and still, nobody would have batted an eyelid. They were far too interested in their own tiny worlds to be concerned with what was going on outside of them, and explained why they lived happily alongside a group of extraordinary cat people, blissfully unaware of their existence.

It was as they turned into Cable Street, that Munkustrap suddenly froze, and everyone else did too. All except for Rum Tum Tugger. He was about to carry on striding confidently forwards like he hadn't a care in the world, which of course, he didn't, apart from getting to the well stocked bar and the possibility of getting laid with a naive young princess or three, when he felt his brother's heavy paw on his shoulder. Feeling slightly annoying at having his strut interrupted, he glanced sideways at the Silver Bengcoon, whose nose and whiskers were twitching like mad and his slightly rounded ears were on red alert, while his plumed tail swung from side to side, like a pendulum.

"Say what's up dude? You got stage fright or something?" Rum Tum Tugger asked whilst raising an eyebrow. Munkustrap ignored him and sniffed the air. He felt very uneasy.
"What is it?" asked Jazzie.
"I'm not happy about us straying into another's territory," Munkustrap replied, "especially not this one."
"Who's territory?" scoffed Rum Tum Tugger.
"Vandals."

"Never heard of them!"

"Lucky you."

"They friendly are they?"

"Yes, well, if having your guts pulled out through your nostrils is something you enjoy, then yes, they are extremely amicable."

"Look dude we may as well get to the club, seeing as it's just there and we've come all this way," reasoned Rum Tum Tugger, getting impatient, "we haven't strayed too far into enemy territory, we'll be safe while we're in Jamboree and then we can scarper as soon as it's kicking out time. Chances are they'll never even know we're here!"

"I wish I shared your selfish optimism!" Munkustrap growled, suppressing a shiver, "at least you won't have to get us all out of trouble when it eventually finds us."

"Ever the pessimist aren't you? Well I'm getting me to the club. You can stand out here in the rain, growling at the shadows if you want, or you can follow me. Up to you." Munkustrap knew he was never going to win this argument and he also knew that it was too late to turn back. No good shutting the gate after the horse had bolted, so he grudgingly allowed Jazzie and Bombalurina to slip their paws into each of his and drag him onwards, though not before he had turned back to catch the eyes of his sons, Alonzo and Mistoffelees, and imparted a look that said,

"Be vigilant!"

Finally they made it through the rain to the corner of a line of stark red brick Georgian buildings and walked through the gated archway of the small venue. As the gate was locked behind them, they didn't notice the shadows stalking outside.

The Jamboree was actually an intimate room, packed, from floor to ceiling, with mismatched old wooden furniture and knick knacks of all kinds. Many items were mounted on the white walls, from old instruments, to typewriters, old bakelite telephones and even a spinning wheel!