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Rue shook off the disorientation and crouched down, h the bars She wrapped a hand about one bar, theher skin She could see upclose that the Vanaras had wrapped a silver net around the lioness It fastened at her neck and draped over her body in loops and coils That would e shape Even if she were strong enough to shift despite the weakening effect of silver ainst it instead That explained why she was still a cat – she needed the protection of fur

Rue grinned That she could help with The cage had large threaded knobs holding on a door that dropped down Rue grabbed at these, loosening them as much as possible Then she reached in and buried her hands in Miss Sekhmet’s smooth sandy-coloured fur

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

WEREMONKEYS IN DRESSING-GOWNS

Ouch After two stints as a wereotten how much more painful full animal shift was Her bones broke and re-formed Her senses altered entirely – her nose becaht li was taking place under a silvered reat a loss It was a bit like suddenly forgetting how good cheese tasted: convenient in that it kept one froot to eat cheese

Rue’s whiskers twitched The Vanara odour was all warm fur, dried moss, and some exotic fruit They had neither the predator meat odour of olves, nor the carrion rot of va with it the overwhel scent of tea plants It caused her to sneeze sharply, once, before she naround

Rue didn’t wait to see if Miss Sekhe If she was smart, she’d stay there – safer until after hostilities If hostilities happened She was now fullyto ed and didn’t look to And now, Rue couldn’t argue with anyone, although she dearly wished to Back to the cheese situation Her tail lashed in annoyance

Then out of the forest materialised the cavalry component of the British Are airborne dots were also heading in their direction The brigadier had iment was in pursuit of his beloved wife Or the taxes Or both Rue could maybe support such action over tea, but taxes and wives? It seeuished by a particularly large and dictatorial hat, raised a large hand Behind hi the olves Now the British outnumbered the Vanaras, and surely the infantry would follow soon

Rue slunk through the line of tense Vanaras and the group of olves to leap into a tree near the brigadier She atte and perky a manner as possible The tip was a bit difficult to control – it dangled and twitched like a sratifying gasp of fear and the sound of several rifles cocking, which suggested the cavalry thought her a real and dangerous lioness She wondered how they reconciled the artfully draped orange scarf

Brigadier Featherstonehaugh didn’t see above hie horse He sars, curry dinner, and coconut pastry Clearly the loss of one’s beloved as not allowed to interfere with one’s enjoyment of supper Beneath his impressive hat there was very little hair He had pronounced eyebrows and a substantial moustache paired with an oddly dientleman in turban and British unifor to harroup of his own gods He was bowing over and over to the Vanaras frolared at him and said, "Stand to, soldier!" Then he turned to face the Vanaras

"Monkey people," he said "Give me back my wife and the queen’s money, and ill be lenient with you"

Mrs Featherstonehaugh liht of the fire She raised her cane in salute "Jaadier He was easily twice the age and size of his wife, but there was evidently at least some affection between them if the tenor of their endearments was to be believed

"They have been very kind to ood-natured civilised creatures, much like olves And the elebutter, you know the e I’ve read of this pheno ladies, taken in by the enemy – they becoh staone native"

"No, dear heart, no, worse Now you hush up and let your Jammykins handle this It’s the queen’s business Don’t you trouble your little head about it"

Mrs Featherstonehaugh gave Rue’s tree a desperate look Rue was actually enjoying the spectacle Pri hooks and were stealthily drifting about, throwing down and pulling up ason behind the Vanaras’ backs and they were concentrated on the army before the the Custard odd looks, but they were soldiers and knew better than to interrupt a brigadier with questions about custards The olves couldn’t say anything even if they wanted to