experience, it was never the bulk of the cat that counted or even the speed of the paw, the sharpness of the claw, as much as it was the ability to conquer one’s fear. They began to stroll back home; the moon was passing behind clouds and its light was touched with purple and yellow, like an old bruise. They had almost reached the road to the canal when Southpaw felt all his fur stand up at once, Miao whirled, and the air filled with the thick aroma of damp fur and cedar. Behind that was the powerful, warning, dark scent he’d smelled before, drumming through Southpaw’s head. He turned, not wanting to see whatever was there. Miao had hunched her shoulders up, her face was down, her teeth bared, and she was growling in a low, deep voice. But Miao was to his left and a little behind him. Whatever it was that had spooked Miao, he would face it first. 80/81
The first thing the kitten noticed was the creature’s eyes— inquiring, intelligent, assessing. Its face was neat, the fur beautifully combed in bristles of brown and silver, the whiskers black and questioning. The ears were round and made it look almost cute; but the creature was nearly their size, it rippled with muscles, and Southpaw gulped as he noticed the claws. They were thin, like curved stilettos, and he sensed they would be razor-sharp. ‘Don’t even think about touching the kitten,’ Miao said, moving up to stand beside him. ‘Whoever you are, you’ll have to get past me.’ The creature cocked its head to one side and considered her with some amusement. ‘I could rip both your throats out, Cat,’ it said, speaking in Junglee, the common patois that all animals used. ‘But I have made my kills for the night and the bloodlust has dimmed. As it has for your kitten, I see. One kill or two, boy?’
The Book of Aleph