Anne McCaffrey - Catalyst (A Tale of the Barque Cats, Book 1)

B Y A NNE M C C AFFREY AND
E LIZABETH A NN S CARBOROUGH

Catalyst

Changelings
Maelstrom
Deluge

Powers That Be
Power Lines
Power Play

This book is dedicated to the memories of Punkin andChessie McCaffrey and Kittibits (Bonnie Dundee)Scarborough, who would be Barque Cats had they beenborn a bit later, and to Treat Scarborough, whose quirkypersonality made him the model for Pshaw-Ra.

It is also dedicated to Dr. Tony and Jeanette Rogstad fortheir dedication to the health and well-being of cats, dogs, and any other animals in need.

H ow much for that pretty kittycat you got there, young lady?

Janina started, jarring Chessie out of her brooding nap. Chessie laid her ears back, stretched, and gazed up into the face of the man who stood smiling down at them. He was a grizzled-looking spacer in the middle of the human life span, she judged, wearing a uniform, the arms of which sported a collection of ships patches bearing insignias she did not recognize. But then, Hood Station, where they had just docked, was a backwater facility providing the interface between the agro-based planet Sherwood and the rest of the universe. A wide variety of human types roamed the corridors. Though the man didnt seem threatening, he certainly seemed ignorant about cats, as Janina, Chessies Cat Person, immediately informed him. Had Janina been a cat, Chessie thought, shed have been bristling.

Excuse me, sir, but if you are referring to Thomass Duchess, descendant of Tuxedo Thomas, the original Barque Cat himself, she is not for sale at any price. Janina tightened her arms protectively around Chessies kitten-heavy body.

Beggin your pardon, miss, I had no idea the lady was such a celebrity. Shes just such a beauty and Im looking for a cat for my kid. Looks like shes going to litter soon. How many kittens do you reckon shes got in there?

Dr. Vlast says no fewer than five and perhaps as many as eight! Janina replied proudly. Chessie is a good breeder and a good mother.

Glad to hear it. Glad to hear it. Still, thats a lot of kittens. Youll be looking for homes for them, wont you?

This fellow just didnt get it, did he? Chessie knew her kittens were far too valuable to be given away as pets! How could a spacer not know the history of Barque Cats? Had she been able to speak to Janina, shed have asked, Doesnt he know we save lives, that we patrol the tight areas of our spaceships, keeping rodents from eating the coating on cables, smelling hazardous gases and even escaping oxygen? Chessie looked into Janinas face, which was flushing a pretty pink, and mewed her confusion.

Chessiesthe Duchessskittens were spoken for three litters ago, sir, Janina informed him politely, then added, reeling off the little speech the crews communications officer had prepared for her, They are highly prized, as her progeny are not only superbly bred but have all grown into the best ships cats in the universe. The sire of this particular litter is Space Jockey, a cat as renowned as the Duchess herself for his breeding and spirit.

Hah! The truth was that although Jock was a handsome tom, he was a terrible brawler. That trait accounted for the rambunctiousness of these unborn babies of his. Chessie had never carried a more active litter, and that was saying something! She had borne twelve litters in fewer years, barely having time to train one kindle of kittens in the space ways before the next lot was born and the whole process began again. She couldnt actually remember many times when she had not been pregnant. It made patrolling the ventilation ducts and interior passages of her ship, the Molly Daise, a bit difficult at times, but there were always half-grown kittens to go into those few places where she could not fit her belly.

Is that the truth? Well, Ill be. Could I pet her? Would she mind? Shes such a pretty cat.

I suppose it would be all right, Janina said, with a glance down at her.

The girl was already a bit more skittish than usual, and Chessie knew it was because she had opposed this latest pregnancy. Chessie couldnt agree more, but she graciously lifted her head to meet the mans fingers and felt Janina relax somewhat. The man had a gentle touch, and his fingers smelled pleasantly male and of a recent hearty meal. She gave the back of his hand a lick as he pulled it away.

What a darlin girl, the man said, smiling at her. He had a very nice white smile that made his rugged face look younger. Chessie approved. He could probably snap a rats neck with a single bite with teeth like those!

Janina beamed. Chessies young Cat Person took as much pride in Chessie and her babies as Chessie herself did. They had been together ten years, all of Chessies life and over half of Janinas, who had been a mere human kitten when Chessie was born and the girl became hers. Some ships cats considered their Cat Person to be a cross between a caretaker and a colleague. Chessie had thought of Janina as an older sister initially. But over the years, through her many litters, she had come to regard the girl almost as one of her own kittens. A grown kitten able to help with birthing the others, but still so young and in need of reassuring nuzzles and purrs.

Im sorry, but I really need to keep moving, Janina told the man. Were on our way to Dr. Vlasts clinic now for her prenatal checkup.

A prenatal checkup for a cat? She must be really special, the man said, keeping pace alongside them.

Chessie wanted a bath but couldnt start one while clasped in Janinas arms. The kittens were trying to pounce each other while still inside her, judging by the way it felt, and bouncing about the space station wasnt helping. She shifted her weight so her pretty fluffy tail draped over Janinas arm, making more room for her pretty fluffy rear. She mewed up at Kibble, as the rest of the crew called Janina. Apparently, a lot of Cat Persons on other ships had the same name, but Chessie was sure none of the others were as sweet and kind or took such good care of their Barque Cats as her Kibble did.

The man seemed to have appointed himself as their escort, walking easily beside them when the way was clear, breaking up clusters of thoughtlessly chattering people when it wasnt with a cheery, Gangway! Pregnant lady coming through!

Janina said, Thank you. Poor Chessie and her kittens have such a great reputation, and fetch such a big price that she hasnt been given enough time to rest between litters, in my opinion. I want Dr. Vlast to check her over and make sure shes okay. I thought her previous litter should have been her last for a while but I was outvoted.

Chessie wished Janina had won. Motherhood had always been easy for her before, but this litter was disturbing. She dreamed of these kittens all the timeshe couldnt remember doing that before. Or having the cravings shed had with this pregnancy, like those deliciously crunchy shiny beetles shed discovered in the last shipment of fresh fruit from Jambago Trine. She couldnt seem to get enough of them. Just thinking about them made her hungry.

Those kittens must be worth quite a bit for the crew to risk stressing out Mrs. Puss here like that.

Janina told him what the babies from Chessies last litter had fetcheda price that made the man whistle in appreciation.