The Amazing Adventures of Nikolast the Cat - Chapter 2

 The Amazing Adventures of Nikolast the Cat - Chapter 2  - The Ladybug Compact

By Richard Dean Fisher

The dying embers of the fire cracked and crackled as Nikolast slept.  The air cooled and a cold draft blew from under the Thomas Cottage front door. Nikolast woke up, stood on all fours and shook and ruffled his short fur.  A ladybug who had been sleeping on his tail catapulted into the air and only due to a furious beating of her wings did she avoid the hot fireplace.  The Ladybug landed on the tip of  Nikolast's ear. He took a white paw swipe at her and missed as she floated above him, then landed again in a tuft of fur just inside Niko's ear.

  "Hello?"  said a very tiny voice. Nikolast froze.  "Hello, can you hear me?"  said the very tiny voice in Niko's ear. Niko nodded.

"Who are you?" the minuscule voice asked.

"I'm Nikolast or Niko. Who are you?  I can't see you. I can barely hear you." Niko replied as he slowly turned his head to look around the room.    

Ladybug giggled and tickled Niko's ear.  "I'm in here. Miss Tennelope Ladybug at your service and pleased to meet you.  Nikolast walked over rubbed along side the couch, making certain to turn his head to try to stop that tiny itch in his ear.  Tennelope flew out of his ear and landed on his nose.  "Can you see me now, Nikolast?   You haven't answered my question who are you?" Tennelope Ladybug shouted as loud as she could,  "I wasn't asking your name, I was asking WHO are you that  crows would place you under their protection?  They only do that by prophecy."

Nikolast  tilted his head slightly.   "First, Miss Ladybug, I don't know anything about a crow prophecy or that I am under their protection.  I spoke with a crow today and we became friends."  Niko shook his head but the ladybug was faster and floated above and then gently landed on top of Niko's head.  She landed so lightly Niko didn't even know she landed at all! 

" That is a problem for you indoor animals.  You spend all your time with humans inside their homes and get no outside education at all.  I will let the crows explain their customs to you but I am going to  be tagging along.   You probably don't know this but ladybugs are good luck and it is very bad luck to kill a ladybug.  Once the crows placed you under their protection, the ladybug nation, in accordance with the agreement forged at the Great Circle join in the protection. We provide a good luck shield for you. And so I am here."   She busily fussed with her dotted wings.  "I just don't understand how an indoor cat can be this important,."  

Nikolast shook his head several times to ride himself of this insulting little bug, but every time she was faster and landed on him again.  "Are you going you be in my fur the entire time?  He was exasperated.

"Not all the time,  I have ladybug business to attend to. I will tell you when I am leaving and when I will return."  shouted the tiny voice from on top of Niko's head.

Niko shrugged, " Miss Tennelope I am not certain how this is necessary or how one ladybug will protect a cat 50,000 times her size, but you are welcome to 'tag along'."  

"Nikolast, I am not the only ladybug here." As she spoke thousands of ladybugs emerged from every crack and corner in the walls, flying up to cover the entire ceiling of the room. Miss Tennelope Ladybug then flew three circles above Niko's head and just as quickly as they had arrived, they disappeared back into their hiding places. Then she landed on Niko's nose and smiled at him.

Nikolast was impressed but also curious, "Miss Ladybug, that was something to see. But how will that protect me?"

Ladybug smiled.  "We can create a screen that repels bat radar and blocks the keenest of night vision, say from owls or nighthawks. There are other uses too, but those are highly secret.  It is not a good day for you should we have to use our advanced skills to protect you."

" I don't know why I would need protection,"  Nikolast replied,  frustrated with all this nonsense, he jumped up onto the sofa and curled up on top of a decorative pillow of hand-stitched daisies and ladybugs.

Outside the window, the Watcher's Net had expanded one hundred miles to the North, into The County, as it is referred to by humans, and the great last wilderness in the Eastern United States.   Red Winged  blackbirds had now joined in to cover the farmland areas, to avoid confrontations with humans who love red-winged blackbirds but would shoot Crows sitting on cornstalks without hesitation.

Soon reports were carried back through the net to Johnny Crow.   Hawks in the North had begun flying in crossing patterns above the net,  canvassing the land from above.  Johnny Crow, King of the Eastern  Sunrise Nation, was stunned,  This was told and retold for generations that a great  war of the wild animals would arrive soon after the birth of a kitten named Niko, last of its litter.   Johnny Crow sent a message back through the net- send in the sparrows to disrupt the hawks and chase them off.

~end Chapter 2