The Ghost of Christmas Paws

by Mandy Morton

  She was aware that the sea was on her left, but it was her only reference point. The snow was getting deeper and had reached the top of her wellingtons, filling them with icy cold water as it melted and making it even more difficult for her to put one foot in front of the other. She cried out with the pain of her frozen toes, and her tears turned to ice across her nose. She was exhausted, and on the verge of falling asleep as she walked. She concentrated hard on staying awake, resisting the temptation to give in to her tiredness and lie down in the snow. In the bad days, when she was homeless, she used to shelter on a shelf in an old shed during the winter, and she remembered that she would sing to stay awake for fear of freezing to death like so many other homeless cats had done. With a deep breath, she launched herself into a medley of Christmas carols, not caring how she ordered the verses or the tunes. She bellowed them out across the snowy landscape, determined to keep going. The snow began to ease off and the wind dropped, making Tilly’s lonely voice sound rather strange and unearthly in the silence. Gradually, even the sea calmed itself into a gentle caressing of the shoreline as the tide pulled out in deference to the snow-covered sand.

  There was no need for her torch now. The snow lit her way with absolute clarity, and the slightest hint of a twinkly light in the distance gave her hope that the village was now in sight. She had no energy left, but she knew at this point that failure was not an option. She dug her paws deeply into the pockets of her greatcoat and was rewarded with the Christmas biscuits which she had pocketed for emergencies – still there, if a little fragmented by recent traumas. The biscuits lasted seconds but the effect of the sugar was life-saving. With a new resolve and a determination to complete her mission, she pushed on, dragging herself through the snow until she had reached the first cottages at the boundary of the village.

  She remembered falling flat on her face in the snow with exhaustion, but had no recollection of the village cats who carried her up to the Atlantic Inn and placed her in front of a roaring fire in the public bar. Sooty Perkins’ face was the first she recognised as he trickled small amounts of brandy into her mouth. She sneezed and sent the liquid into the fire, suddenly realising that she was surrounded by several wide-eyed cats, all looking on with great concern.

  ‘Thank goodness!’ said Sooty. ‘We thought you was a goner when they brought you in. Frozen solid, you were.’

  It took Tilly a little while to get her bearings, but the warmth of the fire and Sooty’s encouraging voice gradually brought her to her senses. She knew there was something urgent at the back of her mind, but couldn’t quite remember what it was. Sooty coaxed her into taking some sips of hot, sweet tea, and Loveday Whisk gently massaged her frozen paws back to life. ‘Fancy bein’ out on a night like this,’ she said. ‘And what about your friend? I ’ope she’s not out there in all this weather.’

  Tilly choked on her tea, spilling it down the front of her festive cardigan. ‘Hettie!’ she cried. ‘She’s locked in the cellar with poor Lady Crabstock and Christmas Paws!’

  All eyes turned to Tilly, waiting for her to continue, but Sooty saw her distress and interrupted. ‘Now then, I think you’ve got yourself confused. Lady Crabstock will be tucked up at the manor, safe and sound. She’s not the sort to go cavorting in cellars.’ The rest of the assembled company laughed at Sooty’s words, all except Tilly who could feel hot tears of frustration and embarrassment welling up in her eyes.

  She struggled to her feet. ‘Please listen to me!’ she cried as Tiffy Fluff pushed her way to the front, all but forcing her microphone up Tilly’s nose in her eagerness for an exclusive. ‘Lady Crabstock is a prisoner at Crabstock Manor. Hettie and I found her chained and tied up in nets in the cave under the house. She’s so ill she’s probably going to die, and Hettie is looking after her while I came here for help. We have to do something now or it will be too late.’

  Tilly had silenced the crowd, and the urgency in her voice got Sooty’s undivided attention at last. ‘If they’re locked in that old cellar, why don’t the Bunns let ’em out? Surely they’ve got a key? They left the party soon after the fight began. They must ’ave been back at the manor for some time.’

  Tilly responded by giving an account of Saffron’s beating and the appearance of Christmas Paws, finishing with her escape through the coal chute and her journey through the blizzard into the village. When she’d finished, there was much shaking of heads and murmuring in the crowd, and it was Loveday who spoke first. ‘I’ve been sayin’ this all along an’ no one would listen. ’Evva Bunn ’as a black ’eart. ’E treats Saffron terrible, an’ if ’e’s started on ’Er Ladyship we got to get it sorted. ’E’s much more frightenin’ than Christmas Paws, so come on you lot – get your coats an’ let’s get ourselves to the manor before it’s too late.’

  A cheer went up around the bar, but Sooty raised his paw and called for calm. ‘Loveday is right but we ’ave to get organised. The weather’s terrible an’ it’s goin’ to take some time to reach the manor on foot on account of the snow. I think what we need is a two-pronged attack.’

  Sooty was well respected in the village, and was regarded as a cat with a good head on him. In times of trouble, the villagers would seek him out, knowing that his opinion counted for a great deal and that his wisdom and guidance would be invaluable. Now, they stood as one and waited for direction.

  ‘Salty, I’ll need you with me,’ Sooty began. ‘I think the quickest way to get to the manor is by sea, an’ from what Tilly is sayin’ we can land in Crabstock Cove an’ get in that way, without givin’ the game away.’

  Tilly interrupted at this point. ‘The cave is blocked up with big iron bars.’

  Sooty laughed. ‘Don’t you worry about that. I’ll soon ’ave them shifted. A couple of sticks of dynamite will sort that out a treat. Now, where was I? Oh yes, Potsy and Dory, if you can get as many cats together as you can an’ get yourselves to the manor by the cliff road, we’ll ’ave the front covered as well. Keep yourselves quiet when you get there an’ wait for my signal. I’ll send up a flare from Crabstock Cove, which will be the signal to take the house. Get started as soon as you can an’ arm yourselves for a fight, just in case ’Evva kicks up rough. Loveday, I want you to stay here an’ look after Tilly. I think she’s ’ad enough for one night.’

  Again Tilly interrupted. ‘I’d rather come and see it through. I’m feeling much better now.’

  Loveday piped up, too. ‘You can count me in on your boat trip, Sooty. I’m not missin’ out on a proper adventure. Me an’ Tilly ’ere can keep your engine running while you an’ Salty do the business on the shore.’

  Sooty was about to argue but saw the sense in having as many pairs of paws as was available; Lady Crabstock would need special care if they got to her in time. ‘OK, you win, but get yourselves wrapped up warm. I’ve got some spare waterproofs at the ’otel. We can pick them up on our way down to the ’arbour.’

  Leaving Potsy and Dory to gather their army together, Sooty Perkins escorted Tilly and Loveday back to his hotel, sending Salty on ahead to fire up the engine on his boat. Tiffy Fluff switched off her tape recorder with satisfaction, knowing she had the scoop of the century, and pulled on her wellingtons in preparation to follow the story to the gates of Crabstock Manor.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Back at the hotel, Loveday and Tilly climbed into some of Sooty’s old waterproofs, which were far too big for them. Sooty insisted on adding life jackets to their outfits and the three cats set out for the harbour, making slow progress through the snow. Tilly’s joints ached from the cold and she stumbled several times before Sooty picked her up and tucked her under his arm, holding Loveday up with his other paw as she slipped and slid on snow which was now beginning to freeze.

  The engine of the Maid of Kelynack was chugging away by the time they reached the quayside, and Salty waved from the wheelhouse, signalling that he would bring the small punt to the bottom of the harbour steps to transfer them to the boat. Using a single oar, Salty scull
ed across to the bottom of the steps where Sooty loaded Tilly and Loveday into the punt. ‘Get them over first, Salty. We won’t all fit – not with them life jackets takin’ up the space.’ Salty used his oar to push away from the shore; reaching the Maid of Kelynack, he lifted first Loveday and then Tilly up onto the deck of the boat before returning to the shore to collect Sooty.

  ‘Right then,’ Sooty said, swinging himself aboard and securing the punt to the back of the boat. ‘Let’s set you girls to work. We might even make proper sailors of you. Tilly, you get yourself into the wheel’ouse and get that kettle on. Loveday, you take the stern and cast us off. Salty, get yourself to the bow.’ Sooty clambered into the wheelhouse, and as the ropes from bow and stern were slipped he steered the boat out of the inner harbour, past the pier and the clock tower on one side and a line of jagged rocks on the other.

  The clock tower clunked ten as they headed out to open sea. Tilly, as far as she could remember, had never been on a boat of any sort and found the strange motion rather alarming. She concentrated hard on making four mugs of tea in the tiny galley, fighting the seasickness that was beginning to creep up on her. Loveday joined her and rescued the tea bags from the mugs as Tilly tried several times to spoon in some powdered milk, but most of it ended up on the floor of the galley.

  ‘You don’t look too good,’ observed Loveday, locating a tin of chocolate digestives. ‘You’ll do better if you go out on deck. That ’elps yer to get yer sea legs. ’Ere – take this tea up to Salty.’

  Tilly did as she was told and had to agree that the icy blast of fresh air did wonders. The sea was actually quite calm, the moon offered a silver path which stretched out onto the distant horizon, and the stars twinkled in the night sky as bright as she had ever seen them. She made her way to the bow, where Salty stood scouring the shoreline with his binoculars. Grateful for the hot tea, he wrapped his paws around the mug for extra warmth and stared up at the sky. ‘That there is the north star,’ he said, lifting his head. ‘Never brighter than at this time of year. Sailor’s friend, she is – leads us ’ome.’

  Tilly stared in wonder, quite forgetting her seasickness. ‘Have you sailed a lot?’ she asked, studying the weather-beaten cat who stood before her.

  Salty’s face lit up at the question. ‘All my life, really. My old dad ’ad a boat, and ’e fished these waters till the great storm took ’im. Took me out as a kitten an’ taught me everythin’ I know, then when ’e was gone I joined up as a merchant on the big ships out of Fowlmouth. Travelled the world, I did, then when my old ma died I came back ’ere an’ teamed up with Sooty an’ the Maid of Kelynack to get back to proper fishin’. There’s a good livin’ to be ’ad if you’ve a fine boat like this one.’

  ‘It’s a funny name for a boat.’

  ‘Well, you’ll ’ave to mention that to Sooty,’ said Salty, laughing. ‘’E’s called ’er after ’is sweet’eart. Been courtin’ ’er for years.’ Salty took up his binoculars again and directed them at the shore. ‘Start bringin’ ’er in!’ he shouted back to Sooty in the wheelhouse.

  Tilly stared at the shore and marvelled at how very different the village looked from the sea – row after row of twinkling cottages, some nestling at sea level and others perched high on the clifftop, their roofs covered in snow. She followed the line of the cliff road and eventually spotted the dark, forbidding outline of Crabstock Manor. She was suddenly engulfed by a great sadness and fear for Hettie, who was still imprisoned within its walls. It was all her fault: she had wanted this Cornish adventure, never dreaming that it could put Hettie in such peril. Her best friend in all the world was captive in a filthy cellar, and at this very moment was probably being tortured by Christmas Paws.

  A sudden hive of activity on deck snatched her from her inner turmoil. Sooty emerged from the wheelhouse carrying an anchor attached to a coiled rope. ‘I’ve knocked the engine out and left ’er idlin’. I reckon we’re about fifty yards out from Crabstock Cove, so we’ll take the punt from ’ere.’ Sooty threw the anchor over the side of the boat and waited for it to hit the bottom before securing the rope to the cleat hook on the bow. Checking they had everything they needed for their assault on the shore, Sooty and Salty lowered themselves down into the punt.

  Loveday had come up on deck to see them off, and stood with Tilly as the two cats sculled their way to the shore. ‘Don’t you worry,’ she said. ‘Sooty will sort it. ’E’ll ’ave your friend out of there in no time, an’ the village folk will take good care of ’Evva Bunn and put an end to Christmas Paws and ’er antics, you mark my words.’

  At the mention of the villagers, Tilly’s gaze was directed away from the speeding little boat and towards the clifftop, where a procession of flaming torches made slow progress towards Crabstock Manor. It was clear that Potsy and Dory’s army was on its way to the front door of the house. Loveday went back into the wheelhouse and returned seconds later with two sets of binoculars. ‘’Ere, take these, or you’ll miss all the action.’

  Tilly raised the binoculars to her eyes and spent some time getting them to focus on the little punt. By the time she had the boat in her sights, it had almost reached the shore. Sooty and Salty leapt into the water and dragged the punt onto the snowy sand, and Tilly watched as they headed towards the cave entrance. She lifted the binoculars to take in the manor house above, and noticed that the stream of torches had disappeared from view. She imagined them assembled outside the front door, waiting for Sooty’s signal.

  A crack rang out across the night sky as Sooty’s dynamite wrenched a hole in the entrance to the cave. Tilly and Loveday reacted by training their binoculars back onto the beach, just in time to see Sooty and Salty disappear inside. The waiting was almost more than Tilly could stand. She was frozen to the spot at the bow of the boat, mentally working her way through every possible bad-news scenario that she could invent. Loveday had returned to the wheelhouse and was nervously crunching her way through the tin of chocolate digestives as the little boat bobbed up and down expectantly. Eventually, there was a movement on the beach and Tilly called to her. ‘I think they’re out of the cave! Come and see!’

  Loveday bustled onto the deck and raised her binoculars. ‘Yep, that’s them all right. Sooty’s carryin’ somethin’ and puttin’ it in the punt, only …’ Loveday faltered in her commentary.

  ‘Only what?’ asked Tilly, becoming visibly distressed.

  ‘Well, I was goin’ to say I can’t see your friend, but maybe she’s gone to join Potsy and Dory. Sooty ’asn’t give the signal for them to move yet,’ said Loveday, trying to remain positive.

  Sooty and Salty made good time returning to their boat, and Tilly and Loveday assisted as they lifted what appeared to be a bundle of sacks onto the deck. The sacks began to cry, more with relief than pain, as four pairs of eyes stared down in great concern at Lady Eloise Crabstock-Singe. Loveday was the first to speak. ‘Your Ladyship, is that really you? What ’ave they done? They’ll pay for this, you can be sure of that.’

  Eloise Crabstock struggled to sit up and Sooty supported her as she spoke. ‘I owe you a great debt,’ she said, looking at Tilly, ‘but I fear for your friend. She’s been taken by Christmas Paws. Christmas came to kill me, but she went mad when she couldn’t find me in the nets. Your friend protected me. I was in the dresser, listening. There was a terrible fight, then it all went quiet. I was too weak to move. I’m so sorry.’

  Tilly turned away and looked out across the sea, hot tears splashing down onto her paws as she clung to the side of the boat. Why had she left Hettie to face Christmas Paws on her own? Together they might have been strong enough to overcome this malevolent force. Together was how it was supposed to be, but now there was just a hole, a desolate void, a grief unimagined in all her darkest fears.

  Loveday and Salty gently lifted Lady Crabstock into the wheelhouse and settled her by the engine for warmth. Sooty stared at the sad, dejected form of Tilly, looking for words of consolation and finding none. He stared back at Crabstock
Cove and realised that he hadn’t given the flare signal to Potsy and Dory. It was hard to know what to do: Lady Crabstock was in a bad way and needed a warm bed and plenty of care, but there was unfinished business at Crabstock Manor and the day of reckoning had come. ‘Right!’ he said, making Tilly jump. ‘We need a plan. Salty, I want you to take ’Er Ladyship back to my ’otel and let Loveday and Tilly look after ’er. I’m goin’ back to Crabstock Cove in the punt to link up with Potsy and Dory. We’ve a fight on our ’ands and there’s one or two cats need teachin’ a lesson.’

  Tilly turned from the guard rail at Sooty’s rallying cry. ‘Please let me come with you. I owe it to Hettie to see what happened to her, and I want her brought out of there so I can take her home.’

  Sooty took one look at Tilly’s face and decided not to argue. ‘Come on, then – let’s get goin’.’ He climbed into the punt and Salty lowered Tilly down to join him. When they were clear of the boat, Salty hauled up the anchor and the Maid of Kelynack sailed off to safe harbour.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The little punt cut through the water at speed as Sooty sculled towards the shore. Both cats leapt from the boat as it beached, and Sooty dragged it up onto the snowy sand. Tilly removed her life jacket and stowed it away in the punt, and Sooty handed her a torch and what looked like a baseball bat. ‘I’m not saying you’ll need this, but it might come in ’andy if there’s a fight.’

  Tilly nodded and followed him across the sand into the mouth of the cave, where a small hole had been blown in the iron bars. They made swift progress into the cellars, stopping only briefly at the dresser where Hettie had hidden Lady Crabstock. Tilly moved her torch across the floor. To her horror, there was a trail of blood and several tufts of tabby fur leading to the stone steps up to the kitchen. She knew she was staring at Hettie’s blood: it must be Hettie’s, because – to her knowledge – ghosts didn’t bleed. Based on the gory trail leading to the kitchen, she knew that there was worse to come and forced herself to follow Sooty up the steps.