Whiskers had been stationed inside Lil's camp.

He didn't like it, but . . . Rona had known Lil wouldn't know him. Rona was mystifyingly intelligent, almost . . . all-knowing.

But Lil was going to look at Fluffles and her brother, from what Rona had gathered.

And Whiskers knew, he just knew, that whatever that meant, it couldn't be good, for Fluffles, at least.

Whiskers pressed his ear to the crack in the door.

". . . Healthy," said a muffled, high, gravelly voice.

Somecat then said something that was too muffled for Whiskers to make out. He pressed his ear to the door harder.

Fluff.

The door creaked.

Fluff, fluff, fluff, oh fluff, what if he was found out?!

He listened some more. No one seemed to be coming.

Whiskers let out a mental sigh.

He pressed his ear through the crack.

" . . . Fluffles and Mouse," Lil said. "Mouse seems perfectly healthy, but Fluffles doesn't seem to listen. Is that connected to some sort of problem?"

Oh, fluff! This had to be a bad thing.

"Lil, no! I won't let you hurt her!"

This was getting worse and worse.

A yowl resounded.

Whiskers turned and ran.

He had to inform Rona.