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Speaker 1: Hello friends, and welcome to sleep Tight Stories. I would

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Speaker 1: like to start by saying hello to some friends. Hello

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Speaker 1: to Oliver and Isabelle from London. Hello to Leo and

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Speaker 1: Lucas from Chicago. Hello to Hannah and Wren in Brunswick, Maine.

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Speaker 1: And hello to Josie and Ryland from Nebraska. Thank you

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Speaker 1: so much for supporting us. This week, we are continuing

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Speaker 1: to listen to Cat City with chapter four. Remember that

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Speaker 1: Susan followed Kitty to the opening in the forest and

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Speaker 1: started climbing the tree to get him down. She got

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Speaker 1: hurt and fell and woke up in a strange place

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Speaker 1: where cats could talk. Kitty, who we now know is Tucker,

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Speaker 1: and his family are keeping Susan in their house until

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Speaker 1: the council decides what they should do with her. Susan

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Speaker 1: is a bit frightened, but Tucker tries to make her

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Speaker 1: feel better. In this chapter, Tucker and Susan talk about

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Speaker 1: what has happened and how Tucker came to be at

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Speaker 1: Susan's house, and then Susan sees cat City for the

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Speaker 1: first time cat City chapter four. This time, when Susan woke,

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Speaker 1: she immediately knew where she was and wanted to cry

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Speaker 1: all over again. She wiped the crusty old tears out

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Speaker 1: of her eyes as best she could, and didn't. Susan

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Speaker 1: just got up to do a little exploring of Tucker's

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Speaker 1: room when the door opened and Cynthia appeared. Come with me,

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Speaker 1: the Persian said. Susan followed without question, hoping to get

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Speaker 1: at least a look at where they were. Unfortunately, she

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Speaker 1: was only taken as far as the bathroom. I'll be

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Speaker 1: right out here when you're done, Cynthia said, before closing

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Speaker 1: the door firmly behind her. Susan turned and was delighted

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Speaker 1: to find the bathroom similar to the one she had

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Speaker 1: at home. There was a very big, very deep litter

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Speaker 1: box as well, almost the size of a sandbox, and

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Speaker 1: she wondered why they bothered with modern plumbing at all.

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Speaker 1: But as Susan cleaned herself up in front of the

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Speaker 1: mirror and washed her hands and face, she noticed that

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Speaker 1: everything in the room was in twos. There were two sinks,

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Speaker 1: one with human sized handles and one with more cat

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Speaker 1: friendly ones, and the counter was very large, lots of space,

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Speaker 1: in fact, for a cat to hop up and do

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Speaker 1: a thorough tongue cleaning as well. Susan carefully washed and

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Speaker 1: examined the bite on her hand. It seemed to be

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Speaker 1: getting worse, not better, and hurt way more than it

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Speaker 1: should have, she thought. Still, it felt better now that

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Speaker 1: it was clean again, and her headache was gone, thankfully,

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Speaker 1: the bump nowhere to be found. Susan helped herself to

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Speaker 1: a towel, wondering how they kept the cat hair off

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Speaker 1: of them, before laughing a little to herself. Honestly, Susan,

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Speaker 1: she thought, the last thing you need to worry about

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Speaker 1: is cat hair. Finished. She softly knocked on the door,

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Speaker 1: knowing any attempt to use this strange cat paw lock

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Speaker 1: wouldn't work. Cynthia opened the door and sniffed at her.

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Speaker 1: Better follow me, Susan obeyed, not wanting the white Persian

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Speaker 1: to have any reason to be mad at her or Tucker,

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Speaker 1: or at least any madd she thought. Susan was disappointed

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Speaker 1: when Cynthia returned her to Tucker's room. We will come

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Speaker 1: for you shortly, Cynthia said, huge white tails starting to thrash,

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Speaker 1: the very thought of what was to come making her angry.

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Speaker 1: I expect you to behave Cynthia closed and locked the

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Speaker 1: door again but Susan checked to be sure just in case.

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Speaker 1: Anxious and getting very frustrated, Susan considered the stained glass window.

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Speaker 1: She had no idea where it went. Were they inside

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Speaker 1: some building outside in the woods. She tried to see

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Speaker 1: through the frosted glass, but with no luck. Susan hunted

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Speaker 1: around for something to pry the window off with, but

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Speaker 1: found nothing. She considered breaking the glass, but knew if

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Speaker 1: Cynthia caught her, she would get Tucker into further trouble

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Speaker 1: and possibly herself as well. And I would go where

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Speaker 1: Susan spoke aloud, just to hear herself. I have no

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Speaker 1: idea where here even is cat City? A soft voice

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Speaker 1: said behind her, and Tucker was there. Susan lifted him

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Speaker 1: up into her arms and held him tight, stroking his

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Speaker 1: fur and feeling the heaviness of his loud purr through

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Speaker 1: her whole body. Just for a moment, she closed her

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Speaker 1: eyes and chose to believe she was safe. Tucker was

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Speaker 1: still kiddy, and everything was back the way it was before.

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Speaker 1: But soon the pain in her hand made it hard

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Speaker 1: to hold him, and Tucker's voice broke the fantasy completely.

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Speaker 1: We don't have much time, Susan reluctantly let him go.

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Speaker 1: I hope I didn't embarrass you or anything, she said,

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Speaker 1: feeling strangely shy. Here she thought Tucker was just an

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Speaker 1: ordinary cat. He left her for a moment. When he

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Speaker 1: came back, he was pushing a small white plate with

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Speaker 1: his nose on. It was what appeared to be a

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Speaker 1: tuna sandwich and a glass of milk. Susan suddenly realized

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Speaker 1: she was starving. Her stomach agreed, growling so loudly she

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Speaker 1: actually blushed. Sorry, she said. Tucker pushed the plate again,

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Speaker 1: tail drooping. No, Susan, I'm sorry, he said. I knew

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Speaker 1: you'd be hungry, but they wouldn't let me feed you.

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Speaker 1: Susan reached for the bread and took a big bite.

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Speaker 1: It was the best tuna sandwich she ever tasted. I'm

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Speaker 1: glad your mom changed her mind, Susan said, around a mouthful.

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Speaker 1: Tucker's tail twitched. She didn't. Susan looked down at the sandwich,

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Speaker 1: then back at her friend, knowing he was going hungry

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Speaker 1: for her. Without a word, she broke off a large

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Speaker 1: piece of the sandwich and set it on the edge

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Speaker 1: of the plate. Doctor looked up at her and his

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Speaker 1: whiskers twitched. Thank you for sharing, Susan said, you're welcome,

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Speaker 1: Tucker answered, before starting in. It didn't take long for

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Speaker 1: the two friends to polish off the food. Susan poured

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Speaker 1: Tucker's portion of the milk out on the plate, and

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Speaker 1: they finished that too. She set aside the dishes, wishing

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Speaker 1: there were more, but happy her stomach was finally quiet.

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Speaker 1: Now what, Susan said? Tucker sighed softly and did a

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Speaker 1: reasonable shrug of his cat shoulders. They are trying to

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Speaker 1: decide until then, you're stuck here, Susan. I'm so sorry.

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Speaker 1: Tucker's tail started to thrash and he got up to

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Speaker 1: pace in circles. This is all my fault. You saved me,

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Speaker 1: Susan said, thanks. There wouldn't have been anything to save

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Speaker 1: you from if I had been more careful. He said,

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Speaker 1: Have you always been able to talk? Susan wanted so

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Speaker 1: much to ask a million questions, but wasn't sure how

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Speaker 1: much he could or would tell her. Yes, Ducker said,

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Speaker 1: but you couldn't understand me, at least not until until

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Speaker 1: Susan reached out and stroked Tucker's tail. He instantly relaxed

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Speaker 1: and sat down next to her until the rat bit you,

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Speaker 1: he whispered. I don't understand, Susan said, confused, What does

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Speaker 1: that rat have to do with anything? They were following me,

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Speaker 1: Tucker said, obviously miserable, his huge eyes almost full to

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Speaker 1: the edges with pupil. I didn't know they were there.

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Speaker 1: They aren't supposed to exist any more. But they followed

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Speaker 1: me and caught you, and I led them right to you.

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Speaker 1: I'm okay, though, Susan said, not sure how to make

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Speaker 1: her friend feel better, You rescued me. I shouldn't have

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Speaker 1: brought you here, Tucker said, I've put us all in danger.

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Speaker 1: But now I need to tell them about the rats,

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Speaker 1: and no one will listen, or almost no one. I

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Speaker 1: don't understand, Susan said, Please tell me what's going on, Tucker.

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Speaker 1: He shook his head, swiping his rough tongue across the

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Speaker 1: back of her hand. I can't, Susan. I'm sorry. I'm

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Speaker 1: not allowed to tell you anything yet. I wasn't even

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Speaker 1: supposed to meet you. What do you mean, she asked?

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Speaker 1: That day under the porch, I was on patrol. I'm

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Speaker 1: not sure if you knew that, but the rats were

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Speaker 1: watching you. Then, Susan thought back the rustling in the

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Speaker 1: grass was that the rats. She had felt a chill

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Speaker 1: for a moment in the yard, remembering the squeaking as

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Speaker 1: she cleaned her boot. He saved her from the rats.

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Speaker 1: Susan shivered a little. Tucker went on, I took a

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Speaker 1: chance attracting your attention. Then you took me in, and

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Speaker 1: I figured it would be easier to watch you from

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Speaker 1: inside to keep you safe. I messed up. I was

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Speaker 1: only supposed to keep an eye on you and your

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Speaker 1: parents the house, not join your family. What's so important

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Speaker 1: about my house, Susan asked personally. She wasn't that fond

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Speaker 1: of it. What could be so special, Susan? Tucker trailed off. Okay, fine,

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Speaker 1: I'll tell you this much. Your house and the woods

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Speaker 1: around it act as a protective gateway to our city,

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Speaker 1: cat City. And without your house and those woods for protection,

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Speaker 1: cat City would no longer exist. Where are we, Susan asked,

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Speaker 1: under your house? Tucker said, underground? And the rats. Susan said,

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Speaker 1: what about them, old enemy? Stucker said that everyone thought

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Speaker 1: were long gone. And you're sure they were the ones

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Speaker 1: who attacked me. Susan said, not some ordinary rats. You

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Speaker 1: can understand me can't you, Tucker said, right, Susan thought,

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Speaker 1: silly question. Susan was sure Tucker would have told her

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Speaker 1: everything if his mother hadn't chosen that exact moment to

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Speaker 1: walk through the door Tucker. Cynthia snapped at her son,

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Speaker 1: what are you doing in here? Nothing, he said, his

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Speaker 1: ears flattening, a little tail drooping. It doesn't matter anymore anyway,

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Speaker 1: Cynthia muttered. This council has called a full city meeting

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Speaker 1: in center Square. It's time to go. Tucker looked up

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Speaker 1: at Susan, one paw coming to rest on the back

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Speaker 1: of her hand. I'll be right there with you, he said,

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Speaker 1: and something in the way he said it made Susan

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Speaker 1: feel afraid again. Cynthia turned and left, and Tucker followed,

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Speaker 1: Susan close behind. What will they do to me? She

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Speaker 1: asked him in a whisper. As they made their way

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Speaker 1: through the warm, neat house, human sized, Susan noticed, I

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Speaker 1: won't let them hurt you, Tucker hissed back, I promise.

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Speaker 1: Susan tried to feel better about it, but was somehow

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Speaker 1: unsure her friend had a whole lot of choice in

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Speaker 1: the matter, about as much as I do, I guess,

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Speaker 1: she thought. They reached a small kitchen, much like her

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Speaker 1: old kitchen in New England, of yummy smells that made

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Speaker 1: Susan's stomach rumble all over again. Tucker flickered his ears

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Speaker 1: in sympathy as he led her to the door. He

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Speaker 1: paused at the doorway as his mother walked out, and

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Speaker 1: turned back to Susan. Despite the circumstances, he actually seemed excited.

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Speaker 1: You'll have to tell me what you think, Tucker said,

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Speaker 1: of what Susan asked. Following him outside onto the sidewalk,

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Speaker 1: she froze as she looked out over the city in

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Speaker 1: its underground valley, unable to speak or even think at

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Speaker 1: that moment. Welcome to Cat City, Tucker said, good night,

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Speaker 1: Sleep tight,