The Isle of Cats: Part I - Cat stories

 

Game copy provided by Frank West, The City of Games

The ship is ready and about to set sail. It is time to turn off the music I have been listening to, about dirty paws and furry friends, something of monsters and men, as appropriate as it may seems. The sounds surrounding me will be quite different on the coming days: the murmur of the waters, the creak of the wooden deck, the drumming of cables slapping on the masts, and the wind high pitch caressing the sails. As we head for the isle, ready to start the exploration, looking forward to learning new lessons along the journey, to find treasures lost in time, and, foremost, to rescue cats, lots of them. 

There is something fascinating about these shape-shifting creatures, able to fully stretch under the warm sun, curl as a ball in winter, or snug into a box way too small. You may as well add the elegant leaps or the uttermost immobility, the soft purring, and, of course, that innate superiority pose.

I have heard of other islands inhabited by way more cats than humans, surrounded by another ocean, one known to be peaceful at times. Aoshima, is the name of one of them. Neko no shima, if you understand what I mean. Yes, that is right, Isle of Cats.

Please excuse me, as I am meandering… As you may tell, I do like cats! Not that it is a precondition to venture into the Isle of Cats, and to enjoy the challenges laying ahead. But well, if you do like them too, this journey will be seen under a different light, no doubt about that.

As the story goes, our scouts from Squall’s End have found that old legends were, after all, real. The Isle of Cats is, indeed, populated by ancient races of cats.  And you will quickly be learning how to tell them apart by a mere glance, mainly by their colours, ones you have never seen before on a cat, and by their tail. You may even learn their names, or at least some of them.

The naming of cats is a difficult matter

It isn't just one of your holiday games

You may think at first I'm mad as a hatter

When I tell you a cat must have three different names *

You see, there is the sensible name for daily usage, with some cats even sharing the very same name, just as we humans do. Then, there is that exquisite, distinct name, a name that never belongs to more than one single cat.

Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum

Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo or Coricopat

Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum *

Munk ... Munkust… what? Hmm, harder than you thought? Let us make this simpler. You will not be able to tell each single cat’s name on the Isle. We better stick to family names, not that different in tone from the Munkustraps or Jellylorums: the blue Hissnipers, the orange Mhoxxites, the red Teruvians, the pink Starry Vandemils, the green Crystal Garmins, and the even more unique stripped Oshaxs.

But above and beyond there's still one name left over

And that is the name that you will never guess

The name that no human research can discover

But the cat himself knows and will never confess *

Ok, that third name is clearly out of our reach!

Almost there, almost reaching the welcoming cove. And suddenly, the pressure hits me! This will not be a walk in the park, for this is an emergency rescue mission. Shadows are coming, fast, in the shape of Vesh Darkhand’s floating armies, that will spare no one in their way! We will not risk such an encounter, and as soon as the red hand over the unfurled black sails will be sighted on the horizon, we will leave the island to safely sail back towards Squall’s End.

This is, in fact, a race against time, rescuing as many cats as possible, gathering treasures, and taking advantage of lessons learned. Five days is the best estimate. Five hard-working days on the isle, from dawn to dusk, to fill-in the ship, fulfil the mission, and face public scrutiny upon arrival.

But how on earth will I lure those free-spirit cats onto the ship, you may ask. Not with city food for sure, as they are used to have fresh fish for meal! Well, I will fish for them, as cats will be cats. They will readily believe we were trained to feed and to serve them, getting increasingly confident, not to mention they will never turn away tasty food. Then, they will even dare to snatch fish from inside the baskets. That will be the moment! Snap! You got it, we just have to close the basket, and head for the ship.

Now, we did not bring along that many baskets, and it takes a basket for each cat … Therefore, we will have to come and go, one cat at a time, releasing them on board, as they will not jump into the water. Back and forth as necessary, upwards with empty baskets, downwards carrying felines. Baskets, fish, and ships will do the trick. Sooner than later there will be cats running on the deck.

Look! There already are cats wandering about, painting the fields with patches of colour. The left field of the island seems easy to reach, but you may well prefer to catch some of the cats on the right side, as this journey will not be about making the first catch, nor the easiest one.

After all, keeping cat families together and numerous, will prove worthwhile on the way back home.  That is the reason why there will be some cat picking, trusting that among you all, adventurers, many cats will be rescued, and ships will return fully loaded.

Have I mentioned treasures before? Are you sure? Yes, treasures, lost in time. Scattered all over the island. Why not get richer while saving cats? 

One tiny detail you must not forget: when the sun goes down, the cats still on the fields will quickly disappear in the growing shadows, not to ever be seen again! The sun will rise again, and cats will take on the fields, on the brand-new day. But these will be different cats, not the same from the previous day. So, choose well!

The time to explore the island has come. And these boots, as most ones, are made for walking. And I will walk. I may even run! A matter of picking up the right pace, as we will be here for five days, with different cats to rescue each day. Sometimes I will rush to be first on the fields, choosing a cat to rescue, while in other days I may take it slowly.

Always in my toes. Looking in front, to spot the cats on the fields; looking over my shoulder, to gauge the competition; looking backwards into the cove, to assess the loading status of each ship, while trying to figure out the rivals’ plans.

There will be lessons to be learned, along the way. Listening, or better said, reading scrolls from the ancient ones. They will be a guide throughout this journey, helping me to make my mind, to choose wisely, to plan a successful return.

Some lessons are to be shared with our fellow companions, and we may all put them into good use, each one of us, at our own discretion. Others will be kept in secret, for our eyes only. And others will even be of no use whatsoever. Read them carefully, and bear them in mind when devising the strategy for the coming days. 

Who will end up being recognized as the most successful explorer that ever ventured into the Isle of Cats?

Have I mentioned treasures before? Yes?! Sorry, I keep repeating myself... Must be because of this burning sun… As I was saying, there are treasures, and treasures. Some will be kind of common ones, not that large, and easier to find on the slopes. But there are also true rarities, made of large shinny golden gems. With luck on our side, we may grab a handful of those!

Fortunately, the ship is not that small, and there will be enough deck space for cats and treasures. Even if some thinking will be required when loading the ship, as there will be no time for rearranging the load later, and you may want to keep cat families together, while carefully stacking treasures on corners and vacant spots, and getting rid of those annoying rats who made all the trip in hidding.

A real treat would be to come across some Oshax, that rare breed of cats, with reddish stripes and green patches. They are not to be seen in the open fields, together with other cats. And they are know to eat a lot! Kind of royalty, around here.

Nonetheless, they are more friendly than you might have expected, and they really fit well within a regular cat family. That is why you must befriend Oshax with other cats, as soon as you get them on board, and they will become loyal members of that family, while retaining their own characteristic pose.

In this race to beat the approaching Vesh Dharkhand, and the other adventurers, I will no doubt have to resort to some tricks, here and there, to get an edge. Be it for fishing a bit more than usual, to use makeshift baskets, to explore further into the Isle, to chase cats from one field to another, to capture two of them at once, or to make a smarter use of ship’s deck space. All goes! You name it!

Cats go well in families, as we already know. But do not forget the lessons learnt, in private or as group, when deciding the whereabouts of cats and treasures on the deck. Cats, treasures, maps, and still some mice. Quite a sight! And we are not even finished yet!

You may now have a better picture of what it takes to embark in a cat-rescuing journey. But make no mistake: you must experience it firsthand! 

So, why not join me, for a full day in the Isle of Cats? You will be safe, having me as guide, while, eventually, disclosing some of the secrets of the trade. Is that a yes? Good! Meet me here at the third sun rise. See you then.

(to be continued)

* Cats Libretto, © The really useful group. From the musical based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, by T. S. Eliot.