Shortly before that time, back in their quarters, Potat had become more and more worried about Antaska. She had tried to tell M. Hoyvil that Antaska was in danger, but his intelligence was limited. He could only understand a few words of the cat telepathic language.
“My pet is in danger! We must go get her!” she told M. Hoyvil.
“Did you say, ‘Get pet, get pet?’” he asked Potat. “I’m worried about her too, but I can’t just go out and force her to come back. She’s got the right to make her own decisions, and I’m not going to treat her like a pet.”
“She’s my pet, and she is in danger!” Potat insisted. “Someone’s hurting her! We have to go get her!”
“Did you say, ‘My pet. My pet. Get my pet?” M. Hoyvil asked. “I’m not saying that she’s not your pet. But even if she is, I still can’t go get her. That would be treating her like she was my pet. She’s not going to believe that I was just doing what you told me to.”
Potat grew frustrated at his obstinacy. It was clear that he didn’t understand the seriousness of the situation. So she used the same drastic measures that were often necessary to get Antaska’s attention.
Meowing loudly, Potat stuck her claws as hard and deep as she could into M. Hoyvil’s thigh. He didn’t seem to feel the claws, but at least he heard the meowing.
“It’s okay, little cat,” he said.
I know he doesn’t really believe that, Potat thought.
M. Hoyvil lifted her up and hugged her.
Potat kept meowing and struggled with all her might. Then she attacked M. Hoyvil with a whirlwind of all four scratching paws. He let her go, and she dashed to the hallway door. She stood up on her back legs and scratched the door furiously with her front paws.
“Bad boy! Bad girl!” she shouted at M. Hoyvil telepathically, hoping he would finally get the message.
At last, M. Hoyvil gave in. “Since you insist, I guess it won’t hurt for us to at least go check on Antaska. I won’t tell her she has to come back, I’ll just say you seemed worried.”
He opened the door, and Potat ran out and down the hallway toward the gym. But M. Hoyvil was much faster. He scooped Potat up, dropped her in his pocket, and rushed toward the gym in a blur of speed that was faster than even the most powerful Earth human.
Finally, he gets it, thought Potat.