Maria-Louisa D'Alhambra was worrying about her children.
Well, not all of her children; Maria Consuela already had caught more mice than a cat could count; and she was not very old.
And Carlos was very clean and slept well.
Maria Cruz was playful and a good hunter; not as good as Maria Consuela but then Maria Cruz was smaller and didn't eat as much
It was Felipe that made her worry. She didn't know where he was. She never seemed to know where he was. He was lively and curious. He always came back for meals but he would wander off for hours at a time.
Not only in the cool evenings but even during the siesta when all normal cats would lie in the shade and catch up on much needed sleep.
When her other children came back, they smelled of the myrtle bushes where the mice hid, or the patios when the tourists scurried, or the fountains where a cat could drink in peace.
But Felipe had a different odor, something rich and wonderful. She had once smelled it on a tourist's fingers but she didn't know what it was.
Occasionally he would smell of fat mice.
But she never knew where he went. She would clean his ears and ask him but he would never answer, only licking her ears and purring before he washed and took a nap. Felipe was healthy and fat but his mother still worried.
One day Felipe came home with something around his neck. Everyone snifted it but he didn't seem worried. Maria Lousia D'Alhambra was very worried.
The next afternoon, she decided to follow him. Of course, she would have to take her other children, so she picked up Carlos in her teeth and motioned for Maria Consuela and Maria Cruz to come along.
Felipe left and they went after him. He went across the garden where they lived and jumped in the window. He paused at the edge, standing on the iron bars, with his head inside and his tail straight out only, twitching a little at the end. He looked both ways.
Maria-Louisa D'Alhambra was happy to see Felipe was cautious. He might be going where no cat had gone before, but he did look both ways.
From the window he went along the edge of the cool rooms until they got to the Myrtle Court.
There he rubbed his chin on the edge of the door and stretched his back. Then he rubbed against the legs of Antonio the Guard.
Antonio the Guard reached down and scratched Felipe's ears. Felipe purred and walked down the myrtle hedges.
Maria-Louisa kept her family back until Antonio the Guard wasn't looking and then they ran along the myrtle to the door.
From the Myrtle Court, Felipe went to the Lion's Court. There he walked along the edge next to the wall. Halfway down, Antonio the Guide saw them and said, "Why Felipe, you brought your whole family."
All the tourists looked and clicked. Antonio the Guide said, "No Flash ! No Flash !" but the cats had already run away.
They ran into a big garden that Maria-Louisa had never been in before. It was very nice and no cats lived there now but it smelled like their home garden and Felipe went on without stopping for more than a quick wash.
There were some flowers which reached down almost to the ground and Maria-Cruz played with them a few times, but then ran to catch up with the others.
At the end of the garden there was a low wall and a high wall. Felipe up on the low wall and then on the high wall. It was too high for Maria-Louise to leap carrying Carlos so she put him down and woke him up.
He jumped to the top of the high wall. Then he stood patiently and closed his eyes. She picked him up again.
They all walked along the high wall which was as broad as two cats. Suddenly Maria-Consuela stopped and stuck her tail straight up.
Maria-Lousia put Carlos down so she could smell more clearly. There was Felipe's wonderful Tourist smell. Even Carlos woke up and sniffed. His ears went up. He stood, stretched, and put his tail straight up.
Then all five cats, Felipe, Maria-Louisa, Maria-Consuela, Maria-Cruz, and Carlos ran along the wall, tails straight up.
Felipe jumped down onto some cartons and then to the ground. The rest followed. They were in a small courtyard with things piled up all over.
The place belonged to Felipe. There was no people there but there were people inside. Felipe sat but the others sniffed around.
Suddenly, Maria-Consuela pounced and caught a very big fat mouse. Felipe trotted over to her and took it from her. He was very firm.
Maria-Consuela was surprised but this was his place so she gave up the mouse. He tossed the mouse in the air but instead of eating it, he laid it on the ground and gave a loud victory howl.
The door opened and a man dressed in white like Maria-Cruz's chest came out. He said, "Why Felipe, you have brought your whole family."
He looked at the mouse and said, "Thank you Felipe for your nice present." Felipe gave him the same howl but softly and rubbed against the man's legs.
The man picked up Felipe's mouse by the tail and took it away.
The other cats looked at each other and at Felipe but he just stood watching the door with his tail pointing straight up and twitching at the end.
In a moment, the man came out carrying something which smelled of the wonderful rich smell.
He put it down and there was room enough for all the cats. It was wonderful, warm, and different than any mouse they ever had.
The man said, "Felipe, thank you for bringing your family. There is enough paella for all of them. Maybe they can stay and help you catch the big fat mice for me."
So they did.