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Feline Ways(a Maelstrom story)

by Ann M. Pino

Kalila drifted under the door in a plume of blue smoke. She sensed theapartment was empty, but drifted from room to room, just to be sure. Wherewas Ricky? She stretched her consciousness in search of him but found onlya static of aggravation. Was he stuck in traffic? Negotiating a contract?Perhaps someone had done something to offend him.

No matter. She would wait.

She pulled herself together, swirled, and became lighter, with golden fur andwhite whiskers. In a single graceful motion, she leaped onto Ricky’s bed andstood for a moment, looking about with an air of feline superiority. Then shesat on her haunches and began washing herself, licking her paws and swipingthem over her face and ears.

When she was groomed to her satisfaction, she stalked to the head of thebed and curled up on Ricky’s pillow. She dozed for a bit, dreaming of guitarsand tuna, until her sensitive cat’s ears and powerful djinn consciousness toldher he was home. She lifted her head when he entered the room, andfollowed his movements with grave attention.

“You wouldn’t believe the day I had,” he told her.

She resisted the temptation to tell him she’d seen worse.

“People suck, you know that?”

 Yes, she did know. But what could one expect from humans?

“Sometimes I wish…” He had been emptying his pockets, putting wallet,

coins, and BlackBerry on the dresser, but now he turned and looked at her.“You really have it made.”

He sat on the bed and she climbed into his lap, purring at his touch as heburied his fingers in her thick yellow fur.

“You’re lucky to be just a cat.”

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She was hardly just a cat, but this didn’t seem the time to point that out.

“No troubles, no real worries.”

Silly mortal. Of course she had worries. But right now, they didn’t seem veryimportant.

“How about I get us something to eat and we’ll watch a little TV together?”

Kalila watched him leave the room and flicked her tail in annoyance. Shedidn’t think much of the kibble he put in a bowl on the floor for her eachnight, and she thought even less of human television shows. But Ricky’s lapwas warm, his touch electric, and at least as a cat, she could enjoy himwithout any fear that he would misunderstand and think she actually…well, of course she didn’t love him. Djinns didn’t have such feelings.

She heard the kibble in the bowl. She would go out there and vanish it when

he wasn’t looking, so he would be reassured that he was doing right by her.Poor human. It really was tough to get through the day when you weremerely mortal.

She leaped to the floor, and with tail held high, sauntered from the room.

All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2009 by Ann M. Pino

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