“Frak you!” Simon screamed.

Sarah, startled, turned to him. “What?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“Mrs. B. was a gorram idiot, is what!” Simon shouted at her. The look of terror on Sarah’s face, both at the scenario and at Simon, had a calming effect on him. “Sorry,” he said.

“It’s… it’s okay,” she replied. “Just tell me what’s happening.”

Simon swayed his head from side-to-side, still trying to process the information. Why? was the question he needed answered.

“Cats,” he said. “She loved cats, had so many cats, but why… why did she need her? It doesn’t scan.”

“Who?” Sarah asked, confused. “Who did she need?”

“A way to control them,” Simon answered to his own query, ignoring Sarah. “She wanted to control the cats, to attract more cats and to control them. But why?“

“What are you talking about?!?” Sarah screamed at him, breaking Simon’s concentration.

“Bast,” Simon said, calmly. “Mrs. B. summoned and trapped Bast, the Goddess of Cats. And the cats have all become feral, dangerous.”