Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 Jonny's hired goon was insistent that Toto come alone, so she left Catface and Silver to watch some experimental earwig dancers and arranged to meet them later at the Toadstool Stage. Toto followed the security guard towards the backstage area. She could feel the festival coming to life around her. She heard a family of ferrets unzipping their tents and

noisily making breakfast, she smelled the glorious food being prepared at the stalls (Silver will probably be first in the queue, she thought), and she felt the dull thud of vibration as the first bands of the day started to soundcheck on the stages. It was a SENSORY OVERLOAD- it excited and thrilled her. Maybe I've just been taking the whole ninja thing too seriously lately, she thought as the late-morning sun warmed her back. Catface and Silver are right, I need to lighten up a bit, enjoy myself, and stop being so paranoid. Why not sit down with Jonny? He might be a nitwit, but he's the BIGGEST ROCK STAR IN THE WORLD! Finally, they reached the backstage

VVVVVIP area where Jonny and the band were staying. There was a big crowd at the entrance, made up mostly of local squirrels and pampered London chihuahuas, trying to steal a glimpse into the backstage area to see the rock star. Toto's escort nodded to an exasperated sheepdog, who was working the door but desperately failing to keep order, and Toto was ushered through. The enclosure had a milk bar to the right (serving Jersey, almond, soya and coconut milk), snack stands dotted around, a huge fire pit in the middle and several pagodas held up by scratch poles draped with catnip and filled with comfy cushions. At the back were about a dozen or so trailers. Toto's escort knocked on the door

of one, which was opened by another security guard, and a couple of nods were exchanged (Awful lot of nods, thought Toto) before the ninja was invited in. Toto could make out the shape of Jonny at the end of the trailer, strumming a guitar and singing a song to himself. The rest of the band were nowhere to be seen, but his security detail lined the sides of the trailer, not entirely without menace. TOTO'S NINJA INSTINCTS WERE IMMEDIATELY ON FULL ALERT, but she brushed aside her fears and made her way down to the seating area where Jonny welcomed her like a long-lost friend. 'Here she is! The ninja arrives,' he shouted, like he was trying too hard to

make amends. 'Listen, Toto, I wanted to apologise about my behaviour on the train. I know I was a little rude, and even though I know I have, like, loads of cool kick-boxing moves and could probably become a ninja myself, I shouldn't have called you out like that... So, can we bury the hatchet and, you know, start over?' Even though he was clearly an idiot who loved himself beyond belief, Toto felt she had to at least make an effort. 'Of course, Jonny, and I really appreciate you saying that.' 'I have to say, man,' he carried on, having barely listened to her reply, 'I think you're one of the only animals who can understand what I'm going through. It's hard being

SO GIFTED AND LOVED, you know, I think IT'S A CURSE! No one gets it, and the life of a famous and handsome cat can be so lonely. As he was explaining this, Jonny's bottom lip quivered, and he started to blub.