The Three Lives of Thomasina Page #3

and caution,

A lot of caution...

And speed!

You, get out of the way!

Get out!

Mary?

Mary, come and have

your breakfast.

What's the child

doing?

Mary!

I can't find Thomasina.

I've looked everywhere.

She can't be far away.

Come on, now, sit down.

She didn't come home

last night.

For what we're

about to receive,

May the lord make us

truly thankful.

Amen.

I'm not hungry.

Daddy, she must be lost.

Of course not.

Cats don't get lost once they've

decided to move in on people.

She's just had a night out and

hasn't come back yet, that's all.

She's been out

all night before,

But she's always come back.

She climbs up the tree

and gets in my window.

What?

She always has.

It's our secret.

Aye, it certainly is.

Well, I'm off

to the surgery now.

Be a good girl.

Eat your breakfast.

Don't worry about

the p*ssy, child.

But she's lost.

Thomasina's too clever

to get lost.

You do like her, don't you?

Aye, of course.

Would you do anything for her

if I asked you to?

Promise?

Aye.

Well, let me go and look

for her now, please.

You promised.

You're even craftier than

Thomasina, you wee monkey.

We'll split up.

Mary, you come with me.

Hey, what are you

lookin' for, son?

A lost cat.

Have you seen one?

Not at my stall. Away

you go. Go on. I'm busy.

She's a big... Mrs.

Macfarland, what would you like?

Nice cabbage.

Have you seen

a lost cat?

Thank you very much.

Drat the cat!

Och, it's not Thomasina.

But never mind.

We'll find her.

Hughie, Mary,

I've found her!

She's here, Mary!

Oh, Thomasina.

Give her to me.

I don't think

anything's broken,

But she's

terribly stiff.

Oh, poor Thomasina.

I couldn't help it,

constable.

He walked

right in front of me.

it looks

like Bruce.

Bruce? My Bruce?

What's all this about?

Och, Mr. Macdhui.

You're just here

in time.

It's Tammas' Bruce.

Where is he?

Steady now, Tammas.

Steady.

He's fair crushed, sir.

I couldn't help it,

Mr. Macdhui.

Better get him back

to the surgery - quick.

Bruce is my eyes,

Mr. Macdhui.

Can you save him? I'll do what

I can. Stay with him, angus.

He's in good hands now, Tammas.

Now, come on, you come with me.

This is going to take

a long time.

I hope his heart

Will stand it.

Are you ready?

The Spencer wells, Willie.

How is he, Willie?

He's doin' fine.

What are you children doing?

Mary, go away from here.

Daddy, it's Thomasina.

She's hurt.

Go away, child.

Please look at her.

She's awful sick.

Here, Willie,

take this cat.

Daddy, daddy, please look

at her. Please make her well.

Mary, you mustn't

stay here.

Now, listen to me.

I've got blind Tammas'

dog here. He's badly hurt.

Well, so is Thomasina.

If you only look at her!

All right, I'll look at

her, but go away, all of you.

You'll make her well?

You promise?

Yes, I promise,

but go on out.

Come on.

Out, all of you.

I think you better

look at her, sir.

Not now, man.

We got work to do.

Mr. Macdhui, sir, look.

Quick, get her out of here,

and that cloth she's laying on.

That cat has tetanus.

Get her out of here.

Deal with her, disinfect

your hands and hurry back.

But, sir... Mr. Macdhui,

you promised the child.

The cat is beyond help.

Will you do as I tell you?

Hurry up, man.

We've the dog to seal.

Aye, I Will.

I Will.

Nearly an hour

already.

How much longer

can it be?

Aye, the waiting

is hard.

Well, Bruce Will live, Tammas.

He'll even walk again.

Thank God.

Take me to him.

Not now.

He's still unconscious.

But I'll send Willie round

to fetch you this evening.

Bruce Will know you then.

And he'll get better?

Aye, be as good as new.

It's a great skill

you have, Mr. Macdhui,

And no one can deny it.

There now,

what did I tell you?

Come on, Tammas,

I'll take you home.

God bless you,

Mr. Macdhui.

God bless you.

His pulse rate's fine.

I'll stay with him

till he wakes.

Aye, he'll do.

I never thought to see

such a surgery as that.

Aye, and what

you have to do now

Will be just as hard,

I'm thinking.

You have to tell the child

about her cat.

"the shoeblack tries

his bread to earn

"and would

an honest penny turn.

"when mud upon our boots

leave stains,

"his ready help

good payment gains.

The beefeater

we see today... "

Daddy, Thomasina -

is she better?

She's out of pain, Mary.

What was wrong with her?

Let me go to her.

She is better, isn't she?

Mary, uh, now,

Will you listen?

Listen to me

just a minute.

You see,

there are some things

That you have to learn

to face,

Even if at first

they seem a bit unfair.

Where is she?

Thomasina's wound

was poisoned,

And she might have made other

people's pets ill, even die.

But you did save her?

I- I couldn't, Mary.

I couldn't.

See, there are some things your

daddy can do and some things he can't.

What did you do to her?

I, uh, had her put to sleep.

There was nothing else

I could do.

Now, try to understand, Mary.

No! No! You said

you'd make her better.

You promised! You

promised! Come on, Mary...

I'll never speak to you

again! Mary, please...

He promised,

and he's killed Thomasina!

She's dead!

I'll go up to her.

Aye.

And take everything she was

wearing when she found the cat.

Everything, do you hear?

And burn what you can't boil.

I didn't realize she was

going to take it so hard.

Could you not

have saved the cat?

It was wounded,

infected with tetanus.

I did what was right.

I'll get her another cat.

Can't I?

Well? Can't I?

Well, I'll buy her

anything she wants.

Why did she take it so hard?

For a clever man,

You've an awful lot

to learn.

Don't be so sad.

You'll do yourself harm.

Look, I tell you

what we'll do.

We'll give Thomasina the best

funeral any cat ever had, won't we?

Aye, with a full service

and everything.

My mother's got

just the right box

That'd do fine

for a casket.

We could pick some flowers

and have a procession,

Like when Old Dougal

was buried.

Everyone in the village

would see us.

Aye, you'll wear

widow's mournings

And walk behind

the casket, weeping.

And Annie here,

she can be chief mourner.

I can cry awful loud, Mary.

not now.

Will I wear a hat

and a black coat?

Mrs. Mackenzie

has one.

Aye, we'll all dress up

and get everyone to come.

I know! Jamie's

just learning the pipes.

He's not very good... I can

play Macktintosh's lament!

I'll wear my dress kilt with

my skean dhu and sporran,

And everyone in the street Will say,

"there goes the poor widow Macdhui,

"a-burying

of her dear Thomasina,

Foully done to death,

God rest her soul. "

Will they? Really?

Aye. It'll be a great,

great procession.

You'll see.

We'll go

and get Thomasina now!

Aye, come on.

I opened my eyes,

And where was I?

They say that to die

Is a Journey from light

into darkness,

But here was light again.

This was no quiet

endless sleep.

I was flying,

Flying wildly,

Without weight or effort,

Diving, spinning,

Falling backward

and downward

Into the mists of time,

Where my ancestors

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