The Three Lives of Thomasina Page #5

playing at funerals,

Burying young

Mary Macdhui's cat.

Mr. Macdhui

killed it.

Killed it?

Aye, the same as he did

Mrs. Laggan's dog.

He kills things.

He saved Tammas' Bruce,

laddie.

Aye, because everybody

was there watching.

That was showin' off.

He's an animal murderer.

You tell me he killed

his daughter's cat?

He didn't like it,

So he took his gun

and killed it.

His gun? Well!

Och! Isn't that awful?

Well, now, Andrew.

Glad I saw you.

I wanted a word with you

about Mary.

I did what you said,

asked her to come round

And choose

one of your kittens,

But she'd have none of it,

or me, either.

It's like speaking

with a blank wall.

To a child of her age, feeling

is stronger than reason.

You know that, Andrew.

Aye, and grief is usually

forgotten quickly, too,

But the death of this cat,

it's like an obsession with her.

Well, she's something

of a loner child.

Forgive me.

She has no mother, and

she needs someone to love.

She has me.

I'd do anything for her.

No child's ever been

loved so much. Unselfishly?

What do you mean?

Tell me the truth, Andrew.

Were you maybe

a wee bit jealous

Of that cat of hers?

The truth, now.

The animal had to be destroyed.

It would have died anyway.

You can take my word for that.

Angus, would you do me a favor? Do you

think you could have a talk with her?

You might be able

to reason with her.

Well, I can try.

I wish you would.

She's at home now.

You ought to be out playing

in the sunshine

And not moping here indoors.

Geordie Macnab and Hughie

came asking for you.

Why don't you go

and look for them?

Oh, Mr. Peddie,

Mr. Andrew's not in.

I was just passing by,

Mrs. Mackenzie,

And I thought

I'd pay a call on Mary.

Would she be at home,

do you think?

I'm here, Mr. Peddie.

Well, now,

there you are.

You were so quiet,

I didn't see you.

It's fair warm outdoors.

You're wise

to stay inside.

Would you mind if I sit down

and rest a while?

Here?

Ooh, I think the stairs

are a grand place

When you want to have

a good think.

You know, I was thinking

just now about your Thomasina.

What with my own cats,

I get all mixed up remembering

what yours was like.

Thomasina, now,

he was about...

She.

Oh, aye, she, yes.

Thomasina.

She was about, what...

So long?

And did she not have a wee

square blaze on her chest?

No, it was round.

Round? Aye!

Now you remind me.

It was round, aye.

But she did have three

little white feet, didn't she?

No white feet at all.

No? Oh.

But she had a pink nose

With two black specks

on it.

I remember that well.

No specks.

No specks?

Do you remember

How she'd sit and look

at you sometimes

With just the tip

of her tongue showing?

When she was waiting

to be fed.

Yes, when she was waiting

to be fed.

You see, Mary,

Thomasina isn't dead at all,

Not really dead,

Not when we can remember her

together like this,

Because she's alive in our minds. No!

And as long as you can remember

her like this, she'll never die.

Just call her to your mind,

and she'll come,

Even if you were to have

another wee cat to love.

You know, I was saying to

your daddy just this morning...

My daddy's dead.

I killed him.

Did you, Mary?

How?

I killed him.

I put him in a box

with flowers in it.

We all took him out into

the Glen and had a funeral,

And now I Haven't

anybody at all.

Mary...

No! I like being alone!

Good day to you, Birnie.

I'm here to look at the bull.

I've let him out.

He's in the paddock.

Oh, right. I'll find him.

No need to, Mr. Macdhui.

He'll do very well.

Just tell me how much

your fees are.

What's all this about?

I'll be no more needing

a veterinary.

If there's anything wrong

with my beasts,

I'll take them

to the woman in the Glen.

She's a rare way with them

and charges nothing, I'm told.

Is that where

you're takin' the cow?

Aye, my man is.

What's wrong with her?

She's dried.

You have as much chance of

getting pints of beer as milk

Listening to that rubbish.

I thought you were becoming

enlightened, Birnie.

What I do with my beasts is no

concern of yourself, Mr. Macdhui.

This cow has no disease reportable

under the acts of the county.

Your bull didn't, either.

Aye, I didn't know then

what sort of a vet you were -

Putting beasts to death

whenever it suits you.

What?

Aye, my stockman heard it from

his son at school in Inveranoch -

The dogs and cats

you've no use for,

Even your own child's pet.

I see.

So you believe that,

And you're going back to the

witchcraft and the superstition.

You said times change.

Well, maybe they're changing

back again, Mr. Macdhui.

The old remedies are as good

as book learning, sir.

Good day to you.

Apart from Mary,

I've another headache now.

The whole village seems to be

boycotting me and spreading tales

About what a heartless

monster I am.

Och, a few children.

It's having its effect.

In a few days,

the people have forgotten

That the blind man's dog

is alive because of me,

But they remember the few creatures

that I had to have destroyed.

Be patient with them, Andrew. Patient?

Tell me something.

What do you know about a

half-witted woman named, uh...

...Named Lori

who pretends to be a witch?

Well, I rented her

the croft she's living in.

I know that.

That's why I'm asking you.

And she's not half-witted, nor

does she pretend to be a witch.

She's been labeled that, just as you

say you've been labeled a monster,

Only she doesn't mind, because

she wants to be left alone.

Well, she's not succeeding.

At least two farmers that I'd

won round to scientific treatment

Are taking their beasts

to her.

Aye, I hear she has a

remarkable skill with animals.

What skill?

Without real knowledge,

you can do great harm.

Would you take a sick child

to a quack doctor?

Some people have

natural gifts, Andrew,

And Lori Macgregor has

the rare quality of mercy.

Since you know her so well,

perhaps you'd tell her

To stop undermining the progress that

I'm trying to bring to these people here.

Why don't you tell her,

Andrew,

And tell me afterwards

what you make of her.

Aye. Aye, I Will,

one day,

And put a stop to her

interference with my work.

Time passed,

And I began to see

and feel again.

I couldn't remember any part

of my first life,

Although something told me

I'd lived before,

That I was still me.

I'd heard that a cat

has nine lives.

I accepted the fact, so...

This was my second life,

My life with a girl

named Lori.

She was gentle and kind,

I'll give her that,

But she didn't seem

to realize -

And neither did the other creatures around me

- how important I was.

There we are.

All of you -

Dorcas, Mack,

Molly,

Whisker - be nice

to Thomasina now.

"be nice," she said,

But none of the others paid

any attention to me at all.

They weren't really

my kind anyway.

Thomasina, dear,

Go and walk in the sun

now you're able.

There are others here

who are not.

I wasn't important anymore,

Treated just like

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