Felicity clutched Kitty, and began to whimper, but Kitty pulled away. Felicity stared, incredulously at her friend. Even she had to be frightened. But instead of staying still, Kitty snatched her binoculars out of her bag, threw them at Felicity, and mumbled something about: “Just in case she was going to be eaten,” before hurrying into the clutter of pine trees. Felicity sighed. Was her friend ever going to learn? Felicity’s eyes widened when she heard a shocked squeal from where Kitty had disappeared! This shrill sound had been too high-pitched for Kitty’s ordinary voice. It was her screech of terror. Ignoring the whining wind and the rustling bushes, Felicity sprang through the trees like a jack in the box. Kitty was kneeling in the snow, peering at a tiny, limp figure, completely motionless. ‘What is it?’ asked Felicity, trying to hide the rising panic in her voice. 

Kitty exchanged her troubled look. ‘It’s a cat,’ she whimpered.  

Felicity let out a sigh of relief.  

Kitty scowled at her. ‘But it’s got wings.’ 

Felicity let out a high-pitched laugh. ‘Cats don’t have wings!’ she cackled, unconvincingly.  

‘See it for yourself,’ said Kitty. She bent down and scooped a small, golden, tortoiseshell bundle up in her arms, and turned around. 

Felicity gasped. There, in Kitty’s arms, lay a crumpled ball of fur. The cat, whose golden, patterned pelt glowed in the moonlight, pointed her whiskers forward, as though battling in her sleep. Kitty gasped. ‘She’s alive! I want to call her Hatty.’ 

Felicity glared. ‘I am unsure about this. You cannot keep a stray furball which is injured beyond repair on a broken skyship!’ 

‘The skyship can be fixed, there is just a hole in the deck which can be patched up!’ argued Kitty. 

Felicity considered this. ‘Well, you have to look after it!’ she muttered, gazing, scornfully at Hatty, who was mewing and rolling, her forepaws swiping at her twisted, blood-stained wings.  

‘Look at her beautiful wings! She looks like a little angel! Her wings are gorgeous! They are big, feathery and white!’ 

This was all Felicity could hear as she trudged back to the remaining crew. Kitty, obviously, wasn’t planning on getting rid of little Hatty any time, soon.  

* 

Captain Benji was not impressed about recruiting this injured kitten, but Kitty had insisted and begged until he gave in.  

‘We can’t keep it. It’ll just be a burden! What use is it?’ yelled Captain Benji. 

Kitty scowled. ‘She is no burden! She’s got wings! She’s special!’ argued Kitty. 

Eventually, Kitty had won. Now, Felicity was scrubbing Hatty’s cuts in a stone sink. Hatty was purring and bunting the brush, making it rather difficult. 

‘Keep still, Hatty!’ wailed Felicity, becoming exasperated. 

Kitty rushed over to defend her winged kitten. ‘She’s enjoying it! Don’t you know that when cats purr, it means that they’re happy?!’ 

Felicity scowled at her friend and hauled Hatty out of the sink. She swaddled her in a towel and handed her to Kitty, Hatty purring all the while. Felicity couldn’t help feeling that her and Kitty’s friendship was parting over this ridiculous rag of fur. She glared across at Hatty who was purring on Kitty’s lap, kneading her and bunting her chest. 

Hatty was officially a new crew member.