Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle

By Vickie Johnstone

Book 4 in the Kiwi Series about a magical cat.

The wedding of Inspector Furrball and Madame Purrfect approaches. But, catastrophe, the ring is stolen from the Gem Shop! A pawprint identifies Fyre Cracker as the thief, but he lives in the dark world of the UnderPaw beneath Cat City, inhabited by crimicats. It’s up to the Kiwi Klub to find the ring.

In the human world, the hamsters decide to stand up for their rights to better plastic wheels and an abundance of sunflower seeds. Meanwhile, the dastardly Dev shocks Kiwi with the news that he knows a big secret about her family – that her father, Delphinius, may still be alive! The key is The Sculptor, who will lead Kiwi and friends on their biggest adventure yet – to the strange Isle of the Serpent, where they will come face to face with their most dangerous adversary so far.

Ages 8-99.

Finalist in the National Indie Excellence Book Awards 2013.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vickie Johnstone
• Release date: Nov 16, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301248537

Vickie Johnstone

Vickie Johnstone lives in the UK. She has a thing about fluffy cats and also loves reading, writing, films, the sea, art, nature, white chocolate and travelling. Vickie has self-published 23 books since 2011.- Books published in 2011:Kaleidoscope (March) – 119 poems, divided by chapter themes;Travelling Light – a free book of 44 poems;Kiwi in Cat City – the first in a series about a magical cat and her human pals (April);Kiwi and the Missing Magic (June);Kiwi and the Living Nightmare (October).The Kiwi books have illustrations by Nikki McBroom.- Books published in 2012:Day of the Living Pizza – a comedy horror for ages 10 up (May);Life’s Rhythms – 316 haiku (June);3 Heads and a Tail – a romantic comedy with a dog as the hero (June);Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle (August);Day of the Pesky Shadow (October);Kiwi in the Realm of Ra (November); andKiwi's Christmas Tail (December).- Books published in 2013:The Sea Inside – a fantasy adventure (May); andI Dream of Zombies – a horror set in London in 2013 with a heroine (October).- Books published in 2014:Haven (I Dream of Zombies, 2) (May).- Books published in 2015:Mind-spinning Rainbows – 45 haiku and 109 poems (April).- Books published in 2021:A Poem a Day – 446 poems (July).- Books published in 2023:Tirips Shade – Ghost Detective (April).Ink – poetry (May)Woman – poetry (May)- Books published in 2024:Between the Sky and the Sea – poetry (February)Murals (March)Colouring the Edges (March)Links:Blog: http://vickiejohnstone.blogspot.comTwitter: @vickiejohnstoneWebsite: Kiwiincatcity.comMerchandise: www.zazzle.co.uk/kiwiincatcityFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorVickieJohnstonehttp://www.facebook.com/KiwiinCatCityhttp://www.facebook.com/KaleidoscopePoetryHappy reading and writing :)

Book preview

Chapter 1: The gem thief

The short, chubby, ginger tomcat paced up and down inside the blue-lit Gem Shop, his paws clasped tightly behind his back. His golden eyes darted all around the room from behind a pair of round glasses balanced on the end of his nose. He stopped walking and checked the golden watch hanging on a chain from his bright red waistcoat. Its tick was loud in the silence. Why today of all days? he groaned.

Amy, in her feline form as a little black-and-white cat, and James, now a little tabby kitten with a very pink nose, didn’t know what to say. They had never seen Inspector Furrball looking so flustered.

Don’t worry Inspector, we will find the thieves as soon as we can, soothed Siam, who looked young and intelligent in a mad scientist kind of way. The Siamese cat’s whiskers were bent in odd directions and his fur was a little wild. We have the Cat Squad working on it right now. They’re bound to find something, he added.

Kiwi patted the Inspector with her paw. We will do whatever we can to help, said the little black cat.

He sighed. I must get the ring back before the wedding, and that’s just a couple of weeks away. Madame Purrfect will be so disappointed otherwise. The ring once belonged to my mother. It’s irreplaceable. We must find the thief.

We have a pawprint! came a shout from the adjoining room.

The catizens glanced up quickly and ran in the direction of the voice. A Catsquaddie was holding up a print as though it was a negative for a photo.

Wow, thought James, wondering what kind of technology allowed him to do that.

Ice spray, whispered Siam. We spray everywhere and if there is a print, it shows up. Then we can just peel it off, put it in the ice box, take it to Cat Crime and search for a match.

That’s so cool.

Don’t you have this technology? asked Siam, remembering the advanced speed of the bus in the human world. He tried not to remember the touchy-feely old ladies and their pungent perfume.

No, muttered James, at least I don’t think so.

That’s wonderful, exclaimed Inspector Furrball, looking at the print. He rubbed his paws together. I hope you can find a match.

I’ll head back to Cat Crime right away, sir, said the Catsquaddie, leaving the Cat Gem shop.

Outside, stood a crowd of catizens, all talking and wondering what had happened. Crimes on the main street were pretty rare, so a break-in at the Gem Shop had attracted a lot of attention. One or two catizens asked the exiting Catsquaddie if he had found any clues, but he shook his head. The catizens sighed – they liked happy endings.

Are there any more pawprints? asked the Inspector.

I think that’s it, sir, replied the Catsquaddie with the spray. Just the one. We were lucky to find it. The thief sat down in this chair and looked in this desk at one point, and he or she left their print on the handle – lucky for us. The desk drawer is locked, but they didn’t try to break it.

Perhaps they ran out of time, suggested Kiwi. This must have been a fast job.

Was anyone injured? asked Amy, concerned.

Inspector Furrball shook his head. There were two catizens working in the shop at the time. They are a little shaken up, but they are alright. They said the thief was very polite. He said please a lot!

I remember you said the catizens are very polite! whispered Amy to Kiwi, who grinned and nodded. Still, she couldn’t imagine a thief saying please.

One other thing Inspector, said Siam. One of the workers said the thief asked specifically for the ring you had left in the shop for altering. I find that very strange. Some other jewellery was missing, but why would the thief ask for your ring?

That is strange, agreed Inspector Furrball, rubbing his nose. Let’s leave this for today and tomorrow we’ll see what the pawprint brings up! I won’t tell Madame Purrfect yet. She’s so excited about the wedding. I wouldn’t want to upset her.

That means we have two weeks, smiled Kiwi. That’s plenty of time to find a gem thief.

James looked at Amy, who was biting her cat lip. They hoped so.

Chapter 2: The pawprint

This is the pawprint, explained Siam, pointing to the computer screen. The white paw shape rotated this way and that, showing all of the lines across its width.

Amy grinned. That’s so cool! It’s so different from our fingerprints!

Shush, whispered Inspector Furrball, glancing behind him. Luckily, none of the other Catsquaddies were within earshot.

Oops, sorry, mumbled Amy, putting her paw to her mouth automatically. If she were in human form, she would have chewed the end of one of her nails, but her cat’s claw looked a bit too sharp for that kind of thing. I forgot for a second!

That’s quite alright, winked Inspector Furrball. I still haven’t got my mind around your whole shape-changing thing.

Anyway, continued Siam, twisting a whisker, that’s the pawprint we found on the desk.

Amy suddenly realised that this was the reason why his whiskers were skewed all over the place – he twisted them. Must be a shyness thing, she thought.

And this, Siam added, pressing a button, is the owner of the print!

The image on the screen changed into a face – the face of a jet black catizen with dark, brooding eyes. They looked black as well, though Amy guessed they must be brown, and they were very piercing. Some of his whiskers were missing and he was snarling at the camera. On top of his head, his fur pointed upwards like some kind of cat Mohican and it was bright blue.

He dyed his fur blue! she exclaimed. Her mother still wouldn’t let her colour hers, even with a semi-permanent, normal-looking colour! She told her it would damage her hair.

Yes, said Siam. This picture was taken when he was arrested for being drunk in charge of a cat-car once. He couldn’t peddle it! He just sat there in the middle of the road, blocking the way. There was a big queue of cat-cars behind him when the Cat Squad turned up. That’s why he looks a bit angry. He dyed some of his fur blue – his tail too, it says in these notes, and his paws – a bit odd. Anyway, he’s also got a couple of piercings, it says. His tongue is pierced, apparently.

Mew! squealed James, grimacing. He poked his tongue out almost straight away as if to check it was okay.

Amy giggled.

James frowned. But it must really hurt! Why would anyone want to put a hole in their tongue? It would look like a doughnut and food would fall through!

Amy chuckled. She thought the blue-furred cat looked scary, but she tried not to judge him on his looks without having met him.

Where can we find him? asked Inspector Furrball.

That could be a problem, said Siam, removing his spectacles to wipe them. He put them back on his nose and looked up. He doesn’t live in Cat City. Well, not as we know it, kittens. He lives in what we call the UnderPaw, a place that exists beneath the city. It’s full of, well...

... the bad element of Cat City, finished Inspector Furrball, sighing more than Siam. He paced back and forth, tutting.

You can get there through the sewers, explained Kiwi to the kittens. We don’t tend to mix with them. The catizens in Cat City stay up here and the catizens in the UnderPaw stay there. They have a nickname: the tailizens – roughly translated, it means the end of the cat!

Are all of the cats who live there bad? asked Amy.

Not all of them, to be honest, but many catizens think they are all bad cats, said Kiwi. They either dropped out of cat society or they are crimicats. However, some ended up there by accident and stayed. The UnderPaw has many temptations and distractions.

Some catizens choose to stay there, added Siam. They find it more exciting.

Or they just find that they can get away with things that they couldn’t get away with in Cat City – away from Cat Crime! said Inspector Furrball, grumpily. He stopped pacing.

James perked up with a question: Did they come to Cat Crime during the alarm, when the giant mouse invaded?

Kiwi shook her head. No, Jimster, they didn’t. They can’t hear the siren down there, but they were safe. You can only get there through the sewers.

We have to go there right away! announced Inspector Furrball.

Are you sure that’s a good idea? asked Kiwi. We won’t be welcome. You know how they feel about the Cat Squad.

We can’t let a crimicat get away, said the Inspector firmly. I’ll try to make contact with one of our Catsquaddies working undercover down there. That’s how we keep an eye on things, kittens. Perhaps we can bargain with some crimicats to find out where this one is. What’s his name?

Siam glanced back at the computer. Fyre, he read. Fyre Cracker.

Cool name, said James, and then wished he hadn’t said anything when three pairs of eyes glared at him. Amy giggled.

Chapter 3: Going underground

That night, Inspector Furrball, Siam, Kiwi, Misty, Amy and James met behind the Cat Crime building where there was an entrance into the sewer system. The street was empty. Siam sat down and turned the blue cat’s-head-shaped disc, and lifted it up with his claws. A ladder led downwards.

Inspector Furrball turned on the torch on his catpad, which shone a pale blue light, and scurried down into the darkness. Everyone followed, one by one.

It doesn’t really smell! remarked James, surprised.

We’re very clean, Jimster! laughed Siam, tweaking one of his whiskers. Or at least we try to be.

They were standing in a stone tunnel, which led away in one direction only. Amy was relieved – there was no possibility of going the wrong way here. Her whiskers twitched with excitement at the idea of a new adventure in a new place. Looking at her brother, she could tell he was thinking the same thing – his eyes were wide and sparkling.

Off we go! cheered Inspector Furrball. It’s a bit of a walk, but it shouldn’t take us too long.

The two Catsquaddies were dressed in normal clothes. The Inspector was wearing his red waistcoat with the gold watch chain attached, but he was also wearing a red cap on his head and some black boots. Siam was dressed in a matching green woolly hat and jumper, also with black boots.

Amy suddenly felt like she should have made an effort to dress appropriately. All of the times she had been in Cat City she’d never thought of going shopping for some catizen clothes – she made a mental note to ask Madame Purrfect if they could look around the shops and Meow Market! She wondered what the shops were like, imagining miniature versions of Top Shop and Top Man, with cat mannequins in the windows!

Stop daydreaming! nudged James.

I was thinking that maybe we should buy some clothes, said Amy.

Girls! James sighed. You’re always thinking about clothes and fashion. I’m not even cold.

Misty, the three-legged, grey cat laughed. But they’re nice for decoration, she said. I agree, Amy. You’d look good in some boots and a dress or something. I wish I could wear some, but I guess they’d fall off, with me being a spirit!

I wonder if you can get spirit clothes? asked Amy.

Girls! mumbled James, huffing, and he quickened his pace to walk next to the manly members of the Cat Squad.

Amy and Misty looked at one another, and raised cat eyebrows.

The white stone tunnel turned and they found themselves walking down a slope. No water ran in the sewer tunnel and none dripped into it. Amy wondered whether it was actually used or had recently been