Feline Retribution: Beckett, Son of Dexter

By Roy D Perkins

This is the story of Ben and Jenny Olsen, who find a dying kitten on their front porch. After nursing it back to health, they discover that the cat has some awesome supernatural powers. He introduces himself as Beckett. He has a 162 IQ. He is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and clairvoyant. He is to put Ben and Jenny back on the righteous path and to make right a few wrongs in the world. Over time, he gives many tours of hell and imprisons others in Reprobate City. Hell is for the hopelessly wicked who are dead, and Reprobate City is for the hopelessly wicked who have not yet died.

The main characters are Ben Olsen, Jenny Olsen, and Beckett, a black-and-white tuxedo cat that is addicted to Land O’Lakes cheese. After getting Ben and Jenny spiritually right with the Creator, Beckett concentrates on correcting a few wrongs in the world. It seems that the doorbell always interrupts his nap time. The people at the door are from all walks of life. Most of these people are given tours of hell, thrown into Reprobate City, or sent directly to jail.

Since he is omniscient, his judgment is perfect. At one point, the town council tries to get rid of Beckett, to no avail.

It is the story of a loving and unbreakable bond of two people and a cat.

This is a sequel to Created Equal, but Not for Long.

Pondering words: Humans are too hung up with the physical world to be concerned with the spiritual world to come. They are too involved with temporary earthly treasures. They quickly forget their spiritual origin. Then there comes a time when they must return to that spiritual plane. They are totally unprepared to encounter what’s in store for them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662480065

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Ben and Jenny Talk

Ben says, That was some pretty serious scenery we witnessed last night. It’s put me to thinking. I wonder what that thing was that showed us hell, heaven, and Reprobate City. If the Catholic Church gets a hold of this, people will be paying them to pray loved ones out of Reprobate City. I am sure that they will want to capitalize on it. Did you notice that the apparition looked somewhat familiar?

Jenny replies, Yes. The face looked like the face of a cat. It had the same features of Beckett. I noticed it had a black face with a white mustache. It couldn’t have been Beckett though. Why would he disguise himself? It’s probably just a coincidence.

Ben says, Well, we know that Beckett can communicate telepathically, but he doesn’t have the powers of last night’s apparition. However, he did mention once that his father, Dexter, his grandfather, Marvin, and his great grandfather, Harvey, had the powers of omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and clairvoyance.

Jenny adds, Well, if they had all those powers, maybe he does too, and he is just not telling us. Nah, it couldn’t be our Beckett. As an infant, he almost died. If he had all those powers, he wouldn’t have had to stay in the vet hospital. Then again, it’s possible that he inherited those powers from his ancestors.

Ben says, According to legend, his ancestors had the power of reading minds. Maybe he’s reading our minds and then is reporting back to the Creator.

Jenny says, The Creator always knows what we are thinking.

Ben says, Well, if Beckett does have those powers, he’s almost a deity. He’s right next to the Creator. Maybe he is the Creator in disguise.

Jenny says, Well, so far, the only power he has revealed is that he can talk. Whether Beckett is the apparition or not is irrelevant. The real question is, Where are we going in the hereafter? That was no dream we had since we both had the same dream and are talking about it right now.

Ben says, Perhaps we should try to hash out our differences. To be honest, I never took my life in the hereafter very seriously. I figured that living a moral life as a deacon in a Baptist Church was my ticket into the heavenly realm.

Jenny agrees, I figured something similar to that thinking. I thought that a moral life as the clerk in that Baptist Church was going to get me into the heavenly realm. Now this Beckett look-alike apparition is telling us that we could end up in the inferno regions.

Ben says, Well, whoever or whatever it was, he or it gave us both something to think about. We’ve had a relatively good life. We’re just not in sync anymore. Is something like a separation or a divorce really going to kick us out of the heavenly realm? I think not. I am sure that the Board of Deacons will fire me though. They will probably kick me off the council too. They might even kick us both out as members.

Jenny says, First of all, do we believe that this apparition did show us aspects of the hereafter, or was it all a dream? Then how is it possible that we dreamed the same dream?

Ben answers, Let’s put some rationality into the question here. It’s common knowledge that Beckett inherited some abilities from his great-grandfather, Harvey, his grandfather, Marvin, and his father, Dexter. They were known to have omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and clairvoyance. They could also communicate through mental telepathy. In all probability, Beckett has inherited all these abilities. I think this little rascal has all the powers that his ancestors had. He’s just now telling us.

Jenny says, If that’s true, that little feline can read our minds. He must know everything. Also, that apparition was really Beckett in disguise. That black face with the white mustache gave him away.

Ben says, "This apparition just gave us a superficial tour of heaven, Reprobate City, and hell. It did say that our destination to the heavenly realm was in jeopardy. How can a cat have so much power? He is so close to being a deity without actually being one.

Jenny says, I’ve heard some unbelievable stories about Beckett’s ancestors and the feats that they performed. Maybe he’s another one of them. To think, only a short while ago, he was on death’s doorstep. Now he has powers beyond our wildest concepts. I believe that the apparition was Beckett in disguise.

Ben says, I think his message was for us to straighten out and get back on the right path.

Beckett, appearing out of nowhere, says, "Ben and Jenny, you’re right. I do have awesome powers just like Harvey, Marvin, and Dexter. I disguised myself because I didn’t want to scare you to the point that you might think that you had to be afraid of me. I love you two, guys. I could never hurt either one of you. As for you guys finding me on your front porch, that was no accident. No one dropped me off, nor did my mother abandon me. The Creator placed me on your front porch. I was destined to live out my life with you two guys in your home. You would be like my mom and dad. So one of my missions on earth was to make sure that you two remained a couple.

The Creator endowed me with a spiritual body. I can’t be injured, will never get sick, and can’t be killed. The Creator will take me home when it’s my time. I am all-knowing and all-powerful. I can be in more than one place at once. I even know the future. At the moment, I am the only feline in active service. Twenty-one feline generations ago, my great-grandfather, Harvey, lived with Aaron. Fourteen feline generations ago, my grandfather, Marvin, lived with Cliff. Seven feline generations ago, my father, Dexter, lived with Alex. Now I, Beckett, am living with Ben and Jenny. The Creator has allowed me to violate His free will doctrine. I am the first one to be allowed to do this, with the exception of Dexter who got around the issue because he was a police officer. To be able to violate free will is to be able to prevent crimes from happening.

Ben says, If you are all that you say you are, we are going to save a lot of money on vet bills and that topical flea treatment.

Beckett answers, That’s true. I won’t need the vet or the flea stuff.

Jenny asks, Will you ever die?

Beckett says, No. The Creator will just take me home when my assignment is done. The plan is for the two of you to follow me to the heavenly realm at a later date. Of course, the two of you could change that plan.

Jenny asks, Are we supposed to keep you a secret?

Beckett replies, Perhaps for the time being. However, in time, I will become very well-known, which someday will put both your lives in danger. So part of my assignment is to protect the both of you.

Ben asks, Do you eat food and drink water?

Beckett replies, Yes, I eat and drink if I want to. I will also be crapping up the litter box.

Jenny asks, Is there anything else we should know about you?

Beckett replies, Yes. I inherited all my ancestors’ addictions and fears. Remember? I am not a deity, just almost a deity. I have a strong affinity for Land O’Lakes cheese. I like to watch DVDs about Westerns or war. I usually have a nightmare after I go to sleep. I am very much afraid of thunder and total darkness. My ancestors had the same issues.

Jenny says, You can watch the movies with Ben. I hate movies.

Ben says, I love to watch DVD movies.

Beckett answers, Okay. Ben, you and I can watch the DVDs, and Jenny, you can clean up the cheese crumbs.

Jenny asks, What cheese crumbs? What are you talking about?

Beckett says, The ones we spill on the floor and couch while we are watching the movie.

Ben says, I don’t understand why the Creator would send a cat to make right the wrongs in this world. Why not just send a person?

Beckett says, No one would believe a person. How could anyone not believe a talking cat?

Jenny says, I believe you, Beckett, partly because of your ancestors’ reputations. So when are you going out and beat the pavement?

Beckett says, I won’t have to. The pavement, so to speak, is coming to me. And, Jenny, you are going to be at the front of the line. You are about to change your perception about life itself. And, Ben, further down the road, you will have your own shock. You are about to taste a piece of humble pie topped off with condescending whipped cream. Both of you will come out of these dire circumstances as better people.

Jenny says, Well, Beckett, I figure that I am on top of the world because I have good health. I am very healthy for my age.

Beckett replies, Yes, right now you appear to be healthy.

Jenny asks, What do you mean I appear to be healthy? My primary physician told me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with me. She said I was ticking like a finely tuned clock. I eat good food and go to the gym regularly so I can stay healthy.

Ben says, I am the messed up one. I am overweight with messed up knees and back. My blood pressure is somewhere in the stratosphere. My primary care physician says that I am headed for Stroke City.

Beckett says, Ben, you are not going to stroke out or have a heart attack. You have several years left. However, they might not be as affluent. Jenny, go get some tests done. I’ll write down the ones you should get. Shortly, you will begin to have symptoms of a medical problem inside of you.

Jenny says, Beckett, you’re scaring me. Exactly what do you mean?

Beckett says, Jenny, to be blunt, you are developing a deadly disease. After all the testing is done, your physicians will tell you that percentage-wise, your survival chances are a single digit. It will be a very dark hour in your life. However, you will survive. You will beat all the odds. So go and get checked out.

Ben says, Beckett, you are scaring the shit out of her. How the hell do you know all this? You even see into the future? Just what bloody disease does she have anyway?

Beckett says, It would be much better if Jenny got the details from her physicians. Jenny, make an appointment with this physician. Here’s his card. When the receptionist answers the phone, mention my name, and he will take you right away. Before you ask, yes, I could heal you immediately, but the Creator won’t allow it.

Jenny calls this doctor’s office right away. The receptionist answers the phone. The receptionist says that the doctor has been expecting her call. She gets an appointment for nine o’clock in the morning. Normally, there is a three-month waiting time to see this doctor. How the hell did Beckett pull this off?

Jenny says, Beckett, are you the Creator in disguise? No one has ever gotten in to see this doctor in one day. He is some sort of gastroenterologist or a reasonable facsimile. How in the world did you make this happen?

Beckett says, The Creator has endowed me with the gift of omnipotence. With that gift alone, one can make anything happen. Jenny, just before you called his office, I met with him, one-on-one. I convinced him that you needed to see him immediately.

Ben says, Jenny, I’ll take you tomorrow. You are just too distraught to drive. We can have brunch on the way home.

Beckett says, You won’t be able to have brunch. You’ll be at the doctor’s most of the day.

Jenny says, Beckett, if you are not the Creator, you are sitting right beside him.

Ben says, Jenny, maybe the Creator is a cat.

Beckett answers, The Creator is not a cat. He looks just like a human, only in spirit form.

Chapter 2

Jenny Meets with the Gastroenterologist

The next morning, Ben and Jenny drive to the gastroenterologist’s office. In this guy’s office, it’s usually, at least a forty-five-minute wait. This time, the doctor sees them in less than the time it takes Jenny to fill out paperwork as a new patient. The doctor is looking for symptoms. She does have some symptoms which she never made aware of to anyone. She is jaundiced, has lost her appetite, and has some unexplained weight loss. This has all happened since her last physical. Jenny undergoes some extensive testing, including an upper and lower GI series, blood tests, and MRI work. She and Ben arrived at 9:00 am and are still there. It’s almost 3:30 pm. This is not only a doctor’s office but also a mini lab equipped with all the latest thingamajigs. They didn’t even break for lunch. The doctor tells Jenny that he has to analyze and obtain the rest of the test results. So he wants to see her back in two days at 9:00 am. Ben and Jenny don’t get out of there till almost 5:00 pm. On the way out, the doctor yells across the room.

The doctor says, Tell Beckett that I think he was right in his diagnosis.

The doctor then heads for his lab. Jenny and Ben arrive home and want to talk to Beckett. This cat knows a lot more than he’s letting on.

Jenny says, Beckett, do you know what that doctor said as we were leaving?

Beckett says, Yes. He said that he thought my diagnosis was right.

Jenny demands, What the hell is going on anyway? Tell me what the hell I’ve got! The doctor is not going to tell me for another two days.

Beckett says, You and the insurance company are paying this guy big bucks. Why don’t you wait and let him tell you? He probably thought that I had already told you.

Ben says, Beckett, just tell us what it is so we can make the appropriate decisions and get on with our lives.

Beckett says, In two days, the doctor is going to tell you, Jenny, that you have pancreatic cancer. In addition to your current symptoms, you can expect some nausea, some gallbladder problems, diabetes, and perhaps blood clots. The preferred methods of treatment are radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery. Now I am not going to hold anything back here. This cancer is rather deadly. Less than 25 percent of the people with the disease survive the first year. After that, survival rate is down to 10 to 15 percent. However; as I told you before, you will survive this disease. Also, as I said before, I could cure you in an instant, but the Creator just won’t allow it.

Jenny says, My life is over. I might as well climb into the casket.

Beckett answers, Jenny, you will survive the pancreatic cancer. However, that doesn’t mean that someone or something else won’t get you down the road.

Beckett gives Ben an odd look. Ben cringes in the corner. Ben knows what Beckett is saying. By now though, Ben has ruled out his plans of evil against Jenny. Now Jenny is in a state of depression. She has one of the worse cancers of all. Ben has taken a 180-degree turn from just a couple of weeks ago. He is being sympathetic and understanding. They are scheduled to go back to the doctor the day after tomorrow.

Jenny asks, Beckett, how the hell did you get that name anyway? We certainly didn’t assign it to you. You started talking and told us your name was Beckett. Now tell me in a nutshell, What the hell is going to happen to me?

Beckett says, You are going to get sick. You’ll have gallbladder problems. You will continue to have nausea and a loss of appetite. You may develop blood clots. Sometimes, in a case like this, the pancreas has to be surgically removed. If it were to be removed, you would have to get a pancreas transplant or daily doses of insulin and enzymes that the pancreas normally produces. Talk to your doctor in depth about the possible removal of your pancreas.

Ben says, If the pancreas is removed, she’ll be on insulin injections forever, right?

Beckett replies, That’s right, Ben, unless she gets a pancreas transplant.

Jenny says, What an awful life I am going to have. The Creator might as well take me right now. That way I won’t fall into the infernal regions.

Ben says, Jenny, I think that we can make it through this mess together. If I have to be, I can be a pretty good caretaker. Besides, we’ll always have Beckett with us to guide and direct us. He always gives good advice.

Beckett says, Jenny, a little while ago, you asked who named me. Well, the Creator named me just as He named Harvey, Marvin, and Dexter. A cat like us doesn’t come along too often. When I am around, a few wrongs will be made right. I will get you through your pancreatic cancer. Ben will chip in and help too. In the meantime, why don’t you take a nap? Ben and I can watch a DVD movie with some Land O’Lakes cheese.

Ben says, Beckett, we have a little problem.

Beckett says, Don’t tell me the DVD player is broken.

Ben replies, No. We don’t have any Land O’Lakes cheese.

Beckett exclaims, What! This is a catastrophic situation. Suppose I woke up in the middle of the night because I had an urge for some cheese. I would have to wait till morning or go break into a grocery store.

Ben says, Don’t let your fur fly. I’ll go get some.

Beckett says, You better go get about three pounds. We should always have plenty in reserve. We’ll pick out a movie when you get back.

Ben says, Beckett, I am back with the Land O’Lakes cheese. Go pick out a movie.

Beckett says, "Let’s watch Midway. That’s a classic. By the way, if I have a nightmare, just go along with what I say. Most of the time, I don’t wake up entirely. You might have to live the tail end of the nightmare with me to get me through it. So go cut up a large bowl of Land O’Lakes cheese."

The movie begins, and the cheese crumbs are falling all over the place.

Becket says, "The bombers are taking off from a carrier, the USS Hornet. They’re going to bomb Japan. The Americans found two of the Japanese carriers. They are attacking, but the Japanese fighters and anti-aircraft guns are knocking them out of the skies. It’s a good thing that the Japanese reconnaissance plane’s radio is out. He spotted an American carrier and can’t report it. The American plane just radioed Midway that there are many Japanese planes headed for Midway. The Americans found all four of the Japanese carriers. They are attacking now. Three of the four carriers are on fire and sinking. Here, Japanese planes have attacked the Yorktown for the second time. The first time, they managed to repair the boilers and get underway again. Not this time though. All the boilers are out, and the ship is going down. Abandon ship is ordered. Both sides are now down to a handful of planes and not enough pilots to fly them. The Americans found that fourth Japanese carrier again. They blew it out of the water. The Japanese are getting desperate. Some pilots are now kamikaze pilots. That was a great movie."

The movie ends with cheese crumbs all over the couch and floor. Beckett’s fur is even covered with crumbs. Both Ben and Beckett conk out on the couch. Early in the evening, Beckett has to use the facilities. It’s no easy task. He hadn’t had any Land O’Lakes cheese in a while, so he overindulged a bit. He can’t even crawl to the litter box. He has to roll to the litter box. He manages to climb into the litter box. He is face down in one end of the box while his butt is at the other end. He craps up the litter box and himself. He’s too weak and tired to wash up. He just lies there. Now he is throwing up. The vomit ends up outside the box. Beckett decides to go back to sleep right where he is. It would just take too much energy to get back to the couch.

Later on that evening, there is a loud scream. It wakes up Jenny and Ben. They get up to see what’s going on. Beckett is having a nightmare.

Beckett calls out, Ben, save me.

Jenny says, That’s great. We have a talking omniscient and omnipotent cat that has nightmares. I am going back to bed.

Ben replies, I am here, Beckett. What’s the matter, having a nightmare?

Beckett says, Ben, I’ve been hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. I was piloting a torpedo plane. I got my torpedo off and hit the carrier. In the meantime, I sustained a hit by Japanese anti-aircraft. I was also hit by a Japanese fifty-caliber machine gun. I had to bail out over the Pacific Ocean. A Japanese Zero shot me while I was parachuting down. Now I am in the water and am full of bullet holes and shrapnel. The sharks are circling all around me. I am floating with the help of a safety ring. I am beginning to lose consciousness. I don’t think you can save me. So mail my body back to the heavenly realm. Please pay extra for one day shipping. Maybe I’ll get a medal, posthumously.

Ben answers, "Becket, I’ve got some good news. The torpedo you dropped was ultimately the one that sank the Japanese carrier. A sea plane launched a raft with two sailors. They rescued you. Right now, you are recovering from surgery. All the bullets went right through you. None of them hit a vital organ. There was one piece of shrapnel that was too close to the heart. The doctors will take care of that when we get back to Pearl Harbor. I notified the Creator via Western Union. He is aware that you are a hero. The sharks are pissed off because they missed out on a meal. You will be awarded a medal, but you will still be alive when they give it to you.

Beckett says, Thanks, Ben. It’s good to know that I can count on you.

Both Ben and Beckett go back to sleep on the couch. The whole house reeks of cheese that has passed through a septic