I hope that your whiskered friend won’t bring you over to a trap. You watch yourself, Yumi. You will do just fine.
Yumi. Thank you, Pirate. My mom was wrong calling you a fool.
Pirate. Grrr…
Yumi and Toy leave.
Scene 6.
Evening shades. Cat burglar gang hide-out.
Yumi and the mice got caged. Lord, Melisa, Toy and other gang members enjoy their triumph.
Lord. Toy!
Toy. Yes, Lord.
Lord. You did a great job.
Toy. When you catch our enemy, this police dog called Thunder, will you let Yumi go? That was our agreement.
Lord. You are still young and too naive, Toy.
Toy. What do you mean?
Lord. Nobody knows where Thunder is now. This sneaky rascal crept into a deep hole and doesn’t show up. I know in bones that Thunder is alive and keeps a close watch on us.
Toy. Then what will happen to Yumi when you get to his father?
Lord. Much to my regret, I won’t be able to hunt Thunder down. But I will take vengeance on him for my brother’s death anyway.
Toy. You promised to let Yumi go! Our wrangles have nothing to do with the puppy.
Lord. Yumi will die tomorrow morning. Thunder is going to find out about that. I’m done.
All the gang members leave, the prisoners are left in the cage.
Scene 7.
Evening. Cat burglar gang hide-out.
Yumi, Yin and Yang are caged.
Yumi. This is the end.
Yang. Be stronger. Be stronger. Be stronger!
Yumi. Stronger? It was me who got you into this trap. And let my mom down.
Yin. Success is a measure of decisions we make. I don’t regret going with you, Yumi. We have to believe.
Yang. Do not succumb to panic. Now lay to!
Yang tries to break the cage door, Yin and Yumi help him, but the door does not respond. Toy comes in.
Yin. Traitor.
Yang. Blatant liar!
Yumi. Toy, how could you?
Pause.
Toy. Have you finished?
Yin. We have nothing to say to you.
Toy forces the lock; the cage door opens.
Toy. I was wrong. Give me a chance to make it right.
Yumi and the mice don’t move.
Toy. Come along! Hurry up. I will take you out of here.
Pause.
Toy. What’s wrong? We need to make haste!
Yumi. We don’t believe you.
Toy. Time is lacking for thinking. Lord will soon notice that I left. This is our last chance.
Yang. Come along! We won’t be any worse off.
Yang leaves the cage first, he is followed by Yin, and the last one to go out is Yumi.
Toy. Follow me. I will get you out of here and help you save your mom.
They all head for the door, and suddenly Melisa comes out of the darkness, claws the mice and blocks the way.
Melisa. Is my dinner going for a walk? Don’t you move, or I will choke the life out of you. (She protracts her claws, the mice squeak with pain.)
Toy. Mom, let us through.
Melisa. Do you really think that I will let you sign your own death warrant?
Toy. Yes.
Melisa. Lord will kill you, Toy.
Toy. Lord lied to me and he broke his promise to spare Yumi’s life.
Melisa. Lord is your boss. His orders are beyond questions.
Toy. My father was a real boss! Whereas Lord is just a travesty of his elder brother.
Melisa. I have no choice, Toy. Lord is stronger than we are.
Toy. There is always a choice. Let us go.
Melisa. Toy, I forbid you to do it.
Toy. Yumi’s mother is in grave danger. I am the only one who can help them let her free.
Melisa. Dogs are our enemies.
Toy. Enemies? And who are we? After my father’s death we just turned into a gang of malevolent thieves, and everyone is for himself. We are our own enemies!
