Varjak Paw

Varjak basks in the unfamiliar feeling of camaraderie as he and Holly stay up all night discussing hunting strategies. Early in the morning, Tam distracts the pigeons while Varjak and Holly try to close in from the sides. When the birds surround and attack Holly, Varjak uses Slow-Time to create an escape route for her. Holly is shaken but unharmed, and she thanks Varjak for his help. He suggests that they try again, but she says that they should leave the square before it fills with people. On the way back to their hideaway in the alley, Tam stops at the side street where Varjak caught the mouse. She hasn’t eaten in over a day, so she goes to investigate the fishy smell while her friends keep walking.

Holly and Varjak grow worried when Tam doesn’t return by the next morning. They can’t find any sign of her in the neutral territory, and Ginger’s gang hasn’t seen her either. At twilight, Varjak and Holly cross paths with Razor, who tells them that Tam isn’t in Sally Bones’s territory either. Razor wants Holly to meet his boss and join her gang. Sensing her fear, Varjak intervenes. Razor stuns Varjak with a single blow and tells Holly, “When you’ve had enough of wasting your time with weak little losers, and you want to see what it’s like being a real cat—come and find me” (150). After Razor leaves, Holly commends Varjak’s courage but tells him that trying to fight a cat like Razor is foolish. Still, he vows to beat Razor one day.

Varjak spends the next few days hunting with Holly. By night, they search for Tam. Eventually, they venture into Sally Bones’s territory. Near a toy shop, Varjak experiences the unnerving sensation that he is being watched by something that is neither dead nor alive. They find a mechanical cat that has the same chocolate-brown fur and genial smile as Tam but speaks nonsense, “I am very well thank you please” (155). Varjak insists that the cat is Tam until Holly bursts out, “Get it through your head! Tam’s gone, see? She’s vanished” (156). The mechanical cat reminds Varjak of the toy mouse the Gentleman gave his family, and he realizes that his memories of the Contessa’s house are fading. When Varjak voices his homesickness, Holly tries to cheer him up by saying that the whole world is his home now.

Varjak returns to Mesopotamia in his dreams. Jalal tells him that the fifth skill, Moving Circles, will grant him the power to “dodge any blow” and “win any fight” (160). To learn this skill, Varjak imitates his ancestor’s movements as Jalal twists into an arch, a figure eight, and a circle. When he unleashes the energy he built up by moving in a circle, he manages to touch Jalal’s shoulder. Jalal compliments his descendant on his growth since their first meeting and tells him, “No matter how tempting, you may cause harm only when your life is in danger […] Which it is” (161).

Varjak awakens and sees a white cat with one eye. Her gaunt frame and the fierce street cats who answer to her prompt him to realize that she’s Sally Bones. Sally scratches Razor’s face for failing to inform her about the new cat and orders him to interrogate Varjak. When Varjak refuses to give away the location of Holly’s hideout, Razor rains brutal blows on Varjak’s face. Varjak uses Slow-Time to dodge and strikes back with Moving Circles. He lands a blow between Razor’s eyes.

Sally Bones stops the fight and pins Varjak to the ground. She demands to know who taught him his techniques, and she looks fearful when he mentions Jalal. A huge black dog appears at the end of the alley, and Sally Bones’s gang scatters in fear despite her calls for them to stand and fight. She tells Varjak that they’ll meet again and then retreats. Compared to the cars Varjak faced down when he first arrived in the city, this new monster seems almost mild. He stands his ground while Holly takes cover. Varjak senses the dog’s terror and calmly tells him not to be afraid. He tries to use the Way of Jalal, but the dog crashes into him and knocks him unconscious.

In Varjak’s dreams, Jalal teaches him the sixth skill, Shadow-Walking. To master this skill and become invisible, he must learn to let go of all of his thoughts and become one with his surroundings. At first, Varjak worries that such a feat is impossible for him, but his ancestor encourages him to believe in himself. Varjak is unable to clear his mind and disappear, and Jalal observes, “You must know yourself, be sure of yourself, before you can let go of yourself. Do you know who you are?” (180). The question confuses Varjak, and he isn’t sure how to respond. Jalal tells him that his life depends on finding the answer.

When Varjak awakens in the alley, the dog is standing over him, and he expects to be devoured at any moment. He tries to use Shadow-Walking to disappear, but he’s in too much pain to concentrate. To the cat’s surprise, the dog introduces himself as Cludge with a shy smile and apologizes for running into him. Cludge mournfully explains, “Everyone run from Cludge. No friends” (184). Touched by the creature’s gentleness and loneliness, Varjak promises to be his friend. Holly tells Varjak that she’s never seen a cat talk to a dog before, and her astonishment grows when Varjak explains that he thought cars were dogs. She laughs uproariously, and her contagious mirth makes Varjak and Cludge laugh, too. Varjak’s discovery rekindles his hope of saving his family. He asks the dog for help: “I need you to scare a man. Can you do that?” (187). Cludge agrees at once. Holly decides to come with them because the city isn’t safe for them now that they’ve crossed Sally Bones. Varjak thanks his friends.