The Elemoont/Chapter 13
in which the Tiger–Cat gives away Mr. Red's awful intentions and the Elemoont decides to disturb them.
"If the top hat was not magic, how could Mr. Red demonstrate his tricks?" continued the Cat, "He is a great conjurer. Simply everything he extracts of his high silk hat: and the Smoke and the Streaming Fog, and the Mental Convulsion, and the Hare…"
"The Hare?" asked the Elemoont.
"Yes, the Hare. It s the old and always popular trick," continued the Cat.
Here the Cylindrical Hare had flown near them. He flew with great speed but quite noiselessly. "He flows to make a bonfire," observed the Cat. "A bonfire? What for?" was astonished the Elemoont. "In order to the smoke will belch of the top hat," explained the Cat, "Mr. Red will demonstrate his famous trick now." "And can we in that smoke imperceptibly find our way out of the top hat?" asked the Elemoont. "We can do it in general," said the Cat, "But my master sent me so as to eat you but not help you to find your way from here and else imperceptibly!" "To eat me?" was amazed the Elemoont and decided to hit the cat with his cylindrical trunk, but the Cat added, "Although I'm not a bloodthirsty cat. I don't eat elephants!" "Elemoonts," corrected him the Elemoont.
"It's the same thing."
"It's not the same thing!"
"We'll not argue. I eat neither the elephants nor the elemoonts. Really I am a peaceful Tiger–Cat but I work with Mr. Red and I have to feign."
"Throw up this job!" gave an advice the Elemoont.
"I'll do it with pleasure," said the Cat, "My vain dream is to curl up in a ball and lie on a sofa but don't chase elemoonts! However, you cannot hide from Mr. Red anywhere all the same. Soon all, all, all people will work for Mr. Red. It is because," here the Cat lowered his voice, "it's because Mr. Red let an awful and global idea ripen in his mind…"
"What idea?" the Elemoont does not understand.
"Awful and global. That is to say it is such idea which concerns everybody all over the world."
"And actually elemoonts?"
"And also elemoonts since they exist in the world."
"We must prevent him carry that idea into effect!" decided the Elemoont, "But what it lies in?"
"It is a very, very terrible secret," whispered the Cat, "And if Mr. Red hears that I betray him, he will simply take me to stripes!"
"But how will he know it?" asked the Elemoont, "I'll tell him nothing."
The Tiger–Cat looked at the Elemoont with the doubt and said, "So, listen to! Mr. Red intends to cover the entire World with his high silk hat!"
"But how can he do it?"
"Oh, it is very easily: ‘Hop!’ and it is in the bag, that is to say, the entire World is in his top hat. All whales and cats, all elephants and elemoonts, all horses and ponies will be in his hat!"
"And stars and winds?" asked the Elemoont.
"Of course! And rivers and oceans, and crayfishes and octopuses," confirmed the Cat.
"And the Moon?"
"Yes. All moons which exist in the Universe."
"But what does he need all it for?"
"So as to become the Emperor of the Universe! I fear that in all the Universe will not be found any place where I can sleep peacefully curling up in a ball!" concluded the Cat.
"We'll not allow it!" said the Elemoont, "We'll prevent him to put that awful and global idea into practice!"
"But how can we do it?" asked the Cat.
"I have to think a little," answered the Elemoont. "Although…Where, you said, does he let his idea ripen?"
"Here, in his top hat. Where else can he let his ideas ripen?"
"I invent!" exclaimed the Elemoont, "We'll steal his idea!"
"Steal?" was astonished the Cat. "But how?"
"It is very simple. We'll steal it together with Mr. Red's high silk hat!"