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!
Melisa. I have always dreamt of you following a different route. That you would stop both being a thief and living on the street.
Toy. So give a chance to change our life, mom. Let me go.
Pause.
Melisa. You are just like your father now. Go and never come back.
Toy. Thank you, mom. Yumi, let’s go!
Toy and Yumi head for the door.
Yumi. What about our friends, Yin and Yang?
Melisa. Nobody has canceled my dinner yet. The mice will stay here.
Yin. Yumi, help us.
Yang. Please, Yumi, help us out!
Toy. Yumi, don’t argue. We have to go rescue your mom.
Yumi. That will never do.
Toy. What’s your point?
Yumi. Yin and Yang got into the trap because they wanted to help save my mom Greta.
Toy. It was their choice.
Yumi. Yes, you are right. The odds are against us.
Toy. Yin and Yang are our free pass to being set free.
Melisa. That’s a good point, son. (She plays with the mice.)
Yumi (to Toy). I thought you are a real boss.
Toy. What?
Yumi. Did your father always betray his friends and leave them to their fate too?
Toy. My father never was a traitor! He died saving the Lord’s skin!
Yumi. Die but save a friend. This is what a real leader would do.
Toy. I think I know what you mean. Melisa, I am sorry. You won’t get any dinner today.
Melisa. Are you insane?
Toy. Mom, listen to me.
Melisa. What?
Toy. You just said: I wish my son quitted stealing and get off the street.
Melisa. Yes, that’s right.
Toy. Tell me, what can I become working with the cat burglar band?
Melisa. The gang leader.
Toy. Is it what you want me to be?
Melisa. No, Toy, it isn’t. I don’t want you to be a thief.
Toy. I have never had any friends. Just my father.
Melisa. You can’t bring your father back.
Toy. On the other hand, I, your son, can change our life. First of all, I should stop keeping the company of thieves and try to make friends with good guys.
Melisa. I think you should.
Toy. I want to find my peace of mind. Yumi, Yin and Yang can become my friends. I will help them get out and save Greta. We have no time left. It’s now or never!
Melisa (frees the mice). Go to the northern gates. I will tell Lord that I saw you going south, it will help you buy some time.
Yumi. Melisa, Toy is a born leader. And my real friend.
Toy. Thank you, mom.
Melisa. Take this lucky gold coin. (She gives it to Toy.) You will do great, son. I believe in you.
Yumi, Toy and the mice leave. Melisa is left alone.
Scene 8.
Late in the evening. Premises of the animal control center.
Yumi, Toy, Yin, Yang, Titmouse.
Titmouse. Where have you been?
Yumi. It’s a long story.
Toy. How is the situation?
Titmouse. After the round-up they brought a lot of stray animals here. Lord’s lawyer posted a bail for the cat burglars and they were set free.
Yin. Such a rascal!
Yang. They are the real Mafia.
Yumi. Where is my mom?
Titmouse. Greta is in the basement with others. Poor dogs are caged in the dog prison.
Toy. What do the tormentors plan to do?
Titmouse. I’ve heard a conversation: tonight