Be careful. I’ve seen a grown dog on the center premises. He is clearly not a member of the animal tormentor gang and was snooping around.
Yin. He may be another poor fellow who is trying to find his family.
Toy. It doesn’t matter. Titmouse, you stay here, maintain outdoor surveillance. We are going inside.
The titmouse flies away, the rest of the group enter the animal control center. They walk along. At the end of a passageway they see a shadow of a big dog moving towards them.
Toy. Run! Yumi, hurry up!
They run along the center passages and find the entrance to the basement.
Toy. The entrance to the basement is here. Let’s split up. Mice, go through the ventilation system to scout out the situation. We are going down.
The mice go through the ventilation system. Yumi and Toy go down.
Toy. Why are you shaking? Are you cold?
Yumi. I am afraid of the dark.
Toy. Why haven’t you told me before?
Yumi. I’ll be fine.
Toy. If we go together, the tormentors will lamp us at once. See, that would be a strange scene: a cat burglar and a police dog’s son went for a walk together. (They laugh.)
Yumi. What are we supposed to do now?
Toy. You will cover the rear. This outer door is our only escape route. Watch over it. Warn me in the event of emergency.
Yumi. And you?
Toy. I will go further, to the dog prison. The entrance is right here.
Yumi. I get it. Watch over the escape route, warn in the event of emergency.
Toy. I nearly forgot. Give me your spongy bone.
Yumi. Here, take it. (He gives the spongy bone to the kitten.)
Toy. I will give it to the jail-keeper rat, otherwise he will raise alarm.
Yumi. Told you, this bone would bring us good luck.
Toy. Yumi, I meant to tell you…
Pause.
Yumi. What did you mean to tell me, Toy?
Toy. Thank you for saying a good word for me in front of Melisa and for calling me your friend.
Yumi. You are my friend. My best friend.
Toy. I’ve learnt a great deal from you today. It never occurred to me that dogs can be true friends.
Yumi. Seek and you will find. That is what my mom says.
Toy. And what did you say there when we met Pirate?
Yumi. Christmas Eve is the time when dreams come true.
Toy. You should wish for something with your whole heart, believe in your success and keep moving towards your desirable goal.
Yumi. That’s right, Toy. Come on! Everything is going to be alright.
Toy bust opens the lock and opens the inside door of the basement which opens into the dog prison. He leaves. Yumi is left alone.
Yumi. Alright. I have to look around. I am not afraid of the dark. I am brave. I am not afraid of the dark.
Yumi hears some noise in the dark corner, he jumps up to the side and hides himself in a heap of rubbish. Silence. Yumi leaves his hideout.
Yumi. Maybe, it’s just my ears playing tricks on me.
Again there was some noise there in the darkness. Yumi squats down.
Yumi. And what if it is a horrible beast? It is lying snug in the darkness and wants to devour me. I have to run.
Yumi runs towards the exit and then stops short.
Yumi. And what about Toy? I promised him to cover the rear. I have to warn him and my mom if there’s an emergency.
Yumi goes back.
Yumi. A friend in need is a friend indeed. I will not betray Toy and will save my mom. Hey, who’s hiding there in the darkness? Come on out! I am not afraid of you. Grrr…
There was someone’s distinct growl in reply, then Yumi heard some movement, as if a real monster was breaking free from a cage.
Yumi. Is it all you got, you scary monster? Grrr…
Yumi jumps off and falls upon the monster. The attack is successful. Yumi bumps up against a big cage. There is a girl sitting in the cage. Yumi spotted this girl as his new acquaintance, who treated him to biscuits, by her smell.
Yumi. It’s a small world. What are you doing here?
Nyuta looks at Yumi in silence.
Scene 9.
The same decoration.
Yumi stands in front of the cage where Nyuta is locked.
Yumi. Is this you?
Nyuta. Yes, it’s me.
Yumi. Why did you growl?
Nyuta. Best defence is offence. I wanted to scare you.
Yumi. Then you succeeded. How did you get here?
Nyuta. I must be hallucinating. Dogs can’t speak.
Yumi. What do you mean they can’t speak?
Nyuta. Right. I’m going mad.
Yumi. It’s me, Yumi. We played together in our yard this morning. You treated me to some goodie.
Nyuta. Those were crunchy biscuits. Go away, ghost. I have no intention to lose my mind. Dogs can only bark.
Yumi. Woof! Woof!
The outer door opens slightly, a big dog pokes his head through the door opening, and his breath meets the ears. Yumi hides himself. The door closes again.
Nyuta. Hush! You will wake the guards up this way.
Yumi. I’m sorry.
Nyuta. There is also some huge dog wandering about here. He is looking for somebody.
Yumi leaves his hideout.
Yumi. My name is Yumi.
Nyuta. I am Nyuta. Granting for a moment that dogs can really speak and I am not getting mad.
Yumi. All the animals can speak, it’s just that not all the people can understand our language. What are you doing here?
Nyuta. Some masked thugs kidnapped me, brought me here and caged me up.
Yumi. But why?
Nyuta. One of them is called Corkscrew. I heard this name when they were taking me here.
Yumi. Corkscrew? He is my bitter enemy!
Nyuta. Oh really?
Yumi. Corkscrew and Khorkov caught my mom today.
Nyuta.