An Encounter of the Fourth Kind

I opened the morning paper on New Year's Day and read the headline. In big bold black letters it proclaimed A teenager looking through his telescope discovers a new star. I laid the paper on the couch, went into the kitchen and poured myself a large mug of coffee. Then I headed back into the living room ready to sit down and read the story that went with the headline.

Unfortunately, at that moment my pure bred Siamese cat, King Mongkut. Yes, I named him after the king in Margaret Landon's novel Anna and the King of Siam. Which was probably as big a mistake as not reading that newspaper article, but there's nothing I can do about either now. When I opened the door, I saw that it was snowing, so I placed my mug on the stand in the foyer, sit down in the chair, and put on the cowboy boots that were next to the chair.

"Mowerr," Mong howled, as he stood on the porch waiting for me to follow. I knew from the tone in his voice that I didn't have time to get my coat out of the hall closet, so I took my sisters silver mink coat off the hall tree, put it on, picked up my coffee and followed the cat down the front steps. King Mongkut is the only cat I've ever known that has to have someone watching when he does his business.

Anyway, I was standing on the front walk, sipping coffee, and watching Mong search for the perfect spot to relieve himself, when I heard a noise. At first, I thought it was the front door closing, but then someone behind me spoke. "Please, human," I turned around to see who was speaking. There stood a three foot tall creature with grayish purple skin and huge insect-like eyes.

"Yes," I smiled thinking that one of the neighbors was shooting a video which would appear on YouTube in a couple of hours. "May I help you?"

"Is that your cat?" The creature, attempting to smile, pointed at Mong.

"That is a cat," I laughed. "As far as who owns whom," I sighed, "I'm pretty sure that he owns me."

"Oh!" The creature stared at Mong for a few minutes. "What is his name?"

"King Mongtuk."

"He is of royal blood?"

"Yes," I had to bit my tongue to keep from laughing because I had not intention of screwing up a video that could go viral. "He's a Siamese cat and all Siamese are of royal blood."

"Good," the creature managed a big grin. "Then you and his royal highness must come with me!"

"Uh..." I heard Mong yawl and then I lost consciousness.

***

When I came to my senses, I was sitting in a cot in a small windowless and doorless cell. Mong and another cat, a large female Maine Coon, were sitting next to me and looking very proud of themselves. I stood up, took off the coat, folded it and placed it on the cot. Immediately, the cats got onto the coat and went to sleep. Picking my coffee mug off the floor, I took a sip of the cold liquid.

"Well," I said as I continued to sipping, "at lest I didn't spill my coffee when I blacked out. I wonder where I am."

The wall in front of me slid open, "Good morning, Miss..." said another grayish purple creature carrying a tray of food.

"Margo," I said.

"Miss Margo, we're so glad to have King Mongkut and his human with us." The creature seemed to frown, "when we took Queen Moxie Gore, her teenage human was looking through a telescope. Before we could capture him, he ran into his house excited over something."

"OK," a panel opened in the wall next to the cot and a table emerged. The creature placed the tray on the table.

"Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Uh," I just stared.

"You wish a... job description. I think that is what you humans call it." The creature started toward the door and then turned around. "Miss Margo, your job is to care for Queen Moxie Gore, her mate, King Mongkut, and their offspring."