第二十章 (Chapter Twenty)

Once again, I saw the colossal finger of destruction pressing down upon the hope of this feline nation. No hope! The military of Catland, ostensibly the protector of the groves of intoxicating leaves, was in reality a mere pack of famished specters. They groveled before foreigners yet showed unbridled cruelty to their own. Scorpion and the other landlords cared only for their own interests, utterly indifferent to the nation’s survival. My heart sank with sorrow, for I knew this civilization stood on the brink of extinction.

Here, foreigners ran rampant while the Catlanders knew only internal strife and the intoxicating leaves. What future could such a nation have? Walking alone down the street, I watched the numb felinoids around me-they seemed already resigned to this existence.

Young Scorpion told me that Catland’s military had long lost its will to fight. They only knew how to plunder their own countrymen, daring not raise a finger against the foreigners. This reminded me of Earth’s own history, yet Catland’s plight was far more dire.

I came upon a group of foreigners deep in discussion about carving up Catland’s resources. They glanced at me with a flicker of surprise, then promptly ignored me. To their eyes, Catland was simply a lamb awaiting slaughter.

Back in my quarters, I contemplated Catland’s fate. This civilization had once known splendor, but now only rot and despair remained. Perhaps extinction was its inevitable end.

That night, distant gunshots and wails reached my ears. The civil war in Catland had apparently flared up again. I closed my eyes, but sleep would not come.