This is Miss-Miss, a small Maine Coon cat.  She sits quietly in the shadows, revealing herself to only a chosen few.  Like a queen on her throne she perches in the high recesses of the bookshelves and views the humans scuttling below her.  Miss-Miss smiles a kitty smile to herself because Miss-Miss knows a Great Secret.

On the day that Miss-Miss arrived at the library she was taken to the office of Miss Debra the head librarian.  There she was given a basket lined with soft cushions, a "box" for her needs and lots of food and water.  Miss Debra and the other librarians made much of petting and talking to Miss-Miss that first day.  That helped alot because Miss-Miss was still a very young cat who was really quite nervous about her new home.  All the people and the very largeness of the place made her just a bit afraid.

That first night Miss-Miss huddled deep in her bed, dozing only fitfully as her senses sorted out all the new sounds and smells.  Along after midnight she became aware of strange lights moving thru the darkness and hushed voices coming from everywhere.  Despite her fears, Miss-Miss was drawn to investigate.  She crept softly from her bed and peeked carefully through the partially open door.  Her soft feet padded noiselessly as she slipped around the big front desk.  Her fluffy tail quivered as she stretched her neck to peer into the dark hallway that led to the books.

"Hello pretty lady", said a voice directly behind her, "What are you doing here?".  Miss-Miss leaped 2 feet off the ground in surprise.  She spun around to behold a tall man-figure standing there.  Even though the lights had been long ago turned off it seemed as if the figure lighted the whole room.  "Good Heavens", the figure spoke, "I surely didn't mean to startle you so."  "Who.. who are you?", exclaimed Miss-Miss in kitty-speak.  The figure threw back his head and laughed softly.  "Folks call me Mark Twain," he chuckled, "my real name is Samuel Clemens, but you can call me Sam if it pleases you." 

"You... you can understand me?", ghasped Miss-Miss.  "Oh of course", replied Sam, "all of us here speak Cat as well as Mouse, Cricket and all the tongues of those who live here.  "Miss-Miss meowed her confusion and crept closer. "But Miss Debra and the others don't really hear my words no matter how hard I try, so how is it that you do?  And what do you mean you All can?  Are there others here?  Why are you here only after Miss Debra is gone?"

"Whoa now little lady", Sam laughed, "so many questions will take some time to answer.  I'll sit down here and explain everything; but first may I know the name of the lady I'm addressing?"  "Oh, I'm called Miss-Miss, I'm the new library cat you see."  "Ah yes", said Sam, "a beautiful name for a beautiful lady", and his eyes twinkled merrily.  Miss-Miss blushed a kitty blush, fluffed out her fur and sat as regally and prettily as she knew how. Sam winked an eye, grinned and continued.  "I'm what is called an author, I and my friends wrote all the books in this wonderful place."  Miss-Miss looked all around her and mewed.  "So many books, it must have taken a very long time?"  "Many, many years", replied Sam, "indeed, all of us spent our whole lives writing them."

Miss-Miss smiled a kitty smile at Sam, "You don't look that old to me", she purred.  Sam tossed back his mane of silver hair and laughed his wonderful laugh again.  "Ah Miss-Miss, we're very, very old.  You see, we've left behind the worlds we lived in and moved on to another place.  We're all spirits now, what the world calls ghosts."  "Really?", mewed Miss-Miss and she peered closer at Sam.  He did seem to glow a bit.  "Oh my yes", smiled Sam, "but there is a part of our souls in everything we write.  So we gather wherever our books may be, such as this fine library, and we talk about many things.  Would you like to join our group?"

Miss-Miss bowed her head and her whiskers drooped.  "Oh sir", she softly mewed, "I would like that so much.  It's so lonely here after Miss Debra leaves and a little scary too.  But I'm only a young cat, surely your friends would not want to be bothered by such as me?  There is just so much I do not understand and I fear I'm not smart enough you see."

"Stuff and nonsense", scoffed Sam, "cats are among the most intelligent of persons.  Why bless my soul, you'll learn things in no time at all.  Any author worthy of the name would be delighted to pass on their knowledge to a willing student.  Now come young puss and many times welcome."

That night Miss-Miss became a part of the Great Secret.  Every night now she attends the Gathering of Authors and she curls up on the lap of one of her friends.  Her voice and opinion is much valued and Miss-Miss has become a very important part of the magical world of the library.