By now I was lost.
I could see that Esma really believed what she was saying, not a trace of a lie could I find in her face, and from the way that she spoke, it was clear that she cared for these cats as though for real beings.
My conclusion then was to ask her to prove it. Surely she could produce some talking cats? I understood that they were reluctant to reveal their secret, but if they were truly her friends, then they might well think it worth the cost.
No she could not was her answer. Still they refused to talk to anyone but her. In the last year they had seen her so rarely, for she had been imprisoned here, and they were forbidden to enter the palace, but they had already discussed this matter with her. She was obliged to share this story, it was her story, this is what really happened, and her life depended upon it, but they had been very clear with her, they would not necessarily back her up.
Of course, she said, they sometimes make exceptions. They might speak to you, if you are discreet about it, and polite, they might. You must ask them for yourself.