The lion-sized mutant cat shot forward like a rocket and snatched the cat teaser. Its huge fluffy tail swept past Caroline's face, covering her nose in dust. But when she saw the big cat trotting back with the teaser held gently in its mouth, she knew Nelson must have worked all night. He had clearly won the cat over. "Caroline, I just made a scrap bowl," Nelson said. "But the ingredients weren't great, so the taste is only okay. If I had better stuff, I could make an even yummier scrap bowl. If I keep this up, Tartrate will grow into the most handsome and adorable big cat ever!" He lifted the lid of the pot and showed her the scrap bowl. Caroline jaw dropped—duck, chicken, fish ... Wasn't this all the meat she had left here for him to eat this week? "What about you? What did you eat these days?" she asked. Nelson blinked his big, honest eyes and held up a plate. On it sat a lone cupcake. "I ate this." Caroline gently patted his shoulder. Oh, kid, you're going to be malnourished at this rate. When Nelson brought up Tartrate again, Caroline finally paused. "Tartrate? What does that even mean?" Nelson straightened his glasses and explained seriously, "Tartrate is the product of one of the most beautiful chemistry experiments ever done. Back in 1848, a chemist named Louis Pasteur separated tartrate crystals into two optical forms. It was called ‘a simple, elegant, and important experiment.'" And Nelson launched into a full science lesson right at Caroline. Caroline didn't listen to the rest of Nelson's rambling. Instead, she glanced at the big gray cat holding a cat teaser in his mouth, staring at her with wide, innocent eyes. She suddenly felt a little sorry for him, such a cool and handsome cat. Nelson had actually given him a name that sounded fancy, awkward, and impossible to remember. Caroline shifted the topic. She asked Nelson about his research on mutant mosquitoes and mutant flies. To her surprise, Nelson turned around and dug through a pile of homemade cat toys. Then he pulled out two small clear bottles. "These two things deal with mutant flies and mutant mosquitoes. I finished them a long time ago. You didn't ask, so I didn't give them to you." Caroline stared at the mountain of colorful toys covering his desk. Her hand actually trembled as she took the bottles. These were critical items, and Nelson had buried them under squeaky toys and feather sticks. "I'm planning to use these to trade with the military," she said. "This time I want your opinion. Is there anything you want?"She had asked him this before. Nelson usually said he didn't need anything. So, she casually asked again. She didn't expect her hand to get grabbed the moment the words left her mouth. Nelson clutched her hand, eyes big and full of hope. "I want clothes that Tartrate can wear. And cat snacks. And a lot of fresh meat cats can eat." Caroline was speechless. She truly hadn't realized Nelson was this much of a cat lover. Nelson walked over to Tartrate, gently patted the big cat's head, then looked back at her. "Regular cats are way too fragile. But Tartrate—strong, elegant, and beautiful—he's exactly my type." Caroline sighed inwardly. Well, as long as he's happy. Caroline couldn't help thinking about Nelson's unique request. If she told the army what Nelson wanted, she wondered what kind of faces they would make. She set aside some cat food, treats, and meat for Nelson, letting him experiment however he liked. Then she took the two vials of liquid and headed to find Francis. But just as she pressed the elevator button, the doors slid open and Denton burst out at full speed! He looked panicked and nearly knocked her over. "What's the rush? Why are you panicking?" Caroline asked. "Caroline! We have a kitten now, right? A cool, mutated, adorable kitten?" Denton's eyes lit up instantly. All the words died on Caroline's tongue. Of course. Tyler must have told him. Tyler had visited Raven last night, while Denton stayed upstairs on the 66th floor to keep watch. "What's the little cutie's name? I brought it some snacks. Tyler said he would love these!" "Tartrate." "Huh? Tartar sauce?" "Go ask Nelson. He picked the name.""Got it, Caroline!" With that, Denton dashed off. Caroline continued into the elevator. She couldn't help but smile in delight. As long as they were happy, that was enough. Soon, it was the day of Nathaniel's funeral. And that same morning, Raven and Silver finally woke up.