Book excerpt: Long before humans walked the earth, there were two tribes of cats: the Sa Mau of the Nile Delta, and the Abyssinia Tygrine from ancient Nubia. Armed with mysterious powers, the ruthless Sa sought to crush the Tygrine and condemn all cats to darkness. Even those who believe the legend claim the tribes became extinct 9,000 years ago with the domestication of cats. They are mistaken... Mati lives among the street cats at Cressida Lock. But Mati is different – he is a Tygrine, the last of his kind.