I knew it, and didn’t I say I knew it beforenows…and didn’t I say, beforenows, I told yuz so?

Mister Park is sitting before his shiny stainless-steel drinking bowl – ‘cept it ain’t so shiny no more. Puke-coloured scratch furs are everywhere. He eyeballs the hard evidence, eyeballs Profit&Loss and eyeballs Sherbet, wot sitting on the stairs, head deliberately turned away.

The bowl is whipped away, washed in the sink, and replaced brimming with cold clean water. Mister Park immediately slurps fast before any other nasty surprises.

“notsofast,Jindywindy” Loss scolds him “you’llmakeamess”

Me?slurp slurp slurpMess?

Sherbet swivels its head and observes him between the bannisters. Waiting.

Stare, why don’t yu he barks yu guilty party, yu!

“MISTERPARK!” a cuff across the earflaps “don’tupsetSherbet,she’sdelicate!”

For pity’s sakes, this is outrageous

“that’senoughfromyou,confinedtoquarters”

Mister Park is dragged off the tatami…