"Domingo?"

"Ummhh?"

Domingo was sitting on the floor, playing with the marmalade cat. He was dragging a sprig of pampas grass slowly along the ground, giving it an occasional provocative twitch. The cat was pointedly looking the other way, pretending to have no interest, but every line of his body was tense, and his ears and tail twitched every time Domingo wiggled the grass.

"Domingo, are you listening to me?"

Domingo looked up and the cat pounced, and ...