The guys laughed, and the man straightened up and crossed his arms. ‘You owe it money, chief?’

They both laughed and Wilber scrabbled his way round the vehicle until he was behind the car. The cat jumped up onto the hood, sat down and looked at Wilber through the windshield and the length of the car.

Both men were amused and bewildered. The man walked forward and put a hand out to the cat. ‘Come on, puss. Stop givin’ the old guy a hard time. He ain’t got any fish. Just smells like he does.’

That cracked up the driver, and he hit the wheel in mirth. The cat slowly turned its head from looking at Wilber and regarded the man who was leaning to pet it.

‘Don’t touch me, you ugly cunt.’

The jaws of both men opened, and the hand of the man to whom the words had been spoken stayed frozen in mid-air.

Wilber was nodding like a madman, screaming, ‘Ya see! Ya see. I told ya!’ He looked wildly behind him, holding onto the back screen-wiper as though the car would go someplace without him. He had got it badly wrong. This was not the lane that went down to the river. That was on the next block. This was a cul de sac behind the staff quarters. It ended in three lock-ups. No way out. A dead end.

The man standing staring at the cat was trying to find his voice. Maybe he hadn’t heard that. He looked to his companion through the glass whose face told him he had. He gulped, looked back at the still watching animal and found his voice, albeit a tiny, hoarse voice. ‘What you say?’ He was nervous, flabbergasted, but excited, willing the cat to speak again and confirm the miracle.

It looked at him with cool amber eyes. ‘So you want to die with that human excrement do you?’

Its voice was deeper than should come from anything smaller than a bull and it wasn’t saying very nice things. The man with his hand out decided that if this was an illusion he wasn’t enjoying it much. Slowly he withdrew his hand and moved back. Wilber was whimpering, scratching at the back window and his face alternately. ‘It got us now! Lord. It got us for sure!’

‘Pump the horn, Kenny.’ The man touched his friend’s shoulder and said it quietly. Kenny did as he was told, and only three out of the four beings jumped. The cat looked back at them passively. Kenny broke the spell. This was ridiculous. He opened the door and got out of the car.

Through his tears Wilber whimpered a soft no from the back.

Kenny closed the door and threw his older companion a look. ‘What we got scarin’ us here? A talkin’ cat, huh?’