ooped dos face. It ran off er it ermined to get its fruit t o yell and er a name to it. e t size, small and underfed?  tealing fruit from otumped for an answer.

    And someone ting s left t state, es—t aidy; hey had.

    For once  on t home.

    Passing by tap, iced it dripping again. Gave it a firm urn  even t it. tting  into it, anoter turn. t s.

    In t  account for.  get into tting se? And er if tap urned off so tig move it? C fooliso feel temperature. too late for frosts. Cool for time of year, though. And how much colder if you were hungry? And how much darker if you were a child?

    . Nevert of bed. ook ables, topiary garden, planning  an eye out for a floppy  in t bus to be seen.

    ‘’s tter  in silence at cable drinking a cup of coffee.

    ‘Nothing,“ he said.

    back to tood and scanned t bush anxious eyes.

    Nothing.

    At lunce ite and left turned flo by tap. telling  a biscuit next to it. urned tap on. It took quite an effort even for  ter fall, noisily, into a tin ering can, emptied it into t bed and refilled it. ter resounded around table garden. ook care not to look up and around.

    took tle  on to tap, and started bruss. It ant job; it o be done; you could spread disease if you didn’t clean your pots properly beting.

    Beap.

    turn instantly.  he was doing, brush, brush, brush.

    t, over to tap, faster than a fox.

    But te.

    tened, tried to flee but stumbled. Picking itself up, it limped on