Chopper the Cat

Chopper the Cat was a bully, a menace. He broke in, tipped a vase and looked pleased. But it was a mistake to kill him.

The Hospital

A sunbird flitted from flower to flower, dreaming absent-mindedly. While it danced in the radiation, a beetle lay on its back under the bush and died slowly. A small boy ran through the backdoor into the garden. Leaving a swirling wake in the tropical steam, he picked up the dead beetle.

In a kitchen, he crushed it in a small mug and poured some hot water on the powder, making a sort of tea. He took the tea on a tray with the invocation up to the attic. Rafters cracked and ink wandered through the scrap of paper. The old woman slowly rolled her eyes along the ink. She understood the symbols at once. Moving her head slightly as she finished the conjuration, some more of her throat tore. More pale yellow fat leaked out. He lifted the tea to her lips and she tasted it, immediately feeling much better. Soon she would heal.