Suzy Had Been Trying To Get Through

 

            
            She was being pretty aggressive for a chicken-cat. She was up on the mouse-hand side of the desk top imperiling cups of coffee and such. As a final gambit there was a bunch of head butting. Ever notice how they get their point across by the power of the butting?
            “What in the world is pulling your tail, Suzy,” said I. Two green eyes looked rather archly back at me.
            “What have you been doing all day?” Suzy asked.
            “I was working,” I reminded her, somewhat defensively.
            “It didn’t look like work. You stayed right in that chair, and I might add, ignored me for the most part,” said Suz. “Some people were actually outside cutting firewood!”
            “Suzy, we have no place to burn wood, don’t be silly!”
            “I still say you were fooling around!” she said next.
            “You’ve been around, Suzy. You know darn well that a lot of work is done in a chair and on a keyboard. That’s what I was doing. I don’t mess around playing games!” said I.
            “Prove it,” said Suzy. “What’s the big important thing you were working on to the neglect of your cats?”
            Willie started paying attention about then. He rolled over onto his paws and said, “that’s right! Say, what have you gotten done today anyhow?

            (You see how it is with these two house lions. Always with the opinions and neediness!)
            “You cats know darn well what I was doing.  This is pretended injury. Your little fuzzy needs are all always attended to. Sorry if I wasn’t very entertaining today.
            “I write stories you two, sometimes about you two!  How about that,” I was laughing.
            “That sounds sinister,” said Willie, looking concerned for his dignity I suppose.
            “There is an easy fix,” said Suzy. “Just show us what you have been doing, if you can!”
            “Oh, I can! I’ve been busy jumping through software hoops at KDP publishing, which is just really Amazon. I can’t display the whole word file, you silly things. But I can give you a preview of the book.
            “This is how it will look when it comes out,” I announced.

            “I guess that’s OK,” said Suzy. “It looks like Tintin should be around in those trees somewhere.” She lounged off, sniggering at her own cultural awareness.
            “That’s probably a good thing,” said Willie, rolling back over and placing his paws in their super-cute posture. “Maybe someday you’ll sell a pile of books like what’s her name and get us out of this whack-o climate!”
            “Sure, Willie. Why not? I’ve actually heard of crazier dreams.”
            “By the way, Willie my boy, where would you like to be if you could be anywhere?”
            Looking back at me, sighting over the landscape of his belly, he took a moment for thought.
            “Well, Boss, someplace like those photos of Arizona that you are always posting. A place where I could be outside at least half of the day. Somewhere safe and warm. No mean animals, no careless drivers. Mostly dry weather. I am tired of looking at rain and clouds.”
            “Ah, my dumpling, we all have our ideas of Heaven, don’t we?” I said to the little dreamer.
            “Do you think I’m being unrealistic?” asked Willie.
            “Not entirely, but you do ask quite a lot, for a house lion,” I told him. “Do you and Suzy discuss this privately?”
            “A little. She is jealous of Toots, who doesn’t have to look at rain and clouds every day.”
            “I guess they are bound to compare notes,” said I.
            “So, what about you? What do you want?” he said drowsily.
            “Oh, Cat Dude, the same things I always want,” I said.
            “That’s a little enigmatic,” he said. “Can you be more specific?”
            “None of your business, Wilfred! Go to sleep, silly lion!” I said rather fondly.
            And he did!  He went right back to sleep!

            Then I went out to wash some dishes and make coffee.

            "Honestly, Willie, is world peace and brotherhood too much to ask?"