[MaC] Separations: The Group in Vangie's flat (revised)

[Tara Kunkel]

>>Seeing the newcomers to the flat, he smiled somewhat uncertainly. "Quite
>>the gathering we have here! Is everything all right -- I mean,
>>considering the circumstances?"

Braham gave a bit of a shrug. "Yes. Or so it would seem. Care for a spot of 
tea?" He had not quite gotten into the Brittish habit of tea drinking. It 
did not serve to calm his nerves. If anything it tended to make him more 
jumpy.  All the same, he did not wish to offend anyone. "I know I'd love a 
cup." He reached for a piece of cake as well. Might as well keep the 
hostess happy.

>>Esme was sitting huddled in a corner of the sofa, looking dazed.
>>
>>Sweetie cast a disparaging look around the room, stretched on the sofa, 
>>rent the material on the arm a little with his claws, then jumped down, 
>>sauntered over to Richard, bit him on the leg, and then headed for Vangie 
>>and purred as he rubbed around her legs.  Clearly he too was a fan of her 
>>cooking.
>
>She reached down, petted him and slipped him a treat.
>
>"I know I shouldn't," she said to the room in general, "but he does so 
>like cake. Don't you, Sweetie?" On the last three words her voice took on 
>the rich edge of impending baby-talk.

Braham only just managed to keep from choking on the cake he was nibbling 
on. "He seems a very intelligent cat. Almost human really." His behavior 
demonstrated far more thought than Braham would have thought possible in an 
animal. It was frightening to say the least. Of course it was also 
immensely interesting. He would love a chance to study Sweetie though he 
doubted it would ever happen. The endeavor seemed a bit too dangerous or so 
thought the man who traveled across an ocean to study people in a war 
ravaged country.

<tag the room>