Mr and Mrs , of four, , were to say that they were , you very much. They were the last you'd to be in or , they just didn't hold with such .
Mr was the of a firm , made . He was a big, man with any neck, he did have a very . Mrs was thin and and had the of neck, came in very as she so much of her time over , on the . The had a son and in was no boy .
The had they , but they also had a , and fear was that it. They didn't they bear it if out the . Mrs was Mrs 's , but they hadn't met for ; in fact, Mrs she didn't have a , her and her good-for- were as as it was to be. The to what the say if the in the . The knew that the had a son, too, but they had even seen him. This boy was good for the away; they didn't want with a like that.
When Mr and Mrs woke up on the dull, grey our , was the sky to that and soon be all over the . Mr as he out his most tie for work and Mrs away as she a into his high .
None of them a owl past the .
At half past , Mr up his , Mrs on the and to kiss but , was now a and his at the . ‘ tyke,' Mr as he left the . He got into his car and out of four's .
It was on the of the that he the sign of – a cat a map. For a , Mr didn't what he had seen – then he his head to look . was a cat on the of , but wasn't a map in . What he have been of? It must have been a of the . Mr and at the cat. It back. As Mr the and up the road, he the cat in his . It was now the sign that said – no, at the sign; cats 't read maps or . Mr gave a and put the cat out of his mind. As he town he of a of he was to get that day.
But on the edge of town, were out of his mind by else. As he sat in the jam, he 't help that to be a lot of . in . Mr 't bear who in – the get-ups you saw on ! He this was some new . He his on the and his eyes fell on a of by. They were . Mr was to see that a of them 't at all; why, that man had to be than he was, and an - ! The of him! But then it Mr that this was some – were for … yes, that be it. The on, and a few , Mr in the car park, his mind back on .
Mr sat with his back to the in his on the . If he hadn't, he have it to on that . He didn't see the owls past in , down in the did; they and open- as owl owl sped . Most of them had seen an owl even at -time. Mr , , had a , owl-free . He at five . He made and a bit more. He was in a very good mood -time, when he he'd his legs and walk the road to buy a bun from the 's .
He'd all the in he a of them next to the 's. He eyed them as he . He didn't know why, but they made him . This lot were , too, and he 't see a tin. It was on his way back past them, a in a bag, that he a few of what they were .
‘The , that's , that's what I –'
‘– yes, son, –'
Mr dead. Fear him. He back at the as if he to say to them, but of it.
He back the road, up to his , at his not to him, his and had his home when he his mind. He put the back down and his , … no, he was . wasn't such an name. He was sure were lots of who had a son . Come to of it, he wasn't even sure his was . He'd even seen the boy. It have been . Or . was no in Mrs , she got so at any of her . He didn't her – if he'd had a like that … but all the same, in …
He it a lot to on that , and when he left the at five o', he was so that he into just the door.
‘,' he , as the tiny old man and fell. It was a few Mr that the man was a . He didn't seem at all at to the . On the , his face into a wide and he said in a that made -by : ‘Don't be , my dear sir, for me ! , for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even like be , this , day!'
And the old man Mr the and off.
Mr to the spot. He had been by a . He also he had been a , that was. He was . He to his car and set off home, he was , he had , he didn't of .
As he into the of four, the he saw – and it didn't his mood – was the cat he'd that . It was now on his wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same its eyes.
‘Shoo!' said Mr .
The cat didn't move. It just gave him a look. Was this cat , Mr . to pull , he let into the . He was not to to his wife.
Mrs had had a nice, day. She told him over all Mrs Next Door's with her and how had a new word (‘Shan't!'). Mr to act . When had been put to bed, he went into the -room in time to the last on the news:
‘And , bird- have that the 's owls have been very . owls hunt at and are ever seen in , have been of of in . are to why the owls have .' The news a grin. ‘Most . And now, over to Jim with the . to be any more of owls , Jim?'
‘Well, Ted,' said the , ‘I don't know that, but it's not only the owls that have been . as far as Kent, and have been in to tell me that of the rain I , they've had a of ! have been – it's not next week, ! But I can a wet .'
Mr sat in his . all over ? Owls by ? in all over the ? And a , a the …
Mrs came into the -room two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say to her. He his . ‘Er – , dear – you 't from your , have you?'
As he had , Mrs and . all, they she didn't have a .
‘No,' she said . ‘Why?'
‘ on the news,' Mr . ‘Owls … … and were a lot of - in town …'
‘So?' Mrs .
‘Well, I just … … it was to do with … you know … her lot.'
Mrs her tea lips. Mr he tell her he'd the name ‘'. He he didn't dare. he said, as as he , ‘ son – he'd be 's age now, 't he?'
‘I so,' said Mrs .
‘What's his name ? , isn't it?'
‘. , name, if you ask me.'
‘Oh, yes,' said Mr , his . ‘Yes, I .'
He didn't say word on the as they went to bed. Mrs was in the , Mr to the and down into the . The cat was . It was down as it was for .
Was he ? all this have to do with the ? If it did … if it got out that they were to a pair of – well, he didn't he bear it.
The got into bed. Mrs fell but Mr lay , it all over in his mind. His last, he fell was that even if the were , was no for them to come near him and Mrs . The knew very well what he and them and kind … He 't see how he and get up in that be on. He and over. It 't them …
How very he was.
Mr have been into an , but the cat on the wall was no sign of . It was as as a , its eyes on the far of . It didn't so much as when a car door in the next , nor when two owls . In fact, it was the cat at all.
A man on the the cat had been , so and you'd have he'd just out of the . The cat's tail and its eyes .
like this man had ever been seen in . He was tall, thin and very old, by the of his hair and , were both long to tuck into his belt. He was long , a the and high-, . His blue eyes were , and half-moon and his nose was very long and , as it had been at . This man's name was .
