And if you go chasing rabbits

[austin_dern]

As the younger, white cat spent some time shoving my legs and reaching up to push me, I thought it was fair to ask, ``What are you trying to do, shove me over?''

She answered, ``No; shove you down.''

``Well, that's all right,'' since I didn't have a strong desire to be anywhere particular, over or down, ``But why do you want to do that?''

She leapt up onto my shoulder and answered, ``Where else are you going to get down?''

I said, ``From a duck,'' before wondering whether the answer would provoke her to bit me on the ear. I probably would have said it even if I had considered it, which is probably why my ear is often battered. It still seemed the best answer to give.

``You would think that, but fortunately this is my conversation and we'll follow the words I mean.'' Meanwhile, the other, grey, cat, lay sprawled out in front of the fireplace.

``It's my conversation. I started it.''

She rolled over my shoulder and tumbled toward my arms, but dug her claws in my shirt rather than fall down that far. ``You started talking, but that's only talking to yourself until someone answers back. Until I got involved you didn't have a conversation, and so it's mine.''

``You can have a conversation with yourself.''

``And if I did have one with myself it would still be mine.''

``You can have it,'' I said, since I suspected wherever this conversation did end up I didn't want to be. ``But the question remains, why do you want me to be down?''

``You're not making any progress getting down by yourself.''

``I could if I wanted. Or if I tripped on something.'' The grey cat rolled over, exposing her back to the fireplace, and gave that a try for a couple of seconds before going back to her belly facing the fireplace.

The white cat leapt down, pushed against my legs again, and then rubbed her head on my sock-clad feet. ``That can happen, if someone had the right thing to trip on.''

I lifted my foot, and she swatted at the sock, and tried to bite it. ``There; you're down, and what's it got you?''

``I'm as down as I can get without going into the basement.''

I saw that one coming. ``We don't have a basement.''

``Exactly!'' she cried, which seemed to prove the point.

``So I can't very well go down in the basement. I'd have to use the neighbor's, and they don't have one either.''

``Worse,'' said the cat; ``They're on vacation. That pretty well wraps up any plan for going in the basement.''

``So you're left with no choice but to shove me over?''

She nodded. ``It's very good of you to be so agreeable.'' I didn't think I had agreed to anything, exactly, but that's the sort of day this is. I did feel like starting the fire, though, for the grey cat.

Trivia: North American's Donald Babbitt, James D Gleaves, Jerry W Hawkins, Steven B Clemmons, and L D Reese, and NASA's Henry H Rodgers Jr, were the pad crew during the Apollo 1 Fire. source: Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations, Charles D Benson, William Barnaby Faherty, NASA SP-4204.

Currently Reading: 1776, David McCullough.

Comments

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

I did feel like starting the fire, though, for the grey cat.

Those are best medium rare.

Cutely written, Austin. Good stuff.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Thank you. It's hardest going off on complete flights of fancy such as this.

The gray cat really likes laying in front of the fireplace. The only thing that makes it better is when there's a fire lit.

[dashingpooka.livejournal.com]

Couldn't think of a better answer.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Thank you ... I think.

I was surprised how tame the Rabbit Hole Day turned out overall.