---

Unwilling to relinquish the catch, he grit his teeth though the pain and adjusted his paws. Then startled all over again at the voice. Hotep took his eyes off his prey, back feet sidestepping and rattling the shaken branches again in a clumsy shuffle. In a loud whisper, he apologized, Sitamun! I did not mean to wake you.

A surge of angry squeaking followed suit.

Fur bristling, Hotep looked back down, sungold eyes dim and grey in the gathered darkness. Black-pearl eyes stared back from ashen fur, beneath a pair of comically large pink ears. It had stopped trying to break free, but had a stillness about it that promised further wriggling at any moment.

Someone has been taking from my meals and leaving offerings behind in secret. I wondered who. Now he knew, and could not confess to being any less perplexed.