HICCOUGH!
The loud hiccup rattles the shuttered windows and the blue-painted door. Other than the place being locked up tighter than my old professor's exams, this really doesn't look much like a hermit's place. Smoke curls from a chimney. Brightly colored fantasy flowers dot the walkway, looking like an impressionist painting. There aren't any "GO AWAY" signs. A teakettle whistles inside. The walkway is clean and smooth under my paws. And I can't taste or smell any foulness in the air. Except my fur stands on end, as if from electricity.
"Are you SURE this is the place?" Kaline asks, eyeing the cozy wooden cottage dubiously.
Vedette rubs her eyes in disbelief. "The wagging tongues in town make it sound like it's a hovel with nasty smells and junk everywhere. Just goes to show that you can't always believe gossip."
[My Mistress is wise.] Demos trots ahead of me, while Gussie rides on Vedette's shoulder. [She knows that gossip isn't always reliable.]
