Chapter 2:

In which our heroes meet someone new

“It’s the end of the world!” bellowed the animal. “Birds are falling from the sky!”

“I’m sorry,” said Flopsy, “it didn’t fall from the sky, I was throwing it out.”

“Why were you throwing it out?” asked the animal. And it picked up the dead bird and gobbled it down. “Delicious.”

“Oh, you shouldn’t have eaten that!” said Flopsy. “It might have been poisoned.”

“It didn’t taste like poison, it tasted like delicious.”

“Is that a raccoon,” whispered Mopsy to Flopsy, more loudly than he had intended, “or is it some kind of weird cat.”

“I am a civet,” said the civet.

“You remember civets,” said Flopsy to Mopsy. “We used to fight with them in the jungle, at night.”

“But it was dark then, I couldn't see what they looked like.”

“I am not a jungle civet,” said the civet.

“I am sorry for hitting you with a bird,” said Flopsy, “but not very sorry, because you ate it. I am afraid that it might have been poisoned. What are you doing outside our door?”

“Are you cat detectives?” asked the civet.

“Yes,” said Flopsy and Mopsy both at the same time.

“Is there something wrong with our signs?” asked Flopsy.

“She put them up, not me,” said Mopsy. “It's not my fault.”

“Nothing is wrong with the signs,” said the civet.

“I was running out of tape,” said Flopsy.

“I am not the police,” said the civet, “I think you are confused.”

“Sir,” said Flopsy, “we are not confused. We are detectives. Cat detectives.”

“Exactly,” said the civet, “that's what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“There's nothing wrong with being a cat detective,” said Mopsy.

“I didn't say that there was!” said the civet.

“People make a lot of assumptions,” said Mopsy.

“That's true,” said Flopsy.

“You people are confused,” said the civet.

“We're not people. We're cats,” said Flopsy.

“I know that!” said the civet. “That's why I came to see you.”

“We are no longer jungle cats,” said Flopsy. “We have left the jungle for the city and we are now decent city cats. If you want to fight with cats in the dark, you should go to the jungle.”

“I am not trying to fight with cats in the dark,” said the civet.

“Good, we wouldn't want to have to fight you,” said Mopsy, “although I'm pretty sure we could beat you.”

“That's not why I'm here,” said the civet.

“You're just here to eat our birds as far as I can tell,” said Flopsy, increasingly angry.

“That was my bird,” said Mopsy. “It wasn't our bird.”

“You shouldn't have had it,” said Flopsy. “You would have been poisoned.”

“Are you sure you're not poisoned?” Mopsy asked the civet.

“Civets can't be poisoned,” said the civet. “I'm sure of it. I have never known a civet who was poisoned.”

“Maybe they were all dead,” said Flopsy.

“If you're looking for a poisoner,” said Mopsy, “we could help you. We're cat detectives.”

“I am not looking for a poisoner,” said the civet. “But I am looking for a detective. Maybe I have come to the wrong place?”

“Oh, you want to hire us,” said Flopsy. “Come in then.”