[Bill and Skipper were Walling's pets]

Bill likes to squat in the back doorway when the door is ajar. In this position he holds the fort.

Skipper will spend hours on the paving outside working out which side of him has the most room and appears the least dangerous.

Last night strange and suspicious noises issued forth from the kitchen. I decided to investigate and found Bill having trouble with the top of the particular cake he had selected from the table - the kind of stuff that is a little rubbery, made with white of egg I think - he evidently mistook it for meringue which he adores, but this was different, very different, this stuck to his claws, meringue never does that. Before descending I had remained in bed listening for meringue noises and had debated "if it is shall I let him finish the cake, let him continue upon his career of lawlessness, or stop this new adventure in it's infancy?"

I was greeted with that bland expression he turns on so successfully when caught in the act "Bill you are naughty" I snapped. "Why did you leave them there then?" he said stretching his eyes even more...