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that he could not have been cold. Nonetheless, he was discontent. Now he missed the warmth of her body, the vibration of her breathingsomething. Grumbling deep in his throat, Math leapt from the bed and stalked toward the door. Here he let out one raucous howl and then another. In the next moment an irritated woman hurried to open the door. She cursed, but she did not kick; Math retaliated sharply with claws and teeth against those who were not properly respectful. |
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Yowling outside the hall door did not produce the same effect, but it was dawn and men were coming out to piss and, for those who did it, to wash. It was not long before the door opened and Math slipped inside. He picked his way with delicate care among those who were still sleeping, weaving a path, sniffing inquisitively at hands that hung over or rising on his hind legs to examine a shoulder, neck, or face. Eventually he found what he wantedSimon's long-fingered hand, the part of Simon he knew best. With a deep-throated rumble of satisfaction, Math leapt up and settled himself comfortably on Simon's broad chest. In a little while, his eyes half-closed, and he began to purr. |
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Convivial evenings are a pleasure that must be paid for with bleak mornings. In his half-sleep, the heavy weight that had settled on Simon's chest seemed connected with his general misery. It was not until after Math's roaring purr began that Simon realized what had happened. Math's purring rasped into Simon's aching head like a file across his brain He mumbled a protest and extended a hand to push Math off. Math dug his claws firmly into the blanket and clung. In several places the claws, long, strong, and sharp, pierced through the blanket into Simon's skin. All the while purring to show that he was disciplining a servant and not really angry, Math bit Simon's hand. The combined sharp pains overrode Simon's other miseries and brought him fully awake. |
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He did not dare lift his head for fear it would explode |
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