"I don't doubt that you'll be nice. But you still won't do it. Because if you do I'll just avoid you until she's big enough for it not to matter."

It was a fairly empty threat, but then she was pretty sure Gabriel's threat was empty too. And she didn't really mind if the kitten liked him, as long as it didn't stop liking her best.

It was getting on for four or five now, to judge by the shadows and the colour of the light, and Re-l hadn't eaten since the morning.

"What do you want for dinner?" she said, more a formality than anything else. She was not a versatile cook.