Sleeping on the porch, Cornell felt himself being kicked. Instinctively he was wide awake and lunged.

“Fucking take it easy,” said Robert, Jr.

“You don’t want to be kicking a sleeping alligator,” said Cornell. It wasn’t a threat, it was just that he had certain instincts now that he didn’t feel he should have to answer for. He looked at Robert, Jr. carefully, and it was there, on the front porch, that he knew, he just knew, that he could kill and eat his older brother. That was the real moment of change.

“People are mad,” said Robert, Jr.

“People are always mad,” said Cornell. “What do I care?”

“They're saying things about dogs.”

Cornell smiled, knowing it appeared to the humans as a mere opening of his jaws a few inches. Nevertheless, it was a smile.

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“Well?” said Robert.

“What does this have to do with me?”

“Where could the dogs have gone, Cornell?”

“Make the accusation, if that’s what this is.”

“I don’t accuse anyone. I’m just relaying what people are saying.”

“What are they saying, exactly?”

“That you’re eating dogs in the neighborhood.”

Cornell stopped smiling and eased his mouth closed. True, he had developed something of an appetite for things that ran away from him, but he had been careful to never eat anything on this side of Sidney. That seemed prudent. And besides, he was mostly eating cats. They disappeared all the time, and nobody seemed to care. They tasted terrible, though, all tough and chewy. Even the lifeless hamburger was better. He had tried a dog on a whim when he returned from his last foray into the countryside, and holy fucking shit it was excellent. He had only eaten the one, and not, as the uppity humans were claiming, in this neighborhood.

“I don’t know anything about it,” Cornell said. “Can you get me some more beer? Cold ones this time?”

Cornell watched Robert look down and exhale slowly, then look at him again. “I’ll speak to dad,” he said in a tone that suggested he didn’t want to help. Just as he was leaving, he stopped and turned momentarily. “You’re a piece of shit, Cornell.”

Well lah di dah. Look who’s Mr. High and Mighty all of a sudden.