Introduction

It was a quiet and calm night. The air bristled with the stock-standard lack of electricity that so often accompanied a night without thunderstorms. The world was peaceful. The world was content. The world was happy.

The husky sat in the warm lights of his work-kennel. He was very happy. But also sad. Well, not sad sad. More of a happy sad. You see, before the husky sat 8 cats, purring silently in their cardboard cattery. He loved those cats, he cherished them. But he loved another cat more. That cat was so close, but she was busy. Busy strengthening her cat brain to level up to Super Cat.

It's a strange thought, I know, a cat and a husky. But if you saw them together, you would understand; all your worries and misapprehensions would vanish, in an instant, as you see how happy they are; as you think, how lucky they are. Soon, the cat and the husky would be together again. But life is full of fleeting moments, and before you would know it (just as you were thinking how lucky they are) the cat would be spirited away. Off on an adventure, to be sure, but not necessarily the kind of adventure she would have wanted. There will be joys, and happiness in her travel, of course. But future adventures, with her husky by her side. Well, a dog can dream.

But dreams come only to those that sleep. And the husky, well, he didn't want to go to sleep just yet. See, it was the husky's birthday. And the cat, that amazing beautiful cat, well she somehow made an otherwise ordinary dog birthday into something truly special.

But for now, the husky only has 8 cats, out of 9.