Smarter than people

I hung up and started for the door again. Mouse followed close at my heels, but I turned and nudged him gently back with my leg. "Not this time, boy," I told him. "The bad guys have a lot of manpower, access to skilled magic, and I need a safe place to come home to. If you're here there's no way anyone is going to sneak in and leave me a present that goes boom."
Mouse huffed out a breath in a sigh, but sat down.
"Keep an eye on Mister, all right? If he starts getting sick, take the catnip away."
My dog gave the door to the lab a dubious glance.
"Oh, give me a break," I said. "You're seven times as big as he is."
Mouse looked none too confident.
Thomas blinked at me, and then at the dog. "Can he understand you?"
“When it suits him," I grumped. "He's smarter than a lot of people I know."
Thomas took a moment to absorb that, and then faced Mouse a little uncertainly. "Uh, okay, look. What I said about Harry earlier? I wasn't serious, okay? It was totally a joke."
Mouse flicked his ears and turned his nose away from Thomas with great nobility.


Small Favor Chapter 10, Page 79