Having said goodbye to Sheba, Clawed returned to the main road after first passing a group of noisy Herring Gulls who were squabbling over who should have the choicest pieces of the dustbin dainties they had pulled out from a litter receptacle. They swooped around Clawed's head, calling rude names and some were so audacious that several jets narrowly missed his neatly brushed fur.

"Macow, gangway, naval pussycat, gangway, I say!" shouted Clawed as he cautiously edged past their sharp beaks.

The main road quickly became the high street and sloped sharply down to the seafront. Most of the shops were closed for the night and only a few tourists were taking the evening air. Clawed stopped by his favourite shop and standing with his paws on the sill, examined the front window display.

"Mew, mew, anything new in here?" Clawed had once seen tiny kittens in the window but the display was given over to items donated by well-wishers and a specially designed range of cat products, such as dishes, bowls and biscuit containers, which had been decorated with some tasteful comical mice. Just behind was a small display of most attractively coloured books. Clawed turned his head from side to side to read the titles. "Macow, yes!" he cried, "the cat books Cousin Benson said I should look out for, all about his city friends, Louisa's Ginger Nuts. How exciting, I hope lots sell and then perhaps we shall see more kittens in the window."