Suddenly, a huge parrot which was perched on a bamboo cage at one end of the room, uttered a harsh cry.
Quicker than it takes to tell it, I called Bulger to my side and set him teasing the bird.
He was not averse to enter upon the sport.
When it was well under way, I approached the bird from the rear, and as he bent forward to repel Bulger’s familiarity, I deftly laid hold of one of his longest tail-feathers and pulled it out. An ear-splitting yell went up, and the two ladies threw themselves towards their pet with a thousand tearful expressions of pity and endearment.
I now turned my attentions to Slim Lim.
Drawing a pair of tiny shears from my pocket, I caught at the end of his cue and snipped off an inch of it.
My audacity struck him dumb. He could only stare at me with wide opened mouth.
I set to work now in good earnest.
Drawing some silk threads from my sleeve, I fitted the hair into the quill with such nimble, cunning fingers that Slim Lim looked on quite awe-struck.
“The brush is ready, Lord of the Peacock Feather!” I cried, laying it down in front of him. “And the paper too!” I continued, drawing out a paper mat from under a curio and turning up the white underside.