His tail lies limp on the bare ground, like the banner of a defeated army.
His ears lop together and lie stiff and lifeless, like fallen flagstaffs from the conquered walls of a dismantled fortress.
There is no breath to moisten the lips that gave forth such pleasant music.
Around him stand the doctors.
The autopsy begins.
Dr. Bryan gently, almost lovingly, lifts the tail of the corpse and examines it carefully.
“It was Spinal Belmontitis,” he says. “That’s what killed him.”
Dr. Gumshoe Stone is down on the ground examining the ears.
“I think it was Parkeritis.”
“It might be a complication of both,” answered Dr. Bryan.