Стража! Стража!

           "Oook,"hesaid.

           Carrotstared.Ithadbeenexplainedtohimcarefullythat,contrarytoappearances,lawsgoverningtheanimalkingdomdidnotapplytotheLibrarian.Ontheotherhand,theLibrarianhimselfwasneververyinterestedinobeyingthelawsgoverningthehumankingdom,either.Hewasoneofthoselittleanomaliesyouhavetobuildaround.

           "Hallo,"saidCarrotuncertainly.("Don’tcallhim’boy’orpathim,thatalwaysgetshimannoyed.")

           "Oook."

           TheLibrarianproddedthedeskwithalong,many-jointedfinger.

           "What?"

           "Oook."

           "Sorry?"

           TheLibrarianrolledhiseyes.Itwasstrange,hefelt,thatso-calledintelligentdogs,horsesanddolphinsneverhadanydifficultyindicatingtohumansthevitalnewsofthemoment,e.g.,thatthethreechildrenwerelostinthecave,orthetrainwasabouttotakethelineleadingtothebridgethathadbeenwashedawayorsimilar,whilehe,onlyahandfulofchromosomesawayfromwearingavest,founditdifficulttopersuadetheaveragehumantocomeinoutoftherain.Youjustcouldn’ttalktosomepeople.

           "Oook!"hesaid,andbeckoned.

           "Ican’tleavetheoffice,"saidCarrot."I’vehadOrders."

           TheLibrarian’supperliprolledbacklikeablind.

           "Isthatasmile?"saidCarrot.TheLibrarianshookhishead.

           "Someonehasn’tcommittedacrime,havethey?"saidCarrot.

           "Oook."

           "Abadcrime?"

           "Oook!"

           "Likemurder?"

           "Eeek."

           "Worsethanmurder?"

           "Eeek!"TheLibrarianknuckledovertothedoorandbouncedupanddownurgently.