I hoped that she was all right, but even if she wasn’t, there was hardly anything that I could do about it; I was due in court in a few minutes. Arbitrator Bloch sent up a small parcel to our apartment and I opened it to find myself completely bemused. At first I thought it was tiny, pinstriped, charcoal-grey three-piece suit for an Action Man like the ones David used to have when he was a boy – until the rat corrected me, nudging past my arm for a better look. *3 minutes later I was allowed to open my eyes.‘What do you think?’ asked the rat, giving me a twirl.‘Mmm,’ I said. ‘You look like a very natty ratty.’The rat admired its reflection in the full-length mirror and straightened out the kink to its tie. ‘You don’t think it makes me look too-’‘Fat?’ I suggested.‘I was going to say ‘serious’,’ said the rat.‘Oh, I’m not sure you can ever look too serious,’ I said. ‘Especially in a court of law.’‘Inter-fucking-galactic law, get it right.’‘Inter-fucking-galactic law, yes of course,’ I said.
