I bent down and picked up the squawling cat. Trying desperately not to get more injured than I already was.

Once I’d lifted the furious creature to shoulder height I felt Les’s touch on my shoulder.

“Good kitty,” the lunatic demon laughed.

“Ouch!” I felt a shock burn through my shoulder, travel up my arm and flow into the cat. It stopped the cat from fighting, at least.

It did something else too. The cat no longer felt like a cat. It felt different and squirmed in a different way.

Warily I dropped it onto the bed, ignoring the smooching couple swallowing each other’s tongues as they sat on the other side.

The cat slowly changed into a young, slightly plain and very shy woman. One who had a rather embarrassing hole in the back of her sweatpants. She sat up on the bed, trying to get the other’s attention.

“Does anyone know the way to Florence Street? It’s near Powell Street MUNI station.”

Jake glanced up, smiled at her. “I’ll take you there in a moment,” he said.