Me: Why the worried faces?
Nell: We are waiting for feedback.
Me: From Nigel?
Nell: Yes. He is being wired as we speak.
Me: What if he has to take his collar off?
Nell: He will refuse. He’s bad. Bad dogs don’t behave.
Me: Of course.
Nell: Sally’s not sure he’s going to be able to do it.
Me: Why?
Nell: He shared his ham sandwich with a tired looking beagle on the train to London.
Me: Oh dear.
Nell: A bad animal would have just wolfed it down.
Me: So would Nigel normally.
Nell: Yes, I think it was nerves.
Me: Probably.
Nell: Now, we have reason to believe that The Black Claw have someone out in the field scouting for potential nasties.
Me: There are plenty of those in our field after the cows have been grazing. I stepped in one recently.
Nell: I’m talking about recruiting bad animals, not stepping in cow pats. Good grief.
Me: Do we know who this someone is?
Nell: Not yet. We’re hoping Nigel will be able to find out.
Me: Animals join BAD because they want to change and be good, don’t they?
Nell: Yes. But you often get a few mouldy biscuits in the box.
Me: Don’t you mean rotten apples in the barrel?
Nell: No.
Me: What if Nigel turns bad?
Nell: He won’t. I’m sure.
Me: You are?
Nell: Yes. Nigel is a Labrador and we Labradors are naturally kind.
Me: True.
Nell: By the way, if you see a small woodlouse in the downstairs facilities, please leave it alone.
Me: A woodlouse?
Nell: Yes. It’s Henry. David’s friend. He wandered in from the garden and is having a rest.
Me: From the sun?
Nell: No, from David. He finds all the attention rather tiring.
Me: Yes. Sorry.
Reading through from the beginning, well played on the title of this one.