介绍： 猫咪爱好者们绝不能错过的一本半自传体小说，由故事的主人公James Bowen亲自执笔，讲述了一个在生活困境中苦苦挣扎的流浪歌手, 父母离异，他游走在城市的边缘地带，小偷小摸，甚至沾染上毒品，人生充斥着满满的苦涩和绝望。直到他遇见四处流浪伤痕累累的橘猫Bob，从那天起，James的生命中不知不觉得多了一份牵挂......

【Chapter 20：...

介绍： 猫咪爱好者们绝不能错过的一本半自传体小说，由故事的主人公James Bowen亲自执笔，讲述了一个在生活困境中苦苦挣扎的流浪歌手, 父母离异，他游走在城市的边缘地带，小偷小摸，甚至沾染上毒品，人生充斥着满满的苦涩和绝望。直到他遇见四处流浪伤痕累累的橘猫Bob，从那天起，James的生命中不知不觉得多了一份牵挂......

【Chapter 20：The Longest Night】

Rottweilers are powerful dogs and I have no doubt that if the fight had gone on a few seconds longer, I’d have come off second best. God only knows what sorts of wounds it would have inflicted. Fortunately I was suddenly aware of another voice shouting and I felt the power of the dog waning as it was pulled in another direction.

‘Come here, you fucker,’ the owner was shouting, pulling as hard as he could on the lead. He then walloped the dog across the head with something blunt. I don’t know what it was but the sound was sickening. In different circumstances I’d have been worried for the dog’s welfare, but my main priority was Bob. He must have been terrified by what had just happened. I turned to check on him but found the spot where he’d been sitting empty. I spun around 360 degrees to see if someone had perhaps picked him up to protect him but there was no sign of him. He’d disappeared.

Suddenly, I realised what I’d done. I had a pile of Big Issues a short distance away from our pitch, under a bench. Bob’s lead didn’t extend that far, so, in my anxiety to get away from the Rottweiler and his owner, I had unclipped the lead from my belt. It had only been for a second or two while I gathered everything together, but that had been long enough. That was my big mistake. The Rottweiler must have been watching it all, and Bob, and must have spotted this. That’s why he’d broken free and charged at us at that precise moment.

I was immediately thrown into a blind panic.

A few people had gathered around to ask me if I was OK.

‘I’m fine. Anyone seen Bob?’ I said, even though I wasn’t actually fine. I’d hurt myself when the Rottweiler had knocked me over and I had cuts to my hands where he’d bitten me. At that moment a regular customer of mine appeared, a middle-aged lady who often gave Bob treats. She had clearly seen the commotion and came over. ‘I just saw Bob, running off in the direction of Camden Passage,’ she said. ‘I tried to grab his lead but he was too quick.’

‘Thanks,’ I said, as I just grabbed my rucksack and ran, my chest pounding.

My mind immediately flashed back to the time he’d run off in Piccadilly Circus. For some reason though, this felt like a more serious situation. Back then he had basically been spooked by a man in a funny outfit. This time he’d been in real physical danger. If I hadn’t intervened the Rottweiler would almost certainly have attacked him. Who knows what impact the sight of the charging dog had had on him? Perhaps it was a reminder of something he’d seen in his past? I had no idea what he must be feeling, although I guessed he was as frightened and distressed as me.

I ran straight towards Camden Passage, dodging the early evening crowds milling around the pubs, bars and restaurants.

‘Bob, Bob,’ I kept calling, drawing looks from passers-by. ‘Anyone seen a ginger tom running this way with his lead trailing after him?’ I asked a group of people standing outside the main pub in the passage.

They all just shrugged their shoulders.

I had hoped that, just as he had done that time back in Piccadilly Circus, Bob would find refuge in a shop. But by now most of them were shuttered up for the evening. It was only the bars, restaurants and cafés that were open. As I made my way down the narrow lane and asked around, I was greeted by nothing but shakes of the head. If he’d gone beyond Camden Passage heading north, then he would have ended up on Essex Road, the main road leading to Dalston and beyond. He’d walked part of that route before but never at night or on his own.

I was beginning to despair when I met a woman towards the end of the Passage, a short distance before it opens out opposite Islington Green. She pointed down the road.

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