"The one and only," he confirms. His expression is guileless, though he gives her a look up and down in return. "And this is Little Thunder. I forgot to ask whether you like ravens as well as cats - or to assure you that I do like apes."

He says it with a cheeky little smile, unable to resist poking the usual hole in people's assumption that he's the odd one here. "Sit, sit," he says with a gesture when he realizes she's waiting for something. "I haven't ordered yet; you'll have to tell me what you like."