the plate once again. Fuzzy was there on his
back, his legs crossed, his tail twitching.

"I don't see anything," Phipps said.

"You mean you can't see Fuzzy here?" I pointed to him, the end of my
finger an inch from his head. "Ouch!" I drew my hand away. "The little
devil bit me."

"You're fired, Mr. Weaver," Phipps said in a tired voice. "Fired as of
right now. I'll arrange for two weeks' severance pay. And my advice to
you is to stay off the bottle or see a psychiatrist--or both. Not that
it'll do you any good. You never amounted to anything and you never
will."

I would have taken a swipe at Fuzzy, but he had slunk out of sight.

* * * * *

During the two erratic years I had been on the newspaper, I had passed
the city park every morning on my way to work, feeling an envy for
those who had nothing better to do than sit on the benches and
contemplate the nature of the Universe. Now I took myself there and
sat as I had seen others do, hoping to feel a kinship with these
unfortunates.

But all I did was feel alone, frustrated and angry at Phipps. Maybe I
had been too convivial, maybe I had enjoyed night life too much, maybe
I hadn't given the paper my all. But I wasn't ready for the booby
hatch even if I had seen a fuzzy little thing that could talk.

I drew a copy of _Editor and Publisher_ from my pocket and was
scanning the "Help Wanted: Editorial" columns when out of the corner
of my eye I saw a blob of black moving along the walk.

Turning handsprings, balancing himself precariously on the end of his
vibrating tail, running and waving his forepaws to get my attention
was Fuzzy.

I groaned. "Please go away!" I covered my eyes so I wouldn't have to
look at him.

"Why?" he piped.

"Because you're a hallucination."

"I'm not a hallucination," he said indignantly. "I'm real flesh and
blood. See?" He vibrated his tail so fast, I could hardly see it. Then
it stopped and stood straight out. "Lovely, isn't it?"

"Look," I said, leaning far off the bench to speak to him, "I can
prove you're a hallucination."

"You _can_?" he quavered. "How?"

"Because Phipps couldn't see you."

"That square? Hah! He would not have believed it if he had seen me."

"You mean you--"

He disappeared and reappeared like a flashing neon sign. "There!" he
said triumphantly.

"Why didn't you let him see you then?" I asked, a little angry, but
pleased nonetheless with his opinion of Phipps.