Sebastian was convinced that the dog was about to attack Janet. He pawed at the window in an attempt to warn her. If only he had those sharp claws like the stray cats, she would have heard the scratching. The neighbor gave the dog a whack on her side, and she sat down and remained still. This animal was clearly the man’s property, and posed no threat. The use of force to subdue the dog surprised Sebastian, for the only time he could recall being disciplined was when he sat in the recliner. Janet had swatted him out of it so many times that he began to believe that the chair was somehow connected to the woman, and could summon her instantly.
It wasn’t until the neighbor was saying goodbye that the dog finally spotted Sebastian. She cocked her head, trying to figure out what this little creature was. The man yanked her collar one more time, and she left with him.
Her name was Sheba. A few sunrises later, the man and the dog performed an odd ritual in their yard. He tossed a fluorescent green ball, which the dog would chase down and return to him, over and over. Both of them seemed so pleased when the task was completed that Sebastian again wondered if the dog somehow ruled over the man. But then the man dangled a piece of food until she sat and waited for it.
Sebastian once dreamt of the dog invading his house and taking his family from him. He saw himself on the other side of the window, in the forbidding cold, while the dog stared at him from his spot in the living room.
Some time later, the Martinis invited another stranger to the house. A teenage girl named Tanya. The couple dressed up in new clothes — Janet in a long silvery dress, her sandy hair tied in a bun, and Daniel in a jacket and tie. They kissed the children goodbye and left the house together for the first time since Delia had arrived. Tanya sat on the couch watching television. She smelled weird, like candy, flowers, and mint. Every once in a while, she would go upstairs and check on the children. Sebastian kept his distance, spying on her from behind a chair or underneath a table.
Something had happened to the family. Tanya had split them up somehow. She was clever. She said hello the way all guests did, with a smile and a gentle hand. Sebastian ran away from her. She could not be trusted. A predator was in his house. Sebastian was on his own. He had to protect this place by himself.
Each time Tanya visited the children’s room, Sebastian stayed on her tail while still remaining far enough away, in case she pounced on him. In case she had claws. It went on several more times until he could barely stand it.
She went in once more, and he waited in the hall. He could hear the girl speaking softly, her palms sliding down the fabric of the sheets. The lights dimmed. Something was happening.
Furious, Sebastian charged, butting the door with his head. The sound of the collision was like an explosion. Tanya was the first to scream. Sebastian began screeching as he never had before. He pawed at the door. Inside the room, both children were crying. Tanya whispered in response, trying to soothe them. Sebastian would have none of it. She was trying to trick them, the same way she had tricked the Martinis. Don’t believe her, he tried to say. I am here to protect you.
Eventually, the Martinis’ car pulled into the driveway. Sebastian stopped yelling, relieved that he was able to summon them so quickly. While the children continued to cry, the babysitter stuck her head out the window and called to the Martinis for help. She was loud enough to get Sheba barking from next door. Janet arrived first. Sebastian let her walk by, proud that he had held off the intruder long enough for his masters to see. She tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. She banged on it for a few times before Tanya let her in. The girl’s face was slick with tears, her eyes red and raw. Janet hugged her, then went to the children’s cribs and rocked them to sleep. Defeated, the girl sat in a chair and wept.
Sebastian walked downstairs, where he found Daniel leaning against a wall. The man’s tie was undone, his skin yellow and wet. Sebastian noticed a new scent on him, a putrid version of Janet’s perfume. Daniel stared at himself in the great mirror, a line of drool hanging from his bottom lip. Sebastian went to him, hoping for some kind of explanation, but the man nudged him away with his foot. Sebastian stood there, stunned. Meanwhile, Janet walked the traumatized girl to the door. She and Daniel exchanged angry words. Years later, Mort(e) imagined her saying something to the effect of, “Your cat showed more concern for your children than you did.” And then she must have said something about his drinking. She ignored his angry reply. Tripping on the first step, Daniel managed to drag himself to his room, where he promptly fell asleep.
The house fell silent. Sebastian was alone to contemplate what had happened. It was he who was the enemy, the intruder. He was a prop for this house, not to mention its prisoner. They had mutilated him so that he could guard the house in name only. He pictured the days stretching endlessly before him. He realized that he would die alone in this place.
When the moment passed, he wandered over to the window. Tanya was gone, and Janet stood in the driveway speaking to the neighbor again. The dog was with him. This time, Sebastian did not have to wait for the dog to make eye contact. She stared at him, her tail wagging. Dogs seemed incapable of controlling their tails. Minutes later, the neighbor and the woman sat at the kitchen table sipping tea and laughing the way the Martinis used to years earlier. Sebastian did not have the energy to stand up to yet another stranger. Besides, he was content to stay by the window. Sheba remained in the driveway, her leash tied to the doorknob.
The glass separated them. Sebastian drew closer. Sheba pressed her paw to the window and licked the glass in a vain attempt to get to his face. Sebastian sniffed the trails of saliva but could smell nothing. This continued into the night, while the two humans shared stories and jokes. It was not long until all the evening’s events were forgotten, replaced with Sheba’s warm brown eyes and lapping tongue.
A NEW RITUAL began. Several nights a week, Daniel left for night classes at the local community college. Janet would put the children to bed. And then the neighbor would sneak across the yard, Sheba in tow, sometimes mere seconds after Daniel’s car pulled out of the driveway. Janet would greet them in the kitchen — first the dog with a pat on the head, and then the neighbor with a passionate, longing kiss. One time, they went at it for so long that Sheba barked at them. After exchanging small talk, they would retire to the master bedroom.
Sebastian observed from a perch on top of the cabinet. Up close, the neighbor was so different from Daniel. Whereas the master was short and stout, with a growing bald spot, this man was tall and lean. He had a darker complexion, and he wore his hair in long strands, almost like rope. The neighbor’s name was Tristan, and he was a literature professor at a nearby college. Sebastian did not understand why such a man would be the object of Janet’s affections when her husband was clearly the protector of the house.
Tristan tied Sheba’s leash to the leg of the kitchen table and headed off with Janet. Sheba moaned a bit, and the man returned to soothe her. The woman hooked her finger through Tristan’s belt loop and pulled him toward the stairs, trying to distract him from his whining pet. This dog couldn’t be left alone, Sebastian realized. She depended on her master too much. And Janet must have refused to meet at Tristan’s house. Leaving behind the children would have been even worse than having the dog around.
Sebastian heard movement on the second floor. Sheba stared at the ceiling. Sebastian was unsure of what to do next — the window had provided a safe barrier between them, and he was not ready to get close to this stranger without it, no matter how fascinating she may have been. He had to settle for watching from afar until Tristan returned and walked her out.