Niamh turns her head. “You were looking for me?”
“Yeah, but I can come back.”
She frowns at me. “Say what you need to say. Nigel doesn’t care.”
“That hellhound’s name is Nigel?”
She pets one of the heads. “You’re a good dog, aren’t you, Nigel?” Nigel jumps when he hears his name, and starts scrabbling off the exam table. Niamh tries to stop him.
I rush over to help. “Where’s his owner?”
“I asked her to step out,” Niamh says. “She was enabling him.”
I’ve got my arms around the dog’s belly. “Enabling?”
She holds her wand up again.“Nigel, stay! Please!”
The dog settles a little, but he’s still wriggling in my arms. I pat his—their?—flank. “Good boy, Nigel. That’s right.”
“He wouldn’t calm down at all with her in the room,” Niamh says.
“Can you sedate him?”
“I’d rather not for something so simple.” She holds one of the heads with both hands. “Hellhounds don’t respond predictably to meds.”
“Who keeps a hellhound as a pet?”
“You shouldseewhat people keep as pets,” she says. All of Nigel’s heads are nuzzling and nipping at her. “Nigel’s sweet. He’s just excitable. Hold him steady . . .”
I try.
Niamh moves quickly, taking each head in hand, flipping all six of Nigel’s ears to look inside. He doesn’t like it, but Niamh is deft, and she keeps him in hand.
“Ah, there it is,” she says, after a moment. She points her wand in an ear.“Just a tick!”The dog yelps, and Niamh strokes his face with both hands. “There you go. All gone now, Nigel. Nothing serious.” He whines, trying to lick her. His other heads are snuffling in her jacket.
“I really think he deserves three names,” I say.
“She’s absolutely right, isn’t she, Nigel?”
Niamh lifts her wand again.“Down, boy!”He hops down.“Heel!”He follows her to the door. She opens it. “Thanks, Agatha. That was perfect timing. Oh—” She looks up. “What were you going to ask me?”
I feel nervous again. “I was just, um . . . wondering if you were going to Watford again this week.”
“Yeah, I’m going this afternoon.”
“I could come along again.” I shrug. “If you’d like. If you could use a hand.”
Niamh looks surprised. “I could use two.”
“Great,” I say. “Just come and get me.”
Nigel bolts away from her, and Niamh runs after him. The door swings shut between us.
48
SIMON
“He’s anorphan?” Lady Ruth says. She was just about to take a bite of an egg and cress sandwich, but now she’s frowning. “He’s stealing your act, Simon.”
