Another week passed, and Christmas was fast approaching. Every day, the dog greeted him and trotted alongside him, and Jared had taken to chatting to him as they walked. On days when it wasn’t raining, or freezing cold, they sat on a bench near Green Park for a little while. The dog jumped up beside him and leaned against him, keeping him warm, and Jared told him about his day. It was good to have someone to talk to who he knew could never betray his secrets. In his line of work, a man had to take care, very great care. He was always utterly scrupulous about checking that there was absolutely no-one in earshot before unburdening himself to his companion. Working for the Alien Office meant he was unable to discuss his work with anyone since it largely involved the monitoring of people, if o
