Inference.

Sophie is much recovered from her run in with the fox and the thorn thicket. The vet shaved the fur around the wounds and removed pieces of wood that had worked their way into her flank. Betadine is applied twice a day. Sophie licks it off within thirty seconds .

'' She's three kilos overweight " says the vet before adding '' The additional weight's not good for her new knees ". 'The Font' patiently explains that Sophie's rations have been cut but she remains a voracious 'recycler'. ' Have you tried the spray that you put on her food ? ' he asks. 'The Font' sighs and runs through all the things we've tried including following Bob around the garden with a torch and black plastic bags first thing in the morning and last thing at night. '' Oh '' he says in amazement as the divas enthusiasm for scavenging becomes apparent.

The gardeners come to put bark down on the rose beds.

Bob monitors what they're doing closely. Sophie tries to eat the bark but is 'encouraged' indoors.

Bob brings a collection of stuffed toys over to the gardeners. The inference is clear. It takes ten minutes to put down the new bark and fifteen minutes to sate the male PONs desire for a game of throw the partially shredded tortoise.

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