‘Out!’ snapped Father Wolf. ‘Out and hunt with thy master. Thou hast done harm enough for one night.’‘I go,’ said Tabaqui quietly. ‘Ye can hear Shere Khan below in the thickets.

I might have saved myself the message.’Father Wolf listened, and below in the valley that ran down to a little river he heard the dry, angry, snarly, singsong whine of a tiger who has caught nothing and does not care if all the jungle knows it.