Cats in Space!

Dervish demonstrates the belly trap

Some people think of cats as stand-offish, aloof, self-sufficient. I feel sorry for these people, because that means they never got to know cats for the goofy, silly little things that they really are. Exhibit A: Dervish (left).

What you see is commonly referred to by cat owners as a belly trap. Some cats use such traps to lure in unsuspecting hands for them to claw and bite in rough play. But not Dervish. For him the belly trap is an honest invitation to rub and scratch his rather substantial stomach.

So why is it a trap? Because Dervish is a talented cat. He knows how to work his purr, his churring meow, and his sincere eyes to draw you in and keep you petting. If you aren’t careful, you’ll realize fifteen minutes or more have passed and you’ve done nothing more than sit there, petting the cat.

Benny Sugg wanted no part of [the port security officer]; he jumped down and sped away, belly low to the deck and fur disgruntled.

– Magician’s Choice, p.58

Now consider that I have three cats, all quite friendly, even aggressive in their search for attention. Mandinga will clamor for me to come pick him up. Pel will jump into my lap while I’m typing, settle in, then get irritated that my arms aren’t in the perfect position for him to shove his face in for serious deep sleep.

“…I’m almost ready to put all three applications in the galley next to Benny Sugg’s food dish and see which one he steps on first.”

“Nah, that’s how you hire a boatswain or a yeoman.”

– Magician’s Choice, p.67

Pel demonstrating the faceplant

You might think that this sort of behavior would be a detriment to my writing, but it isn’t. My cats get me up from my desk every half-hour or hour, which helps mitigate the risks inherent to writing (carpal tunnel, eye strain, and so forth).

Mandinga tires of waiting for me

But the advantages go beyond the physical. When writing Magician’s Choice, I knew that much of the novel would take place aboard the Horizon Cusp, a helioship (a type of spaceship restricted to our sun’s heliosphere) commanded by John Jacobs, a man who had sailed the seas when technology ruled and adapted after magic rose until now he’s the most experienced space captain alive. But Jacobs never abandoned some of the old ways. He uses old fashioned notebooks and pens, and he keeps a ship’s cat: an old white tomcat named Benny Sugg.

The name comes from an old naval term for Beneficial Suggestion. Benny has been with Jacobs for about a decade, longer than Jacobs has known a large portion of his crew. Benny is an element of humanity, of normalcy for Jacobs among the many strange events of the novel.

Jacobs watched the secretaries take notes until the door closed behind the group. He snapped his pen in half. Benny Sugg slipped into the room from one of his many hiding spots and jumped onto the desk to demand attention. The captain scowled, then sighed, then finally managed a half-smile. He scratched the white tom behind the ears.

– Magician’s Choice, p.155

I enjoyed writing Benny’s scenes. Almost too much, really. I had to keep myself from throwing in more, just to have an excuse to write them. But they also serve a narrative purpose as well. The way people interact with their pets says a great deal about them, and even a small interchange between Jacobs and Benny Sugg clarifies aspects of Jacobs’ character, and lets me have Jacobs express thoughts he would never speak aloud to another character.

But Benny expanded beyond that role. He became a reference point for other characters, even a threat Jacobs used when angry. Even so, Benny Sugg remains a tiny part of the novel. Of the eighty thousand odd words of Magician’s Choice, I doubt that even one-half of one percent deal with Benny Sugg. But novels rely on more than just their big moments, they must live and work in their little details. And Benny Sugg is one of those details.

“Chief, what the hell is happening down there? If it’s that courier again I’ll cut him into strips and feed him to my cat!”

– Magician’s Choice, p. 135

What do you think of pets in fiction? And if you’ve read Magician’s Choice, what did you think of Benny Sugg?