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“There appears to be a pigeon attempting to get in through the window. Shame its shut.” observed Alex, making a brief return to lucidity.

The pigeon hurled itself at the window again, determined to gain entry at all costs.

“That demented homing pigeon desperately wants to get in here doesn’t it?” asked Loz, observing the pigeons antics.

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to pull you up there my friend, for your own good. I don’t think it’s a homing pigeon.” said Alex.

“Oh really?” replied Loz.

“Yes, really. Do you ever recall actually owning a homing pigeon, seeing me or Harry with a homing pigeon or seeing any traces of pigeon life style accrutiments around the place? No? I didn’t think so. That makes it less a homing pigeon, more a sort of repelling pigeon. It’s been repelled from wherever it came from to here.” said Alex.

“All well and good but we should actually let the thing in and see what the message it’s carrying is, it may be important you pedant.” said Loz.

“Actually it’s pronounced ‘pedant'” said Alex, providing no discernably different pronounciation, “Anyway open the window, there’s a good chap.”

Loz, thinking to himself that he seemed to spend an inordinate part of his life opening and closing the sitting room window, duely obliged, only for the pigeon to enter and settle on the top of his head.

“I think it might be considering nesting.” joshed Alex, as Loz gingerly reached up and clasped the now compliant bird firmly with both hands.

The pigeon itself was a manky looking specimen. Although it appeared well fed, it also appeared to be more than a little motheaten and dishevelled. If it was possible for a pigeon to look like it had come from the wrong side of the tracks, this was the bird that had pioneered that look.

Loz held the bird out and Alex gently extracted the tiny tube from the birds leg. Once this had been removed, the pigeon grew fractious once more, leading Loz to release the creature. The pigeon promptly flew at terrific velocity out of the window, which by some fluke of luck Loz hadn’t shut.

“Feisty little bugger.” commented Alex before opening the message tube, “hope he doesn’t get eaten by a tiger or anything.”