I found Sir Socks in a good mood and a good place. So, I sat down in front of him.

Sir Socks (SS): Ali, what are you doing now?

Ali: Interviewing you.

SS: Why?

Ali: Because I think the readers of Sir Socks Le Chat magazine would like to learn more about you.

Sir Socks sighed. I raised my eyebrows as I waited patiently on him.

SS: Oh, right, go ahead and ask your questions.

Ali: Why did you start this magazine?

SS: I saw a need that wasn’t being addressed fully. There are charities which get ignored for one reason or another. I knew you had done a book with Frisky Le Rouge to help raise money for Dingo Venezia. I knew from your experience in publishing that you could set up a magazine like this and help keep it going. I wanted to help ensure cat and other animal charities were getting a voice and be able to connect with those who could help them.

Ali: How do you feel about writing articles?

SS: I don’t mind the work. I do like to assert myself and express my opinions.

Ali: You’re good at it.

SS: Thank you.

Ali: Am I still too silly for you?

SS: You are much sillier than I could ever be. However, I have noticed you’ve become a bit of a curmudgeon lately. What happened to you?

Ali: It’s the influence of my dad and you.

SS: Really?

Ali: Yes. It was your examples and some hard times I’ve had to deal with. (pause) How do you feel about downgrading the magazine’s site to a free one?

SS: I wasn’t happy we couldn’t get enough donations right away. I know we have tried to be as clear and as front as we need to be. Yet, there aren’t enough humans who trust us to help out with our mission. I hope we can at least pay writers for the work they share with us. Too many like yourself are underpaid.

Ali: At least we have the free site. I don’t know what I would do if we didn’t have this one. Or even the Cat Tale books to help featured charities.

SS: I am also glad we have the Cat Tales books. And you do so much to keep the whole thing together and running smoothly. I think the current setup is the best way to do things. It gives people time to learn about us and see if they want to support us and our mission. I suppose we will have to change our mission.

Ali: In what way? We already had to drop the featured monthly charity because we couldn’t find one to go along with us.

SS: At this point I wouldn’t even think about bringing the back. If they don’t trust us, there’s nothing more any of us can do now for them. I thought we were transparent enough. What more to people want of us?

Ali: Too many expect me to work for free or work a job I’m terrible at and can’t keep no matter what I do.

SS: Then how are you supposed to afford to live?

Ali: I don’t know. I think people who believe I don’t deserve to be paid decently for any work I do want me to die so they can take what little material wealth I own as their own.

SS: I don’t like them. I think they have misjudged you. I know what a good person you are. Besides, I think you are much happier to work at home and be around us cats more often than not.

Ali: Cats are a big support. I know I have to serve you cats on a regular basis. So, I don’t know why I can’t just serve at least one in my daily life as well as serve many more on a much larger scale.

Sir Socks yawned.

SS: Is that all your questions?

Ali: For now.

Sir Socks stared at me studying my face as he tends to do. We sat in silence observing each other.