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“You join your humans everywhere they go?” I asked.

“Sure. That’s what I’m here for: provide comfort and company to my precious humans. Sacred task of every dog. I took an oath the day I was adopted to that effect.”

I studied the tiny doggie.“Your humans are lucky to have you, Salvatore,” I said.

“You’re a very faithful companion,” said Dooley. “Max and I never go anywhere with Odelia. We hate walking around all day,” he explained when Salvatore raised a questioning eyebrow. “Our paws get worn out, and besides, we get really tired.”

“I like to walk,” Salvatore announced.

“I guess that’s the difference between cats and dogs,” I said. “Dogs love nothing better than to join their humans everywhere, whereas cats like to be left alone to do their thing.”

“And what is this thing that you do when you’re left alone?” asked Salvatore curiously.

“Sleep,” said Dooley.

“Sleep?” asked Salvatore.

“Yeah, doze, nap, snooze. It’s what we do best. Isn’t that right, Max?”

“Yeah. We’re experts at sleeping,” I admitted, a little sheepishly, for Salvatore was staring at us as if we’d both lost our minds.

“I’d be bored stiff if I slept all day,” he confessed. “Don’t you ever get bored?”

“Walking is boring,” said Dooley. “Sleeping is fun.”

Salvatore shook his head.“Cats,” he said, then seemed to remember we were right there, and quickly added, “are fascinating creatures.”

Which of course is just another way of saying cats are weird.

A piece of chicken filet dropped down between Salvatore’s paws now, and this time he gobbled it up without delay. And when both Dooley and I uttered soft mewling sounds, to let our humans know that we were still there, and getting peckish, pieces of chicken rolled down between our paws, too, and we munched them down with relish.

So cats and dogs may differ in many respects, but at least we have one thing in common: we like to eat—and we’re very particular about what we eat, too.

Breakfast over, the entire company went for a walk on the upper deck, which was more peaceful and less congested than the others, on account of the fact that it was a little windier up there.

Odelia and Laura had struck up a firm friendship, and were walking side by side, chatting animatedly, and Chase had found a friend in David, and was explaining some of the ins and outs of what it took to be a cop in a small town. Bertha was hugging Salvatore close, while being pushed by Adele, and Dooley and I hung back and enjoyed the breeze ruffling our fur. The sun was slowly hoisting itself into position, and it promised to be another scorcher of a day, which made me thankful once again that our cabin had a well-functioning air-conditioning unit.

We moved over to the railing and glanced out across the ocean, which was vast and blue with tiny ripples of white foam as the waves crested and rolled. In the distance we could see the next island where we were destined, and where our humans would disembark for another day filled with fun and shopping.

“You know? I could actually get used to this life, Max,” said Dooley.

“What life, Dooley?” I asked, as I squinted against the sun which was already aiming for its zenith.

“Well, relaxing, lazing about, enjoying this time spent with our friends and family. All that’s missing is Gran and Marge and Tex and Uncle Alec, and of course Harriet and Brutus. Maybe we could convince them to go cruising with us, and we could do this year round, like Bertha used to do.”

“To go cruising year round someone has to pay year round for all that cruising,” I pointed out.

“But maybe we could all become influencers, and people would actually pay us for our social media posts.”

“I doubt it, Dooley,” I said. “I doubt whether anyone would be interested enough to pay for that kind of thing. We’re suffering influencer inflation right now, you see. Where there were few, now there are many, and all of them want other people to pay so they can keep spending time in Dubai, or on cruise ships, or tropical destinations.”

“But we have something that none of them have.”

“And what’s that?”

“Us! You and me and Harriet and Brutus. Don’t you think people would pay good money to see Odelia talk to us and have fun with us?”

“I think people would probably put her in a hospital under observation if the truth got out,” I said. “Besides, how would that work, exactly?”

“Subtitles!” said Dooley triumphantly. “Odelia or Marge or Gran could shoot their videos with us, talking about this or that, you know, and they could add subtitles!”

“Oh, Dooley,” I said with a smile. I turned my back on him to take a look at a seagull that was scooping down to catch a fish. “Look, people might pay good money for that kind of thing, but it would make Odelia’s life very difficult. Besides, I don’t think she wants to live her life aboard a cruise ship. She likes her life just the way it is.” I turned, and when I discovered that Dooley wasn’t there, I frowned.

“Max!” suddenly my friend yelled. “Help!”