вЂњThatвЂ™s just it.вЂќ He followed her, rushing to keep up. вЂњKilling everybody makes no sense, Archy. Then, whipping her tail, she began walking away. вЂњYouвЂ™re not making any sense, you muddled little bug!вЂќ Mehitabel stretched and yawned.

Then together they came up with a doomsday creation that would end human life on the planet.вЂќ Everyone was always worried that вЂthe other sideвЂ™ was going to come up with the ultimate weapon. But an oversexed alley cat?вЂќ He shrugged. вЂњI can understand me surviving because cockroaches are built for eternity. вЂњEven thatвЂ™s strange,вЂќ Archy said thoughtfully. вЂњAnd thereвЂ™s just us?вЂќ Mehitabel asked, beginning to get it. вЂњAll this was bound to happen sooner or later.вЂќ вЂњ вЂIn GodвЂ™s nameвЂ™ was part of it,вЂќ Archy said, shaking his head. She felt true affection for Archy, despite his ugliness and his uppity ways.

Noticing the tears, Mehitabel withdrew her paw. They bombed us and we bombed them and they bombed us more and then they bombed each other and we bombed them both and they united to bomb us again and we bombed them. вЂњDonвЂ™t double-talk me, you nasty little cockroach! Someone always wins a war!вЂќ Mehitabel prepared to swat him again. Mehitabel reached over and gave him a swat that sent poor Archy flying off the garbage can lid and onto a pile of scorched soup cans. вЂњIf it was a war,вЂќ Mehitabel said, вЂњwho won and where are they?вЂќ вЂњNo one won,вЂќ Archy said sadly. At night he would sneak up to the empty newsroom and jump on computer keys to call up stories and learn of the worldвЂ™s unhappy situation. Archy, on the other hand, a true intellectual, lived in a newspaper cafeteria. Mehitabel knew her alley well, and a lot of tomcats who lived there, but not the outside world. вЂњA war?вЂќ she said, not quite understanding.

Archy and mehitabel