On the shore of the lake stood a new settlement teeming with life: a shanty town of low dwellings that gave way to a beautifully appointed residential district of detached houses with south-facing gardens. Square took stock of the situation: he’d had enough of hovels and making do. Opening the gate of the largest mansion, he laboured purposefully up the drive and knocked on the door. No answer. Square walked right around the mansion peering in through the windows, which was difficult given his lowly stature.

Finally, he crawled in through an air vent and began to explore. He started in the double-glazed conservatory with patio doors. The place was awash with greenery sprouting madly in the tropical climate. On closer inspection, Square discovered the reason for this stupendous jungle: 100%. organic growth rapidifier.

Square stood on a bench to reach and gulped the whole bucketful. He made a mental note to avoid excessive drinking in future - he’d had more than enough water for nine millennia. Wiping his lips carefully on his dangling ears, Square settled down in a corner and waited. He didn’t wait long: before five minutes was up, his thick ankles had blossomed upwards into slender limbs of a delicate and pleasing appearance. Square pranced about on his dainty feet with the utmost pleasure. Gone were the paddle-steamer paws that ploughed through the oceans at forty-three knots an hour. In fact, although he was still technically square, it was an attractive squareness, instead of just square, squat and flat.

Hungry now, Square ventured into the kitchen of the house. There was no-one about so he helped himself to a joint of beef and half a pound of butter, eating some of it on the sofa, and some on the armchair, plus two or three mouthfuls of trifle which he spat out in the bedroom - it was such a joy to be able to move on land with ease. After tearing up three teabags and a plastic tablecloth, he was just getting into his stride when he heard someone coming. Square looked frantically for a hiding place but wasn’t quite quick enough.

“Hey, you!”  The man lunged at him, but Square dodged past, rushing out the door at top speed with a mouth full of contraband and fourteen onion rings slotted onto his tail. Out in the shrubbery, he hid amongst the jimjam bushes and held his breath. The onion rings were slipping badly, so he curled his tail around them to keep them from falling in the dirt. He listened so hard his ears stood up on end, making him frown in effort and concentration.

Square was patient and cunning. He stood in the jim-jam bushes for so long he took on their colouring. His body became as red and shiny as the leaves, his legs whitening to match the silvery colouring of the slender stems.

When at long last the man gave up and went away, Square had made up his mind. With his speed and intelligence he could live among these people on his own terms. It wouldn’t inconvenience him too much and anyway, he needed sofa cushions to wipe his face on after dinner, not to mention a warm soft bed to sleep in. Comfort was something he intended to get used to.

Square emerged from the shelter of the jim-jam bushes and walked back up the driveway. On the iron gate of the mansion was a brass plate. Square cast an interested glance at it as he passed by - it was as well to know the name of the man he would be living with.  Cut into the brass it said: “BASS, NJ.”. Square nodded his approval - he had come out of the sea after all.

next - In the Valley of the Kings