Ailsa McKillop Edgar was in full flow on one of his favourite topics: how to be a well-dressed raven. Having dealt comprehensively with the umbrella and top hat, he moved on to neckwear.
"The whole ensemble is pulled together by a tie with a smart Windsor knot. My great-grandfather was famous for inventing his own unique knot, you know—not that I ever brag about it, of course. Now, here we have a stylish necktie with an attractive corvidian motif. What are you doing, Genghis? Stop playing with that rope; you're putting me off my stride."
"If only that were possible," murmured the Rattlesnake. "Actually, Eddie, I'm designing a little something of my own for you to wear round your neck. It has a striking—er—scaffold motif. You might find it a trifle, shall we say, constricting at first, but that feeling will very soon disappear."
