Mabel is a Bulldog, the steady weight other pups lean against without asking. Most evenings Mabel oils every wheel within walking distance, even ones that do not turn until the lanterns are out and the soup stalls close. On busy market days Mabel carries an old human photo of a smiling dog and human like a small flag, and stallkeepers nod as it passes. Mabel may not know the truth of the old world, but that never stops a good theory from becoming lunch talk.