Thomas was delighted to see how articulate she was. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Saoirse. I'm Thomas, and I rather like them, too. Here, let me show you another one."

He rose and gestured for her to follow; the seal would be fine on the floor. He brought her over to the toys at were built more for children, made of smooth wood and painted bright colors. He took down a seal and set it on the floor, then gave Saoirse the rope. "Go on, pull it," he urged.

The seal bobbed its head as it rolled along and made a sound almost like the real thing.