KNOCK, KNOCK. The Collector's sturdy thumps on the front door made his visit sound rather important, he thought.
"Who's there?" came a voice from inside. The Collector was tempted to make an old joke mortals enjoyed but simply knocked again. The door opened to reveal a petite woman with a large bun of gray hair.
"Ah, you again. Come in, come in. I suppose it's time we arranged ... payment for your services."
"Thank you, Mrs. Trent, but I assure you that your husband's new form is as beneficial to me as it seems to you. But I suppose I did mention that perhaps I would want something FROM YOU after the fact. My main concern is that in your great mansion, it is very hard to ensure that there were no ... witnesses, so to speak."
"Oh, don't worry about the cook. He will say nothing, and if he did, who will believe such a peasant? I made that very clear to him on his way out."
"Very well then," said the Collector, watching his pet lizard's duplicitous spouse fumbling through her purse with deep focus. "Mrs. Trent, look at me. I've already told you, your husband's humanity is payment enough. I've never asked for your money. It's no better than what anyone else from among your kind has to offer me. I simply desire from you what I'd want from any other new friend."
Mrs. Trent was quicker to catch on than Joe had been, and her face turned white. She realized what what he wanted from her. The same thing he'd wanted from HIM. "You mean, after all of this, after all we talked about ... I'm going to ... join him?"
"Oh, I doubt that Mr. Trent would like to join him under the circumstances, but there is someone else in my collection I think you could have a lot in common with..."
Mrs. Trent looked very concerned about what the Collector was going to do to her.