Abstract This is a written chapter among many unwritten chapters of an unwritten novel in which its protagonist is not only feline, but quite extraordinary. 'The Paws that Hit the Mouse' is the mini-tale of Timer, the Grandfather Cat who grasps the concept of computer technology whilst sitting on the lap of his human guardian. With his innate musical abilities and acute hearing, Timer quickly becomes a legendary Loop Master in the melodious world of Tyro... Chapter 13 Clinging to Lady Tyro's garments as she tried to place him gently on the floor, Timer reasserted himself and climbed into strangle mode. With both arms and paws wrapped tightly around her neck, he purred an enchanting purr that transported Lady Tyro through the door marked "Not Allowed, Sorry Timer!" Seconds later, Lady Tyro found herself sitting at the Tyro machine with her 16-year-old cat curled up in her lap in what seemed to be a deep one-eye open, snorey-sleep, but suspiciously, the one eye open wasn't rolling up into his old head as it usually did in such a state. She let it be. Timer was, afterall, getting on in years and the enchantments always left the Lady quite refreshed. She felt ready to take on the machine that she had been dreading to touch. It was time to make music, and Lady Tyro was inspired.

With a clickity click on the mouse, a tweekity tweek on the Nord nobs, and plenty of Emu button mashin', Lady Tyro was working up a storm of sounds. She had mini-Korg keys tootin' and Moog keys snortin' and Micromodular loops swirling all around the forbidden room. Timer found it too difficult to play possum with all that nonsense mastering his concentration, so he sat up and shook his head to clear it. Lady Tyro's eyes glanced down at him as her mouth curved into a grin and she pet him on the top of his head betweenst his ears. "Well now, look who's awake," she exclaimed - it's boogaboo!" Timer replied with a lazy "meow" and nugded his nose against her scrawny knuckles.

After a bit of chit chat, the Grandfather Cat and his guardian found themselves gazing at the sound waves that danced across the screen in front of them. Lady Tyro decided to continue with her racket making, and Timer kept watchful eyes on her movements. "The mouse," he thought to himself "could easily be manipurrrrrrlated with paws...and those synthesizers and the sampler...purrrrrrrty simple, though the Lady would disagree." Timer not only stored all of Lady Tyro's moves neatly into his little noggin files, but made mental post-its of how things could be done better. Pretty soon he learned everything the Lady knew about musical looping on the Tyro machine, and observing her never-ending attempts, Timer grew impatient, raised his paws, hit the mouse and took control...thus creating "Audiocard A: L^P Convergence" and "Audiocard B: Connected Sets".

Observing Lady Tyro's attempts at musical looping, Timer grows impatient, raises his paw, hits the mouse, and takes control...

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