there were a lot of papers and in this business , that was n't a good thing . for a second , he stayed completely intact , and he opened his mouth , letting out a high-pitched howl that sounded like a coyote getting run over by a mack truck . the beast presses its snout against my back again , pushing me off balance and i step forward again . there was nothing for it , but to try to diffuse the situation . did this mean he was giving up drinking ? maybe we could be friends after all . 