His voice faltered as the song continued. Barnaby was not a little self-conscious about his taste in music; for some reason, he was expected to listen to power metal or bombastic operatic strains, not mellow indie pop. Oh, well.

Oh, I'll settle down with some old story
About a boy who's just like me
Thought there was love in everything and everyone
You're so nai—

And that was when some flotsam or jetsam of dust caught in his throat, and Barnaby found himself doubled over, coughing half-fit to die.

"Sorry—" kaff, KAFF "—don't know what came over—" HACK "—frog in my throat, sorry. ...Ow."