There's a dog house. That seems so quaint. And distressing. But there's nothing inside it, so there's no worry. No sounds when they get inside, either. The quiet in comparison to New York is so strange...

"I was living a nice enough, quiet enough life until I wasn't. Riftwatch came to help, and I had something of an epiphany. That I couldn't just sit on my ass if I could do something bigger, something more than the day to day." He considers whether he wants to say it, next, or keep it to himself, but: "It was something of a sign from the Maker, I figured."

Strange doesn't have to take it literally, given it tends to be a common enough turn of phrase. But to Mobius, it's very literal.