Like a centipede on its back, the coarse hairs undulated rhythmically. It had grown unruly. Even his barber winced at the suggestion of tidying it.

Tweezers seemed inadequate, he thought, as he reached for a pair of pliers. The unibrow would be brought to heel. After a few failed attempts at dodging his pliers, he clamped down on a hair, feeling it writhe defiantly. It was only when he heard it shriek that he understood the horror of his situation. He reflexively plucked the hair, which gave way to a small gash that sent blood spurting down his aquiline nose.

His brow burned with agony. With one hand clinching the bathroom sink and the other raised in supplication, he pleaded for a truce.