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drxx. Surely the tail would be in the wall. OK they can live in walls! I thought the peaceful coexistence just meant putting them all completely inside together.

38a Once royal king who went mad after switching sides (7)
I think this is (6) and I have ?TENAO? with T, N or O to be omitted but I may be wrong.

27a A Sumo not finishing off Japanese swimmer (4)
?AS?

Please help

I have the names but does the first appear in the second's work. I have read all but 2 - (9,2,9) and (7,5). Is he in one of these? I dont want to Google yet, but they cant be described as a short piece, from the titles anyway, so it may be a short story I haven't read.

Google the man and all should become clear...

38a has 3 blank cells so is only 4 letters ...the king is a Shakespearean one

27a anagram of a sum(o) {not finishing} and it's a fish

bananabean

a sum (O) anagram

famous king

Thanks, xwordfan. Grid complete...

xwf

sorry crossed post

Yes, I imagined it - as in life - inhabiting the wall, ionexch (but, failing that, the line/wall can be drawn with the letters on the inside and it will still satisfy the conditions set out in the preamble).

It's another one of those where we're having to guess what's in the setter's mind. My biggest problem with the other way is using two of the three blanks for just one creature, although I'm not keen on the cramping either (or the reversing, come to that) but your guess is as good as mine. I enjoyed the puzzle, so I'll be happy either way.

I have all three inhabitants fully within (i.e. not touching) the boundary of the property, giving me the same letters for the blanks as drxx at post 19.