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"I need someone to look after Hector for a while."
The Professor explained. "Can you come over?"
Michael replied into the walkie-talkie. "Later,
maybe. We have a problem."
"I need you now."
"Sorry," Michael said, diplomatically. "Like
I said, we have a problem."
"What sort of problem?"
"We're busy," Lea hissed. "Get rid of
him."
"No," Michael whispered back. An idea was
forming. "Professor, do you know anything about
plumbing?"
The rest had fallen into place with remarkable facility.
They described the problem to the Professor and he assured
them that it was but the work of a moment to replace
the U-bend. They gave him Lea's address and he arrived,
toolbox in hand, thirty minutes before Lea's parents
were due home. He had done little to prove his competence,
but it was hard to see how he could do worse than they
already had.
They had not expected him to bring Hector, but in retrospect,
it was a decision to which they could not reasonably
object.
Hector appeared to have overcome the feelings of depression
that had shown themselves the previous day. Now he seemed
happy and animated. He wanted to touch everything in
the house, no matter how mundane. He was fascinated
by Lea's Macintosh computer and demanded a demonstration.
He pushed her out of the way, sat at the keyboard, and
started to do things that she really didn't approve
of.
Then he spotted her CD collection and took every disc
out of its jewel case. Then something else caught his
eye. "Wow! These are in mint condition. Are they
real?" he gasped.
She followed his gaze. It seemed to rest on the set
of Beanie Babies she had collected and never got around
to throwing out. They had sentimental value, she told
herself.
"Er, yes," she replied, uncertainly.
"Do you know what they're worth?" He picked
up a green and yellow frog as if it were made of platinum.
"Wow!"
"Would you like it?" Lea offered.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers and replied very quietly.
"What?"
"Would you like it? I can get another one."
"You can?"
"Yes. They have fairs at the church once a month.
I think there's one this Saturday."
"Could you get more than one?"
She noticed that he was trembling. "I guess. If
you want. Take that one for the time being. I'll see
if I can get a few more."
"Wow!"
Michael's face appeared around the door jamb. "We're
done. Good as new but it's half past five. We need to
get the Prof out of here before your folks get home."
"You're right," she agreed. "Let's get
moving."
They ushered their guests down the stairs. The Professor
carried his toolbox carefully, so as to avoid scratching
the wallpaper. Hector carried the toy frog. Lea suggested
that he could put it in his pocket but he refused to
let it out of his sight.
They reached the front door when they saw the headlights
of a car swing into the driveway. Lea peeked through
a window. "It's Barney and Betty," she hissed
at Michael. "They're early. What do we do now?"
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