I glanced down. He didn’t seem to be holding a book, or even a graphic novel.
“Reading what?”
“This,” he said, indicating the closest box. “You’re reading one of the moving boxes?” “It's not technically a moving box.”
“No, technically it's the box our air purifier came in,” I said. “And you’re reading the side that's written in French.” “Purificateur d’air HEPA ultra silencieux,”he said. “Yes.” “I didn’t know you read French,” I said. “I took it in high school,” he said. “Yes, but I didn’t realize it took.”
“I’m beginning to realize what I’ve been missing,” he said. “The romance of the Gallic language.”
“Have you met a French girl?” I asked. “Or just been watching too many Truffaut films?”
“I mean, some of the words are just the same as English,” he said. “Eliminer is ‘eliminate,’ for example. And ‘pollen’ is lepollen. Bo-ring! But just when you think it hasn’t got any mystique—listen to this: it also eliminates ‘laJumee, la poussiere, les spores de moisissures, et les squames de chats.’ Doesn’t that just sing to you? Squames de chats!”
“No, probably because I know what it says,” I said. “Smoke, dust, mold spores, and cat dander.”
“Cat dander? Squames de chats is cat dander? You see—it loses all the glamour when you translate something out of French. I’m so disillusioned.”
“Je suis desolee to have been the cause of your disillusionment,” I said. “If you’re going to brood about it, why not go outside and look useful while you’re doing so. Keep Mother happy.”
Rob sighed heavily and got to his feet.
“I thought you, at least, would be supportive of my self-improvement efforts,” he said.
“I don’t suppose you know where Dad is?” “Of course! I’ll show you.”
He set out at a brisk pace—unusual for the normally languid Rob. And he glanced back over his shoulder at the house once or twice. I deduced that Mother must have a grueling list of tasks for her minions to perform.
After a few minutes we arrived at the former cow pond, which now housed our duck population and the visiting penguins. If I hadn’t known the way, I could easily have found it by following the happy trillings and honkings of the penguins as they rediscovered the joys of a life aquatic. I hoped the weather stayed cool enough for them to stay outside—at least until we figured out how to rig up an air conditioner for their coop.
Dad had brought a lawn chair with him and was sitting just outside the fence, watching the penguins frolic. Rob threw himself down on the grass nearby. Eric and Spike were standing by the edge of the fence, so Spike could growl menacingly at the penguins at close quarters. The penguins mostly ignored him.
“So, you’re shirking Mother's furniture-rearrangement detail, too,” I said, plopping down beside them.
“I think your mother has plenty of help for that,” Dad said.
“I’m also shirking Dr. Blake's animal-care detail,” Rob said. “He said something about worming the hyenas this morning.”
“The hyenas?” Dad said. “Are you sure?”
“That's what he said.” Rob shrugged.
“I can’t imagine why he thinks that's needed,” Dad said. “You’re sure that's what he said?” “Maybe it was a joke,” I suggested.
“Sounded serious to me,” Rob said. “Maybe I’m mixed up about what he's doing, but it was something to do with the hyenas, at any rate. That's why I’m out here. I want nothing to do with the damned hyenas.”
“I haven’t seen any sign of worms,” Dad muttered.
“Maybe he's done tests,” I said. “Can’t you tell from their dung?”
“Fat chance getting any dung,” Rob said. “With that silly woman from the garden store cleaning up after the animals every five minutes.”
“I think he's overreacting,” Dad said. “The poor things are unsettled. They’re in a new, unfamiliar environment. They’re not getting as much exercise as they need in that temporary cage.”
“And they’re short of sleep, as anyone staying at our house last night could tell you,” I put in.
“I know those hyenas a great deal better than he does, and I don’t think there's anything wrong with them that a return to a suitable environment wouldn’t cure,” Dad said. “Blake should be out working on that, not underfoot upsetting the animals with unnecessary medical procedures.”