Enchantment (39 page)

O
n
the
inside,
Kerrigan
laughed.
The
silly
little
Hipodogwl
alwa
y
s
m
a
d
e
him
laugh.
He could
tell
Threeo
was
d
y
i
ng
to
s
peak.
The
creature
couldn’t
p
o
ssib
l
y
hold
his
tongue
for
m
ore than
half
a
m
in
u
te.

He did
feel
bad
for
leaving
Threeo
for
so
long,
though.
“
Co
m
e
on,
Threeo,
I
know
y
o
u
can’t stay
silent.
Eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng
is
rather
hectic
for
me
at
the
m
o
m
e
nt.”

With
another
huff,
Threeo
puffed
his
feathers
once
m
ore,
but
Kerrigan
noticed
the
s
m
all
tail wag.
“Oka
y
,
Threeo
will
forgive
y
o
u
.
”

Kerrigan
knew
he
couldn’t
spend
m
uch
time
there.
He
needed
to
return
to
his
parents’ ho
u
se.
“
Threeo,
do
y
ou
think
the
babies
will
be
okay
if
y
o
u
acc
o
m
pa
n
y
m
e
to
my
parents’
ho
u
se overnight
?
”

Three
squealed
with
excit
e
m
e
nt.
“
O
h,
y
e
s
,
the
babies
will
be
just
fine.
They
tell
m
e
I
fuss too
m
uch
over
the
m
,
an
y
w
a
y
.
Th
e
y
will
be
fine
in
the
hatche
r
y
overnight.
Threeo
loves
Pad
d
y and
Todd.
This night
is
getting better
alrea
d
y
.
Can
we
go
right
n
o
w
?
”

“I
j
u
st need
to
do
a few
things.
Then we can
go.” Kerrigan
raked
his
fingers
through
his
hair and
let out
a sigh.

“I’ll
be
right
back
I’m
j
u
st
going
to
tell the
babies.
D
on’t
leave
without
m
e,
ok
a
y
?
” “No,
I
w
on’t
leave
without
y
o
u
,
Threeo.
I’ll
m
e
e
t
y
ou right
back
here
in
a
few
m
in
u
tes.” Threeo
s
hook
his
tail and
vanished
in
s
wirling
tunnel
of
glitter.

Kerrigan
reached
into
his
pocket
and
re
m
oved
the
letter.

I
can’t
read
it
anymore
tonight.

He
placed
it
in
his
desk
drawer.
Each
w
ord
w
a
s
i
m
bed
d
ed
into
his
head,
a
n
y
w
a
y
.
He
didn’t think
he’d
ever
have
to
read
it
from
paper
again.

Pulling
up
a
chair,
he
held
out
his
hands,
prepared
to
do
a
quick
scan
of
his
world.
A
n
arch of
light
extended
between
his
pal
m
s,
and
he
sl
o
w
l
y
p
u
shed
it
toward
the
large
m
irror.
The
world appeared,
with
a
wave
of
his
hand.
The
garg
o
y
l
es
guarded
the
Counselors’
Realm.
Final
l
y
,
he did
a
quick
survey
of
To
m
bs.
Eve
r
y
t
h
i
ng
seemed
to
be
nor
m
al.

Peep,
peep,
pee
p
,
“
B
y
e
,
Kerrig.”
A
high
-
pitched
cheeping
filled
the
roo
m
.

Kerrigan
s
m
i
l
ed.
What
would
the
gu
y
s
on
the
training
field
think
if
th
e
y
knew
he
had
a ho
u
se
full
of
nee
d
y
little babies?

With
a
s
m
all
thu
m
p,
Threeo
appeared
on
the
desk
again.
“Threeo’s
rea
d
y
to
go.
The
babies say
good-b
y
e. Th
e
y
gr
o
w
so
fast.
Th
e
y
’
ll
be
gone
soon.”

“I
heard
the
m
,
Threeo.
I
should
have
gone
down
to
say
good-b
y
e
.
” “No
w
orries,
Kerrigan,
th
e
y
’
re all
busy
pla
y
i
n
g
in
the
water,
an
y
w
a
y
.
” “Threeo,
are
y
ou
sure
th
e
y
are
secured
properl
y
?
”

Threeo
ju
m
ped
up
and
d
o
wn
on
the
desk,
knocking
things
on
the
floor.
“Yes,
they
are secured.
Let’s go
n
o
w.”

Kerrigan
grabbed
Threeo
around
the
bel
l
y
and
tucked
h
i
m
under
his
ar
m
.

Chapter
F
ourteen

Kerrigan
put
Threeo
down,
knocked
loud
l
y
,
and
walked
into
his
parent’s
ho
m
e.
Threeo dashed
through
the
open
door.
He
rolled
his
e
y
es
at
the
critter’s
enthusiastic
entrance.
Closing the
door
behind
hi
m
, he
followed
m
o
r
e
sedate
l
y
, listening
to
Threeo’s
exploration.

Th
u
mp.
Thump.
T
hump.
His
stu
m
ping
footsteps
thundered
throughout
the
house.
“Pad
d
y
, Threeo’s
here,
w
here’s
my
treats
?
”
H
i
s
tail
s
wiped
the
s
m
a
l
l
corner
s
helves,
sending
the orna
m
ents and
pictures
crashing
to
the
floor.
Through
the
tu
r
m
oil of
the
d
a
y
,
he
couldn’t
help
but s
m
ile
at
Threeo
and
his
exuberance.

Threeo
had
spied
Paddy
standing
on
the
far
side
of
the
kitchen.
U
nable
to
stop,
the
critter sla
m
med right
into
her,
al
m
ost
knocking
her
off
her
furr
y
, padded
feet.

She
looked
down
at
Threeo.
“Oh,
y
o
u
’re such
a
litt
l
e brat.”
She
laughed
while
scratching the feathers
on
his
head
with
her
little claws.

Kerrigan
began
picking
up
the
ornaments
and
pictures.
“
Why
do
I
keep
hi
m
?
” Threeo
turned
and
gave
him
a
dir
t
y
look.
“You
love
m
e, and
y
ou know
it!” “Yeah,
keep
drea
m
ing,
stu
m
p
y
.
”

Todd
entered
the
kitchen
and
encountered
the
sa
m
e
welco
m
e
from
Threeo
as
Paddy
had received.
“
H
i,
Threeo.
It’s
good
to
s
ee
y
o
u.
H
ow
m
a
n
y
orna
m
ents did
y
o
u break
this ti
m
e
?
”

Kerrigan
finished
picking
up
the
last
picture
and
putting
it
back
on
the
s
helf.
“
I
think
we
got lucky
this
ti
m
e.
No
casualties.”

He
noted
the
look
of
concern
on
his
father’s
face.
Anxie
t
y
returned.
He
didn’t
think
he
was ready
to
talk
about
his
real
parents
y
e
t
.

“Are
y
ou
oka
y
,
s
on?
Your
m
ot
h
er
and
I
are
worried
about
y
o
u.
I
hope
y
o
u
know
we
never
m
eant
to
hurt
y
o
u.
We
would
have
s
hown
y
o
u
the
letter
a
long
ti
m
e
ago,
but
the
Counselors
w
ould
not
allow
it.”

“It’s
not
y
o
u
r
fault,
Dad.
Y
ou
and
M
om
have
alw
a
y
s
cared
for
m
e,
even
w
hen
eve
r
y
b
o
d
y else
s
hunned
m
e.
I
have
alwa
y
s
been
different,
but
y
o
u
and
Mom
didn’t
see
that.
J
u
st
because
I kn
o
w
who
my
biologic
a
l
parents
were,
doesn’t
m
e
an
th
e
y
’
re
going
to
replace
y
o
u. They
can’t.”

Paddy
fed
ho
m
e
m
a
de
treats
to
Threeo,
who
stood
up
on
the
island.
“
K
errigan,
y
o
ur
father and
I
love
y
ou
dearl
y
.
We
did
m
eet
y
o
u
r
biological
parents,
and
I
believe
th
e
y
loved
y
o
u
ve
r
y
m
uch.”

Kerrigan’s
anger
flared.
The
air
around
him
snapped
with
elect
r
ic
it
y
.
“Th
e
y
m
ade
their choice,
as
I
have
m
i
n
e.
I’ve
no
interest, even
if
th
e
y
were
to
appear
before
m
e.”

Padd
y
,
Todd
and
Threeo
stopped
what
they
were
doing.
The
fur
on
Pad
d
y
and
Todd’s bodies
stood
straight
up
from
the
electri
c
i
t
y
traveling
through
the
roo
m
.

Stop
it!

Kerrigan
took
a
deep
breath
and
forced
his
energy
back
into
the
ca
l
m
.
“
Dad,
can
we
talk about
the
problem
at
hand?
I
need
to
figure
out
a
w
a
y
to
get
Meeka
back
to
U
pper
World
without killing
her.”

Todd
nodded
his
agre
e
m
e
n
t.
“
Why
don’t
we
head
into
the
den
and
discuss
w
hat
we
kn
o
w for
s
ure
about
the
situation
?
”

Kerrigan
turned
to
his
m
o
m
and
picked
up
Threeo.
“
Threeo,
we
could
use
y
o
ur
point
of- view
on
the
su
b
j
ect,
since
y
ou
had
the
vision
y
o
u
keep
talking
about.
Especial
l
y
if
it
m
e
ans
the end
of
the
w
orld.”