Chapter Four
They say that if you need to pick a
creature to trust, trust a squirrel. If Edna Squirrel’s actions that following
year were any indication the old saying was proved true over and over. She nursed
Harold Mole along until he was well enough to undertake the panhandling Mr. Owl
expected of him, and she started working at Hope Mink’s place. She even spent
as much time as she was able learning the language of Lusk, even though the
language had many sounds that were difficult for her. After a year she could
communicate pretty well. Through it all she never complained and spent her days
keeping as busy as possible, since when she had nothing to do was when she was
most likely to feel melancholy come over her, that was when she would start
reflecting on their plight, for it had become apparent to her that with what
they earned it would be a very long time before they would be able to return
home.
When Harold Mole started his panhandling
he did quite well, but then the locals had come to know him and all he earned
was from gullible tourists. At first Floyd Rat had escorted him to his spot in
the merchant district, but after a while he had learned how to find the train
line, and the way there on his own. Every day he would head out of the house
although, Edna Squirrel knew, he didn’t always go to his place in the merchant
district. Many were the days of late that he would stop at the bridge that separated
the poor section from the city proper. Here he would spend his day with the
creatures who hung out underneath it, fishing and drinking wine. Edna Squirrel
noticed too that even though his burns had healed fairly rapidly as time went
on rather than discontinuing the use of the drug he bought he used it more and
more. He claimed that the discomfort from his burns never seemed to go
away. Sometimes when he did go to his
spot in the merchant district, drowsy from the drug, he would just spend his
time sleeping on the street. Lately he barely earned enough to cover the cost
of his drug, which meant that Edna Squirrel had to pay for their rent plus all
their other expenses. And despite their meager existence their expenses were
many, the rent they paid Mr. Owl wasn’t cheap, and then there were the clothes
and perfumes that Edna needed for her work at Hope Mink’s place. All in all it
seemed to her that they might not ever earn enough to buy the papers that Owl
had spoken of, the identity papers that would at last give them their freedom.
Despite this she saved what she could, hiding the money in a box under the bed.
One morning after Edna Squirrel had
helped Harold Mole to dress, giving him something to eat, and seeing him out
the door it came to her that a year had passed since the events that had driven
them from Watersedge. She stood in wonder standing in the center of their tiny
apartment. How much their lives had changed, she thought, seeing in her minds
eye Harold Mole in Baron Fox’s garden, caring tenderly for the plants, creating
things of beauty. They hardly ever spoke of their past lives anymore. While
Edna Squirrel liked to think back with fondness of their days in Watersedge,
whenever she tried to talk to Harold Mole about those days he would just get
mired in self-pity. Too caught up in his anguish over what had happened to be
able to look ahead. In reality they hardly spoke at all anymore, Edna Squirrel
often wondered what Harold Mole and his friends beneath the bridge talked
about. Though from how incoherent he became while under the influence of the drug
he took she could guess that it wasn’t high conversation.
Edna Squirrel shook her head moved to
the window where she looked out through the alley below so she could see Harold
Mole passing on his way to the train. Across the street she could see an older
female Cat sending her kitten off to the decrepit school that served this part
of town. The Cat cast a glance across the street at Harold Mole shuffling along
and Edna Squirrel knew what the female was thinking. The addict who lived with
the prostitute, to the Cat that was all they were. How she would have liked to
yell out the window and tell the Cat about the lives they used to lead, who
they were, and how they came this place. Still she knew it was useless, all
that mattered was what you did with your life today, and today she and Harold
Mole were just a sign of what was wrong with the
neighborhood. At least the titles given to them here fit. What she remembered
of their lives in Watersedge had probably just been lie.
The truth of this day, of every day now, was something that seemed as if it had
just been waiting to be. After all everything that had happened occurred
because of their willful actions, and while they certainly didn’t want things
to turn out the way they did, it was still her ambition and greed that had
caused their former world to fall apart. The days in Watersedge were like a
dream now.
The thing that made her saddest was that
in this place, finally alone, as they had always wished to be they couldn’t
even make their love true, if they were able to do that their life here would
be so much easier for her. She thought especially of the sadness she felt on
that night when she had tried to take Mole’s love wanting him to be the first
to have her in that way before she started working at Hope Mink’s. Her desire
didn’t come to fruition then, and though it did the next morning, Edna Squirrel
taking Mole as soon as they awoke, she was soon to learn that her love wouldn’t
be the most important thing to her dear Mole. After they finished Mole didn’t
even take a few moments to lie with her before, complaining of the pain in his
eyes, he was up and taking more of the drug that he had gotten through Mr. Owl.
Shortly after that he was in such a stupor that he hardly knew where he was. At
first her pity over road everything and she felt guilt over what she thought
was her selfishness. As the weeks went on, however, it became clear that the
comfort of his drug was more important to Mole than the feeling of Edna’s
touch. To the point things were at now when the only time she felt the touch of
a male was at Hope Mink’s.
Edna Squirrel started dressing for work.
Since it was only her turn to help clean the house, and she didn’t have to
entertain males, she was able to dress casually. While most of the females who
worked at Hope Mink’s hated it when it was their turn to help with the
cleaning, Edna Squirrel loved it. How she wished that was all she had to do
there. For despite the fact that she went about her business with as much cheer
as she could manage, she knew that inside she had a black place in her heart,
and that was where she kept what she did for a living. She wondered if she
would ever know the pleasures of love making as they should be, for it was her
great sorrow that the creature of her dreams, the one for whom she would do
anything, even to this day, would take no interest in her. How many times at
work had she heard males speak of her great beauty and desirability? She was
probably the most sought after female at Hope Mink’s. How many of them spent
money that they could scarce afford to lay with her. None of them raised the
fires of her desire, yet they came night after night, sickening her heart, and
all the while she dreamt of Mole, her sweet Harold Mole. Mole’s disinterest
also caused a cloud of resentment in her, though she would hardly admit it. Why
couldn’t Mole give her that one thing that would make her happy? She needed so
little, yet that one small thing would make all the difference in the world to
her, would go so far to make their lives in this awful land bearable, if she
were only able to give herself up to a male with her heart willing, her will
given to him. Why couldn’t Harold Mole allow her that?
On her way out of the building she met
Gracie Dog in the hall outside of Gracie’s apartment, back inside there was the
usual shouting and clamor of pups. She and Gracie Dog had become good friends
over the past year, and Edna Squirrel didn’t know if she could’ve made it this
far without Gracie Dog’s shoulder to cry on sometimes. It always made her feel
good to see her. Still the thoughts of the morning were hanging on Edna
Squirrel like a cloud, and Gracie Dog saw that her friend was out of sorts
immediately.
“Edna, sweetheart, what is the matter?
It’s not that no-good Mole again is it?” Gracie asked. She was very protective
of her friend, and was sure that Harold Mole treated her badly most of the
time.
“No it’s nothing, Gracie.” Edna Squirrel
said looking down for a moment at the floor between them her voice trailing
off. Then she looked up trying to smile. “It’s just that I realized it’s been a
year since Mole and I left Watersedge.”
Gracie Dog could see the sadness in her
friend’s eyes, she reached over and hugged Edna squirrel tightly, then held her
at arms length. “You know what that means, Edna? It’s been one year for us to
be friends!” She said bravely.
“Oh, Gracie!”
Edna said, she couldn’t help snuffling a little,
trying to hold back her tears. “Gracie, what would I do without you?”
“One year to be friends, eh? Who
would’ve thought?” Then a crash came from inside Gracie Dog’s apartment
followed by the wailing of a pup. “Oh I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later!”
Gracie Dog said, giving Edna Squirrel’s paw a quick squeeze before darting into
her apartment.
Edna Squirrel smiled, and headed for the
door, feeling better.
She left the building and headed down
the streets to Hope Mink’s house. She thought about how comfortable this place
seemed to her now. When she had first arrived all she saw was the despair of
those who lived here. Now she knew that behind the tired old buildings and
dirt, in these rough streets creatures still lived their lives, as alien as
they might have seemed to her at first. There where even parts of the poor
section that the well to do made trips to on the weekends. The open air markets
not too far from Mr. Owl’s house were one of their favorite destinations. Here
Vendors from all over the outlying areas of Lusk came to sell their wares,
vegetables of all sorts from the distant farms, rugs, and colorful cloth. The strange
language of Lusk would make a din with the shouts of lively bargaining. There
were also the schoolhouses, gray and depressing places where children learned
mostly about life in rugged gangs, the use of drugs like those Mole used, and
how to skim a living from a society that didn’t need them. Perhaps the most
beautiful buildings in the poor sections of the city were the
Edna Squirrel reached Hope Mink’s house.
A soft late summer wind was blowing in off the distant countryside freshening the air with a promise of rare showers, and
stirring the drapes in the windows. She made her way up the steps and into the
house. A couple of the resident females were wandering around in their bathrobes,
relaxing with coffee and the morning paper. Every time she entered the house
during the day she was surprised at how ordinary life seemed there. Certainly
the jokes shared there were cruder than common fare, but the conversation was
no different than that of females gathered together anywhere. She said her
hellos and went to the cleaning closet and got out some rags and a bucket.
Taking those things out of the closet reminded her of the days at Baron Fox’s,
when she had gone about her cleaning duties in the vast estate. Here she only
had to clean once in awhile, Hope Mink kept a rotation for the females who
worked there. Thinking about the estate made her wonder what she would do now
if a creature powerful and rich like the Baron were to approach her now. These
days she mated several times a night with creatures that were total strangers
to her, hardly knowing a thing about them or their lives. Really that part of
the job made it easier, it was always difficult for her if she got a male who
liked to talk a lot. Hearing about their lives always saddened her, she didn’t want to hear about the deficiencies of the
females waiting for them at home, or the children that had no knowledge of what
their fathers did. When the males lied it was better, silly boastings and braggings, things better suited to younglings, harmless and
easy to ignore. Still she wondered what would she do if a wealthy creature were
to approach her now, would she accept his advance?
Would she be willing to do that knowing that it would provide more money than
she could ever make cleaning the homes of the wealthy, or caring for their offspring. Not that long ago she would never have been able
to conceive of such a life, now she felt different about herself, given the
right circumstances she knew that she might do anything if it was to preserve
the well being of those she loved. She knew that creatures like the Baron lived
in the city, on the other side of the river, but of course they never came to
Hope Mink’s house. The truly wealthy who bothered to pay for the company of
females had creatures that waited on them in private houses, some she realized
now were kept by one creature, in a place set up just for them, comfortable and
without worry.
Cleaning the house she was more relaxed than
ever, it allowed her the peace she had felt when she had done similar work in
her former life. The tasks she knew so well, learned from the time she was
little. She lost herself in them, humming a little tune and paying no mind to
the rising bustle of life around her, as females woke, bathed, and started up
the endless stream of chatter that provided a background to the functioning of
the house. In a few short hours the house would be officially open, and the
motorcars would start to arrive, occupied by creatures from the better part of
town making the excursion to this place where the most sacred ritual they could
engage in, was treated as a mere commodity. A few minutes of sweating and
growling and it was over, the moment only marked by the salty sickly scent of
mating, over, only to begin again. It seemed so empty and sad, not at all like
the union shared by creatures who had pledged their lives together. Or even,
for that matter, those who engaged in mating as a matter of passion, at least
still there was still intrigue, the play of emotion. Edna Squirrel had none of
that not even in her rare moments of togetherness shared with the drugged
uninterested Harold Mole. She knew she had never been able to experience the
true pleasures of mating. She hadn’t even experienced that solitary trill she
was able to give herself when she was with a male. Perhaps, she thought things
might be different if she and Mole where really husband and wife, so that their
union had at least a shred of normalcy, of sanctity, it might make all the
difference in the world. She decided to ask Floyd Rat if he knew of a creature
that might marry them. If Harold Mole knew that she loved him enough to be his
wife, that he was indeed the only male who held sway over her heart, then perhaps
he would have the strength to give up the drugs he used so much these days.
The cleaning finished Edna Squirrel
packed away the cleaning supplies and headed out the door walked up the street
to Mr. Owl’s. Normally she would sit for a bit with the other females and talk
before the house opened, sharing gossip and stories about the neighborhood, but
now she felt a certain urgency. Business that seemed
it should have been taken care of long ago was calling her, and she felt that
her errand was so right, no delay would hold her.
Harold Mole settled back on the rocky
bank of the river. Overhead commuter trains rumbled their way across the great
iron bridge and through the city. The otter who had given him a hand making his
way down to the shore patted him on the shoulder and went off to check his
fishing pole. Mole liked it there, he could hear the
lapping of the waves on the rocks, and feel the warm sunshine. The drug he took
this morning was starting to take hold now and the air seemed to vibrate around
him as his sense of space weakened. He knew he would probably fall asleep and
that would be o.k. The creatures who frequented this place expected nothing of
him, yet still they would protect him and watch over him in case he had a bad
spell or some roughs came down to harass the creatures there.
Lying beneath the bridge which spanned
the river that cut a line through the city Harold Mole was not entirely free of
worry. As he lay back feeling the rise of the drug through his bones and body
he couldn’t help thinking about his life. He couldn’t help clench his teeth
when he thought about Edna Squirrel and how he had let her down. He knew that
he didn’t earn enough money to help with their expenses,
he didn’t even earn enough to pay for the drugs he used. The fact that Edna,
the beautiful creature who loved him, had to sell her body to support his habit
wracked him with a guilt that was hardly bearable. He couldn’t understand why
she loved him. Even long ago when they lived on the estate what was there
inside of him that she could value, a sorry poor creature with no prospects,
clipping shrubs, and digging in the soil. One of his
companions on the riverbank was saying something to him, but Mole turned his
face under his sleeve and squeezed his sightless eyes shut. He knew they would
assume he was under the influence of the drug. He was consumed by the wreckage
of his life believing that his story could have no happy ending. How could it,
how could he possibly pull himself up from the disaster which he had become,
which deep down inside he felt he must have always been. Then as the drug took
more serious hold with a surge that curled his toes and shook his spine, he
realized that he only had a little of the substance left, with a moments panic
before he lost all coherent thought, he realized he would have to see Floyd Rat
soon.
Edna Squirrel knew that she would find
Floyd Rat at Mr. Owl’s place, he was always there
until later in the evening, talking to his friends and keeping an eye on
everything. When she got there he was sitting on a sofa in the entry room
reading some dog eared edition of a magazine featuring female creatures in
unlikely poses suggesting receptiveness.
“Hello, Floyd.” Edna Squirrel said
taking a chair in the entry room. She and Floyd Rat had made peace over the
months and Edna had come to realize that the Rat wasn’t necessarily a bad
creature, dangerous certainly for those who crossed Mr. Owl, but other wise he
was a product of his environment, a sad gesture of what it meant to be raised
poor and desperate.
“Hey, beautiful.
Looks like you’re not working today, huh? Hope will have to cut back on her
expenses for the month not having you around.” He threw the magazine aside and
leaned back in the sofa pulling a cigarette out from where it had been perched
behind his ear.
“No, I just had to clean today, otherwise I’ve had two days off. It’s been nice.”
“If you lose practice you know where to
go.”
Edna Squirrel smiled. “I think just my
practice would kill you Floyd.”
“Ha! You’ve gotten plenty cocky over
there. Too many pretty boys from the city I think”
Edna looked down and smoothed her skirt
with her paws. “Floyd, do you know of a creature who
can perform marriages?”
“Oh no! You
have found a pretty boy!”
“No. I want to marry Mole. It’s time don’t
you think?” She looked at Floyd smiling.
Floyd turned suddenly serious. He blew a
big cloud of smoke upward, then he leaned forward
resting his lanky arms on his knees and squinting over at Edna Squirrel.
“You’re crazy, lady.”
Sometimes
it was hard for Edna Squirrel to keep in mind how young Floyd Rat was, now was
one of those times, the way he looked at her then, his tiny eyes hard and deep,
it was the steady gaze of a creature much older.
“You don’t want to marry that Mole. You too good for that. Hell, you too good for any of this,
you don’t belong here. Him, he belong here.”
“What do you mean, Floyd?”
He shook his head. “You know how much
Mole owes Owl?”
She shook her head no, concern rising
within her.
“A lot. A real lot. You gonna have your tail
in the air a long time to pay for everything that has gone into that Mole’s
veins. Mr. Owl owns you, not because of those papers you want, but because of
that Mole. He owns you through him. But you know what?” Floyd Rat said smiling
and turning his paws upward. “Wont matter for long, because that Mole he wont
be around long.”
“Floyd!”
“I sorry, beautiful, it’s true. They
never are, not when they get it like him. I’ve seen it plenty.”
Edna felt
the blood draining from her. It was a good thing she was sitting down otherwise
she might have collapsed from the weakness in her knees. Tears welled in her
eyes. She couldn’t believe that what Floyd Rat was saying could be true. She
couldn’t believe her Mole was so foolish to let the drugs he was taking kill him.
The money was a small concern for her compared to his welfare, and while she
always held hope that they might save enough to get their papers and get free,
she still knew that the odds were against them; they were now,
and probably always had been.
She looked
back at Floyd her anger at his pessimism rising above the thought he might be
right. “It doesn’t matter, Floyd. I am his wife already, in my heart. I will
always be his wife, and marrying Mole is the right thing to do. It’s the only
thing to do. Don’t try to keep me from giving him the only thing I have left to
give.”
Floyd
looked down and shook his head slowly. “You’re never gonna
change, huh? How many times I got to tell you, you need to learn to listen to
this Rat? Oh sorry me. O.K. Let’s go talk to Mr. Owl.”
They found Mr. Owl in his study lieing back on a couch resting. He sat up when Edna
Squirrel and Floyd Rat came in. When Floyd Rat explained the situation to him
he laughed softly puffing out his feathers and looking at the Rat. “Well Floyd
what do you make of that?”
“I told her she making a big mistake.”
“Oh Floyd, I fear she has had too much
love and you’ve had too little. Still I think your mind is indeed made up. Yes,
Edna?”
“Yes.”
“Just let me know that you’re not going
to start getting any homebody ideas on me. Hope couldn’t do without you.”
“Oh, no, sir, it’s nothing like that.”
Edna shook her head seriously, she knew that even
though Mr. Owl’s tone was joking there was more behind his words than what one
might read on the surface. She had seen what happened when creatures in his
employ got out of line.
“O.k. well I think I remember the
service well enough I’ll do it for you, it would be my honor.”
“You can perform marriages?” Edna asked
incredulously. She had never imagined the overbearing Mr. Owl performing civil
services of any kind. At the same time it flashed through her that since she
wanted her marriage to be a special moment Mr. Owl wouldn’t be her first choice
of a creature to perform the ceremony. Still it probably fit, considering the
lives they led now.
“Edna, you
haven’t a name or country. I dispense your name, and I am the protector of your
borders; I said that I would be honored to marry you and your Mole. Kindness
deems that you don’t turn down my offer. I’ll even come over to your flat to do
it. How about seven tonight?”
“Oh, Sir, that would be wonderful but
you needn’t come over to our flat, it’s not ready really.” She hedged, worried
about having Mr. Owl in her and Harold Mole’s tiny room.
“No, I think it’ll do splendidly. Don’t
test my patience child, seven it will be.”
“Thank you, Sir. Thank you.”
Mr. Owl looked back at Floyd Rat. “What
a life, Rat. What a life!” Edna wasn’t sure how the great bird meant it.
Harold
Mole stood in their tiny apartment. He hated standing there while Edna Squirrel
talked to him, it made him feel like she was about to hit him, take advantage
of his blindness; even though she had never tried anything remotely like it. It
was just having her out there, her voice floating somewhere, on that side of
the room. Even more he hated himself for feeling that way.
She had seemed in such a rush ever since
he had gotten home. She was explaining how they were to marry. Why they were to
marry. She had dressed him in some sort of suit that felt too large for him,
where she had gotten it he had no idea. She told him how Mr. Owl, the Mr. Owl,
was coming over to do the deed. Her voice was sweet and pleading. Harold Mole
felt numb from the drugs he had taken, and he had trouble following the meaning
of her words. Despite the confusion of his anger he knew he would do this thing
for her, smile and say what he needed to say, whatever it was. Still to listen
to her speak, to understand her now, understand why
she was doing this was more than he could manage. He could hear the sound of
what she was saying, coming at him like waves on the water, echoing around him,
but their meaning was too slippery to grasp at the speed it came. He thought he
had to feel something, think something, reason through what she was saying, but
all he could hope for was to hold on, to maintain until his mind was clearer.
Then he could talk to her.
She had stopped speaking,
the flow of words had stopped. He tried to put together her last string of
words. She had been talking about the only true things in life. He was sure of
that, but then she had moved toward the door, distracted by something. He felt
relieved, no longer like she was about to strike him. He tried to figure it
out, but he couldn’t think, he couldn’t seem to put
together the few thoughts and feelings that were crashing inside of him.
“What in the world is going on?” Asked
Gracie Dog looking out of her flat while Floyd Rat, Mr. Owl, and a few of Hope
Mink’s females in their best, albeit gaudy, finery made their way into the
building, trailed by a few more rats, who took up station behind the group
warily eyeing their surroundings.
“A wedding, Gracie
Dog, a wedding!” Said Floyd Rat, he had obviously been celebrating a
little already and was a bit unsteady. Mr. Owl meanwhile was reserved but
obviously enjoying the strange appearance they made.
“A wedding!
Whose?”
“Why a certain foreign but lovable
Squirrel, you mean you weren’t invited?”
“I hadn’t heard, not her and Mole!”
“To be
sure, Gracie Dog, come on, the more the merrier!”
Gracie
rushed back into her flat, yelling at pups. She straightened her fur, and
followed the group as they surged up the rickety steps that lead to Edna
Squirrel and Harold Mole’s flat.
When they got to the top of the steps they
assembled in front of the door. Floyd Rat in the lead raised a paw and rapped
upon the chipped paint. Edna answered the door and her eyes widened at the
group assembled on the landing and spilling down the stairs. “Oh,
my!” She exclaimed. “Surprise!” Yelled the females from Hope
Mink’s. Someone thrust a bottle of spirits into her paws.
“Oh, Mole! Come
along. Everyone is here.” She turned back into the flat. Harold Mole came up
behind her, tenseness playing about the corners of his snout.
“Everyone?” He
asked, holding her sleeve as she led him back into the flat.
“Yes, isn’t it wonderful.”
She said. She was leaning close to him her breath warm on his neck, then she moved away. “Everyone come in, I am sorry for the
apartment. Thank you for coming.”
Mr. Owl eased his way into the room, he
had dressed in his best black suit and his bulk took up most of the space in
the tiny flat. Still the rest of the creatures managed to squeeze in, most surrounding Edna Squirrel, laughter and
congratulations filled the air. Gracie Dog coming late and last still somehow
managed to push her way through the group up to Edna Squirrel. When she got
there Edna Squirrel smiled happy to have her friend near.
“How long you been planning this?” She
asked Edna in an excited whisper, out in the hall her pups could be heard
shouting.
“We just decided today. Didn’t we Mole?”
She reached over and squeezed Harold Mole’s paw seeing him in her excitement
like the Mole she had known so long ago.
“Oh, yes. Yes. We should’ve done it long
ago.” He said his voice was quiet.
Gracie Dog
put her snout next to Edna Squirrel’s ear and whispered tersely through her
smile, “Just make sure that Mole treats you good! You’re a treasure, Edna, he doesn’t know how lucky he is.”
Edna Squirrel shook her head sighing,
“Thank you, Gracie. You are my dearest friend ever.”
“Everyone!
Quiet please!” Said Owl, bringing the noisy group to
stillness. Edna Squirrel took Harold Mole by the arm and brought him
close to her, in front of Mr. Owl, who looked down at them mirth in his eyes.
Mr. Owl addressed the assembled creatures. “I have not had many times the honor
of marrying so fine a couple. Now certainly they had to find the right place to
do this, so they made their way to our humble city. I couldn’t agree with their
choice of locale more. So, they have decided that now is the time to join their
lives in happiness, although perhaps not perfect fidelity.” Laughter erupted
from the assembled creatures and an honest blush blossomed on Edna Squirrel. “And
so by the powers invested in me I hereby name Edna Squirrel and Harold Mole man
and wife!”
Edna looked around stunned at the
rapidity with which Mr. Owl had concluded his speech. “That’s it? We’re
married?”
“Oh, yes, and Mole, you may kiss the
bride.” Mr. Owl said.
Edna
leaned over to him and helped Mole to find her lips. She gave him a long kiss,
and then held him close, whispering in his ear, “I am your wife, Mole, your
wife.” Then in response to the touch of many paws on her shoulders she turned
to the gathered females who took turns hugging her and wiping away tears.
Meanwhile Floyd Rat came up and slapped Mole on the back, laughing. When Harold
Mole realized who it was he immediately leaned up and whispered in his ear.
Floyd a look of consternation on his face shrugged, saying something short
back.
Harold Mole reached out for Edna
Squirrel’s arm. “ I’ll be right back.”
Edna Squirrel watched Harold Mole and
Floyd Rat sidle out of the room, her spirits crashing. Gracie Dog saw what was
happening and instantly reached out to Edna pulling her close.
“Don’t you worry, I remember when the pups father and I got married” Gracie started while Edna
leaned her nose into Gracie’s shoulder and stifled her tears. “Oh come on now,
you cant change him overnight. Things will get better
I know it.”
“Let’s open that bottle!” Shouted Owl,
to the cheers of the creatures gathered around him.