Free White Fur Flying by Patricia MacLachlan Page B

“We just rented this house for a few months.”
    â€œWelcome,” said Mama. “We’ll have tea sometime.”
    Mrs. Croft backed up a bit.
    â€œAnd I have a daughter, Alice, who is probably about Phillip’s age. Are you about ten?”
    â€œHe’s nine,” said Mrs. Croft crisply.
    She grabbed Phillip’s arm and pulled him away.
    â€œWe have errands,” she said. “Nice to meet you,” she added.
    â€œNice to meet you, Phillip,” said Mama. “And you,” she quickly added to Mrs. Croft.
    Mama and I watched them go back up the steps to their front porch. Phillip turned to look at us. All of a sudden he held his hand up in a small wave.
    â€œWell, Kodi. I’m surprised you didn’t bite that woman,” said Mama.
    Kodi wagged his tail.
    â€œI feel sorry for Phillip,” I said.
    Mama sighed. “I do too.”
    â€œAlice is right. He is a prisoner,” I said. “Mrs. Croft is mean.”
    Mama seemed thoughtful.
    â€œI wonder . . . ,” she began.
    I looked up at her, waiting.
    â€œI think she’s scared,” said Mama.
    â€œScared of what?”
    Mama smiled slightly. “Dogs. She’s scared of dogs. And I think . . .” She stopped.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œI think maybe she’s scared of Phillip.”
    Mama and I stood at the fence for a moment.
    â€œYou cahn’t know!” a voice came from inside our house.
    â€œLet’s go,” said Mama, smiling. “Lena’s awake.”
    As we walked, I turned to look at the Crofts’ house and saw Phillip in the window, watching us.
    I smiled.
    He smiled too.

chapter 3
    â€œHe doesn’t speak?” asked Alice.
    â€œNo,” I said.
    â€œNo,” said Lena.
    â€œWhy?” asked Alice.
    I shrugged.
    â€œOkay,” said Alice. “I can talk.”
    I smiled.
    â€œYou sure can,” I said. “You and Lena.”
    â€œHe doesn’t have to talk,” said Alice.
    â€œThat’s what Mama said.”
    But why didn’t he talk? Was he afraid? Was he sad? He must have talked once, maybe when he was a baby. When he was little? Maybe he had talked last week.
    Why not now?
    Daddy finished his coffee.
    â€œI have to go. I have dogs and cats and one donkey to see,” he said. “You want me to take Lena to the clinic? She could be a bother here.”
    â€œLena. Bother,” said Lena.
    Mama smiled. “It’s okay. We can put the cover on her cage if she talks too much. That quiets her.”
    â€œFunny,” I said. “There’s a boy next door who doesn’t talk and a parrot inside who talks all the time.”
    â€œAnd a man who drives a black car and comes and goes slyly,” said Alice.
    â€œSlyly?” I asked.
    Alice nodded.
    â€œHe’s not a king,” she said. “He’s a spy. Spies don’t talk much. They just spy.”
    Daddy smiled.
    â€œCould be,” he said. “Though you seem more like a spy than Mr. Croft.”
    â€œI’m a writer,” said Alice.
    â€œKind of like a spy,” said Daddy.
    Alice smiled as if she knew that.
    The phone rang and Mama answered it.
    â€œHello. . . . Oh yes. . . . Uh-huh. . . . Uh-huh.”
    â€œUh-huh,” said Lena, making us laugh.
    â€œI have a leash for her, by the way,” said Mama. “See you in the morning, then.”
    She hung up the phone and leaned down to hug May. Mama’s face was very serious.
    â€œMay’s going to her new home tomorrow?” asked Daddy.
    Mama nodded and Daddy put his arm around her.
    â€œI’ll miss May,” he said.
    We’d all miss May. But what Daddy meant was that he knew Mama would miss her most. Mama had rescued May.
    â€œWell, May has a great home in the country,” said Mama with a small smile. “With a pond. With a family who will love her. And . . .”
    She stopped