“OK,” I answered, “just stay behind the counter.”
She nodded and scampered into the kitchen area. I saw what she was doing and mimicked her posture. “I guess it was inevitable,” she began, still slightly laughing, “that the Summerfields and the Baxters would eventually get together. Then she continued, “We decided that even with the full moon, it wasn’t safe for you to be pulling so many kayaks across the lake in the dark. Suspended about eight feet in the air was a huge, square, wooden frame hanging from the ceiling by heavy chains. A few moments later, so was I. “What spare key?” I sputtered. After all the squares were gone, she unclipped the tongue electrode. “I had hoped that my son would one day be a Master to a Baxter slave, but…” After a pause, she said more or less flatly, “… “My clothes,” I answered “…and my keys. We must have a family reunion before the end of the summer,” Then her voice turned very firm as she said, “But for now, we need to get the kayaks tied behind the inflatable.”
“Yes, Mistress Gloria,” holly and I said in unison as we ran over to the boat shed.
