.
.
elephant you brought .
.
.
need to go into the shop so my little monsters can get back to work." Obediently, I lifted Maia off the wolf.
"Let's go to work," I told him.
Sam took two steps with me, then lay down in the center of the office with a grunt.
He stretched out on his side and closed his eyes.
"Come on, S--" I bit my lip--what was the name Samuel kept on his collar? Right.
"Come, Snowball." He opened a single white eye and stared at me.
I swallowed.
Arguing with dominant wolves could have unpleasant results.
"I will watch the puppy," declared Maia.
"We can play cow- girls, and I will teach him to fetch.
We shall have a tea party." She wrinkled her nose.
"And then he won't get all dirty playing with the greasy cars.
He doesn't like being dirty." Sam closed his eye as she patted him on the nose.
He wasn't going to hurt her.
I took a deep breath.
"I think he likes the music," I told Sylvia.
She huffed.
"I think you want him out of your way." "Maia wants to babysit," I said.
"It'll keep her occupied." Sylvia looked at Sam thoughtfully.
She shook her head at me but didn't fuss when I left him lying there.
Zee had shut the door between the office and the shop--he's not fond of Latin music.
So when I went in, I closed it behind me, too.
4
THE FIRST THING I HEARD WHEN I EMERGED FROM THE bathroom with my working overalls on was Zee swearing in German.
It was modern German because I could understand about one word in four.