to learn how； to please us 。。。 to please you；〃 she added reluctantly。
〃To please himself most of all；〃 Jack said。 〃I haven't been pushing him on
that at all。 In fact； I do wish he wouldn't go quite so hard。〃
〃Would you think I was foolish if I made an appointment for him to have a
physical？ There's a G。P。 in Sidewinder； a young man from what the checker in the
market said — 〃
〃You're a little nervous about the snow ing； aren't you？〃
She shrugged。 〃I suppose。 If you think it's foolish — 〃
〃I don't。 In fact； you can make appointments for all three of us。 We'll get
our clean bills of health and then we can sleep easy at night。〃
〃I'll make the appointments this afternoon；〃 she said。
〃Mom！ Look； Mommy！〃
He came running to her with a large gray thing in his hands； and for one
ic…horrible moment Wendy thought it was a brain。 She saw what it really was
and recoiled instinctively。
Jack put an arm around her。 〃It's all right。 The tenants who didn't fly away
have been shaken out。 I used the bug bomb。〃
She looked at the large wasps' nest her son was holding but would not touch
it。 〃Are you sure it's safe？〃
〃Positive。 I had one in my room when I was a kid。 My dad gave it to me。 Want
to put it in your room； Danny？〃
〃Yeah！ Right now！〃
He turned around and raced through the double doors。 They could hear his
muffled； running feet on the main stairs。
〃There were wasps up there；〃 she said。 〃Did you get stung？〃
〃Where's my purple heart？〃 he asked； and displayed his finger。 The swelling
had already begun to go down； but she ooohed over it satisfyingly and gave it a
small； gentle kiss。
〃Did you pull the stinger out？〃
〃Wasps don't leave them in。 That's bees。 They have barbed stingers。 Wasp
stingers are smooth。 That's what makes them so dangerous。 They can sting again
and again。〃
〃Jack； are you sure that's safe for him to have？〃
〃I followed the directions on the bomb。 The stuff is guaranteed to kill every
single bug in two hours' time and then dissipate with no residue。〃
〃I hate them；〃 she said。
〃What。。。 wasps？〃
〃Anything that stings；〃 she said。 Her hands went to her elbows and cupped
them； her arms crossed over her breasts。
〃I do too；〃 he said； and hugged her。
》
DANNY
Down the hall； in the bedroom； Wendy could hear the typewriter Jack had
carried up from downstairs burst into life for thirty seconds； fall silent for a
minute or two； and then rattle briefly again。 It was like listening to machine…
gun fire from an isolated pillbox。 The sound was music to her ears； Jack had not
been writing so steadily since the second year of their marriage； when he wrote
the story that Esquire had purchased。 He said he thought the play would be done
by the end of the year； for better or worse； and he would be moving on to
something new。 He said he didn't care if The Little School stirred any
excitement when Phyllis showed it around； didn't care if it sank without a
trace； and Wendy believed that； too。 The actual act of his writing made her
immensely hopeful； not because she expected great things from the play but
because her husband seemed to be slowly closing a huge door on a roomful of
monsters。 He had had his shoulder to that door for a long time now； but at last
it was swinging shut。
Every key typed closed it a little more。
〃Look； Dick； look。〃
Danny was hunched over the first of the five battered primers Jack had dug up
by culling mercilessly through Boulder's myriad secondhand bookshops。 They would
take Danny right up to the second…grade reading level； a program she had told
Jack she thought was much too ambitious。 Their son was intelligent； they knew
that； but it would be a mistake to push him too far too fast。 Jack had agreed。
There would be no pushing involved。 But if the kid caught on fast； they would be
prepared。 And now she wondered if Jack hadn't been right about that； too。
Danny； prepared by four years of 〃Sesame Street〃 and three years of 〃Electric
pany；〃 seemed to be catching on with almost scary speed。 It bothered her。 He
hunched over the innocuous little books； his crystal radio and balsa glider on
the shelf above him； as though his life depended on learning to read。 His small
face was more tense and paler than she liked in the close and cozy glow of the
goosenecked lamp they had put in his room。 He was taking it very seriously； both
the reading and the workbook pages his father made up for him every afternoon。
Picture of an apple and a peach。 The word apple written beneath in Jack's large；
neatly made printing。 Circle the right picture； the one that went with the word。
And their son would stare from the word to the pictures； his lips moving；
sounding out； actually sweating it out； And with his double…sized red pencil
curled into his pudgy right fist； he could now write about three dozen words on
his own。
His finger traced slowly under the words in the reader。 Above them was a
picture Wendy half…remembered from her own grammar school days； nineteen years
before。 A laughing boy with brown curly hair。 A girl in a short dress； her hair
in blond ringlets one hand holding a jump rope。 A prancing dog running after a
large red rubber ball。 The first…grade trinity。 Dick； Jane； and Jip。
〃See Jip run；〃 Danny read slowly。 〃Run； Jip； run。 Run； run； run。〃 He paused；
dropping his finger down a line。 〃See the 。。。〃 He bent closer； his nose almost
touching the page now。 〃See the 。。。〃
〃Not so close； doc；〃 Wendy said quietly。 〃You'll hurt your eyes。 It's…〃
〃Don't tell me！〃 he said； sitting up with a jerk。 His voice was alarmed。
〃Don't tell me； Mommy； I can get it！〃
〃All right； honey；〃 she said。 〃But it's not a big thing。 Really it's not。〃
Unheeding； Danny bent forward again。 On his face was an expression that might
be more monly seen hovering over a graduate record exam in a college gym
somewhere。 She liked it less and less。
〃See the 。。。 buh。 Aw。 El。 El。 See the buhaw…el…el？ See the buhawl。 Ball！〃
Suddenly triumphant。 Fierce。 The fierceness in his voice scared her。 〃See the
ball！〃
〃That's right；〃 she said。 〃Honey； I think that's enough for tonight。〃
〃A couple more pages； Mommy？ Please？〃
〃No； doc。〃 She closed the red…bound book firmly。 〃It's bedtime。〃
〃Please？〃
〃Don't tease me about it； Danny。 Mommy's tired。〃
〃Okay。〃 But he looked longingly at the primer。
〃Go kiss your father and then wash up。 Don't forget to brush。〃
〃Yeah。〃
He slouched out； a small boy in pajama bottoms with feet and a large flannel
top with a football on the front and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS written on the back。
Jack's typewriter stopped； and she heard Danny's hearty smack。 〃Night； Daddy。〃
〃Goodnight； doc。 How'd you do？〃
〃Okay； I guess。 Mommy made me stop。〃
〃Mommy was right。 It's past eight…thirty。 Going to the bathroom？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃Good。 There's potatoes growing out of your ears。 And onions and carrots and
chives and — 〃
Danny's giggle； fading； then cut off by the firm click of the bathroom door。
He was private about h