“Then you’ll do it?”
“Just a minute, please! This isn’t any good either. Lummie would be miserable with loneliness. He’d never get used to it. It would just be swapping death for life imprisonment. I’m not sure but what he’d rather be dead. . . than to be all alone, with a lot of strangers and them poking him and bothering him and making tests of him. But I can’t even ask him what he wants because I’m not sure Lummie understands about death. But he does understand about strangers.”
Mr. Perkins chewed his lip and reflected that it was very hard to do this young man a favor. “Mr. Stuart? If you were to go with Lummox, would it make a difference?”
“Huh? How?”
“I think I can promise you a job as an animal handler. . . In fact I have a vacancy in my own department; I could hire you tonight and we could sort the red tape later. After all, there is a real advantage in having an exotic animal cared for by someone who knows his ways.”
Before Johnnie could answer his mother said, “No!”
“Eh? What, Mrs. Stuart?”
“Out of the question. Mr. Perkins, I had hoped that you would provide a rational way out of this silly unpleasantness. But I cannot agree to that last suggestion. My son is to go to college. I will not have him waste his life sweeping out that beast’s cage. . . like a roustabout! No indeed!”
“Now look here, Mother. . .”
“John Thomas! If you please! The subject is closed.”
Mr. Perkins looked from the boy’s smoldering face to his mother’s set expression. “After all,” he said, “that is no business of the Museum. Let me put it this way, Mrs. Stuart. I’ll keep that job open for, oh, say six months. . . no, please, Mrs. Stuart! Whether or not your son takes it is your problem. . . and I am sure you don’t need my advice. I just want to assure your son that the Museum won’t keep him away from his pet. Is that fair?”
Her needles were clicking like machinery. “I suppose so,” she admitted.
“Mr. Stuart?”
“Wait a minute. Mother, you don’t think I’d. . .”
“Please, Mr. Stuart! The Museum of Natural History has no place in a family discussion. You know our offer. Will you accept?”
Mrs. Stuart interrupted. “I don’t believe you mentioned the price, Mr. Perkins.”
“Why, so I didn’t! Shall we say twenty thousand?”
Net?”
“Net? Oh, no. . . subject to the claims we’ll have to settle, of course.”
“‘Net,’ Mr. Perkins,” she said firmly.
He shrugged. “Net.”
“We accept.”
“Good.”
“Hey, wait a minute!” protested John Thomas. “We don’t either. Not if this other thing isn’t settled. I’m not going to turn Lummox over to. . .”
“Quiet! Dear, I’ve been patient but we’ll have no more of this nonsense. Mr. Perkins, he accepts. Do you have the papers with you?”
“We don’t either accept!”
“Just a moment,” Mr. Perkins appealed. “Ma’am, am I correct in thinking that I must have your son’s signature for a valid bill of sale?”
“You’ll get it.”
“Hmm. Mr. Stuart?”
“I’m not going to sign unless it’s settled that Lummox and I stay together.”
“Mrs. Stuart?”
“This is ridiculous.”
“I think so, too. But there is nothing I can do.” Perkins stood up. “Good night, Mr. Stuart. Thanks for letting me speak my piece-and for letting me see Lummox. No, don’t get up; I can find the door.”
He started to leave, while the Stuarts were busy not looking at each other. He paused at the door. “Mr. Stuart?”
“Huh? Yes, Mr. Perkins?”
“Would you do me a favor? Get as many pictures of Lummox as possible? Color-stereo-motion-sound if you can: I would have a professional crew flown here but there may not be time. You know. It would be a shame indeed if there were not some scientific record left of him. So do what you can.” He turned away again.
John Thomas gulped and was up out of his chair. “Mr. Perkins! Hey! Come back.”
A few minutes later he found himself, signing a bill of sale. His signature was shaky but legible. “Now Mrs. Stuart,” Mr. Perkins said smoothly, “if you will sign underneath, where it says ‘Guardian’. . . thanks! Oh yes! I must scratch out that part about ‘subject to settlement of claim.’ I don’t have the cash with me; I got here after the banks had closed, so I’ll pass over a nominal sum to bind it and we’ll settle the rest before we move the specimen.”