Chapter 77

“I told you so.”

“Very clever of you.”

“Not really. As a writer I’m a careful observer of the human condition.”

“In that case, why don’t you come upstairs and carefully observe this human’s condition?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“You have to be asked?”

“Point taken.”

After I’d finished observing and taking care of Charles’ condition, we went up to the playroom, where we found Gran watching the older members of our tribe at play. She turned her attention from the kids when she saw us and said, “It wears me out, watching those two.”

“I know what you mean,” Charles said as he scooped up one of the boys. “It’s too bad we can’t find a way to put all of that energy to some use.”

“Just wait until those two are big enough to join them,” I said, picking up the other toddler and indicating the two younger boys, who were at the moment confined to a playpen.

“Speaking of energy,” Charles said, “what were Steve and Roger planting when I came home?”