"No, I'm not. Tell you what we'll do. Suppose I give you a little
sample?"
"That would be fun."
* * * * *
Joe seemed to be wondering about the machine in the cave with one part
of his mind and talking to Biddy with the other. Not wondering exactly,
but kind of like Pop when he tried to rig the jeep up to pull the big
rock out of the backyard by just turning the back wheels. Pop had done
it too. He was smart about making things do the things they hadn't been
built to do and Joe looked as though he was trying to do the same thing
with his machine.
Joe said, "Why don't you sit right here, Biddy--on this chair. Then
we'll take this wire and fasten it there--so--and this one, here."
The wires were very shiny and Biddy thought they must be silver or
maybe platinum. Joe gave her one to hold in her left hand and she
asked, "When does the tickle start?"
"Right away now." Joe sat down in front of a board covered with
switches and dials and studied for a while. Then he said, "Close your
eyes, Biddy, and imagine you're far up in the sky--that Buck has wings
and he's carrying you clear over the mountains. Just think that and
don't open your eyes."
Biddy closed her eyes tight and imagined Buck with great big wings and
she laughed in her mind because the wings were bigger than Buck was and
he looked back at them and stamped his feet. But they worked and she
felt Buck lift her right off the ground and up into the sky. They were
really flying.
They sailed ever so far over the desert and over the purple mountains
Pop said he'd take her to see some day. It was very peaceful and cool
so high up in the air and such a funny feeling in her body. As though
going up in the sky was really waking up and like all the people down
on the ground were really asleep. So much warmth and feeling and
tingley happiness came into her legs and arms and body that she could
hardly hold it all. Hardly hold it all--hardly hold it....
"Wake up, Biddy."
Biddy opened her eyes. She was still sitting in the chair but all the
wires were gone and Joe was standing there looking down at her and
smiling. Biddy said, "Oh, I must have taken a nap."
"That's right. It was good for you. And now you'd better get along home
or your parents will be worried about you."
"Why don't you come with me? You can have supper with us."
"Not tonight, Biddy. Some other time."
Biddy got up and they walked hand in hand to where Buck was waiting,
Joe walking very slow because with her brace Biddy couldn't go very
fast. Joe lifted her onto Buck and she waved good-bye as they went down
the slope and away from the rocks. She waved again just as Joe and the
cave and the wall went out of sight. She was sorry to see him disappear.
* * * * *
She got home a little late--Pop was already home--and Mom was cross.
Mom said, "Biddy, if you stay away like this again, I'll just take that
burro away from you."
Biddy knew Mom wouldn't of course, but it scared her just the same and
she didn't say anything about Joe. That was just as well, she thought,
as she washed up for supper. Mom and Pop didn't believe about the cave
so they would not believe about Joe either and the nice ride up in the
sky on Buck.
Pop was already at the table when Biddy came in and Mom was sitting
down. Biddy hobbled across the room and Pop looked up and said, "You
mustn't be late again, Biddy."
"I won't Pop."
Pop had looked back down at his food. Then he jerked his eyes up
sharply and back to Biddy as she came to her chair and pulled it out
and sat down.
Mom was putting potatoes on Biddy's plate and Pop just sat there and
stared at her, motionless. He didn't say anything or do anything and
finally Mom said, "Dan--what on earth's gotten into you? Something
wrong with the meat?"