"Seven feet at the shoulder, and weighs 2000 pounds. No wonder he could
handle those animals, even though he is a pup."
"_A pup!_"
"Four months old. Two months when they shipped him out. It seems that
the catalogue That Idiot Tapling sent us is a little out of date.
In the past few centuries they've bred new kinds of dogs, entirely
different from those they used to have on Earth. They've got them small
enough to fit into a thimble, and big enough--well, as big as this
one will be. Naturally, when we wrote away and asked for a protector
type, one of the biggest they had, we didn't have any idea that they'd
developed this. If Tapling had only sent us a modern catalogue--"
"I like him," announced Small suddenly. "Is his name Rover?"
"Absolutely."
"Will he knock me over again?"
"Of course not. That was just an accident."
"Are we going to keep him?"
Anthony looked at Alice and grinned. "I don't think we have any choice
in the matter. It's a question of life and death."
"But not in the house," said Alice. "There's no room for him in the
house. And he'll be quite safe outside."
"I'm afraid not," said Anthony. "He's strong, but as a pup he's still
delicate. Very susceptible to virus infections."
"That elephant?" exclaimed Alice incredulously. "Afraid of little
things like viruses?"
Anthony nodded. "His kind catch cold very easily. After he grows older,
of course, he'll be different. He'll be able to sleep outside, if you
make him a chest protector. The chest has to stay warm. You used to
knit well, Alice."
"I can't knit a chest protector for an elephant!"
"You're exaggerating. Even full-grown, he probably won't top 4600
pounds. Some elephants come a lot bigger than that."
"I'll sew him a protector out of an old blanket. I won't knit it."
"I guess that will do. Meanwhile, as I said, we'll have to keep him in
the house. And about food--" He coughed delicately. "Later on, he'll
be able to supply himself. Meanwhile, he's still a pup, as I must
keep on reminding you. We'll have to buy special dog food. And vitamin
concentrates. A few gallons a year, no more. He'll be mature at about
two."
Alice groaned. "He probably saved my life, but I can't help it,
Anthony, I can't welcome him like the guest he should be. Either he'll
eat us out of house and home, or he'll crowd us out--"
"I can take him back or give him to someone else," observed Anthony. "I
already have an offer."
"No--I'm afraid we need him too much." She looked at the animal grimly,
and said, "You win, Rover. You're one of the family."
Rover bent his head, and Anthony scratched it. Small said, "Daddy,
could he give me a ride?" and Anthony put the boy on the dog's back,
and watched him parade clumsily around the room, knocking over no more
than two chairs. A moment later, the boy slipped off, beaming.
"I think it'll work out," said Anthony.
As if in answer, Small's eyes seemed to pop out of his head, while
his finger pointed. Alice shrieked, and in her voice there was the
expression of stark tragedy such as Aristotle had never known, of
the ultimate outrage of a malignant and remorseless fate: "_He isn't
housebroken!_"