Both doggies smiled down at me from their respective perches in their humans’ arms. “We’re going to live here from now on!” Little John cried happily.
“We’re all going to be brothers and sisters!” Little Janine added for good measure.
CHAPTER 8
[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]
Big John dutifully rang the front doorbell and we all waited with bated breath for what was to follow. Dooley and Harriet and Brutus and myself because the news that four would suddenly become six had struck us hard. It wasn’t the first time that visitors had arrived unexpectedly in our midst and stuck around for a while, but if Little John and Little Janine were to be believed, they were here to stay!
“I don’t understand, Max,” said Dooley. “Who are these people?”
“I have absolutely no idea, Dooley,” I said.
The door swung open and Odelia appeared. Her face was flushed and she had that excited look in her eyes she always gets when she’s nervous. “Welcome, welcome!” she cried, a little too loud, I thought. “Welcome to my humble home!”
“Why, thank you,” said Big John. “So we have arrived at the home of Odelia Poole then? You are, in fact, her? I mean to say, you are she? In other words, you are the Odelia Poole?”
“Yes, I’m the Odelia,” said Odelia. “Though it’s Odelia Kingsley now.”
“Kingsley?” asked Big John. “Who’s Kingsley?”
“My husband, Chase Kingsley.”
“Oh, righto. Well, I’m John Boggles, and this is my wife Janine. Though you can call me Big John—everybody else does,” he added magnanimously.
“Just call me Janine,” said Janine, giving her husband the look of a much-put-upon wife. “Thanks for taking us in, Odelia. Tessa said you once saved her life, and since we felt we had nowhere else to go…”
“Oh, of course,” said Odelia, darting a quick glance to the two dogs, then directing a look down to the four of us, who were still drinking in the scene with interest. She stepped back and Big John and his better half disappeared inside.
And since there was nothing to be gained by remaining on the sidelines, we followed suit. This was one conversation we did not want to miss.
“I have to admit Tessa took me somewhat by surprise,” said Odelia. “And so as far as sleeping arrangements go, I haven’t fully worked out the, um, the details.”
“Just put us anywhere,” said Big John. “We’re not fussy, are we, sweetums?”
“As long as we have a bed to sleep in, we’re perfectly happy,” Janine confirmed.
“I guess you’d like to freshen up a little first?” Odelia suggested.
“Yes, that would be lovely,” said Janine. “We flew here straight from the continent, where we were staying with some friends in Bucharest, but unfortunately the tabloids managed to track us down and decided to organize a vigil in front of my friend’s house, so we couldn’t possibly stay.”
Odelia swallowed uneasily.“You don’t think… they will follow you here?”
Big John shrugged his big shoulders.“In life nothing is certain, Miss Poole.”
“Mrs. Kingsley,” Janine corrected her helpmeet.
“But we will muddle through, I can assure you.”
“I don’t think we were followed,” said Janine. “And Tessa is the only one who knows where we are right now. Even our families have no idea we flew to the States.”
“It’s a sad state of affairs when the head of a nation has to go into hiding,” said Big John with a sigh as he took in his surroundings. He homed in on the sliding glass door, through which the backyard was visible. “Oh, this is nice,” he said. “Very homey, I must say.”
Just then, Grace decided that the conversation could use the benefit of her personal contribution, and she opened her throat to loudly intervene.
“Oh, will you look at this cutie-pie!” said Janine, and for the next ten minutes or so, Grace was the center of attention, as had in fact been the case ever since she’d joined our ranks.
In order to fully benefit from the Grace Experience, Big John and his wife had put down their pets, and Little John and Little Janine now tripped up to us. After engaging in some sniffing action—why dogs enjoy sniffing butts so much will always be a mystery to me—they settled down, tails wagging and tongues lolling.
“So what do you guys do around here for fun?” asked Little John.
“We loiter,” said Brutus dryly.
“No, we don’t, smoochie poo,” said Harriet. “We sing, we dance, we live!”
“We eat, we drink, we poo, we pee,” said Dooley.
“And then we do it all over again,” I added.
“In other words, pretty much what we do,” said Little John.
“At least when we’re not hobnobbing with world leaders,” Little Janine supplied.
“You hobnob with world leaders?” asked Harriet, much impressed.
“Of course. Big John is Prime Minister of England. He runs an entire country. So it’s only natural that he would frequently meet other prime ministers, and presidents, and even kings and queens. All in a day’s work for him—and us.”
“How is he going to run his country when he’s staying with us?” I asked.
“Well…” Little Janine directed a hesitant look at Little John. “Let’s just say Big John is temporarily indisposed because of circumstances beyond his control.”
“Things have gotten a little heated on the home front,” said Little John. “So Big John and Janine felt it wise to lay low for a while. Let things cool off, you see.”
Frankly I didn’t see, but since these two were now guests in our home, I felt it was probably rude to pry. So instead I decided to give them the grand tour… which took us about five seconds, since our home is admittedly a tiny one.
“Lovely,” Little Janine finally murmured politely. “Absolutely lovely.”
“It isn’t much,” I said. “But it’s home.”
“And we love it,” said Harriet.
“Though we love our own home even more, don’t we, sunshine?” said Brutus.
“Your own home?” asked Little Janine. “Do you mean to say you don’t actually live here?”
“No, me and Harriet live next door,” said Brutus. “And so does Dooley. Only Max lives here—officially, at least.”
And since both dogs stared at me in wonder, I decided to give them the lowdown on the Poole family setup.“Odelia is my human, so I live with her. Dooley’s human is Odelia’s grandmother, who lives with Tex and Marge next door. Harriet belongs to Marge, and Brutus…” I frowned. “Who do you belong to again, Brutus?”
“Officially I belong to Chase,” said Brutus, “after Chase’s mom gave me to him for safekeeping. But since Harriet and I are an item, I actually live next door.”
“And since Max and I are besties,” Dooley said, “I usually hang out here.“
Little John blinked.“Hard to keep track.”
“Oh, it’s not all that complicated,” I said. “We actually consider both homes as one home, and come and go as we please. It’s all very mellow and friendly. The Poole way, you know.”
“I like it,” said Little Janine, perking up a little. “I think we’re going to feel right at home… in your homes.”
“My case is your case,” said Dooley.
“What Dooley means to say,” I said, “is thatmi casa es su casa.”
“That’s what I said!”
CHAPTER 9
[Êàðòèíêà: img_2]
I honestly felt as if my‘little home’ was getting a little too crowded for comfort, and so I decided to do the only thing that seemed sensible: flee!
And since my friends all felt the same way, we quickly made ourselves scarce by means of that wonderful invention: the pet flap.
“Phew,” said Harriet once we were outside again. “That was a close call.”
“A close call?” said Dooley with a touch of concern. “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Brutus. “Odelia’s house has just been taken over by the enemy, Dooley. From now on Little John and Little Janine are in charge. So if I were you, I’d find myself a new place to call home.”