The Anything Box

They left the conference room in silence, snapping the button on the doorknob before they closed it.
"Hey, lookit, Mommie! Here's a wall!" Splinter's five-year-old handsflattened themselves like grubby starfish against the greenish ripple of theten-foot vitricrete fence that wound through the trees and slid down thegentle curve of the hill. "Where did it come from? What's it for? How come wecan't go play in the go'fish pond any more?"
Serena leaned her hand against the wall. "The people who came in the prettyships wanted a place to walk and play, too. So the Construction Corp put thefence up for them."
"Why won't they let me play in the go'fish pond?" Splinter's brows bentominously.
'They don't know you want to," said Serena.
"I'll tell them, then," said Splinter. He threw his head back. "Hey! Overthere!" He yelled, his fists doubling and his whole body stiffening with theintensity of the shout. "Hey! I wanta play in the go'fish pond!"
Serena laughed. "Hush, Splinter. Even if they could hear you, they wouldn'tunderstand. They're from far, far away. They don't talk the way we do."
"But maybe we could play," said Splinter wistfully.
"Yes," sighed Serena, "maybe you could play. If the fence weren't there.But you see, Splinter, we don't know what kind of—people—they are. Whetherthey would want to play. Whether they would be—nice."
"Well, how can we find out with that old wall there?"
"We can't, Splinter," said Serena. "Not with the fence there."
They walked on down the hill, Splinter's hand trailing along the wall.
"Maybe they're mean," he said finally. "Maybe they're so bad that the'struction Corp had to build a cage for them—a big, big cage!" He stretchedhis arm as high as he could reach, up the wall. "Do you suppose they gottails?"
"Tails?" laughed Serena. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"I dunno. They came from a long ways away. I'd like a tail—a long, curlyone with fur on!" He swished his miniature behind energetically.
"Whatever for?" asked Serena.
"It'd come in handy," said Splinter solemnly. "For climbing and—and keepingmy neck warm!"
"Why aren't there any other kids here?" he asked as they reached the bottomof the slope. "I'd like somebody to play with."
"Well, Splinter, it's kind of hard to explain," started Serena, sinkingdown on the narrow ledge shelving on the tiny dry watercourse at her feet.
"Don't esplain then," said Splinter. "Just tell me."
"Well, some Linjeni generals came in the big black ships to talk withGeneral Worsham and some more of our generals. They brought their familieswith them in the fat, pretty ships. So our generals brought their families,too, but your daddy is the only one of our generals who has a little child.All the others are grown up. That's why there's no one for you to play with."I wish it were as simple as it sounds, thought Serena, suddenly weary againwith the weeks of negotiation and waiting that had passed.
ABC Amber Palm Converter,http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
"Oh," said Splinter, thoughtfully. "Then there are kids on the other sideof the wall, aren't there?"
"Yes, there must be young Linjeni," said Serena. "I guess you could callthem children."
Splinter slid down to the bottom of the little watercourse and flopped downon his stomach. He pressed his cheek to the sand and peered through a tiny gapleft under the fence where it crossed the stream bed. "I can't see anybody,"he said, disappointed.
They started back up the hill toward their quarters, walking silently,Splinter's hand whispering along the wall.
"Mommie?" Splinter said as they neared the patio.
"Yes, Splinter?"
"That fence is to keep them in, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Serena.
"It doesn't feel like that to me," said Splinter. "It feels like it's toshut me out."
Serena suffered through the next days with Thorn. She lay wide-eyed besidehim in the darkness of their bedroom, praying as he slept restlessly,struggling even in his sleep— groping for a way.
Tight-lipped, she cleared away untouched meals and brewed more coffee. Herthoughts went hopefully with him every time he started out with new hope andresolution, and her spirits flagged and fell as he brought back dead end,stalemate and growing despair. And in-between times, she tried to keepSplinter on as even a keel as possible, giving him the freedom of the QuartersArea during the long, sunlit days and playing with him as much as possible inthe evenings.
One evening Serena was pinning up her hair and keeping half an eye onSplinter as he splashed in his bath. He was gathering up handsful of foamingsoap bubbles and pressing them to his chin and cheeks.
"Now I hafta shave like Daddy," he hummed to himself. "Shave, shave,shave!" He flicked the suds off with his forefinger. Then he scooped up a bigdouble handful of bubbles and pressed them all over his face. "Now I'm Doovie.I'm all over fuzzy like Doovie. Lookit, Mommie, I'm all over—" He opened hiseyes and peered through the suds to see if she was watching. Consequently,Serena spent a busy next few minutes helping him get the soap out of his eyes.When the tears had finally washed away the trouble, Serena sat towelingSplinter's relaxed little body.
"I bet Doovie'd cry too, if he got soap in his eyes," he said with a sniff."Wouldn't he, Mommie?"
"Doovie?" said Serena, "Probably. Almost anyone would. Who's Doovie?"
She felt Splinter stiffen on her lap. His eyes wandered away from hers."Mommie, do you think Daddy will play with me a-morrow?"
"Perhaps." She captured one of his wet feet. "Who's Doovie?"
"Can we have pink cake for dessert tonight? I think I like pink—"
"Who's Doovie?" Serena's voice was firm. Splinter examined his thumbnailcritically, then peered up at Serena out of the corner of his eye.
"Doovie," he began, "Doovie's a little boy."
"Oh?" said Serena. "A play-like little boy?"
"No," Splinter whispered, hanging his head. "A real little boy. A Linjenilittle boy." Serena drew an astonished breath and Splinter hurried on, hiseyes intent on hers. "He's nice people, Mommie, honest! He doesn't say badwords or tell lies or talk sassy to his mother. He can run as fast as Ican—faster, if I stumble. He—he—," his eyes dropped again. "I like him—" Hismouth quivered.
"Where did—-how could—I mean, the fence—" Serena was horrified andcompletely at a loss for words.
"I dug a hole," confessed Splinter. "Under the fence where the sand is. Youdidn't say not to! Doovie came to play. His mommie came, too. She's pretty.Her fur is pink, but Doovie's is nice and green. All over!" Splinter got
ABC Amber Palm Converter,http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
excited. "All over, even where his clothes are! All but his nose and eyes and
ears and the front of his hands!"
"But Splinter, how could you! You might have got hurt! They might have—"
Serena hugged him tight to hide her face from him.
Splinter squirmed out of her arms. "Doovie wouldn't hurt anyone. You know
what, Mommie? He can shut his nose! Yes, he can! He can shut his nose and fold
up his ears! I wish I could. It'd come in handy. But I'm bigger'n he is and I
can sing and he can't. But he can whistle with his nose and when I try, I just
blow mine. Doovie's nice!"
Serena's mind was churning as she helped Splinter get into his night
clothes. She felt the chill of fear along her forearms and the back of her
neck. What to do now? Forbid Splinter's crawling under the fence? Keep him
from possible danger that might just be biding its time? What would Thorn say?