right?” Theo said to Alice.
“Cello,” she answered.
Theo nodded as if she'd confirmed his guess. “I really like it,” he said. “That's the instrument I'm going to play.” This morning he was wearing his belt crossed bravely over his chest like a military sash. Alice saw that he'd brought his toolbox outside with him.
“I'm named for a musician, you know,” Theo said. “So it's in my blood.”
“What musician?”
“Thelonious Monk. He's my dad's favorite.”
Alice had never heard of him. She thought Thelonious was a strange but impressive-sounding word.
“Hey, Alice. Do you have a raft?” Theo said abruptly.
“Tad and Harry have a rubber one,” she said. His questions had a way of catching her off guard, and she had to think for a minute. “Maybe it's got a hole in it, though. I'm not sure.”
“We could fix that,” Theo said. “It's easy to fix punctures. All you need is a patch kit. Do you have a patch kit? One should have come with the raft from the manufacturer.” He went on, “Or we could
make
a raft. You just lash logs together. It's easy. Where does that river go?”
Alice realized that she'd never thought about it; she didn't know where the river went. Why hadn't she ever asked? Now that Theo had posed it, it seemed like a reasonable question. “We could look on a map,” she said. “Archie has lots of maps.”
“Well, all rivers run to the sea eventually,” Theo said. “It would be good to have a map, though. We should get one.”
It sounded as though he'd made plans already to float downthe river in a raft. But it also sounded as though he meant to have Alice beside him. He expected her to come along.
Just then, the porch door opened and Archie stepped outside. “There you are,” he said. “Your beds were empty. I thought you'd run away or been carried off by spirits.”
Theo looked up at him blandly, but Alice got up and went to Archie and put her arms around his waist.
He rested a hand on her head. “Eli's making eggs,” he said. “And Elizabeth left us blueberry muffins.” He addressed Theo. “Are you hungry?”
Theo looked up at Archie; then a surprised expression came over his face. “I didn't have any dinner last night,” he said.
“Ah.” For a moment, Archie's hand stopped moving on Alice's head. “Well. Extra rations for you this morning then.”
Alice looked up at Archie. “Where's Helen?”
“She's at the hospital. O'Brien's there with her.” Archie looked away from her to take in Theo. “You'll be staying here with us for a little while, if that's all right, Theo,” he said. “I promise that we'll feed you.”
Alice turned inside Archie's embrace to look at Theo. So he
could
stay, if he wanted. There would be no need to escape, setting off down the river in search of his mother. She wanted Theo to want to stay now, but she understood that he missed his mother, that such a feeling would need to be respected. If he wanted to go home, Archie would take him, Alice knew.
But Theo did not make her wait for his answer. He jumped to his feet and assumed a kind of Oriental fighting position, knees and elbows cocked; then he began vigorously boxing the air toward Alice, leaping from foot to foot. He danced near Archie and Alice and boxed the air temptingly in Alice's direction. “C'mon,” he said. “C'mon, Alice. Come and get me.”
“I think I am to take this display as an expression of your approval and enthusiasm,” Archie said.
Alice whirled around and put up her fists, mimicking Theo's bouncing dance. They sidestepped down the length of the porch facing each other, feinting blows. When they came together, grappling, Alice inhaled, taking in Theo's particular smell: this was
who he was
. But what did he smell like? Who
was
he? It was a completely unfamiliar smell, like looking down a long hallway in a strange building. Then a drape at the far end was swept aside, and an idea of Theo's life appeared to her: a history of different beds,
“Cello,” she answered.
Theo nodded as if she'd confirmed his guess. “I really like it,” he said. “That's the instrument I'm going to play.” This morning he was wearing his belt crossed bravely over his chest like a military sash. Alice saw that he'd brought his toolbox outside with him.
“I'm named for a musician, you know,” Theo said. “So it's in my blood.”
“What musician?”
“Thelonious Monk. He's my dad's favorite.”
Alice had never heard of him. She thought Thelonious was a strange but impressive-sounding word.
“Hey, Alice. Do you have a raft?” Theo said abruptly.
“Tad and Harry have a rubber one,” she said. His questions had a way of catching her off guard, and she had to think for a minute. “Maybe it's got a hole in it, though. I'm not sure.”
“We could fix that,” Theo said. “It's easy to fix punctures. All you need is a patch kit. Do you have a patch kit? One should have come with the raft from the manufacturer.” He went on, “Or we could
make
a raft. You just lash logs together. It's easy. Where does that river go?”
Alice realized that she'd never thought about it; she didn't know where the river went. Why hadn't she ever asked? Now that Theo had posed it, it seemed like a reasonable question. “We could look on a map,” she said. “Archie has lots of maps.”
“Well, all rivers run to the sea eventually,” Theo said. “It would be good to have a map, though. We should get one.”
It sounded as though he'd made plans already to float downthe river in a raft. But it also sounded as though he meant to have Alice beside him. He expected her to come along.
Just then, the porch door opened and Archie stepped outside. “There you are,” he said. “Your beds were empty. I thought you'd run away or been carried off by spirits.”
Theo looked up at him blandly, but Alice got up and went to Archie and put her arms around his waist.
He rested a hand on her head. “Eli's making eggs,” he said. “And Elizabeth left us blueberry muffins.” He addressed Theo. “Are you hungry?”
Theo looked up at Archie; then a surprised expression came over his face. “I didn't have any dinner last night,” he said.
“Ah.” For a moment, Archie's hand stopped moving on Alice's head. “Well. Extra rations for you this morning then.”
Alice looked up at Archie. “Where's Helen?”
“She's at the hospital. O'Brien's there with her.” Archie looked away from her to take in Theo. “You'll be staying here with us for a little while, if that's all right, Theo,” he said. “I promise that we'll feed you.”
Alice turned inside Archie's embrace to look at Theo. So he
could
stay, if he wanted. There would be no need to escape, setting off down the river in search of his mother. She wanted Theo to want to stay now, but she understood that he missed his mother, that such a feeling would need to be respected. If he wanted to go home, Archie would take him, Alice knew.
But Theo did not make her wait for his answer. He jumped to his feet and assumed a kind of Oriental fighting position, knees and elbows cocked; then he began vigorously boxing the air toward Alice, leaping from foot to foot. He danced near Archie and Alice and boxed the air temptingly in Alice's direction. “C'mon,” he said. “C'mon, Alice. Come and get me.”
“I think I am to take this display as an expression of your approval and enthusiasm,” Archie said.
Alice whirled around and put up her fists, mimicking Theo's bouncing dance. They sidestepped down the length of the porch facing each other, feinting blows. When they came together, grappling, Alice inhaled, taking in Theo's particular smell: this was
who he was
. But what did he smell like? Who
was
he? It was a completely unfamiliar smell, like looking down a long hallway in a strange building. Then a drape at the far end was swept aside, and an idea of Theo's life appeared to her: a history of different beds,
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