own his throat in a lump that was dry and
hard。 〃Maybe I will；〃 he said； turning to the radio and fiddling with it。
〃And all those neat hedge animals；〃 she said； taking his empty plate。 〃Your
father's got to get out and trim them pretty soon。〃
〃Yeah；〃 he said。
（Just nasty things 。。。 once it had to do with those damn hedges clipped to
look like animals 。。。）
〃If you see your father before I do； tell him I'm lying down。〃
〃Sure； Mom。〃
She put the dirty dishes in the sink and came back over to him。 〃Are you happy
here； Danny？〃
He looked at her guilelessly； a milk mustache on his lip。 〃Uh…huh。〃
〃No more bad dreams？〃
〃No。〃 Tony had e to him once； one night while he was lying in bed； calling
his name faintly and from far away。 Danny had squeezed his eyes tightly shut
until Tony had gone。
〃You sure？〃
〃Yes； Mom。〃
She seemed satisfied。 〃How's your hand？〃
He flexed it for her。 〃All better。〃
She nodded。 Jack had taken the nest under the Pyrex bowl； full of frozen
wasps； out to the incinerator in back of the equipment shed and burned it。 They
had seen no more wasps since。 He had written to a lawyer in Boulder； enclosing
the snaps of Danny's hand； and the lawyer had called back two days ago — that had
put Jack in a foul temper all afternoon。 The lawyer doubted if the pany that
had manufactured the bug bomb could be sued successfully because there was only
Jack to testify that he had followed directions printed on the package。 Jack had
asked the lawyer if they couldn't purchase some others and test them for the
same defect。 Yes； the lawyer said； but the results were highly doubtful even if