single bug in two hours' time and then dissipate with no residue。〃
〃I hate them；〃 she said。
〃What。。。 wasps？〃
〃Anything that stings；〃 she said。 Her hands went to her elbows and cupped
them； her arms crossed over her breasts。
〃I do too；〃 he said； and hugged her。
》
DANNY
Down the hall； in the bedroom； Wendy could hear the typewriter Jack had
carried up from downstairs burst into life for thirty seconds； fall silent for a
minute or two； and then rattle briefly again。 It was like listening to machine…
gun fire from an isolated pillbox。 The sound was music to her ears； Jack had not
been writing so steadily since the second year of their marriage； when he wrote
the story that Esquire had purchased。 He said he thought the play would be done
by the end of the year； for better or worse； and he would be moving on to
something new。 He said he didn't care if The Little School stirred any
excitement when Phyllis showed it around； didn't care if it sank without a
trace； and Wendy believed that； too。 The actual act of his writing made her
immensely hopeful； not because she expected great things from the play but
because her husband seemed to be slowly closing a huge door on a roomful of
monsters。 He had had his shoulder to that door for a long time now； but at last
it was swinging shut。
Every key typed closed it a little more。
〃Look； Dick； look。〃
Danny was hunched over the first of the five battered primers Jack had dug up
by culling mercilessly through Boulder's myriad secondhand bookshops。 They would
take Danny right up to the second…grade reading level； a program she had told
Jack she thought was much too ambitious。 Their son was intelligent； they knew
that； but it would be a mistake to push him too far too fast。 Jack had agreed。
There would be no pushing involved。 But if the kid caught on fast； they would be
prepared。 And now she wondered if Jack hadn't been right about that； too。
Danny； prepared by four years of 〃Sesame Street〃 and three years of 〃Electric
pany；〃 seemed to be catching on with almost scary speed。 It bothered her。 He
hunched over the innocuous little books； his crystal radio and balsa glider on
the shelf above him； as though his life depended on learning to read。 His small
face was more tense and paler than she liked in the close and cozy glow of the
goosenecked lamp they had put in his room。 He was taking it very seriously； both
the reading and the workbook pages his father made up for him every afternoon。
Picture of an apple and a peach。 The word apple written beneath in Jack's large；
neatly made printing。 Circle the right picture； the one that went with the word。
And their son would stare from the word to the pictures； his lips moving；
sounding out； actually sweating it out； And with his double…sized red pencil
curled into his pudgy right fist； he could now write about three dozen words on
his own。
His finger traced slowly under the words in the reader。 Above them was a
picture Wendy half…remembered from her own grammar school days； nineteen years
before。 A laughing boy with brown curly hair。 A girl in a short dress； her hair
in blond ringlets one hand holding a jump rope。 A prancing dog running after a
large red rubber ball。 The first…grade trinity。 Dick； Jane； and Jip。
〃See Jip run；〃 Danny read slowly。 〃Run； Jip； run。 Run； run； run。〃 He paused；
dropping his finger down a line。 〃See the 。。。〃 He bent closer； his nose almost
touching the page now。 〃See the 。。。〃
〃Not so close； doc；〃 Wendy said quietly。 〃You'll hurt your eyes。 It's…〃
〃Don't tell me！〃 he said； sitting up with a jerk。 His voice was alarmed。
〃Don't tell me； Mommy； I can get it！〃
〃All right； honey；〃 she said。 〃But it's not a big thing。 Really it's not。〃
Unheeding； Danny bent forward again。 On his face was an expression that might
be more monly seen hovering over a graduate record exam in a college gym
somewhere。 She liked it less and less。
〃See the 。。。 buh。 Aw。 El。 El。 See the buhaw…el…el？ See the buhawl。 Ball！〃
Suddenly triumphant。 Fierce。 The fierceness in his voice scared her。 〃See the
ball！〃
〃That's right；〃 she said。 〃Honey； I think that's enough for tonight。〃
〃A couple more pages； Mommy？ Please？〃
〃No； doc。〃 She closed the red…bound book firmly。 〃It's bedtime。〃
〃Please？〃
〃Don't tease me about it； Danny。 Mommy's tired。〃
〃Okay。〃 But he looked longingly at the primer。
〃Go kiss your father and then wash up。 Don't forget to brush。〃
〃Yeah。〃
He slouched out； a small boy in pajama bottoms with feet and a large flannel
top with a football on the front and NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS written on the back。
Jack's typewriter stopped； and she heard Danny's hearty smack。 〃Night； Daddy。〃
〃Goodnight； doc。 How'd you do？〃
〃Okay； I guess。 Mommy made me stop。〃
〃Mommy was right。 It's past eight…thirty。 Going to the bathroom？〃
〃Yeah。〃
〃Good。 There's potatoes growing out of your ears。 And onions and carrots and
chives and — 〃
Danny's giggle； fading； then cut off by the firm click of the bathroom door。
He was private about his bathroom functions； while both she and Jack were pretty
much catch…as…catch…can。 Another sign — and they were multiplying all the time —
that there was another human being in the place； not just a carbon copy of one
of them or a bination of both。 It made her a little sad。 Someday her child
would be a stranger to her； and she would be strange to him 。。。 but not as
strange as her own mother had bee to her。 Please don't let it be that way；
God。 Let him grow up and still love his mother。
Jack's typewriter began its irregular bursts again。
Still sitting in the chair beside Danny's reading table； she let her eyes
wander around her son's room。 The glider's wing had been neatly mended。 His desk
was piled high with picture books； coloring books； old Spiderman ic books
with the covers half torn off； Crayolas； and an untidy pile of Lincoln Logs。 The
VW model was neatly placed above these lesser things； its shrink…wrap still
undisturbed。 He and his father would be putting it together tomorrow night or
the night after if Danny went on at this rate； and never mind the end of the
week。 His pictures of Pooh and Eyore and Christopher Robin were tacked neatly to
the wall； soon enough to be replaced with pin…ups and photographs of dope…
smoking rock singers； she supposed。 Innocence to experience。 Human nature； baby。
Grab it and growl。 Still it made her sad。 Next year he would be in school and
she would lose at least half of him； maybe more； to his friends。 She and Jack
had tried to have another one for a while when things had seemed to be going
well at Stovington； but she was on the pill again now。 Things were too
uncertain。 God knew where they would be in nine months。
Her eyes fell on the wasps' nest。
It held the ultimate high place in Danny's room； resting on a large plastic
plate on the table by his bed。 She didn't like it； even if it was empty。 She
wondered vaguely if it might have germs； thought to ask Jack； then decided he
would laugh at her。 But she would ask the doctor tomorrow； if she could catch
him with Jack out of the room。 She didn't like the idea of that thing；
constructed from the chewings and saliva of so many alien creatures； lying
within a foot of her sleeping son's head。
The water in the bathroom was still running； and she got up and went into the
big bedroom to make sure everything was okay。 Jack didn't look up； he was lost
in the world he was making； staring at the typewriter； a filter cigarette
clamped in his teeth。
She knocked lightly on the closed bathroom room。 〃You okay； doc？ You awake？〃
No answer。
〃Danny？〃
No answer。 She tried the door。 It was locked。
〃Danny？〃 She was worried now。 The lack of any sound beneath the steadily
running water made her uneasy。 〃Danny？ Open the door； honey。〃
No answer。
〃Danny！〃
〃Jesus Christ； Wendy； I can't think if you're going to pound on the door all
night。〃
〃Danny's locked himself in the bathroom and he doesn't answer me！〃
Jack came around the desk； looking put out。 He knocked on the door once； hard。
〃Open up； Danny。 No games。〃
No answer。
Jack knocked harder。 〃Stop fooling； doc。 Bedtime's bedtime。 Spanking if you
don't open up。〃
He's losing his temper； she thought； and was more afraid。 He had not touched
Danny in anger since that evening two years ago； but at this moment he sounded
angry enough to do it。
〃Danny； honey — 〃 she began。
No answer。 Only running water。
〃Danny； if you make me break this lock I can guarantee you you'll spend the
night sleeping on your belly；〃 Jack warned。
Nothing。
〃Break it；〃 she said； and suddenly it was hard to talk。 〃Quick。〃
He raised one foot and brought it down hard against the door to the right of
the knob。 The lock was a poor thing； it gave immediately and the door shuddered
open； banging the tiled bathroom wall and rebounding halfway。
〃Danny！〃 she screamed。
The water was running full force in the basin。 Beside it； a tube of Crest with
the cap off。 Danny was sitting on the rim of the bathtub across the room； his
toothbrush clasped limply in his left hand； a thin foam of toothpaste around his
mouth。 He was staring； trancelike； into the mirror on the front of the medicine
cabinet above the washbasin。 The expression on his face was one of drugged
horror； and her first thought was that he was having some sort of epileptic
seizure； that he might have swallowed his tongue。
〃Danny！〃
Danny didn't answer。 Guttural sounds came from his throat。
Then she was pushed aside so hard that she crashed into the towel rack； and
Jack was kneeling in front of the boy。
〃Danny；〃 he said。 〃Danny； Danny！〃 He snapped his fingers in front of Danny's
blank eyes。
〃Ah…sure；〃 Danny said。 〃Tournament play。 Stroke。 Nurrrrr 。。。〃
〃Danny — 〃
〃Roque！〃 Danny said； his voice suddenly deep； almost manlike。 〃Roque。 Stroke。
The roque mallet 。。。 has two sides。 Gaaaaaa — 〃
〃Oh Jack my God what's wrong with him？〃
Jack grabbed