underground people kept their cool, and waited for just the right moment to strike.
Career Day.
C. Cynthia Ann Flower would be in for a little Butter Surprise the second week in November.
Now everything was working out.
The only thing missing was Bagg.
Twenty-two
A T THE END OF October, the Betters treated the Lower School to pizza at Pie in the Sky, for Patsy Southgate’s birthday.
Everyone went but Stanley Sweetsong.
He did not like to be the only boy along on these treks to town.
He stayed in his room, playing a game on his computer, guiding a speeding car through a treacherous course. Eating a Butterfinger, the official candy of the Butters. Talking to Butter, who had taken to hanging out in the dustballs under Stanley’s bed.
He was surprised that Josephine joined the group.
He was amazed that the Black Mask Theater had not had a single performance in a month!
Josephine did not even like Patsy Southgate, nor any other Better. But all the Butters were going, and Josephine said since the VP wouldn’t go, the P would have to.
“I thought I’d find you here,” said Miss Rattray, standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”
“Yes, ma’am … I did not feel like having pizza.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to be the only boy, isn’t it?” She sat down on Stanley’s bed.
“Not all the time it isn’t,” he said.
He turned around in his desk chair and faced her.
The tip of Butter’s tail protruded under the dust cover, whipping the floor impatiently.
Miss Rattray never saw things she had to look down to see. She had no inkling the cat was studying her ankles with an eye to batting one with his paw.
Stanley was devoted to Butter now. The cat seemed to favor him, and preferred to spend most of his time in Stanley’s room.
“You have learned to make your bed in a proper way, Stanley,” said Miss Rattray, “Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I only make my own bed here, though. At Castle Sweet a maid does that.”
“Do you miss Castle Sweet?”
“I used to.”
“And now?”
“Not so much,” said Stanley.
What was she doing there, he wondered? Had she heard about the underground Butters?
Had she waited until everyone in the Lower School was gone to tell him she’d found out what was going on in the Music Room certain afternoons?
“One can learn to do without servants,” said Miss Rattray. “I sometimes think we are too dependent on them here … and they are not always dependable. Even this very morning I had to speak to Cook about emptying the Dustbuster. Cook believes she shouldn’t be expected to do anything but cook!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But we all have little extra duties, some we don’t foresee. And that is why I’m here, Stanley. I have a surprise for you.”
“Is it a good surprise or a bad one?”
“A good one, I think. I want you to be Gregor Samsa’s student escort on Career Day. You will help me greet him, and then you will be his guide while he’s with us.”
“Fine,” said Stanley. “That is a good surprise.”
“Have you ever met an actor before?”
“No, ma’am, but I have chewed Great Breath gum.”
“Not here, though,” said Miss Rattray, her eyes narrowing.
“No. At Castle Sweet I chewed it.”
“Because we don’t chew gum, do we?”
“No, ma’am, we don’t.”
Miss Rattray rose, “Gregor Samsa is not much of an actor, but he has had other small parts in theater, though not big parts.”
“Then why was he picked for Career Day?”
“He is popular with the girls, and Great Breath chewing gum is making a donation to our building fund.”
“So there can be more tanks in the Science Room,” Stanley said gloomily.
“More educational exhibits, yes,” Miss Rattray agreed. “All right, then, Stanley, I am counting on you. Go back to your game. The girls should return soon from Pie in the Sky.”
Stanley could hear the girls. He could hear the laughter of Josephine Jiminez. This was a rare sound, unless she was playing the
Career Day.
C. Cynthia Ann Flower would be in for a little Butter Surprise the second week in November.
Now everything was working out.
The only thing missing was Bagg.
Twenty-two
A T THE END OF October, the Betters treated the Lower School to pizza at Pie in the Sky, for Patsy Southgate’s birthday.
Everyone went but Stanley Sweetsong.
He did not like to be the only boy along on these treks to town.
He stayed in his room, playing a game on his computer, guiding a speeding car through a treacherous course. Eating a Butterfinger, the official candy of the Butters. Talking to Butter, who had taken to hanging out in the dustballs under Stanley’s bed.
He was surprised that Josephine joined the group.
He was amazed that the Black Mask Theater had not had a single performance in a month!
Josephine did not even like Patsy Southgate, nor any other Better. But all the Butters were going, and Josephine said since the VP wouldn’t go, the P would have to.
“I thought I’d find you here,” said Miss Rattray, standing in the doorway. “May I come in?”
“Yes, ma’am … I did not feel like having pizza.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to be the only boy, isn’t it?” She sat down on Stanley’s bed.
“Not all the time it isn’t,” he said.
He turned around in his desk chair and faced her.
The tip of Butter’s tail protruded under the dust cover, whipping the floor impatiently.
Miss Rattray never saw things she had to look down to see. She had no inkling the cat was studying her ankles with an eye to batting one with his paw.
Stanley was devoted to Butter now. The cat seemed to favor him, and preferred to spend most of his time in Stanley’s room.
“You have learned to make your bed in a proper way, Stanley,” said Miss Rattray, “Congratulations!”
“Thank you. I only make my own bed here, though. At Castle Sweet a maid does that.”
“Do you miss Castle Sweet?”
“I used to.”
“And now?”
“Not so much,” said Stanley.
What was she doing there, he wondered? Had she heard about the underground Butters?
Had she waited until everyone in the Lower School was gone to tell him she’d found out what was going on in the Music Room certain afternoons?
“One can learn to do without servants,” said Miss Rattray. “I sometimes think we are too dependent on them here … and they are not always dependable. Even this very morning I had to speak to Cook about emptying the Dustbuster. Cook believes she shouldn’t be expected to do anything but cook!”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“But we all have little extra duties, some we don’t foresee. And that is why I’m here, Stanley. I have a surprise for you.”
“Is it a good surprise or a bad one?”
“A good one, I think. I want you to be Gregor Samsa’s student escort on Career Day. You will help me greet him, and then you will be his guide while he’s with us.”
“Fine,” said Stanley. “That is a good surprise.”
“Have you ever met an actor before?”
“No, ma’am, but I have chewed Great Breath gum.”
“Not here, though,” said Miss Rattray, her eyes narrowing.
“No. At Castle Sweet I chewed it.”
“Because we don’t chew gum, do we?”
“No, ma’am, we don’t.”
Miss Rattray rose, “Gregor Samsa is not much of an actor, but he has had other small parts in theater, though not big parts.”
“Then why was he picked for Career Day?”
“He is popular with the girls, and Great Breath chewing gum is making a donation to our building fund.”
“So there can be more tanks in the Science Room,” Stanley said gloomily.
“More educational exhibits, yes,” Miss Rattray agreed. “All right, then, Stanley, I am counting on you. Go back to your game. The girls should return soon from Pie in the Sky.”
Stanley could hear the girls. He could hear the laughter of Josephine Jiminez. This was a rare sound, unless she was playing the
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