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Roderick nodded uncertainly "I guess so Then what? Do I have to eat a cushion? I'estive tract can--"

"No Don't eat it Pull out soarde looked at him impatiently "You'll see We don't haveto be here any second Bring back the stuffing I'll be up on that shelf Go!"

Roderick scurried away

"And you: be quiet!" Hildegarde called to Lucretia Then she jumped to the arm of a chair, and from there to the sink counter She eyed the distance to the shelf It was still pretty far She jumped next to a hook on the wall, and from there took a deep breath, then leapt to the shelf

There! Now she here she needed to be Not a bad leap for an old lady, she thought

She stood erect, held tightly with her paws to the glass bottle, and nudged at the stopper with her nose The cork ain There It was out It bounced once on the shelf, and fell to the carpeting

"Roderick?" she called He appeared in the doorway, dragging a length of gray cushion stuffing with his ly

"Good!" she said "Now I need that up here Ju!"

He did that, and looked up at her again

"Now to the sink It's an easy jurip on the stuffing now, Roderick, because the next one's quite a leap!"

Looking nervous, Roderick rearranged the position of his teeth a bit "Over and up to that hook," she directed him "You can do it! I did!"

Fro for you!" Lucretia called

Well, that's a first, thought Hildegarde "Go, Roderick!"

He took a deep breath, around the stuffing, and jumped to the hook

"Now to the shelf!" she called to hi by her side

"That was scary," he said "And it was scary in the sanctuary, with the organ playing! I grabbed a cushion in the first pew, and--"

"Later, Roderick Tell me later No ti"

He looked very puzzled But he followed Hildegarde's directions and carefully wound the gray fluffy material around her tail as she held it out to hinatious said to use a Q-tip, but of course we don't have one This should do Now stand right here I'ainst the crystal and silver container and Hildegarde carefully climbed to his shoulders, then placed her rear paws, one by one, on the top of his head

"Ouch!"

"Can't be helped!" she told him "Now hold very still"

He did so, and she lifted her cotton-coated tail up, and up, then curled it and dipped it into the open top of the container

"What's in there?" Roderick asked when she brought her tail out, dripping

"Chrism"

"Chrism? What's that?" As she lowered her tail, he sniffed it "Smells like the pine trees in the cemetery"

"It's holy oil," she told him "Actually, olive oil scented with balsahtly easier than getting up had been, even though her tail was heavy added, oily cotton stuffing Hildegarde went first Holding her tail up so as not to s, she scurried over to where Lucretia waited

"Hold lue, Roderick, and then squeeze," she directed hilued parts while she whimpered Several whiskers were hopelessly lost But carefully, one by one, they were able to extricate her legs Finally, only her tail was still stuck to the trap With one last squeeze of the reed Lucretia howled in pain, but the tail came loose at last and she toppled onto the carpet Her fur was torn andBut she was free "Thank you," she gasped

"Go and hide quickly," Hildegarde told her "The service will be starting soon Roderick and I will clean up in here"

Lucretia turned and liratitude "Hildegarde," she said, "you're a saint"

Chapter 12

The Blessing of the Anihtly opened door "The pews are filling up! And the procession's lining up outside!" he said "Dripping wet!"

They could hear Father Murphy approaching the sacristy "Hide in here with us, Ignatious!" Hildegarde suggested quickly "Get behind the draperies, and be quiet while he puts his vesto peek out and watch, after he leaves"

Ignatious scurried across the rooarde and Roderick "Oh lue trap which they had pushed against the wall "And whose fur is on it?"

"Shhh Lucretia's But she's all right We got her out"

"Duck!" said Roderick "Here he comes"

Father Murphy entered and looked around They held their breath Hildegarde watched his black shoes move across the carpet, and then his hand reach down and pick up the cork that was lying on the floor There was no way that she and Roderick could have returned the cork to the shelf

"Oops! Popped your cork, did you?" They heard him chuckle The sounds indicated that he had reached for the container of holy oil and moved it to the sink counter