Page 47 (2/2)

“Three hundred and five items,” Astrid said When Sam’s face went pale, she relented “Okay, it’s actually just thirty-two Now, don’t you feel relieved it’s not really three hundred?”

“This is crazy,” Sam said

“Next up: the Judsons and the McHanrahans are fighting because they share a dog, so both fa food—but the Judsons are calling her Sweetie and the McHanrahans are calling her BooBoo”

“You’re kidding”

“I’,” Astrid said

“What is that noise?” Sam demanded

Astrid shrugged “I guess someone has their stereo cranked up”

“This is not going to work, Astrid”

“The music?”

“This This thing where every day I have a hundred stupid questions I have to decide Like I’ to how little kids are co because their older sisters hts over hich Build-A-Bear outfit, and now over dog na names?”

“They’re all still just little kids,” Astrid said

“Soruets to have which special towel? Or whether to watch The Little Mermaid or Shrek Three?”

“No,” Astrid said “They can’t They need a parent That’s you”

Sam usually handled the daily dose of nonsense with equanirouchy hu it was finally toohe’d seen almost no one show up for work And Edilio had been forced to track kids down for two hours Even then they had coh to feed the day care All of that followed by Duck Zhang and soround into a radioactive tunnel full of water bats

The only person who’d been productive was Orc He had picked several hundred cabbages before the worms had nearly killed him