Page 9 (1/2)

“Don’t be daft, Tohed “You knohat married is We fell in love—”

“Is that like falling into a chasm or a canyon or a hole?”

“No We fell in love and anted to make you—”

“What did you make me out of? I think it must have been out of onions and potatoes and Gwendolyn’s necklaces and rus so much” Thomas beamed and forked another bite of manticore-loaf into his mouth

“What do you ave you rum?”

“It’s the brown stuff in the cabinet that tastes

like cake on fire I gave soood”

Nicholas Rood colored from his neck up

“It’s fine, Nick,” Gwendolyn hushed him “It only warped the Bill Broonzy record; you don’t even listen to that one anymore”

Dr Rood took a deep breath, sed the loss of the Broonzy, and plowed on “We fell in love and anted to et married, so ent down to a church—”

“Oh! Was it the Wizard’s Palace?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The Wizard’s Palace!” Tho with excitement in his chair “On Wabash Avenue!”

“He means Holy Name,” Gwendolyn chuckled into her peas “You have to ad up ent”

“Well, yes, then That was the place Your mother wore a white dress—”