When Manwel brought Sandy and Bluebonnet back into the housie, Sandy was still too dazed to tell Mistah Contini what had happened, and Bluebonnet was hysterical. Mistah Contini felt Sandy’s muzzle to make sure that it wasn’t broken, washed it, and held a cloth to it until it stopped bleeding. By that time, Bluebonnet had calmed down enough to explain about Crambone.
“Don’t worry, girlie”, Mistah Contini said. “We’ve got a strong fence round the garden. I’ve saved pictures of Crambone from the security cams so everybody knows what he looks like. He’s not going to get in.”
Sandy was worried. “Cwambone bad fwuffy, but good smawteh. Whowe hewd do wat Cwambone say. One time, Cwambone and tuffehs spend fwee bwight times bweaking pwank so hewd can get intuu bawn, take nummehs. One time, Cwambone bwave enuff Cwambone hide in metaw-monstah, get intuu hooman nummeh-pwace to take nummies fow hewd, den get out again.”
Mistah Contini thought. “OK, he’s smarter than the average fluffy. Maybe I could have some of the guys stay here for a few days, make sure he doesn’t get in.”
“Daddeh gib meaneh Cwambone foweveh-sweepies!”, Bluebonnet exclaimed. “Bwuebonnet neveh feew safe wib Cwambone awound.” Sandy realised that it was the first time she’d called Mistah Contini “Daddeh”.
Mistah Contini looked scary then. Sandy cringed down on the floor, ready for a blow, but Mistah Contini picked Bluebonnet up gently and put her on his lap, stroking her.
“Yeah, Bluebonnet, I could do that for you. Have you or Sandy ever given anyone forever-sleepies?” Bluebonnet shook her head.
“Thing is, forever-sleepies is forever. You can’t take it back. If I give Crambone forever-sleepies and you get heart-hurties afterwards, I can’t help you, not Sandy neither. You gotta live with it for the rest of your life.”
“Bwuebonnet suwe. Bwuebonnet neveh wan see Cwambone again. Bwuebonnet wan know Cwambone gone.”
Mistah Contini sighed. “I want you to sleep on it. You talk to Sandy about this. I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”
Sandy plucked up his courage to ask “Sandeh stiww hab fwiends in old hewd. Nu wan dem get huwties.” Bluebonnet looked ashamed and nodded.
“Don’t worry. If you do want it done, I’ll get it done the right way.”