ats buffet. His thoughts were full of Joe, and he
turned them over in his slow, cautious manner. Joe was turning into a donkey. He
didn't think that one of their kind could turn into a donkey, but this was
Pleasure Island. Indulging your vices was a dangerous pastime here. He should
tell Bill, but there was no phone at the cabin. He couldn't send a runner for
him, because this was family business. His shift wouldn't end for hours yet, and
this was too important to wait.

Finally, he called his Lead. "I have to get offstage. I'm having a bad day."

Technically, this was allowed. Management didn't want anyone onstage who wasn't
100 percent. But it was something that none of the brothers, not even Joe, had
ever done. The Lead was surprised, but he sent over a soft one to relieve
George.

#

Orville and Bill were sitting out front of the cabin, watching Tom, when George
got back. He wrung his hands as he approached them, not sure of what to say, and
whether he should talk in front of Orville at all. He held his left thumb in his
right hand, and it comforted him, a little.

Bill and Orville were so engrossed in Tom's antics that they didn't even notice
George until he cleared his throat. Orville raised his eyebrows and looked
significantly at Bill.

"I just saw Joe," George said. "On the midway. His ears are pointed, and he's
walking all hunched over. I give him a few days at the most before he's all the
way gone." George held his breath, waiting for Bill's reaction.

"Too bad," Bill said. "It was inevitable, I suppose. A child of the tongue! What
was father thinking?"

Orville smiled and puffed at his pipe. "Don't you worry about it, George. Joe's
going to be much, much happier. Focussed. If you'd like, I can bring him out
here to live. Little Tom could have pony rides."

Bill said, "I don't think that's such a good idea. Joe's too wild to play with a
child."

Orville put a hand on his shoulder. "You'd be amazed at how docile he'll
become."

Bill scooped up Tom, who was up to his waist now, and who liked to grab onto
Bill's nose. "We'll see, then." He retreated into the cabin with his son.

Orville turned to George and said, "You've probably heard that we're taking down
the midway tomorrow. The others are all being reassigned until the rehab is
done, but I thought I'd see if I could get you a couple months off. You could
stay here and play with Tom -- it's not every day you get to be a new uncle."

Orville had