Enchantment (60 page)

She
stepped
from
the
shower
and
finished
dre
s
sing
in
the
dress
she
found
there.
She
could only
a
s
su
m
e
Kerrigan
had
left
the
gar
m
ent.
It
was
an
elegant
w
rap
-
around
dress
in
pale
pink,
w
hich
offset
her e
y
es
and
dark
hair. She
left her
hair unbound
and
headed to
the
door.

Threeo
sat
just
outside
the
door
waiting
for
her.

“I’m
rea
d
y
if
y
ou are,
Threeo.
Catz,
are
y
o
u okay
coming
with
us
?
”

Catz
y
a
w
ned
with
a
catli
k
e
lack
of
enthusia
s
m
.
She
e
y
e
d
Threeo
through
narrowed
golden e
y
es.
“I
haven’t
had
breakfast
y
e
t
. Lead
the
wa
y
.”

Threeo
shrieked
amid
Catz’s
laughter.
With
a
roll
of
her
e
y
es,
Meeka
scolded
her.
“
That
is not
nice!”

“Oh,
co
m
e
n
o
w,
Meeka,
I’m
sure
the
walking
feather
duster
knows
I
don’t
m
ean
I’d
eat
his babies.
I’m
m
uch
too
civilized.” Catz
purred
while
Threeo
shook
his
feathers
at
her.

Little
peeps
and
chirps
got
louder
the
farther
d
o
wn
the
stairs
they
went.
The
door
opened
to loud
chirping
when
Threeo
stood
in
front
of
it.
S
he
placed
her
hands
over
her
ears.
In
the
far corner
of
the
room
stood
a
large
w
ooden
structure
just
over
waist
high.
When
the
deafening chirps
ceased,
Meeka
could
hear
scratching
sounds
followed
b
y
thu
m
ps.

Threeo
placed
hi
m
self
on
the
m
ant
l
e,
w
here
he
could
see
inside
the
large
boxed
structure. D
e
sperate
l
y
tr
y
i
n
g to
see,
Meeka
stood
on
the
tips
of
her
toes.

“Hello.
Y
e
s,
I
m
issed
y
ou
all,
too,
but
quiet
down.
I
have
a
special
visitor
to
introduce
y
o
u to.
Meeka,
y
o
u can
co
m
e closer.”

Meeka
s
m
ile
with
uncontained
exciteme
n
t
and
peered
over
the
edge.
N
u
m
erous
pairs
of little bea
m
ing e
y
es
looked
up
at
her.
Th
e
y
were
the
cutest
little critters
s
he’d
ever
seen.

Each
little
baby
w
a
s
in
its
own
s
m
all
co
m
par
t
m
e
nt
filled
with
straw.
So
m
e
r
e
s
e
m
bled
m
in
i
ature
hippopot
a
m
uses,
while
others
looked
m
ore
like
owls.
Puppies
m
ade
up
the
r
e
m
ainder. Meeka
wondered
what
Threeo
had
looked
like
when
he
was
a
ba
b
y
.
She
had
to
ask.
“
Threeo,
w
hich
one
did
y
o
u look
like when
y
o
u
were
a
ba
b
y
?
”

Threeo
pondered
for
a
m
o
m
e
nt
then
said,
“I
believe
I
looked
m
ore
like
the
baby hippopotamus,
but
y
o
u
’d
have
to
ask
Kerrigan.
I’ve
only
seen
animals
from
Earth
in
boo
k
s.”

The
babies
were
doing
their
absolute
best
to
ju
m
p
higher
and
higher
to
get
her
attention.

“Threeo,
m
a
y
I
pick
them
u
p
?
”
She
be
a
m
ed
with
exciteme
n
t. “M
o
st
definite
l
y
.”

Meeka
bent
over
and
plucked
a
squirming
little
hippo
from
his
nest.
He
w
a
s
about
the
size of
a
loaf
of
bread.
S
he
cuddled
h
i
m
brief
l
y
,
then
gave
him
a
peck
on
the
head,
placed
him
back d
o
wn,
and
picked
up
the
next
one.
Each
one
received
a
generous
petting
and
a
ki
s
s.

The
last
little
g
u
y
w
a
s
so
excited
to
final
l
y
be
picked
up,
Meeka
dropped
hi
m
.
Thank goodne
s
s
it
wasn’t
far
from
the
floor.
He
looked
m
o
r
e
like
a
puppy
and
ran
around
and
around her
legs.
Meeka
was
laughing
hard
t
r
y
i
ng
to
scoop
him
back
up,
but
he
headed
for
the
door, co
m
ing to
an
abrupt
halt
as
he
slid
into
two
large
feet.

Meeka’s
gaze
traced
up
over
long
legs,
slim
hips,
and
a
broad
chest
to
m
eet
Kerrigan’s
e
y
e
s staring
down
at
the
m
,
the
look
in
his
e
y
es
enough
to
start
her
heart
pounding.
H
e
reached
down and
picked
up
the
lit
t
le
one,
scratched
him
behind
the
ear,
and
placed
him
back
in
the
container.