“And they have no idea that Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings,” I said.

“You’re behind the times. These days they have no idea McCartney was ever in a band at all.” He was trying to sound cheerful, but his voice had that slightly frayed quality it usually had when he’d been spending too much time in small rooms with his fellow faculty members.

“Take heart,” I said. “Won’t being tenured give you the freedom to play hooky from a lot of these summer indoctrination sessions next year?”

“But that’s next year. And it’s assuming I get tenure—”

“Which you said was looking good.”

“But it won’t happen till spring. It doesn’t help much when you’re immersed in the minutiae of academia. But speaking of immersing, I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to relaxing in the hot tub this evening.”

Dad had said the boa constrictor would only be there for a few hours. What were the odds she’d still be there when Michael got home? Should I mention the possibility?

And for that matter, would Timmy still be around? What exactly did Karen mean by “just a little while?”

“Meg? Is something wrong?”

“No,” I said. “Remember how disappointed you were that all my nieces and nephews were visiting their Australian grandparents this summer? How you said summer wasn’t really summer without having some kids around to help you enjoy it?”

“Meg! Are you trying to break the news that you’re—”

“No,” I said. “But knowing how you feel about kids, I thought you’d be pleased that at the moment we have a loaner child. A two-year-old, or thereabouts. He might still be around by the time you get home.”

“That’s great!” he said. “Wait till you see how much fun the farm is for a toddler!”

“If Timmy’s still around, you probably won’t have much time to loll in the hot tub this evening,” I went on. “So I suppose it’s okay that Dad and Dr. Blake are storing a boa constrictor in it at the moment.”

As I’d expected, there was a brief pause before Michael answered.

“Obviously you’re having a much more interesting day than I am,” he said. “With all that going on, dare I hope that you might arrange to have some kind of emergency this afternoon? Something that would urgently require my presence?”

“I could plan on it if you like.”

“Two o’clock would be ideal. That’s when they start our diversity training session.”

“I’ll see if I can work up a good case of ophidiphobia by two,” I said. “That’s—”

“Fear of snakes, I know,” Michael said. “Later, then. Love you.”

I was a little distracted as I hung up. I had spotted someone lurking in the bushes at the edge of Seth Early’s sheep pasture—not in itself alarming, since Mr. Early often lurked there himself. I wasn’t quite sure if he was lying in wait to capture the thieves he believed were just waiting for the opportunity to steal his sheep, or to catch a glimpse of my cousin, Rose Noire, with whom he was smitten. I paused a moment to wave when he popped over the hedge again, and then spotted an unfamiliar figure running away.