59

The snooty Fashion Pizza waitress was arguing with the officious manager and another woman, harsh and businesslike, off in the corner of Golowin's field of vision.

Forty-five minutes had passed and Golowin had explained that that was the gestation period and it was best not to disturb the homunculus.

First time I ever heard that term, Deet thought.

However, Golowin gradually got the impression that between the goose, the open window, the mess, the gold, the pizza and napkins strewn everywhere, and the six little boxes, it would be wise to leave the restaurant before they were kicked out, because getting kicked out would probably be harder on the creature in the long run.

"So let's move on," Golowin said, possessively cradling the box that contained all the gold and all the creatures.

"Does it matter?" Puck said. "You said it was fragile? You know I don't think anybody who works here has recognized me yet but I can always play the critic card if it will help you. I can buy us at least an hour or two. It's not hard for me to get special treatment in restaurants."

"Thanks, Wolf," Golowin said. "I don't think that will be necessary."

He stood. "We're, um, adjacent to a public park. We don't really need these posh surroundings. In fact, I think if we're out in the fresh air, that will even help the process along, you know. Certain chemical reactions--"

"Is everything all right here?" said the manager with his hands clasped tightly in front of him. "Is there something you needed, or--?"

"No," Golowin said, brandishing a Visa. "As a matter of fact, we were just leaving."

A while later, the motley group convened in a somewhat run-down public park. Someone waited on a bench. A Swiss woman in a purple and white striped coat walked by on a concrete path.

"I feel like we're the hippies in the drum circle," Edward said. They sat cross-legged in a circle on the grass. Madame Sparko gently stroked Pretty the goose.

"It's nice we don't stand on ceremony," Puck said. "We don't need a lot of fancy stuff."

"No," Golowin said. "It's just like giving birth, as a matter of fact. Sometimes the midwife is for support as much as anything. You get all the raw materials together, and WHAMMO!" He brought his hands together for emphasis. "You'd have to work to STOP it happening."

"So," Madame Sparko said. She ticked off the steps on her fingers. "You have to have a Loyd box. You have to have a power source. You have to have plenty of gold. What else?"

"That's the basics," Golowin said. "Mountain air, the Swiss air never hurts."

In the center of the circle, the Loyd box started to shimmy.

"Oh!" Golowin said. "Prepare yourself, folks! Hmm, do we have an outfit?"

"Ooh," Madame Sparko said. "Was I supposed to be keeping track of that too?"

"No," Marcia said. "It's okay. I brought the clothes." She had a paper bag full of men's clothes.

As she rustled the brown paper, the Loyd box spontaneously fell to pieces. The four little metal walls fell back, pushed from within. The lid stayed where it was, but it was no longer resting on the walls. As the Serpentines watched, they realized the lid was balanced on a little man, a human being, with gray hair and a moustache.

He looked like a normal human being, except for the fact that he was tiny; he fit easily inside a thesaurus-sized Loyd box. The little man shuddered, twisted his head, and the box lid fell to one side. He began to grow.

"This is ... ughhh!" said Boo.

"What you're witnessing, folks," Golowin said calmly. "Believe me, it doesn't happen very often."

The man grew rapidly and Golowin gestured to Marcia to spread out the clothes, which she did.

Everyone except Golowin looked away out of politeness, as Golowin helped him into a set of thermal underwear, a pair of slacks and a jacket.

"Heh," Golowin said grimly. "Anyone who was just hanging around the park got a surprise today. At least it's only for a moment."

He eased the jacket on to the man's arm.

"There," he said. "Now you won't be walking around naked. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you to Sam Loyd."