“I was just showing them something I found,” Peterson replied. “Thought I’d take a look at older property records. I discovered that where that raised bed is over yonder, a septic tank used to be. Or it might still be there, just buried And do those flowers look like daisies to you?”
“Shit!” Jeffries exclaimed.
“Probably plenty of that in there, yep,” Peterson replied.
Jeffries glared at him. “You know we’ll have to apply for funds to get a digger.”
“Didn’t you request that anyway in case the dogs found something in the yard?” his partner replied.
“No. There was no point unless they found something.”
“Is there a heavy equipment rental place nearby?” Sachuu asked. “We can pay for it ourselves. The final bill is ours to pay, anyway.”
Jeffries looked as if he wanted to argue, but just then, one of the dogs began getting a little excited around that flower bed.
“Fine,” he bit out. “Go rent one of the damned things, but you’ll have to also find someone who can operate it.”
CHAPTER22
MITCHELL
Once we got backfrom our lunch, Darla checked to see if the work had been completed to her satisfaction, and looking satisfied, returned home with a promise to comm me later. I looked around Neal’s room. I had a half an hour at most to decorate it before I had to fetch him from school.
“Um, Xero?” I called out.
“Yes, Mitchell?”
“I’m ready for us to do that wall mural and stuff.”
“Tap the wall you wish the mural on,” Xero instructed. “And describe your idea.”
I did so. I watched, mouth agape, as the wall began to change colors before me, shapes appearing. Soon, I had a mural depicting surfers on a wave approaching a beach with a sea turtle sunning itself. One of the surfboards had Lilo with Stitch riding in front of her.
“Can we do that?” I asked. “Use Lilo and Stitch in the mural?”
“The appropriate license fee has been paid,” was Xero’s reply.
“Ah, okay.” I had no idea what that entailed but it sounded like everything was legal and aboveboard.
“Could you make a background on this wall,” I tapped the one behind Neal’s headboard, “so the beach wraps around from the mural. Make it visible even though his headboard is there, please.”
“Cross referencing bed dimensions from quartermaster purchase order.” Then, “Do you wish to continue with character representation?”
I had the stickers still and had planned to use them, but this was better, I decided. I could then add the stickers to the top and sides of his toybox.
“Yes,” I decided. “How about we have Lilo’s hula class there?”
To my amazement, the beach appeared and the children from Lilo’s hula class stood there, practicing with their teacher.
So it went across the rest of the room. Lilo’s house was on the wall with the door, and Xero had cleverly made it so that Neal’s door was the door to Lilo’s house. The other wall had Lilo’s alien friends enjoying shaved ice by a stand on the beach.
“Crap! Is that the time?” I asked, checking my watch once the walls were done. I’d set it to ship’s local time shortly after arrival. “I’m going to be late if I don’t run! Thanks, Xero, it looks perfect!”
I was eight minutes late despite my best efforts.
“I’m so sorry, Neal,” I apologized.
Neal’s teacher smiled. “It happens. We had a change of quarters notification come in for Neal, so I expected you might be delayed. It’s pretty usual on moving days, no matter how well planned in advance it might be.”
