One Dog and His Boy

6 The Trick

Hal was in bed, his father was in his study – but Albina was on her hands and knees on the stairs, searching for dog hairs. Hal had promised he would clean up after the dog wherever he went, but now she could see a hair on the half landing, and something – possibly a speck of mud – on the bottom stair.

She gave a squeak of irritation and reached for the dustpan and brush she had brought. Olga could do it properly in the morning but the wretched maid always went to bed so early.

Thank goodness this was the last day of having a messy animal in the house. Tomorrow Fleck was going back to where he came from. She really couldn’t have stood any more dirt and annoyance.

Going back into the house, Albina stored her dustpan and went to say goodnight to Hal. He was usually very quiet before she came in – but tonight there was the sound of running footsteps and shouting. He was having a game with the dog – and then came a crash as something fell to the floor.

She opened the door

“Oh Hal, not the night light! You know how expensive that was. It’s a special design and the pieces are hand-made to go with the carpet.”

She picked up the lamp. It was definitely ruined, the pieces bent. “I don’t know how I shall ever replace it.”

But Hal didn’t seem to be sorry.

“You won’t have to,” he said cheerfully. “I don’t need a night light any more. I don’t care how dark it is now that I’ve got Fleck.”

Going downstairs again, Albina went in search of her husband.

“I thought you said Hal would be bored with a dog after two days. You promised me.”

Donald was in his study. A small earpiece which connected him with head office in New York hung out of one ear. He hadn’t heard a word she said.

Albina repeated her words. “Will you listen? I’m telling you, he isn’t sick of the dog and you promised me he would be.”

Donald switched off reluctantly.

“Well, whether he’s sick of the dog or not, the animal goes back first thing. Make sure you get him there by ten o’clock, otherwise I have to pay for another day’s rental. And see that you get all the deposit back. The chap who runs the place is the worst sort of shark.”

Albina stared at him. “I’m not taking him back. You’re taking him back.”

“No, I’m not. I told you, I’m catching the six o’clock plane from Heathrow in the morning. I’m going to New York. I’ll be halfway across the Atlantic before the Easy Pets place opens.”

“Well, I think that’s a bit much. What am I going to tell Hal?”

“Tell him anything you like – but not till the dog’s safely back.”

Albina was very angry. “It’s all very well for you – having ideas and then flying off and leaving me to pick up the pieces. You do it all the time and I’m tired of it.”

“If you think I like flying all over the world, you’re mistaken. It’s very exhausting. I do it so that you can have a beautiful home and all the clothes you need. If you weren’t so extravagant …”

They began to quarrel. They were so used to quarrelling that they almost forgot what the quarrel was about. This one went on till it was time to go to bed – but by that time Albina had decided that she would get the maid, Olga, to take Hal to the dentist on the following morning – and while he was gone she would bundle the dog up and take him to Easy Pets. By the time Hal got back everything would be over. He would be upset, she could see that, so perhaps it might be an idea to take him shopping in the afternoon. Perhaps a new Scalectric set … or one of those miniature radios shaped like a piece of fruit. She had seen them in the Hamleys catalogue and they looked really cute.

The appointment with the dentist was at ten o’clock.

“Olga will take you,” said Hal’s mother on the following morning.

“Can I take Fleck? The receptionist is very nice; she’ll let me put him in the garden at the back.”

“No, Hal, definitely not. No animals are allowed in the surgery, you know that.”

“But—”

“That’s enough, Hal. Go and clean your teeth and get ready. You can give Fleck a bone to eat while you’re away.”

Hal shook his head. “We’ve only got the kind left that splinters, but I’ll stop off on the way back and get a good one. Marrow bones are best. Olga’ll help me, she said.” His eyes lit up. “And we could go and see if Fleck’s basket has come in. The man in the pet shop said it might be in today.”

He bent down to the dog and put his arm round him. “I won’t be long, Fleck – and then we’ll go into the park and go and see the tree and the drain … and maybe Hilary will be there.”

Fleck wagged his tail and tried to lick Hal’s face, but when Albina spoke sharply to him he whimpered and went to fetch his flannel. His eyes, as he watched the door close behind Hal, were dark pools of anxiety.

Something was wrong.

Hal came running in an hour later, already whistling for the dog as he opened the door. “Fleck,” he called. “Fleck, I’m back!”

He waited for the yelps of welcome, the sound of toenails skittering over the marble floor of the entrance hall.

Silence.

Olga went to look in the kitchen. Hal raced through the house.

“His lead’s gone. That must mean that Mummy’s taken him out for a walk. I knew she’d get to like him. I knew it!”

Olga’s face was grave.

“I make cocoa,” was all she said.

It was nearly an hour before they heard the sound of the car, and then Albina got out. She had no lead, no small white dog … only some parcels.

Hal ran towards her. “You’ve got Fleck, haven’t you?”

“No, Hal, I haven’t. Fleck’s gone back to where he came from.”

Hal did not speak, but something had happened to his face that made Albina step back a pace.

“You mean you’ve taken him back to Easy Pets?”

“Yes, that’s right. You see your father just rented him for the weekend. We could never put up with the inconvenience of a dog for longer than that, but we wanted to give you a treat.”

“You’re not going to fetch him back?” said Hal in a toneless voice. “It was just a trick you played on me?”

“Not a trick, Hal. We just wanted you to have a dog for a little while. You know how I feel about animals in the house. And I’ve bought you a present.”

She handed him a gaudily wrapped box. The next second the box flew across the room and crashed into a vase on the ornamental chest.

“Oh Hal, look what you’ve done,” shrieked Albina.

“It’s what you’ve done,” said Hal in a strange, grown-up voice. “That’s what you want to think about.”

And then he turned and went up to his room and shut the door.