Poppy, trying to decide if Lilly was trying to be funny, stole a glance at her sister. In the end she realized Lilly was simply saying what she believed. Poppy decided it would be best if she changed the subject. “Why are you collecting those seeds?” she asked.
“For Papa. He finds them soothing. And I like doing things for him.”
“How long,” asked Poppy when that topic went nowhere, “did it take you to get from Gray House to my place?”
“Most of a day,” said Lilly. “But once you get across Glitter Creek, it’s nothing.”
“Was the water up?” Poppy asked. Mention of the creek reminded her how she first had crossed it a long time ago—short rock-to-rock leaps, during which she had slipped into the water and almost drowned.
“I took the bridge,” said Lilly. “Now that the dreadful owl—what was his name?”
“Do you mean Mr. Ocax?”
“Right, Ocax. . . . Now that he has left the neighborhood, getting about is so much easier. But Poppy,” Lilly went on, “I should warn you: you’ll find Lungwort changed.”
“How so?”
“He’s not very strong. He spends a lot of time in that old boot of his, sleeping. Not that he wants to give up his authority as the head of the family. You know Lungwort: change is the enemy. So he does complain a lot and is easily agitated.”
“He always was agitated,” said Poppy.
“I suppose,” said Lilly. “And it’s that which makes me offer a suggestion.”
“Which is?”
“It’s about that skunk—Junior’s friend. What’s his name?”
“Mephitis.”
“Yes, something odd. While, I will admit, I wish he wasn’t coming along with us, I trust he doesn’t have to actually, well, you know, actually come into Gray House. It would be . . . distressing. To Papa, surely. And everyone else. Skunks, well, smell. And, have you noticed, he belches a lot.”
Poppy stopped walking and faced her sister squarely, pink nose to pink nose. “Lilly,” she said, “you may be my sister. But you are a snob.”
Lilly laughed lightly. “Now Poppy, someone has to keep up the old standards!”
“I’m afraid you and I have different standards.” Upset, Poppy let her sister move ahead and waited until Junior and Mephitis caught up to her.
As soon as the youngsters saw that Poppy was waiting for them, they became quiet. “How are you getting along?” she asked them.
“That’s a stupid question,” said Junior.
Poppy, ignoring Junior’s remark, said, “Mephitis, have you traveled much?”
“Nope.” He avoided looking at her.
“It was nice of your parents to allow you to come along. I know Junior appreciates it.”
“Yeah.”
“I should like to meet them some day.”
The skunk lifted his tail and waved it, but didn’t reply.
“Have you any brothers or sisters?”
“Guess so.”
“Only guess?”
“Haven’t seen them in a while.”
“Why is that?”
“Mama,” cried Junior, “do you have to be so nosey all the time?”
“Junior,” said Poppy, “I’m just trying to get to know your friend a little better.”
“That’s okay,” said Mephitis to Junior. “See,” he said to Poppy, glancing at her before averting his eyes again, “I don’t see my brother or sister because I don’t live at home.”
“You don’t?”
“Nope.”
“Then whom do you live with?”
The skunk shrugged. “I’m . . . on my own.”
Poppy stopped. “Are you saying you don’t live with your parents?”
Mephitis shook his head.
“Why is that?”
“Because,” cried Junior, “he’s lazy, spoiled, self-centered, and a bad influence on everybody. All he does is make trouble and a lot of mess, so no one ought to have to put up with him.”
“I also stink too much,” said Mephitis, grinning.
Poppy closed her eyes.
“The way I see it, Miss Poppy,” Mephitis went on, “families are old stuff.”
“Aren’t you glad you asked?” Junior said to Poppy.
“Mephitis, it seems to me—,” Poppy began to say, only to decide such talk was useless. Instead, she turned away and walked alone, her good mood completely gone.
CHAPTER 9
Something Ahead
IT WAS LILLY, walking in the lead, who was the first to realize that something unusual lay ahead. When Poppy caught up to her, she had stopped walking and was standing tall on her hind legs, her whiskers twitching as she sniffed.
“What’s the matter?” said Poppy.
“Shhh!” Lilly whispered. “Ahead of us. I don’t know what it is, but it’s not right.”
“What is it?”
“Listen.”
Poppy did so, her pink tail stiff with tension, her large ears shifted forward. What she heard was the sound of bushes being tossed and broken. A musky smell filled the air.
“What do you think it is?” said Lilly.
“I have no idea,” said Poppy.
“We need to go a different way,” said Lilly, backing up.
“Don’t you think we should see what it is first?” said Poppy.
“Don’t be foolish, Poppy,” snapped Lilly. “It’s always better to avoid danger before it happens. We can go a different way.”
“But isn’t this the most direct trail?” asked Poppy.
Even as they debated, Junior and Mephitis caught up to them. “What’s happening?” said Junior. “What are you two arguing about?”
“Shhh!” Lilly said. “There’s something ahead.”
“You mean the trees?” said Junior.
Mephitis, turning to Junior, laughed and said, “No, the bushes.”
“Whooping big fat deal,” said Junior with a grin.
“Very whooping big fat deal,” said the skunk. He lifted a paw. Junior slapped it. That brought more laughter.
“You are both acting immature and unenlightened!” said Lilly. “I am not going another inch forward.”
“Then stay here,” said Poppy. “I’ll go and check.”
“Yeah,” said Junior. “Me, too.”
“You will not,” said Poppy. “You’ll stay here until I see what it is.”
“Stop treating me like a baby,” said Junior.
“I’ll stop when you stop acting like one,” Poppy returned. “Now stay!”
Junior muttered something under his breath that Poppy was glad she did not hear. But she did hear Lilly say, “Poppy, as always, you are taking unnecessary risks and putting us in jeopardy.”
Poppy bristled. “I like taking risks,” she snapped. “I’ll be right back.” As she went, she glanced back to make sure the others remained behind. “So silly,
