car pool
By ROSEL GEORGE BROWN
Certainly alien children ought
to be fed ... but to human kids?
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Worlds of If Science Fiction, July 1959.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
"Happy birthday to you," we all sang, except Gail, of course, who wasstill screaming, though not as loud.
"Well, now," I said jovially, glancing nervously about at the other airtraffic, "what else can we all sing?" The singing seemed to be workingnicely. They had stopped swatting each other with their lunch boxes andmy experienced ear told me Gail was by this time forcing herself toscream. This should be the prelude to giving up and enjoying herself.
"Boing down in Texas in eighteen-ninety," Billy began, "Davy, DavyEisenhower...."
"A-B-C-D-E—" sang Jacob.
"Dere was a little 'elicopter red and blue," Meli chirped, "flew alongde air-ways—"
The rest came through unidentifiably.
"Ba-ba-ba," said a faint voice. Gail had given up. I longed for earsin the back of my head because victory was mine and all I needed to dowas reinforce it with a little friendly conversation.
"Yes, dear?" I asked her encouragingly.
"Ba-ba-ba," was all I could make out.
"Yes, indeed. That Gail likes to go to Playplace."
"Ba-ba-ba!" A little irritable. She was trying to say somethingimportant. "Ba-ba-ba!"
I signaled for an emergency hover, turned around and presented my ear.
"Me eat de crus' of de toas'," Gail said. She beamed.
I beamed.
We managed to reach Playplace without incident, except for a man whocalled me an obscenity. The children and I, however, called him agreat, big alligator head and on the whole, I think, we won. After all,how can a man possibly be right when faced with a woman and eight tinychildren?
I herded the children through the Germ Detection Booth and Gail wasreturned to me with an incipient streptococcus infection.
"Couldn't you give her the shot here?" I asked. "I've just got her ina good mood, and if I have to turn around and take her back home ...and besides, her mother works. There won't be anyone there."
"Verne, dear, we can't risk giving the shot until the child isperfectly adjusted to Playplace. You see, she'd connect the pain ofthe shot with coming to school and then she might never adjust."Mrs. Baden managed to give me her entire attention and hold atwo-and-a-half-year-old child on one shoulder and greet each enteringchild and break up a fight between two ill-matched four-year-olds, allat the same time.
"Me stay at school," Gail said resolutely.
There was a scream from the other side of the booth. That was Billy'sbest friend. I waited for the other scream. That was Billy.
"Normal aggression," Mrs. Baden said with a smile.
I picked up Gail. Act first, talk later.
"Oh, there she is," Mrs. Baden said, taking my elbow with what couldonly be a third hand.
Having heard we'd have a Hiserean child in Billy's group, I managed notto look surprised.
"Mrs. His-tara, this is Verne Barrat. Her Billy will be in Hi-nin'sgroup."
I was immediately frozen with indecision. Should I shake hands