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“You dug a hole?” I asked, surprised. How had I missed this?

“Yeah. I didn’t want to trespass, so I haven’t used it, but I dug it just in case. I like to dig. I dug a hole on the other side, too, and I’m planning to dig another one underneath the back fence so I can explore that nice patch of land behind Kurt’s. I think it’s probably full of nicesurprises.”

The only surprise she was going to find were a family of moles who’d come to consider that patch of land their own, and of course the sheep that grazed there.

“Come with us,” said Dooley now, as he led the way into Marge and Tex’s backyard. “We’ll show you Harriet’s litter box and you can use it to your little heart’s content.”

“Ooh, this is so exciting!” said Fifi, her button nose twitching and her tail wagging.

“Is it clean, though?” I asked, not wanting to suffer the embarrassment of offering a guest a dirty litter box.

“Oh, sure. Marge cleaned it this morning,” said Dooley, “and put in a fresh layer of litter. And since Harriet has been out and about all day, I don’t think she’s had a chance to use it yet.”

“Great,” I said.

“She won’t be happy, though,” Dooley said.

“That can’t be helped,” I said sternly. “You can’t go around extolling the benefits of the litter revolution and then deny those same dogs the use of a freshly catered litter box.”

Harriet had done a number on Fifi, and now she’d have to face the consequences.

So we led Fifi into Marge and Tex’s backyard, through the pet flap and into the house, where we soon found Harriet’s litter box, and watched on as Fifi set reverent paw inside.

She looked as if she were entering a holy temple, or some holy shrine, and it warmed my heart to see the doggie as happy as a clam. She was even singing as she did her thing.

“It touches my heart, Max,” said Dooley. “I think I’m going to cry.”

“It’s all right, Dooley,” I said, rubbing his back. “You did a good thing. You made a little doggie happy.”

“It’s so nice to do a good deed. I think I should probably do more of them.”

“You can do as many good deeds as you like. In fact you can do a good deed every day from now on. Just like the boy scouts.”

“Do they do good deeds every day?”

“Oh, yes, they do. Like helping old ladies cross the road, or carry their groceries.”

Or introducing sweet little Yorkshire Terriers to the delights of the litter box.

Fifi, who’d done what she came there to do, now emerged from the box. She was smiling from ear to ear, and there was a glow on her face that was nice to see.

“I feel different already,” she intimated. “Do I look different?”

“Oh, yes, you do,” said Dooley. “You’re glowing.”

“It’s my skin,” she said happily. “I can feel my skin changing, and my fur, it’s more shiny already.” She checked her legs. “Though I don’t see that increased muscularity.”

“It might take some time,” I said, not wanting to disappoint the doggie.

“Great,” she said. “So until Kurt buys me my own litter box I’ll simply keep going to Harriet’s. Thanks, you guys. You’re real life-savers.”

And with these words, she exited the kitchen, whistling a pleasant tune.

Chapter 26

“How did you find us?!” Gran demanded heatedly.

“I may have had something to do with that, Vesta,” said Father Reilly. “Odelia texted me, asking me where we were, and so I told her.”

“Nosy parkers!” Gran cried, shaking an irate fist. “I’m surrounded by nosy parkers sticking their noses where they don’t belong!”

“Father Reilly, I can’t believe you would agree to go along with my grandmother’s crazy scheme,” said Odelia, as she got out of the car. She’d hoped to find her grandmother swiftly, and was now relieved that she had, before any more damage could be done.

“What do you mean?” asked the priest, visibly surprised by these harsh words.

“She’s been telling people that her so-called mission is officially sanctioned by my uncle while it’s not. Uncle Alec doesn’t know the first thing about the CCREC.”

“Liar! I told Alec all about it,” said Gran.

“No, you didn’t. All you told him was that you wanted him to run for mayor, and he said he doesn’t want to, so you decided to go behind his back and tell people he does.”

“Isn’t Alec running for mayor?” asked Father Reilly now.

“Of course not! Uncle Alec is not a politician and he’s never had any political aspirations.”

“Because he’s too lily-livered! My son should grow a spine,” said Gran. “He would make a great mayor, and a great governor and an even better president. And once he’s in the White House I’ll make sure he stays there. He’s not gonna be a lousy one-term president. He’ll do two terms, and if we can change the constitution he’ll do a third and even a fourth.” She smiled. “Wouldn’t that be something? My little boy, a four-term president, and then when he’s through we’ll keep it in the family. Marge is next, and then Odelia, of course, and so on and so forth. We’re never leaving that White House, ever!”

“Gran, you’re nuts,” said Odelia.

“These are not the words of a sane woman, Vesta,” Father Reilly agreed.