Grandma Robot by Fay Risner Read Free Book Online Page B

rat
skittered behind Henie and burrowed into a pile of hay before Karen
had time to squeal. “Henie, let's get out of here. The barn is full
of rats.”
    Henie stopped staring in the manger
and turned with her hands on her hips. “You live in the country
long enough you won't let a few little critters bother you. You
will get used to them. Take it from me. I know. Now come over here.
I found Sock.”
    Skirting way out around the hay
pile, Karen watched around her feet so she didn't step on another
rat as she rushed to the manger. “Is that cat sick? If he is, I
don't him in the house anymore. You hear me.”
    “Sock isn't sick. She's bringing
this old barn back to life. It's been years since an animal gave
birth in here, not counting the mice and rats, of course. As a bird
fluttered over head, she amended, “Sparrows and barn swallows,
too.”
    Karen's mouth fell open. Henie was
holding a tiny black kitten. The kitten was so new it didn't have
its eyes open. “Sock is a female!”
    “That's right. Look at that pretty
litter of kittens. No wonder she didn't want to come when I called.
She was busy,” Henie said excitedly. “Here, take this one, and I'll
pick another one to hold.” As soon as she handed the kitten to
Karen, its face turned ugly, it's claws came out and it sputtered
at her.
    Karen let go of the kitten. It fell
back in the manger. Henie gasped as Sock reached out and pawed the
baby back into the boiling mass of legs and tails.
    “I don't blame you, Sock, for
wanting to protect your babies from Karen. Don't worry. She will
learn how to hold your kitties. Henie held her kitten out to Karen.
“The little darlings spat, because they can't see, but they won't
hurt you. Try again?”
    Karen put her arms behind her back.
“No, thanks. You didn't tell me Sock was a female cat.”
    “You didn't ask. Besides, I didn't
know she was expecting. If I had I would have smuggled her up to my
room,” Henie said.
    “You wouldn't have!” Karen
countered.
    “Oh yes, I would have,” Henie
declared.
    “Don't think of doing it now. I
didn't like one cat in the house. I don't want a house full of
cats,” Karen said.
    “You really don't know anything
about cats, do you? I can't move Sock and her family now. She might
stop taking care of the kittens. That means they have to stay where
they are until Sock moves them,” Henie said with disdain. “She
seems content right where she is. Matter a fact, this old manger
has seen plenty of kittens.”
    Karen narrowed her eyes at Henie.
“And you know this fact how?”
    Henie said in exasperation. “Just
look around. One time this was a working barn used for cattle and
horses. Cats were welcome by Clell to keep down the mice and
rats.”
    “That's true, but Sock isn't doing
her job. I just saw a live rat,” Karen argued.
    “She has more on her mind than
hunting food right now,” defended Henie. “I'm going back to the
house and get her pan. It should be here close so she doesn't have
to be far from her kittens.”
    As they walked back across the
yard, Henie asked, “You said Amy would be coming. How long before
she comes for me?”
     

Chapter 7
     
    Karen explained, “I think that
depends on me. When I tell her you're ready to sell to a customer,
she'll take you back to the lab. Maybe two or three weeks from
now.”
    “Is that all the time I have
here?” Henie reached down for the cat's pan, hugged it to her and
turned around. She paused to study the barn, the pasture and the
grove of cottonwood trees behind the fence with the most dejected
glance. With a heavy sigh, she ambled away.
    Karen walked with Henie to the barn
long enough to set the cat bowl in the manger. After a glimpse at
her watch, she decided she'd wasted enough of her time. She
insisted Henie go back to the house with her. Henie consented, but
she grumbled she was only leaving the cat because she still had to
do kitchen cleanup.
    Karen started typing, but she had
trouble keeping her mind on her