"Oh, dear, Sigismund is coming back already," said Orly, who was standing sentry in the lobby of Lake Serene Retirement Village.

"The cake is just barely out of the oven," Betty Boop fretted. "It should really cool for fifteen minutes before the icing goes on."

"If we both work on it we can get it done in time," Beatrice said. "We can serve the caviar on crackers with champagne first. That'll give us plenty of time. And we won't need to put 65 candles on the cake. Five would be enough."

"Two small problems with that," Renfrew said. "The gourmet shop was out of caviar and champagne. They had some nice sharp cheddar cheese and triscuits. And there's always peanut butter."

Sigismund opened the front door. "Surprise! Happy birthday!" Renfrew and Curlew said together. Sigismund acted surprised. He sat in his favorite easy chair while four of the five androids swarmed around him with funny party hats, cups of hot coffee, and a platter of triscuits topped with chunks of Vermont cheddar cheese.

"We have a cake for you, and it will be ready after you've opened your presents," Betty Boop said. The first present was a book by Marvella about decluttering. Sigismund rolled his eyes. Then came a cardigan sweater with a pattern that looked a lot like something he had seen in Marvella's catalog. Were all the presents going to be from Marvella's catalog? The next one was a can of mixed nuts, and the one after that was a Gigantazon gift certificate. The fifth was an apron with a huge winking image of Betty Boop on it. Three guesses who that was from!

Sigismund paused for a second after unwrapping the gifts, at which point Curlew took him aside for a private chat in the coat room. "I know no one had a chance to tell you this, but three of the androids went to the Wellwood graveyard to dig up Orly. They brought him to my shop for repairs, which were completed this morning. I hope the surprise of seeing him wasn't too much of a shock."

"I'm afraid I already knew," Sigismund said. "The lady who lives across from the library in Canhambury asked me into her kitchen for cookies this afternoon. She stepped out for a few minutes, and her cat led me up to her computer room, where this condo is being monitored. I saw you getting ready for this party. I'm touched by your kindness. By the way, I wonder how all of you were able to pay for all this."

"We charged it to your credit card. They will reimburse you, of course. Renfrew is addressing Christmas cards for Madeleine Monet, the blind lady in Condo 42."

"Bless his heart!"

"She's paying him ten dollars an hour. The rest of us are looking for ways to earn money. If you go to Mallwart's some day and see a Santa Claus who looks a lot like me, don't be surprised."

Paulh

22.05.23 Front Page

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