โLibrary?โ Elizabeth asked Six-Thirty about five weeks later. โIโve got an appointment with Dr. Mason later today and Iโd like to return these books first. Iโm thinking you might enjoyย Moby-Dick.ย Itโs a story about how humans continually underestimate other life-forms. At their peril.โ
In addition to the receptive learning technique, Elizabeth had been reading aloud to him, long ago replacing simple childrenโs books with far weightier texts. โReading aloud promotes brain development,โ sheโd told him, quoting a research study sheโd read. โIt also speeds vocabulary accumulation.โ It seemed to be working because, according to her notebook, he now knew 391 words.
โYouโre a very smart dog,โ sheโd told him just yesterday, and he longed to agree, but the truth was, he still didnโt understand what โsmartโ meant. The word seemed to have as many definitions as there were species, and yet humansโwith the exception of Elizabethโseemed to only recognize โsmartโ if and when it played by their own rules. โDolphins are smart,โ theyโd say. โBut cows arenโt.โ This seemed partly based on the fact that cows didnโt do tricks. In Six-Thirtyโs view that made cows smarter, not dumber. But again, what did he know?
Three hundred ninety-one words, according to Elizabeth. But really, only 390.
Worse, heโd just learned that English wasnโt the only human language. Elizabeth revealed that there were hundreds, maybe thousands of others, and that no human spoke them all. In fact, most people spoke only oneโ
maybe twoโunless they were something called Swiss and spoke eight. No wonder people didnโt understand animals. They could barely understand each other.
At least she realized he would not be able to draw. Drawing seemed to be the way young children preferred to communicate, and he admired their efforts even if their results fell short of the mark. Not a day went by when he didnโt witness little fingers earnestly pressing their chunky chalks into the sidewalk, their impossible houses and primitive stick figures filling the cement with a story no one understood but themselves.
โ
โWhat a pretty picture!โ he heard a mother say earlier that week as she looked down on her childโs ugly, violent scribble. Human parents, heโd noted, had a tendency to lie to their children.
โItโs a puppy,โ her child said, her hands covered in chalk. โAnd such a pretty puppy!โ the mother rejoined.
โNo,โย the child said, โitโs not pretty. The puppyโs dead. It gotย killed!โ Which Six-Thirty, after a second, closer look, found disturbingly accurate.
โIt isย notย a dead puppy,โ the mother said sternly. โIt is aย veryย happy puppy, and it isย eatingย a bowl of ice cream.โ At which point the frustrated child flung the chalk across the grass and stomped off for the swings.
He retrieved it. A gift for the creature.
โ
They walked the five blocks together, Elizabeth in a shirtdress that strained at her bump, striding as if going off to war. On her back was a bright red satchel stuffed with books; on his, bike messenger panniers repurposed for all the extra books her satchel could not hold.
โIโm starving,โ she said aloud as they walked, the air heavy with November. โI could eat a horse. Iโve been monitoring my urine, analyzing my hair proteins, andโฆโ
This was true. Sheโd been tracking her urineโs glucose levels, noting the amino acid chain of her hairโs keratin, and analyzing her bodyโs temperature in their lab for the last two months. It wasnโt clear to Six-Thirty what any of it meant, but he was relieved to see her taking more interest in their creature
โmore scientific interest at least. Her only practical preparation had been the purchase of thick white cloth squares and several dangerous-looking pins. Sheโd also purchased three tiny outfits that looked like sacks.
โIt sounds fairly straightforward,โ she told him as they strode down the street. โIโll experience prelabor, then labor. Weโve still got two weeks to go, Six-Thirty, but I think itโs good to think about these things now. The important thing to remember,โ she said, โis that when the time comes, we stay calm.โ
But Six-Thirty was not calm. Her water had broken several hours earlier. She hadnโt noticed because sheโd expelled only a modest amount of moisture, but heโd noticed because he was a dog. The scent was unmistakable. As for her hunger pains, they werenโt hunger pains; they were prelabor contractions. As they neared the libraryโs front door, the creature decided to make things a bit clearer.
โOh,โ Elizabeth moaned, doubling over. โOh my goddddd.โ
โ
Thirteen hours later, Dr. Mason held the infant up for an exhausted Elizabeth to see.
โThatโs a big one,โ he said, looking at the baby as if heโd just reeled in a catch. โDefinitely a rower. Donโt quote me, but I think sheโll row port.โ He looked down at Elizabeth. โGood job, Miss Zott. And you did it all without anesthesia. I told you all that erging would come in handy. Sheโs got great lungs.โ He peered at the babyโs tiny hands as if imagining future calluses. โYouโll both be with us for a few days. Iโll swing by your room tomorrow. In the meantime, rest.โ
But worried about Six-Thirty, Elizabeth checked herself out the very next morning.
โAbsolutelyย not,โ the head nurse said. โCompletely against protocol. Dr.
Mason will have a fit.โ
โTell him I need to erg,โ she said. โHeโll approve.โ
โErg?โย the nurse practically shouted as Elizabeth dialed for a cab. โWhat isย erg?โ
โ
Thirty minutes later, Elizabeth walked up the driveway, the baby tucked snugly against her chest, her heart pounding with relief at the sight of Six-Thirty, panniers still on, sitting like a sentry at the front door.
Oh my god,ย Six-Thirty panted,ย oh my god oh my god youโre alive youโre alive oh my god I was so worried.
She bent down and showed him the bundle.
The creature wasโsniffโย a girl!
โItโs a girl,โ Elizabeth told him, smiling.
Hello, Creature! Itโs me! Six-Thirty! Iโve been worried sick!
โIโm so sorry,โ she said, unlocking the door. โYou must be starving. Itโsโโshe consulted her watchโโnine twenty-two. You havenโt eaten in more than twenty-four hours.โ
Six-Thirty wagged his tail in excitement. Just as some families give their children names starting with the same letter (Agatha, Alfred) and others prefer the rhyme (Molly, Polly) his family went by the clock. He was named Six-Thirty to commemorate the exact time theyโd become a family. And now he knew what the creature would be called.
Hello, Nine Twenty-Two!ย he communicated.ย Welcome to life on the outside! How was the trip? Please, come in, come in! Iโve got chalk!
As the three of them bustled through the door, a strange joy filled the air. For the first time since Calvinโs death, it felt as if theyโd turned a corner.
Until ten minutes later when the creature started to cry and everything fell apart.