Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 "How do I look, Mary?" Bob asked, flicking his tail. "You clean up nice," Mary answered. "Thank you. You do too," Bob replied. "We might just be the fanciest squirrels on the block!" "What about me?" came their friend Larry's voice, sounding muffled.

"Quiet! You don't need to be fancy. You just need to stay put." Mr. Nemesis held his paw over a knothole in the walnut tree, trapping Larry inside. "You're my insurance that Bob and Mary will do what they're supposed to do." "What are they supposed to do, again?" Larry asked from inside the tree. Mr. Nemesis shook his head, annoyed. "For the 147th time, Bob and Mary will bring a gift to Merle and Pearl—" Mary held up an acorn with a tiny red ribbon tied around it. "Got it!" "—Bob and Mary will then invite Merle and Pearl to dinner," Mr. Nemesis continued. "Bob! Line!" Bob cleared his throat and recited, "Hello, neighbors. Mary and I would be delighted to have you over for dinner tonight. We have a special surprise for you. Please follow us."

"Ooh! What kind of surprise?!" Larry yelled from the hole. "Me!" Mr. Nemesis shouted. "I'm the surprise!" "They're not gonna like that!" Larry said. Bob and Mary didn't like it either. The thought of tricking fellow squirrels, even if they were strangers, into a trap didn't sit right with them. But with their friend held hostage, they had little choice but to go along with the cat's plot. "Oh, I suspect they won't." Mr. Nemesis grinned as his tail waved slowly back and forth. "But I'll be having

squirrel for dinner tonight one way or the other. If not Merle and Pearl, then Larry here." Larry squeaked with dismay. "Please hurry, Bob and Mary!"