Aidan giggled. “Who’s that?” he asked, pointing at a photo on the next page. I peered at it, and then I started laughing.
“That’s David!” I said. The photo was of seven-year-old David in the garden with Mom. He was wearing one of her floppy sun hats and waving at the camera. Behind him were a row of bulbs and a trowel.
Aidan started laughing, too. “That’s how he knew they were daffodils!” he said. “He used to help Mom garden just like I do!”
“I totally don’t remember that,” I said. “We should keep it in mind next time he teases us.”
“Yeah,” Aidan said with a delighted grin.
King poked his nose under my arm to find out why we were paying attention to something that wasn’t him.
“Sorry, King,” I said. “Here, Aidan, you give him a treat. He really likes these.” I showed Aidan how to hold his hand flat and near the ground. “Stay still so he’ll come close to you.”
King sniffed the air, blinked at Aidan, and then looked at me like, Really? This guy? Are you sure this is a good idea?
“Go on, King,” I said. “Good boy. Good dog.”
He licked one of his paws, and then he took a dainty step forward and slurped the treat off of Aidan’s hand.
“Yay!” Aidan said. “He did it!”
“Do that a few more times,” I said, packing the album away again. “I’ll go hide his toys so we can play hide-and-seek. And maybe later, if he’ll come to you, we can practice teaching him his name.”
“Really?” Aidan said. He looked like he still couldn’t believe I was really talking to him. “You don’t mind if I play with him?”
“I don’t want to be like David,” I said. “I think Bowser would be happier if he could play with the rest of us. Did you see him with King out in the yard?”
Aidan nodded. “That was so funny!”
“King loved it, too,” I said, “and I want him to be able to play like that with other people.” I stroked King’s smooth brown head. “As long as you still like me best, Lord Sausage.” He thumped his tail on the attic floor and gave me an adoring look.
Aidan cracked up. “Lord Sausage! That’s awesome!”
“It was David’s suggestion,” I admitted. “I’ve decided it’s King’s secret code name.”
“I won’t tell anyone,” Aidan promised. He took another treat out of the bag and held it out. “Here, King,” he said. “Who’s a good dog?”
King turned away from me to investigate the treat, and I snuck off to hide the giraffe and the zebra. When I looked back from behind the mirror, I saw Aidan laughing as King licked his whole hand clean.
King was still my dog. Sharing him with Aidan or even Bowser wouldn’t change that. And if he helped me to remember how to be a good brother, then he’d already be making our house a more fun place for everyone. There was no chance Mom would send him away once she realized that.
Besides, if I had to admit it, hanging out with Aidan was actually not that bad.
King noticed that I was gone and whirled around, searching the attic with his shining dark eyes. His long brown ears swung back and forth as he looked for me. I tucked the giraffe into the corner of a bookshelf and jumped out into the open so my dog could see me.
“OK, King!” I called, spreading my arms. “Come find it!”
In addition to the New York Times- and USA Today-bestselling Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland is the author of several books for young readers, including the Menagerie trilogy, the Pet Trouble series, and three books in the bestselling Seekers series (as part of the Erin Hunter team). In 2009, she was a two-day champion on Jeopardy! She lives in Massachusetts with her wonderful husband, two adorable sons, and one very patient dog. To learn more about Tui’s books, visit her online at www.tuibooks.com.
Copyright © 2010 by Tui T. Sutherland.
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Inc.
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First printing, April 2010
Cover photo by Michael Frost
Cover design by Yaffa Jaskoll
e-ISBN 978-0-545-79529-6
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Tui T. Sutherland, Dachshund Disaster
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