Ian had certain rights. He had the right to say "no" if his boss asked him something he didn't feel comfortable with. He had the right for privacy, that no one could open his mail. Money was so tight Ian was thinking of getting a roommate to share the costs with. And he had the right of self-decision. Ian was downstairs, the Man Cave of Mr. Sparrow's brother, one giant screen TV, two more closed rooms he wasn't allowed to look at, and a pool table with a rack attached to the wall lined with cuesticks. Ian was using a PDA to look at pictures of dinosaurs.

Ian was baffled. Why would Mr. Canary think Ian was a good choice to take care of his museum? He wasn't old. Mr. Sparrow was only fifty or sixty years old. If you said someone was old at that age, you could turn up missing. Ian had his moment with Chewy. When Mr. Canary's brother heard the dog yelping outside he walked outside to comfort the dog, that's when Ian walked outside with him and hugged the dog. Chewy was very affectionate, which was because he was a young dog. Ian rubbed Chewy's fluffy back, than pulled on his ears, the dog acted like it was going to lick Ian but didn't. Than a man wearing fleece-lined boats walked into the house.

Ian was shivering. It was really cold outside. It felt like Fall even though the season was Summer. Ian envied the pet leopard gecko the Canary's kept in a cage. A fact about dinosaurs. Early dinosaurs were all rather small, ornithopods, fleet-footed plant-eaters. And there were two distinct groups of dinosaurs, the saurischian dinosaurs and the ornithischian dinosaurs. The saurischian dinosaurs were dinosaurs were the tall dinosaurs that ate plants and meat and the ornithischian's were the dinosaurs that were small and ate only plants. Ian wondered about there X and Y chromosomes.

Ian walked back inside. He walked up to a man with brown waspy hair and tapped his shoulder lightly. This man was bespectacled, wore a blue-white polka-dotted bowtie, and had what looked like red mold growing in his right lip.

" Excuse me," Ian said as politely as he could. " Where does Mrs. Canary keep the soda?"

" Don't be drinking pop," the man said, his voice was waspish from his cold sore. " We'll be having dinner soon." After he finished talking he took out a folded piece of paper towel from his pockets and rubbed it against his sore spot. After rubbing it against his chin he threw the piece of paper towel in the trash.

Before Ian went down to dinner he asked Mrs. Canary where the bathroom was and washed her hands. Ian knew there were rules if you wanted to wash your hands in someone's house. First, you had to know the person before you ask them that question and you can't be there all day because their are other people waiting. If you just walked into some strangers house and ask them to use their bathroom. Ian's hands were under the table, where he had his napkin. Ian wasn't allowed to eat until Mr. Canary, the curator,

" We thank thee Lord for all the blessings you bestowed on us, all the blessings you've given us, we're all thankful to you, amen."

" Amen."

It was finally time to eat. All the meat was well cooked. There was lamb, baked potatoes, potato salad, and sushi. Ian didn't know what kind of family gave sushi with lamb, but it was a birthday party. The birthday boy could have whatever he wanted for his birthday. Ian heard the sound of someone padding silently down the stairs. He turned around and saw the owner of the house Mr. Canary walking to his sweat. He wore a woolen jumper and kissed the back of his wife's hand as he sat down.

" Impeccable timing as always," Ian's boss chuckled.

" Mr. and Mrs. Canary," Ian said. " Forgive me if I sound a little presumptuous, but where did you two meet?"

" Ah, it was in college," Mr. Canary said. Ian wished they weren't sitting down, because he wanted to write this down on his parcel. " Dianna and I knew each other since first grade, but we were only friends back then. I was the smart one who liked things people thought was weird. My favorite things to do were to read and have afternoon naps. Dianna was the strong girl who pushed bullies away. She liked to throw her wait around. Dianna and I both just went through two break-ups. Then we both got drunk and slept in a hotel. I remember the rummaging drum of rain outside. Neither of us wanted to go so we waited until the rain drained."

" He was scared," Dianna giggled. " Mark here has a fear of thunder. " There wasn't a fringe of white clouds outside. So we slept in the half-light of dawn until the rain stopped, but we still didn't want to leave. Mark wanted two kids and I wanted two kids."

" So you pended this to happen?"

" I don't want to bore everyone with my brother's love life," the curator said. " We're just glad Mark is alive and still as healthy as a horse."

" That's not true," Ian said. " Horses only live or thirty years."

" Then he's as healthy as a young calf. I'm just happy he is old enough to be retired. In just twenty years he won't have to work again. Insurance will pay for his medical bills and he can swim all he wants. It's a glorious time we live in. We have white wine, internet, and more opportunities for men and women in the job career."

" Mommy, mommy," a five year old boy, his hair tumbled over his forehead. " I see a bird. A bird."

A man wearing a black jacket, the boy's father, rubbed his sons hair. " Yes, Cashel, that's called a sparrow."

" What is it?" Cashel asked.

" A sparrow, son."

" What is it?" Cashel asked.

" A sparrow."

Ian wondered where the son was seeing a sparrow in the middle of the dinner table. He saw a window with a nest on the periphery side of a tree branch. The father did not yell at his son nor did he tell him to be quiet. The father just kissed the mole on his neck and rubbed his son's head.

" Ian."

Ian winced in surprise. The curator grabbed his elbows and it frightened Ian. Ian instinctively raised his elbows and hit the curator in his face. Ian hit the curator in his nasal. Ian got out of his chair and raised his hands.

" I'm so sorry," he said.

The curator was old but he wasn't weak. His choice of diet and time at the gym made him strong. Ian saw him as a Dryptosaurus. Dinosaur lizards had the blood of crocodiles. On cold days their muscles worked better than warm days. It seemed the curator has this kind of blood.

" It's okay. Really, I'm fine. But I would like to speak to you in private."

XXX

Ian didn't know what he did wrong. He talked to everyone in Mr. Canary's family and even said nice things to all of them. Ian didn't eat anything before dinner and never went to the bathroom or took a shower in their house. Why would Mr. Canary want to fire him to hire another janitor, for some comment Ian made that might have offended his familyIan just couldn't think of a reason.

Ian was quiet. Mr. Canary was holding a black suitcase. A number-bar lock was installed on the briefcase. " Do you know what the greatest thing an archeologist can discover, Ian?" Mr. Canary asked.

" I-I don't know," Ian stuttered, he was still afraid he was going to hit the can.

" Anything. Anything a archeologist discovers, form the itty-bites of an arrowhead, to a Canopic jars, The Lost Tribes of Israel, and of course fossils. We live in a dystopian of superannuation and low class presidents. Kids don't care about the museum anymore. They care more about arcade games and proms. Everyone in my linage is already living decent lives. Except for you, Ian. Here."

Ian finally got to see what Mr. Canary was holding. It was the most beautiful thing Ian had ever seen. It was a fossil vertebrate. Ian saw fish fossils, claw fossils, and plant fossils. Never before had Ian seen a fossil that looked like an egg.

" Is this...for me?"

" No. I wanted to show it to you to show you how much more money I make for you, idiotof course it's for you. I want you to take this home with you."

" Really?"

" It's yours now."

" Thank you. It's nice that you would take it from the museum to give it to me."

" I didn't take it from the museum."

" What?"

" I found it in my backyard."