"Inventing the Future"

Author's Note: Okay, WanderingSoulofTime...you asked for it. So, here ya go! By the way, everyone, check out his stuff. It's awesome!

"Chapter 25: Pau's Instant Karma"

Pau whistled through his large, rabbit-like teeth as he jogged in the direction of Jaming's garage, a leather satchel containing a care package bouncing on his back. As Jaming had feared, Meredith had caught his flu, so the two sickies had more or less quarantined themselves in the garage in an effort to keep the bug from spreading.

Not for the first time, Pau wondered to himself what those two did in there all day. Meredith didn't want Jaming to exhaust himself with work, and Jaming was now insisting that Meredith get the rest she needed. Though the way the blue-hued inventor put it, 'turnabout is fair play'. There wasn't even a television in there; Jaming claimed that he never watched it, so owning one was pointless.

'Oh, well. They're probably just lying around doing nothing, like sick people do.'

When Pau reached the garage, though, he paused at the sound of voices coming from inside. Curious, he pressed his ear to the door and listened.

"I think mine's a little misshapen," This was Jaming's voice.

'Huh?' Pau frowned.

"It looks fine to me," replied Meredith.

"Well, if you say so...I'm not very experienced. Now, do I just stick this in there?"

Pau's eyes widened and he covered his mouth, appalled. 'No, they can't be...'

"Whenever you're ready," said Meredith. There was a moment or two during which neither of them said anything, and then she gave a sharp yelp. "Ouch!"

"Are you all right?" Jaming was heard shifting a bit, and he sounded very concerned.

"Of course," she chuckled, "It's just a little prick."

Pau shook his head violently as if trying to dislodge water from his ears and muttered, "No way..."

"Did you hear something?" Jaming asked Meredith, and Pau froze.

"Nope. Hm, you're doing a pretty good job!"

More shifting, as if someone was changing position or getting comfortable, then Jaming swore quietly. "Drat...I can't find the silly thing..."

"I think you're sitting on it."

"Oh, you're right. Here it is."

Pau covered his mouth as an almighty laugh began to bubble up from inside him. Were they really doing what he thought they might be doing? He knew that he should walk away and pretend he hadn't heard a thing, but his curiosity wouldn't allow him to leave until he knew for sure.

He didn't want to just walk in, though. Jaming occasionally became very cross with him when he did that, and he was slowly learning the art of 'knocking and waiting'. And if they were up to no good in there, he didn't want to get caught listening, or to let them know that they had been caught.

Then he noticed that the curtains were open, and he thought to himself, 'Just about anyone who passed by could look in and see what they were doing!'

Maybe he should knock on the door and run away, just to get their attention, and then they might notice that they had left the curtains open.

Maybe just a quick peek first. He knew that humans were different, but he didn't know precisely how, and rather than having a perverted interest in their illicit activities he was genuinely interested to know exactly how it worked. Was it the same as it was for Moon People?

Pau glanced around for something to stand on, and he found a small plastic bucket. That would probably do nicely. He placed it underneath the window and got on top of it, standing on the toes of one foot to peek over the edge of the sill.

Jaming and Meredith were in bed, all right. There the two of them sat, as innocent as could be. Fully-clothed, on top of the covers, and Meredith was quite obviously teaching Jaming how to make puka shell necklaces to pass the time. The table beside the bed was covered with flu paraphernalia, and the waste basket was nearly full to overflowing with snotty tissues.

Pau wasn't sure if he was relieved or disappointed. And the next thing he knew, the bucket he was standing on tipped over because he had leaned forward too far, and as he fell he knocked over a large bird feeder. "Ow!"

"Now, I know I heard that!" Jaming was heard climbing over Meredith, who complained that he couldn't just wait a minute for her to move out of the way, and the door was nearly ripped open. "Pau! What do you think you're doing?"

Pau was already getting up and he dusted himself off, glad that his fur hid his flushing cheeks. "I, uh...I brought you two a care package. Here ya go."

Jaming raised an eyebrow as Pau dug a small box out of his satchel and tossed it to him, and he scratched his head as he watched him run off.

"What was that all about?" Meredith came up behind him, holding a half-finished puka shell necklace. Her thumb had a tiny puncture mark from the thin needle she had used to string the shells.

Jaming slowly shook his head, analyzing Pau's embarrassed reaction, their previous conversation, and the overturned bucket. Then it clicked, and he began to laugh. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but I think Pau might have jumped to an embarrassing conclusion."

A moment later Jaming was coughing, and the two of them went back inside.

Meredith, for once, was way more upset about this than Jaming was, and her cheeks were now as red as her nose. "Serves him right, the little peeping tom..."

Note: What were you thinking? Sickos...