Part Two - Books and Barter

"The Ed Council is now underway," Eddy announced as they all sat in his garage. He was at the front on a podium, and he held a small mallet in his hand like a judge. Double D and Ed sat in front of him in small chairs. "The subject of today's discussion is the new kids. We will start by -- yes, Double D?"
"That's incorrect English, Eddy. The SUBJECTS of today's discussion ARE the new kids," Double D said matter-of-factly.
"As I was saying," Eddy continued, annoyed, "we will start by...yes, Ed."
Ed dropped his hand. "What are we doing again?"
Eddy growled. "We will start by going over our targets," he finally finished. He jumped down from the podium and began pacing around the room. "What do we know about these two kids?"
"We know they're rich," Double D said.
"Exactly!" Eddy replied, stopping and looking at him. "That means we can get much more out of them than anyone else!"
"Which means we'll be ripping them off more than anyone else," Double D finished. "But I really don't think that's fair, Eddy, I mean they just got here and --"
"Which means we better get to work," Eddy interrupted. "They'll never see it coming!" He grinned.
Double D sat back in his chair. "It's no use trying to change his mind once it's made up, I suppose," he mused.
"Second, we'll discuss strategy," Eddy continued, going back to his podium. Neither of them said anything, and Double D was fiddling with his thumbs absently. "I'll take suggestions," he added.
Double D was about to raise his hand and say something, but Ed beat him to it. "Ooh, ooh!" He said, waving his arm back and forth.
"Yeah, yeah," Eddy muttered.
"We should gather many snails and throw them over a bridge so the elephants will come and give us peanuts," he said.
"...I think I have a more reasonable and effective idea," Double D said, giving Ed a sideways glance.
"Let's hear it," Eddy sighed.
"Perhaps we should study them for a length of time and find out what they really enjoy," Double D suggested, "that way, we'll know exactly what they'd like to buy, as it were."
"That'll never work," Eddy returned, "and besides, that takes too long."
"We'll waste more time trying to sell them something they don't want, Eddy," Double D shot back.
"Who asked you, anyway? Why don't we try that Johnny thing again, that was good!" Eddy said.
"Johnny is a pest," Ed stated.
"That's the idea, Ed. We can make him even more annoying this time!"
"Do you recall what happened? We were in that box for hours before Rolf got us out!" Double D cut in.
"...We won't use a box this time," Eddy shrugged. Double D shook his head and gave him a look like a mother would a child. "Okay, fine, can that idea," he grumbled. "But I'm fresh out of new ones. Hope you're happy."
"I am in my happy place, guys," Ed said.
"Well, perhaps you should try to think of a new plan while Ed and I go observe the new neighbors," Double D proposed.
"Whatever," Eddy replied.
Double D turned to Ed. "Come on, Ed, let's get started."
"Okey-dokey, Double D," Ed responded, following him out the door.
*****
"Here, Ed, hold me up," Double D said, binoculars in hand. Ed flipped him onto his shoulders so Double D could see over the fence easily. "Ah, there we are," Double D said, adjusting the device and spotting Becky in the backyard. *I wonder where her brother could be?*
Becky was sitting in a chair reading a paper-back book quietly.
"Hm," Double D mumbled. *What book is that she's reading? If I could read the title I could get some similar books. She might go for that.*
Suddenly, she stood. She looked at the page in her book briefly, then began to say something. Double D raised an eyebrow.

"Lords of fire and earth and water,
Lords of rain and wind and snow,
When will come the Old Man's daughter?
Time to come, or long ago?
Born of friend or borne by foe?

Lords of water, earth, and fire,
Lords of snow and wind and rain,
When will come the heart's desire?
Has she come? will come again?
Born, as all life's born, with pain?"

Double D dropped the binoculars. "What the heck is she sing -- woah!" He lost his balance and fell with a loud "thump."
"Huh?" Becky said and ran to the fence. She jumped on it and looked down to see Ed and Double D sprawled out on the ground. "Are you two all right?" She asked. They got up, moaning.
"That wasn't pleasant," Double D said, rubbing his head.
"Did I hurt myself?" Ed asked himself. He checked. "No."
"Were you spying on me?" Becky asked, satisfied they were okay. She glanced at the binoculars briefly, then back at them.
"Spying?" Double D said quickly. "Why would we be --"
"Yes we were," Ed said.
"What for?" Becky continued, genuinely curious.
"Well, uh, we were just uh...observing you. You know, being new to the neighborhood and all," Double D said quickly, throwing his hand over Ed's mouth.
Becky didn't seem to believe them. "I see," she said.
"But I would like to know," Double D continued, "what that --"
"That song I was singing?" Becky replied, a little embarrassed that they had heard that.
"Yes," Double D nodded. "I seem to remember that chant from somewhere. The author's name started with a 'M,' I think."
"Madeleine L'Engle," Becky said.
"Oh, yes! That's the one," Double D said. "I don't read science fiction that often, but her Time Trilogy was wonderful."
"Yeah, this is my third time reading it. But I still thought the second one, "A Wind in the Door," was the best. I gave it to my old teacher back in NC and she never gave it back. I haven't been able to find another one anywhere."
"That's too bad," Double D responded, still holding his hand to Ed's mouth. "Well, we better be going now. Lots of things to do, you know. If you'll excuse us."
"See ya," Becky waved, then disappeared over the fence again.
They dashed off back to Eddy's garage, where he was still sitting and thinking. "Eddy, I know exactly what to do!" Double D said.
"You do?" Eddy asked excitedly, looking up at him.
*****
Becky's little brother was walking around the cul-de-sac with his dog beside him, kicking a rock as he went. "This place is so boring," he said to no one in particular. "I wish we could go back home."
"Make way! Comin' through!" Kevin yelled as he flew by on his bicycle, barely missing him. "Watch where you're going, kid!"
"I really wish we could go back home," he muttered bitterly and kept going without a second glance.
"Go, Kevin!" Nazz said as she watched him, Sarah, Jimmy, and Johnny beside her. The boy walked up to them.
"Hey," he said to get their attention.
"Hi!" Nazz smiled broadly. "I'm Nazz. Do you live around here?"
"Yeah, just down the street," he answered as though he wasn't proud of it.
"This is Sarah, Jimmy, and Johnny," Nazz continued, pointing to each. They all waved.
"...Why are you holding a piece of wood?" He asked Johnny.
"Oh, this is Plank," Johnny replied. "Plank asked you what your name was."
"...Okay..." he said. "I'm Jonathan, but most call me Jon."
"Nice to meet ya, Jon," Johnny said. "Wanna go down to the creek?"
"Sure," Jon responded. He followed Johnny and they were soon out of sight.
"Is he, like, Becky's twin or something?" Nazz asked, not really expecting an answer. "They have the same face!"
"Yeah, creepy," Sarah agreed. "I'd kill myself if I had Ed's face."
"I think both of them are very nice-looking. Becky's face is far more feminine compared to his," Jimmy said.
"Book sale!" Eddy's scratchy voice called out. "Book sale! All the classics at one place! Book sale!"
"A book sale!" Jimmy said. "Come on, Sarah. We have to go look!"
"Okay," Sarah said reluctantly.
"I wonder if they have poetry?" Jimmy mused as they reached the table with books sprawled all over it. Double D was frantically trying to put them all in order.
"Eddy, I told you not to do that until I was ready!" He cried.
Eddy plopped his elbows down on the table when he saw Jimmy and Sarah standing there. All of the books Double D had just set up toppled over each other, and he groaned. "Well, hi there, Jimmy," Eddy said, ignoring Sarah. "Would you like to look at our selection?"
Sarah furrowed her eyebrows, but was silent.
"Oh, yes," Jimmy said, looking around and picking up a book now and then. Sarah crossed her arms and waited. Jimmy gasped as he picked up a certain book, and hid his eyes.
"What is it, Jimmy?" Sarah asked, taking the book and looking at its cover. "Ew, what IS that?"
"That's a cherub," Double D answered. "Err, the way Miss L'Engle depicts them, anyway."
"Cherubs are supposed to be beautiful," Jimmy said.
"Come on, Jimmy," Sarah said, leading him away. "Let's go somewhere else."
"Come again," Ed said, waving.
Eddy watched them leave in amazement, then grabbed the book they were looking at. "This stupid picture scared away my customers!" He shouted.
"Eddy, don't!" Double D shrieked before he could throw it over the fence. He took the book from him, wiping it off.
"Why not? It's just going to scare away everyone else!" Eddy countered.
"This is the book that Becky wanted," Double D explained, not looking at him. "She lost her one. It's the second in a series of three," Double D continued. "Her favorite."
Eddy stared at him blankly. "So what?"
Double D frowned. "Very well, I'll speak in your language," he paused. "She'll probably pay a good price for it. Not a fair one, but a good one."
"Well, when you put it that way," Eddy said and snatched the book from him again. "She might even pay three quarters for this thing!"
Double D was about to say something, but decided against it. He sighed.
Ed picked up a thick book and bit out of it. "Food for thought," he said.
Eddy continued by putting it at the top of the stack and jumping behind the table again. "She'll be coming any minute now," he grinned.
"She's actually not a very social creature, Eddy," Double D interjected. "She's probably at home and hasn't heard a thing about any of this."
Eddy's delighted grin vanished. "Leave it to Double D to put things in a realistic perspective," he muttered.
"My goodness, Eddy," Double D said sarcastically, "that's the first time I've heard you say two words with more than two syllables in one sentence."
"Ha ha ha," Eddy said, taking the book again and walking off. "If you'll excuse me, I have a book to sell."
*****
"But I don't know how to fly, Eddy!" Ed said as he fell over the fence to Becky's backyard. "Happy thoughts, happy thoughts!" A loud "thud" resounded over the cul-de-sac.
"Eddy, don't you dare push me over this -- aaah!" Double D yelled, landing on top of Ed and creating a deeper hole in the ground.
Eddy jumped the fence and looked around. Finding the yard empty, he looked around desperately. "Well, where is she?!"
Ed stood, knocking Double D to the ground again. Ed was oblivious to this, however, and put his hand to his head in an "L" shape. "I salute you, oh king of all that is fuzzy!" He said.
Double D scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off.
"Where the heck is she?!?" Eddy demanded, still looking around for a sign of her. Double D looked around, then at him.
"Maybe she's with the other kids now," he guessed.
"I'm going to strangle you, Double D," Eddy said, frustrated. He jumped over the fence again and marched off.
"Ally-oop!" Ed said, tossing Double D over again. He smashed through the fence himself, and they followed Eddy.
They were soon back at the cul-de-sac. And still, no sign of Becky. Eddy was ready to rip his hairs out.
"Where'd she go?!?"
"Hm," Double D pondered. Suddenly a thought struck him. "I know where she is," he said and took the book from Eddy, who was too busy screaming to notice.
He was soon at the playground. Sure enough, Becky was on the same swing, kicking the sand. He pursed his lips, took a deep breath and walked out. Becky didn't even notice him until he was right in front of her, because she had been staring at the ground. She looked up at him, surprised.
"Hey, Double D," she said. "What's up?"
"Well, uh, nothing really..." he stammered. "I was just going through my shelves the other day and I found this." He held out the book.
"Oh, wow," she breathed and took the book. "It's been a long time since I've seen one of these."
"You -- you can have it i -- if you want," he stuttered.
"Really?" She asked, looking at him again. Her expression changed quickly. "No, no...I can't just take this from you. Here," she handed it back to him.
Double D looked bewildered for a moment. "No, really! You can have it. I -- don't mind at all," he returned.
"You know what, I'll buy it instead," she said, checking the cover quickly and fishing in her pockets.
"What? But..." Double D said, but before he could say anything else, she held out
two crisp dollars and some change.
"Full price," she said.
Double D, with his mouth open in surprise, glanced down at the cover of the book. It said "US, $2.90," on the front. "But you can't pay that much!" He exclaimed.
"Sure I can. That's the original price."
Double D was still unsure, looking from the money to the book.
"Come on," she said. "It's just a little bit."
"I can't take your money," he retorted.
"Okay, fine. How about I give you the money, and I'll...allow you the use of my library. How's that?"
Double D sighed. He took the money and gave her the book. "You're a very stubborn person, did you know that?" He said.
"I blame it on genetics," she replied. "Nice doing business with you."
He nodded, and she disappeared once more.
"Born, as all life's borne, with pain..."

To be continued...

AN: Okay, first of all, that song and the books belong to Madeleine L'Engle, they are not mine. Second of all, I'm trying not to make this a romance story, so don't get the wrong idea...(unless you guys WANT it to be a romance story...) third of all, the more reviews I have, the faster the new chapters will go up! ^_^