“I can tell,” Arthur said. “Byron included some wonderful notes about your work with them. They wrote how intelligent you are, but that you can sometimes get overwhelmed if given too many tasks. Is that a fair assessment?”
David shrugged again.
Arthur changed tack. “Tomorrow is Saturday. Have the other children told you what happens on Saturdays? It proved to be so popular we decided to make it a weekly thing, unless something else comes up.”
David perked up at that before adopting a scowl. “Maybe.”
“Wonderful. It’s something I look forward to, especially when I’m kept in the dark about what the day will entail. I find that the surprise is almost as good as the adventure itself. Speaking of.” Knowing David was watching his every move, Arthur made a show of opening a drawer and pulling out a small desk calendar, showing the months of June and July. “I make it a point to keep track of our days. I’ve learned that having a set schedule helps keep expectations clear. I’m sure you’ve seen a similar calendar in the kitchen?”
“I guess.”
“Good,” Arthur said. “It’s there for you to look at, so you know what to expect for each week and where you need to be. We’re currently on a short break from our studies, but we’ll resume next week. In addition, this schedule also shows what chores you will be responsible for during that week.”
“Chores?” David moaned. “Is that why you have so many kids? Free child labor?”
“That’s certainly one way of looking at it,” Arthur said. “Though I prefer to think of it as everyone contributing to our continued success. You won’t be assigned chores during your first week here, but we’ll see about adding you next week.”
“Yay,” he muttered. “All for me? Gee, you shouldn’t have.”
Arthur chuckled. “Not a fan of rules, I see. That’s to be expected. Going someplace new can be taxing, given that you need to learn about the home, the people, the ins and outs. It can take time to get used to how things are done. No one is expecting perfection from you, David. Not only is that unfair to you, it might set a level of expectation that’s impossible to achieve.” He smiled. “Why don’t we start with a question. What do you want to be when you grow up?”
“A monster,” David said promptly.
“Fascinating,” Arthur said. “I’d like to hear more about that, if you’re comfortable with sharing.”
David stared at him in disbelief. “Why aren’t you scared or mad?”
“Because I have no reason to be, at least not currently. I’ll let you know should that change. Continue, if you please.”
David hesitated, eyeing him warily. “Everyone thinks monsters are bad and made of nightmares and stuff like that. They say they’re scared of us, and that they don’t like to be scared. But then they pay, like, so much money to go to films with monsters or haunted houses where things scream and jump out at them. They get scared on purpose. Why would they do that?”
“An extraordinary conundrum,” Arthur agreed.
“I think it’s because people like to be scared,” David said. “The same way they like to be happy. So long as you don’t hurt anyone, or eat them, why can’t you scare them?”
“A fair question,” Arthur said. “I suppose it depends upon intent and consent. Are you scaring them for them, or are you doing it for yourself?”
“Both,” David said. “And if they already think I’m a monster, why shouldn’t I show them how monstrous I can be? Give them what they really want.” His eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together.
“You don’t have to be that way,” Arthur said. “Not if you don’t want to. What some people consider a monster isn’t what others—”
David shot up in his chair, a fierce glower settling on his face. He gripped the arms of the chair, claws dimpling the leather. “I knew it! You’re just like everyone else. Trying to change me into something I don’t want to be. What’s wrong with wanting to be a monster? It’s what we are.”
He was right, of course. Even though it was contrary to what Arthur had taught the other children, David was right, in his own way. At the very least, he was speaking his truth, and would it really be in his best interest to try to take that away from him? But if Arthur didn’t, how would that affect the other children?
“There’s nothing wrong with doing what you like,” Arthur said carefully. “So long as it doesn’t bring harm to others.” He paused, considering. “The word ‘monster’ has many connotations. But it seems to me as if you have decided upon an interesting definition on your own. Here’s a thought. What if we worked together to figure out what is required to be a monster, as you see it?”
David relaxed slightly, though his distrust was still evident. “What do you mean?”
Arthur looked through the pages before him, finding David’s schooling records. “In my experience, fear can come from many places, not just things that go bump in the night. Take, for example, an accountant. What do you think their biggest fear is? Give me your best shot at tailoring an experience that would frighten someone in such a position.”
David eyed him suspiciously. “This isn’t, like, a test? You’re not going to get mad no matter what I say?”
Arthur chuckled. “You have my word.”
David stared at him for a long moment before nodding. He tilted his head back toward the ceiling. “Um … I guess that—no, wait. That won’t work. I got it! Instead of a spreadsheet, I give them a box of disorganized receipts and tell them they have four hours to make sense of it or I’ll roar so loud, the office shakes!”
Once again, the mind of a child knocked Arthur flat. How could anyone think they were capable of harm? “Wonderful,” Arthur said. “I appreciate how descriptive that was. Might I offer an alternative?”
David frowned. “Does it involve scaring him?”
“It does!” Arthur said. “Instead of roaring, what if you became so good at maths that you were able to scare the accountant by doing all the calculations on your own, thus rendering his skill set obsolete? Nothing screams fear like the dread of becoming redundant.”
David gaped at him.
“But then, of course, you will need to growl at him to prove your point.”
“I can do that!”
Of course he could. In the few days Arthur had known him, he could see David wanted to try, wanted to succeed. But it would take time. Nothing was more important than David feeling comfortable. “You can?” Arthur asked. “Wonderful. I’ve always believed that the more we know, the better we can understand the wider world around us. It’s why we take your schooling very seriously. The more we can prepare you, the better off you’ll be. It’ll help you learn all sorts of things, up to and including better ways to scare people.”
“Whoa,” David said. “I never thought about school like that. I guess that wouldn’t be so bad.” His brow furrowed. “Hold on a second. Did you … did you just trick me into wanting to go to school?”
“I did,” Arthur said. “And funnily enough, I don’t feel badly about it in the slightest.”
“I’m on to you,” David said, pointing a blunt finger at him. “I see right through you.”
“Delightful,” Arthur said. “Given that transparency is paramount, I prefer not to be opaque. And now, I must apologize.”
