you out bodily, meaning with my body, on my shoulder if I have to, one way or the other or even something else, under my arm, I’m still strong enough to, so are you coming?” and she said no. “No?” and she said no. Another child pushed a panel button: puppets and magic tricks. A trick, he thought, and said “Who’s Teddy Ruxton or Ruxpin — this guy?” and she said “You can see: a bear.” “But from where: television, movies?” and she said “I don’t know; you don’t let us see them.” “When? I’d let you see a movie or some public TV if it was good.” She just looks at him. “Listen, my sweetheart, isn’t this a bad place to discuss all this? Let’s all go for a snack, cool off, maybe we’ll come back. We can if your attitude’s better.” “I don’t want to eat and you won’t come back even if I acted like an angel.” “How do you know? No, I almost swear I will, if we’re still close by and not tired, and same deal, three-fifty apiece to spend here, even four. But that’s my last offer and last time I’m offering it. And if you don’t leave with me now, and nicely, this will also be the last time you’ll ever be allowed in here again so long as I live,” which he knew, he knew, it was the kids’ favorite place in New York, which was the point, but a ridiculous dumb threat, one that’d absolutely have no impact, though maybe a combination of all those offers and threats and just that she might be hungry and tired of arguing with him would change her mind or mood. “I don’t want three or four; I want my ten dollars you owe me.” This time an adult: Legos. I know how, he thought, and said “My God, where’s Margo?” and looked to the front of the store, too many things blocked his view of the doors, said “Wait, I’m going to see,” ran around some people to the doors, Margo was right outside, facing the street, she was fine, nine, very self-sufficient, if anything went wrong she’d come in and stand by the door and look around for him and if she didn’t see him she’d stay there till he came, ran back, said “Come on, let’s go outside, I didn’t see her and I don’t want to leave her alone. This is New York.” “So?” “So people steal little children, your age and Margo’s, and prettier they are, quicker they go. I don’t mean to scare you, and not every day of course and it could happen anywhere and is probably the rare instance when it does, but you don’t want to leave your child alone here, smart as Margo and you are.” “You go; she could be inside already and I’ll tell her to wait for you here.” “Listen, this is important; no fooling around from you now. And tell you what. Next time we come here — not today, so another day; today’s just three-fifty to four dollars if you cooperate — I’ll give you each five bucks. And that’s not between you either, which is a fair compromise. Altogether, ten.” “You just say that,” and he said “Whatever I said, we got to get outside to find Margo, but I swear by anything that I’ll keep my word — ten. Weil tell Margo, so she’ll be a witness. But let’s get out there, I’m worried,” and took her hand, she jerked it back but followed him to the revolving door. He got in a section first and slowed the door, for other people were entering from the street, so she wouldn’t get caught getting inside or have to get out too fast. They stayed at his in-laws’ three nights. They couldn’t leave for New York till late Saturday afternoon because his kids had swimming lessons that morning and Julie a piano lesson at noon and Margo a painting class at two. They’d only miss one school day for Monday was a special teachers’ day off for an education conference, and he took two days off from his job so he could go to New York and his wife worked at her own stuff at home. Margo said “Where were you? I was looking all over” and he said “But you’re all right, right, everything okay?” and she said “Sure, why not?” “Well, I looked and didn’t see you before and got worried,” and she.said “I don’t see how. I was standing here all the time, watching the crowds passing. So many people. I even saw a fight between two men. A policeman broke it up. I think I got a good idea for an art project from it.” “What of?” he wanted to say but she said “You were so long, Daddy, I thought you were lost,” and he said “Me, in my old city? But what would you have done if I hadn’t come in another fifteen minutes?” and she said “Stay here and wait and then go in to look from around the bottom of the escalator and finally call Mommy.” “How do you know the number?” and she said “I’d ask for Grandpa’s name from Information and give the street.” “You know how to get Information?” and she said “Four-one-one, or I’d go to the store’s office for help. They’d give it, wouldn’t they, if I told them I was all alone?” “Sure. Probably happens all the time. I didn’t think of it. Besides, maybe they have a public address system for lost children. They have to, so why not use it for fathers? They probably even have a special pickup area for lost parents and kids. But what if a man came up to you before you went into the store, or a woman, and said — you know, nice voice and face and nicely dressed—‘Young lady, your father’s suddenly not well—’” “I’d ask what your name is, for this is a creepy person who’s doing something bad, right?” and he said “Okay, then he knows my name, for some reason, or he tricks it out of you — kidnappers can be clever — but he said, or she does, that I was suddenly stricken with something — he even knows my birth-date and what I do in life and was wearing today, so he’s convincing. And to be even more convincing, there could be a man and woman working together, pretending they’re a sweet married couple. But that I had a heart attack, or stroke, whatever story, and was taken to a hospital and that I asked them to take you there to me, what would you do?” and she said “But your story’s crazy. You were inside; how can you get out without me seeing you or some kind of crowd around you or the ambulance?” and he said “I cabbed to the hospital, felt I had to get there fast, and there’s a back entrance to the store on Madison,” and she said “Your story’s still all wrong. I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Daddy, but you couldn’t have been heart-attacked and taken to a hospital or gone there alone by cab in so short a time.” “Not true. We’re talking of twenty minutes. I could be on my way to the hospital while this man’s talking to you. But before I went out that back entrance I told this man, and I wouldn’t have done any of that, of course. I’m also as healthy as a horse, so I’m not about to get any heart attacks or strokes. But if I was too sick to get you, in actual life, because of a sudden stomach flu, for instance, which knocked me cold and kept me on the ground groaning for half an hour or in your store office where some store people took me, then I’d in some way communicate to these people to send a guard outside to get you, and also to keep Julie safely beside me. But this is the man’s lying story to you I’m telling you, not mine, so what would you do?” “What you told me to lots of times in things like this, so why are you asking?” and he said “Let’s say for Julie’s sake. I haven’t really talked about it with her yet and when I was in the store and didn’t see her for a minute I started thinking of it for her.” “I know what to do,” Julie said. “I remember you told Margo once. I say to the man ‘Let me’—no, ‘Let a policeman take me to the hospital for my father.’ Then when I get one I say ‘Let me speak to my mother,’ but I wouldn’t know how to call her in New York.” “In the store’s office, dummy,” Margo said. “You can’t expect her to know that,” he said. “But close, Julie, very good — and why are you talking to her like that?” to Margo. “What’d she do to deserve it? — But you’d go to a guard, if you couldn’t find a real policeman — someone in a uniform in the store, or you’d just ask a salesperson to get you one. Salesperson: someone who sells the stuff behind the counter. And sometimes the guards have plain clothes, no uniforms, to catch, let’s say, the shoplifters better, but the salespeople would know who they are. But if they didn’t, for the plainclothes guards are probably also there to stop the salespeople from stealing, then they could make a call for one in uniform. And you’d tell this guard that you’re alone, your sister and daddy are suddenly gone and some man’s said your father’s been taken to the hospital and he asked this man to take you there and your parents have always warned you against strangers taking you anyplace, and you want to speak to your mommy. They’d find her eventually. They could do this from the office. Actually, you don’t want to go with the guard — a real policeman’s okay — but not a guard, plainclothes or not, to the office alone either. Sometimes these businesses aren’t careful about who they get as guards, so these guys can be crazies too. If it’s a woman guard, uniformed or not, I’m sure she’s all right. So when you go with a male guard you also want to go with, and you have to insist on this — not easy for a kid but you got to do it, you say your parents told you you have to — with a salesperson to the office and not alone, and that’s where you call Mommy. You’d only have to give there, as Margo said, in New York, your grandfather’s name — he’s the only Horace Cole in the Manhattan book. And — the phone book, I mean, the directory, and Manhattan being New York, of course — and my name, or Mommy’s with the Cole last name, in our phone book where we live, but you know that number.” “Eight-three-five…but do you want me to give the area code too?” Julie said. “No, where we are you don’t need the area code when you call home. Oh, this is so complicated. You just don’t go with strangers, that’s all, the one rule you have to remember in this. One comes and is pretty aggressive in wanting to take you someplace — forceful, won’t take no, you see? — yell for a cop. Really, yell, both of you, ‘police, police,’ but much louder — I only whispered so the people around us wouldn’t wonder — but that’s all you say, and also if you’re together and a stranger wants you to go with him or her somewhere. Or you see what seems like a nice person passing — certainly someone passing you know is even better. But if not, then a nice person while this awful stranger’s trying to convince you to go with him, tell that person — man or woman, just that the person looks nice — the problem with the stranger and have that person get a cop. But stay with that person, don’t leave yourself with the stranger. Though don’t go with that nice person either-alone, you know, into a house or car or cab or anyplace in a store except straight to its office where lots of people would probably be and you can call the police and us from. No, forget that, just stick with that nice person till a guard comes, if it’s a store, and then you go to the office with the guard and this nice person or a store clerk, but always two people unless the guard’s a woman. If it’s a lot smaller store than this one with probably not much of an office anywhere, then you have them call Mommy or me and the police from the selling part of it. Of course if it’s just that you’re lost or we’re separated, you don’t need the police if you can reach one of us. If it’s a street and you’re now with the nice person and the threatening stranger goes or even stays, call the police and then me from a phone booth or go into a store to call and tell the nice person or store owner or somebody that we’ll pay for whatever the phone costs and any other expenses, though I don’t know what those others might be. If there is no nice person but there is a store and you’re lost or being threatened, then you go into it and tell them what’s the matter, though if you can, make sure it’s a nice store. This rule about strangers goes for anyplace, you understand — street, in front of the house, walking home from school, playgrounds, malls, cars stopping and the driver or passenger talking to you; same thing. You just don’t go with them, get it? You in fact — look, we’re talking about it frankly now — open — and I’m going to go even further than I ever did with Margo. But if you’re being dragged or coaxed too hard by a stranger into a car or something like that — basement, house, backyard — and I don’t mean to scare you. Chances of anything like this happening are small, slight, small. But you yell — and when I say ‘coaxed too hard’ I mean ordered, bullied, or offered things to get in the car, for instance. Bribed — money, gifts, candy, you know — well you yell like hell, kick, put up a tremendous fuss, bite if you have to, the hand, the ear. Fight with your fists and nails. Scratch, punch, even your head — butt them. Believe me, kids can hurt. I know, from when you’ve hit me by accident. One good kick — a hard one, all your might — in a man’s groin — where the penis and testicles are — can knock a man flat on his behind.” The kids laughed. “No, it’s true, listen to me, I’m serious. It might sound funny but that’s where a man can hurt most. Or poke him right over here in the middle under the rib cage,” and took Julie’s finger to show where on him; “that’ll knock the air out a moment, but enough time for you to get away. Or punch him in what, well, to illustrate my example — make it more real and remembered — in the balls.” They seemed shocked, then looked at each other and laughed. “It’s not a dirty word when you use it that way, as a teaching aid, believe me. And same with a woman too, I think, in hitting them down there, kicking, you know. But we’ll have to ask Mommy what her most sensitive spots are that hurt. I heard the breasts. Certainly the eyes are one. Even just one eye, finger in it, deep and hard, but they’re the most sensitive for everyone and also probably the most difficult to stick your fingers in because of our own squeamish feelings about eyes. But you do it, you have to. And you don’t have to just use your fingers and hands and feet. You see a stick on the ground, a branch, brick, rock, some stones or even pebbles or sand, you throw it at their face or head or club them with it, the branch or maybe a bat or bottle that was lying around. If you’re carrying books, throw that at their faces too. Of course, if you can — meaning you’re not being held, you can run away — first thing you do is run, preferably home or to someone you know — a teacher or school parent if it’s near your school, the house of a friend of yours on our street. But if nobody or nothing like that’s around, then to that person I’ve mentioned who just looks protecting and nice if you see one. Which means that that person should look like a nice teacher or school parent or crossing guard. This also goes even if the coaxers or strangers who want to do these things to you are neighbors or say they are and they want to take you someplace, but we don’t really know them. Even if they live a few doors down and you’ve seen them but have never really talked to them and you know Mommy and I haven’t. Or you have talked to them, just as Mommy and I have. A hello, a hi, a wave or nice talk beyond just greeting talk between you and them and even between them and Mommy and me, which you’ve seen. And they’ve acted nice to you up till now but suddenly are acting peculiar or asking you to do peculiar things or just things you know you’re not supposed to, like going alone with them to places I’ve told you not to go, a basement, park, car, garage, someone’s home or their own. Now, if you hit these neighbors in defending yourself or trying to get away and it’s by chance a mistake, they’ll have to understand that it was done because I’d told you to protect yourself this way and that there was a misinterpretation — an error in understanding — just a problem in what they were giving off with their words or actions or looks and what you took in and that perhaps I also might’ve been too strong in my warnings to you and what to do. Still, you’ve got to do what I say. This is how things have become today, I’m afraid, I’m almost sure of it. In being extra cautious you might occasionally go too far, bu