Jane groaned as she threw her suitcase into a motorboat Then she pulled herself aboard and started the engine.
"Darling, come back!" Sham shouted from the deck as he watched the boat sputter across the water.
Mrs. Drazil climbed into an old rowboat. "I\'ll find you, Jane Smith!" she shouted into the darkness. "You can run, but you can\'t hide!"
Jane\'s voice echoed back across the black water. "Rub a monkeeee\'s ... tumm-mmy... with .. . yourrr ... heaaaaaaaaaa ..."
And neither of them was ever seen again.
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Wendy had three. Ears, I mean.
She had one ear on each side of her head, just like most people. But she also had a third ear, which lay flat on top of her head.
You couldn\'t see it. It was completely covered by her thick, frizzy brown hair.
She was an intelligent and lovely young woman. She was gentle and kind.
At least, she used to be. Then she met Xavier and became evil and wicked, but I\'ll get to that later.
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She lived in a small apartment in the big city. She always kept fresh flowers in the vase on her kitchen table.
She didn\'t have any friends. She was afraid someone might find out about her ear. She was very embarrassed by it.
The one on top of her head, I mean. The other two ears were pretty, as ears go.
Actually, the third ear wasn\'t ugly. In fact, it looked just like her other two.
It was quantity, not quality, that bothered her.
Then she met Xavier.
It was at a museum. They happened to be standing next to each other looking at the same painting. The Mona Lisa.
A guard stood by to make sure they didn\'t touch it.
Xavier was very handsome. But he was frightfully shy. He was afraid of women.
"That\'s a beautiful painting, isn\'t it?" said Wendy.
Xavier blushed. He wanted to speak, but his mouth locked shut with fear. It took all his courage just to nod his head.
But Wendy knew he liked her.
Because there was something else about her ear I haven\'t told you yet. The one on top of her head, I mean.
It didn\'t hear normal sounds. It heard people\'s brains,
Wendy was able to listen to Xavier\'s secret thoughts. And this is what she heard.
Yes, the painting is very beautiful. But you are more beautiful than the Mona Lisa. I wish somebody would paint your picture. I would buy it and look at it all day. Alas, if only I had the courage to talk to you.
Wendy didn\'t usually listen to other people\'s thoughts. She thought it was rude, even though the other people didn\'t know she was listening.
Besides, most people\'s thoughts were usually boring.
Xavier was getting too nervous standing next to her. He moved on to another painting.
Wendy followed him.
She listened to the lonely man\'s thoughts. They weren\'t boring at all. Most of his thoughts were about her, but she also learned a few other things. He liked to read. His favorite author was Charles Dickens. He loved animals, especially dogs.
"That painting reminds me of a book," said Wendy. "A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. Have you read it?"
"Yes!" Xavier blurted, a little too loudly. "It\'s my favorite book! I\'ve read everything Dickens has
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written. Twice. My favorite part is when-"
He suddenly stopped, very embarrassed.
"Please go on," said Wendy.
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