Fish watched from the office window as Reuben disappeared down the street wiff the wagon full ob calemdars. The moment Reuben turned the corner, Fish spun around dramatically, looked at Teddy, and whispered:
“Ok. Phase Two ob Operashun Secret Science Gift… commence!!”
Teddy, who habs been sworn to secrecy (and bribed wiff one mini marshmallow), nodded solemnly.
Fish scampered to the craft table, grabbed the box containing the science fings—tiny beakers, a moon rock, sparkly galaxy stickers, and a berry advanced, and possibly illegal and unlicensed particle collider and plopped it down in front of him. He pulled his Santa hat down ober one ear like a true undercober operatibe.
“Reuben cannot know,” Fish said as he inspected the tape dispenser. “He is too curious. If he sees the box, he will ask qwestions. And den he will figure out what the present is, because he is too smart. So we had to send him on a — he lifted the tape triumphantly — mail run!
Teddy fell ober, which Fish interpreted as applause.
Wiff great seriousness, Fish wrapped the box. Well—attempted to wrap. Wiffin two minutes:
The tape was stuck to his paw, the ribbon was stuck to his tail, the wrapping paper was stuck to his face and Teddy had somehow been wrapped into a half-mummified bundle.
But Fish was determined. He freed himself, freed Teddy, and finally—FINALLY—got the paper smoothed down in a way that looked only slightly chaotic. He added a big bow on top, pressed it flat, then booped it for good luck.
“Perfect,” he said proudly. “Reuben will neber suspect a fing.”
Teddy nodded in agreement, though he still had a scrap of wrapping paper stuck to his nose.
Fish placed the gift under a blanket for safekeeping, dusted off his paws, and announced:
“Now we just gotta act normal. Totally normal. Not suspicious at all.”
Which is exactly when Reuben walked back in and Fish froze like a deer in headlights.
Reuben squinted at him. “Fish… why is there tape on your whiskers?”
Fish smiled a bit too much. “Internashunal bizness reasons.”
