Spivvins is unhappy

Spivvins was despondent. "Do you think it was Eustace who told them, after all?" - "No. Couz came around and after that he would have shut his mouth under torture." She had a memory of Jill telling her so around a cup of tea, after archery lesson. Years ago. Good old Jill ... dratted old train accident! Couldn't she at least have returned to Narnia even once?

"Well, whoever told them, they sure have connexions now ... and they know how to abuse them."

"So, what did they tell you?"

"They are coming over these days to take my wife and me to mental institutions, unless we comply with the program (which we haven't) and our children to some foster home."

"All for a little theobromine?"

"Yes, and Cholmondeley Major's dog who over ate holly berries and died."

"You could not have told her not to let the dog eat that?"

"Think she would listen? To me?"

"What is theobromine anyway?"

"They call it a poison. It is the poison you find in chocolate and chocolate will kill dogs too. It's not far away from caffeine and very close to theophylline."

"And you find it in holly, in chocolate, in what more?"

"In yerba maateh, if you know South America. The plant's a relative of holly - even creationists think it's the same created kind!"

"So Cholmondeley Major's dog ate it, died as if poisoned by chocolate, and now ...?"

"Her buddies are in the child welfare department. You can imagine ..."

"So, why didn't you tell her she couldn't visit you? You knew it would be trouble."

"Right, but - as I said - her buddies are in the child welfare department, and if I had shoved her off, she would have ruined our family even earlier."

"I think I will try some archery ..." Susan said with a very ungentle glee.

Mrs Spivvins - with nice Esquimeau eyes - opened her mouth for the first time: "do you think it will help a lot?"

"I don't know. I tried to save Rose Pole's baby from forced abortion that way, I haven't heard of her so far."

"Were you all right?" asked Mrs Spivvins.

"Not quite." Susan's smile was a bit wry what with memories of getting to mental hospital. You have already read that of course.