The animals chattered, clucked, crowed and waved whiskers. Even the fish, unable to see beyond the walls of their bucket had quite a bit to say albeit slowly. What all the animals said remained a mystery to Lilly because Tobias was too stunned to translate. Like the others, Tobias stared at the hatchling, who didn’t resemble a Roufus-tailed Tuft in the least, or a parrot, or even a bird.
“Why you’re a tortoise!” shouted Lilly beaming.
“And a Galapagos tortoise at that!” declared Tobias landing on the new hatchling’s pillow. The baby tortoise crawled away from his broken eggshell and nestled under Tobias’ wing. After a whispered conversation with the newborn, Tobias said, “It gives me great pleasure to introduce my son, Roufus! Roufus, I would like you to meet your family!” At that, his family let out a firecracker cheer.
“I have more good news,” said Lilly. “There isn’t going to be an auction. We can keep our house, and we can all live here together.” Another deafening cheer broke out.
When Lilly and Dorian talked about it later, they decided it really wasn’t so surprising a tortoise would consider flying his birthright. Or that he would believe a lime green parrot was his father. After all, Tobias coached the young Galapagos tortoise to be the best he could be since before he was hatched. And he had loved him for as long, too.
However, it did surprise them that Tobias, more clearly than ever the last of his kind, was not disappointed Roufus was exactly who he was – a Galapagos tortoise instead of a Roufus-tailed Tuft. And Tobias was delighted Lilly knew hewho s was – Tyger Lilly.
Tyger Lilly Page 19