equivalency exam?"
"Yes."
He shook his head. "Why?"
I looked away. His policemanlike questioning brought hot tears to my eyes. I fought hard to keep them locked under my lids.
"It's a very long and painful story," I replied, not looking at him. "If it's a problem, forget about it."
"I didn't say it's a problem. We don't know yet if it is or if it isn't. It's just weird, that's all."
"Yeah, well, maybe it is, but that's the way it is right now." I told him, and glared back at him.
"I'll have to prepare some evaluation exams to see what you know and don't know, where you are in the core subjects. It's not something that can be done in a week or two. How long are you staying?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"Well, if I did all this preparation and you left, it would be a colossal waste of my time."
"I don't see myself as a waste of anyone's time."
He considered me. We heard Mrs. Westington come back into the house.
"Just a minute," he said, and went out to speak with her in the hallway. He spoke in a whisper, but loud enough for me to hear.
"I don't understand this. Mrs. Westington. She's not related, and from the little you've told me, it looks like you've taken in a complete stranger who wanders about the country in a motor home, some sort of a gypsy girl?"
"No, no. She's nothing like that. She was living with her uncle just like I told you and he died on the road. She came here for help and she's got no one else right now. She'll be good for Echo."
"How do you low that? She might be a terrible influence on her. Echo's very vulnerable. She's had very little contact with the outside world. This girl might be the worst example for her. She just left school to go on the road with her uncle. Who knows what sort of riffraff she associated with and what sort of things she's done? She looks like..."
"Don't worry about it. Tyler. When you reach my age." Mrs. Westington replied, "you know who has goodness in her heart and who doesn't. Believe me, you know who you should be trusting and who you shouldn't. That poor girl's been hauled over the coals. She needs a little tender loving care. As do we all."
"I can't guarantee any success with her. I have no idea what her mental abilities are, what preparation she already has, what her reading ability especially is and..."
"You just do the best you can. Tyler. I'll pay you for it, of course."
"You're sure you want to do this? If she picks up and leaves after I've put in some time, you would have wasted money."
"I'm sure."
"I can't afford to give her too much extra time. You know my mother needs me and complains about the time I spend over here as it is," he warned. "And I don't like taking any attention and time away from Echo."
"Give it what you can. Tyler." Mrs. Westington said, her voice filling with frustration and fatigue.
I heard nothing else and then he returned to the living room.
"Okay, I'll bring some testing materials tomorrow so we can evaluate you." he told me. "After that I'll be able to see if there is any way of
successfully dealing with you."
"Thank you," I said, even though "dealing with me" was
n't exactly how I wanted it put.
"What kind of work were you doing with your uncle on the road?" he asked.
"I was helping him with his magic and ventriloquist act. He was a well-known magician. Maybe you've heard of him, the Amazing Palaver?"