Mr. Robbins: Gavril, you’re an amazing boy.

Gavril: How so, sir?

Mr. Robbins: I have always enjoyed traveling. You’re only nine and you’ve visited nearly as many countries as I have. At nine, you already speak three languages. At 56, I’ve only learned three. You’ve read and enjoyed a great many books, including about half of my favorites from when I was your age.

Gavril: I’ve just been lucky to have so many opportunities, sir.

Mr. Robbins: No, you’ve taken advantage of all the opportunities that you’ve found. Very few people ever do. When I asked the dealer to find me an intelligent boy who would be fun and interesting to be around, I never expected that he would find someone so perfect as you.

Gavril: Thank you, sir. I know that I’m going to enjoy being your houseboy. I’ve enjoyed talking with you.

Mr. Robbins: Do you realize that we’ve been driving for over two hours, and we haven’t run out of things to talk about yet.

Gavril: Has it been that long? It seems much shorter.

Mr. Robbins: Well, we’re almost to your new home. We turn off the main road here, and it’s only a little bit farther.

Gavril: I thought we turned off the main road long ago. This one is already narrow.

Mr. Robbins: No, we turn here. This is the road to your new home.

Gavril: Wow, this road really is narrow! What happens if there’s a car coming toward us?

Mr. Robbins: Everyone who lives here knows where the passing spots are. We all know who will need to back up to the closest one. There are only about two dozen houses up here in the hills. We’re pretty isolated.

Gavril: (pointing out the window) Those are sure big birds over there.

Mr. Robbins: Those are wild turkeys. There are lots of them around here.

Gavril: Are those deer over there?

Mr. Robbins: We have lots of animals up here. You’ll see lots of deer. If you move slowly, you can almost walk right up to them. There are all kinds of different kinds of animals here in the hills. Most of the animals are safe, though. We do have an occasional mountain lion that comes in to try to eat the deer and there are poisonous snakes once in a while. I have some good books on all the plants and animals that are around, which ones are safe and which ones are dangerous. Maybe you’ll want to read them.

Gavril: Yes, sir. I’d like to know about the area.

Mr. Robbins: O.K., this is the house – your new home.

Gavril: It looks very nice. And, it’s certainly a big house.

Mr. Robbins: Well, my wife and I raised our three children in it.

Gavril: Where are they now?

Mr. Robbins: The children are all married and have moved away. My wife died three years ago, leaving me all alone in the house, except for the dogs and cats.

Gavril: I’m sorry to hear about your wife, sir. Do the children come home often.

Mr. Robbins: They’re widely scattered. I’m lucky to see them more than once or twice a year. I really wish that I could see my grandchildren more than I do. You’re just about the age of my oldest grandson. He’s nine, too.

Gavril: Where does he live?

Mr. Robbins: His mother lives the closest of my three children. They live in Denver, half way across the country. O.K., we’ve got your very first task as my new houseboy. The dogs have been locked up all day and we need to take them for a walk the minute they see us coming.

Gavril: Are they friendly?

Mr. Robbins: Oh, yes. They won’t bite. They’re far more likely to lick you until you can’t stand it.

Gavril: How many dogs do you have?

Mr. Robbins: There are two of them, Rex and Goldie.

Gavril: Is Rex the king of the dogs?

Mr. Robbins: No, but Goldie is sure the queen of the house. O.K., here they come as I open the door….

Gavril: That was fun, sir! I haven’t been able to run and chase with a dog since my uncle sold me.

Mr. Robbins: I think the dogs had fun, too. I’m too old to run with them. They need a little boy to play with. I’m glad you like dogs. They’ll probably end up spending most of their time with you.

Gavril: I love dogs, and cats too. You said that you have cats.

Mr. Robbins: They’re around somewhere. Cats are independent. They’ll show up when they’re ready, not before. Let me show you some of the house. Your room will be down this way. There are three bedrooms at this end of the house, and two bathrooms. (opening a door) This room was my son’s, so it’s already more suited for a boy. It will be your room. The other two rooms were the girls’ and the colors and patterns are cute and frilly.

Gavril: I like this one. It’s very nice. It’s much nicer than I expected for a houseboy.

Mr. Robbins: Well, we still need to fix it up a bit for you. Everything here is for an older boy. You can choose some of the changes you want. The television should be just fine, but the computer is an old one, it’ll be good for email, but not much else. My son took his newer one with him. We can get you a better computer soon.

Gavril: I never expected a television, or a computer.

Mr. Robbins: You’ll probably watch television in the family room most of the time. It’s a newer one and has a much bigger screen. You’ll need a computer to keep up with what’s happening back home – news, emails with any of your friends, whatever you want. There are still a lot of my son’s things here. We can move all of them out tomorrow so that the room is really yours. We also need to go shopping first thing in the morning to get some more clothes for you. Across the hall is your bathroom. There should be plenty of towels in there. I know that there are new toothbrushes, toothpaste, a comb, and everything else that you’ll need for tonight and tomorrow. Keep track of anything else that you need and we can get it when we’re shopping. There ought to be pen and paper in Stephen’s desk. Just start a list of things as you think of them.

Gavril: Yes, sir.

Mr. Robbins: After the long drive, and after chasing the dogs, you probably need to use the bathroom and wash up. When you’re done, come to the kitchen, and you can help me feed the dogs and cats. Then we’ll make our dinner.

Gavril: Yes, sir.

Gavril: That was a great meal, Mr. Robbins, sir. I don’t think that I’ll be able to do anything like that for a long while. I’ve never cooked anything before, so I’ll have to learn everything about it.

Mr. Robbins: That’s O.K., Gavril. I like to cook and I’ll do most of it. You just get to help clean up afterwards and do the dishes.

Gavril: That’s not much work.

Mr. Robbins: Don’t worry, there’s plenty for you to do – take care of the dogs and cats, clean house and wash the dishes, and, most importantly, talk to me. I need someone intelligent around the house. We’ll be getting you a tutor so that you keep up with your studies – reading, writing, mathematics, history, science. You’ll have lots of work.

Gavril: Somehow I never expected reading and writing to be part of my work as a houseboy.

Mr. Robbins: Are you disappointed?

Gavril: No, no. It’s what I like best.

Mr. Robbins: Come on, let me show you the rest of the house.

Scene: later that evening, Mr. Robbins and Gavril are sitting in the living room with the TV on. Two dogs are lying on the floor and a cat is curled up in Gavril’s lap.

Mr. Robbins: Gavril, it’s getting late and you’ve had a hard day – being sold and moving to a new home. You probably ought to think about going to bed now. Your first chore in the morning will be helping me to walk the dogs as soon as they wake up. They’ll probably wake up pretty early.

Gavril: Yes, sir. I am tired, though I feel much better than I thought I would. You have been very kind and the dogs and cats are wonderful. It’ll be fun to walk them in the morning. Thank you. I’ll go to bed now. How should I know what time to get up in the morning?

Mr. Robbins: Since you’re still new here, the dogs will probably still want to sleep with me. When they wake me up, I’ll come in to wake you. You can sleep until then.

Gavril: Thank you, sir.

Mr. Robbins: Before you go to bed, though, I’d like to talk to you briefly about your plans to run away.

Gavril: Run away? Sir, I…. I….

Mr. Robbins: But, of course you’ll make plans. I wanted you because you’re intelligent. I expect you to make plans. I also want to make certain that your plans are very carefully thought through. I don’t want you to try something that has no chance of ever working. If you get caught, I don’t get to ever see you again and the punishment is so terrible that you’ll wish you’d never tried. I certainly don’t want you to run away, but if you do, I want you to succeed and not to fail.

Gavril: But,….

Mr. Robbins: First, you already know that you’ll have to be castrated some day. I don’t want to do it, but the law requires it. But, I promise you it won’t happen even one day sooner than absolutely necessary. Not for four or five years. And, I promise that I’ll let you know as far in advance as possible exactly when it will have to happen. You’ll have at least three or four weeks notice, maybe more. If you thought you were going to be castrated tomorrow, I would expect you to be out that door as soon as you thought I was safely asleep. You don’t need to do anything that quickly. You have time for better planning.

Gavril: Sir. I won’t do anything rash or foolish.

Mr. Robbins: I would hope not. But, I want to add two more pieces of information to your planning. One, you’re still just a little boy and you would be questioned wherever you went. People would be curious about you and the police would pick you up and check on you and your story. Second, you still don’t know where you are or where you would need to go. Since you have four or five years to plan before the law requires that you be castrated, I hope that you will use that time wisely.

Gavril: Do you want me to run away?

Mr. Robbins: No, of course not. But, as I said, I want you to plan carefully. Whether or not you risk the consequences will be up to you, not me. There’s no way I can really stop you if you decide to try to run away. I hope you decide not to try it. But, I promise to answer any questions you have as accurately as I can. O.K., now. Off to bed. Sleep well and dream of pleasant things. I’ll see you in the morning.

Gavril: Yes, sir. Good night, sir.

Mr. Robbins: I’ll look in on you before I go to bed. Maybe one of the dogs or cats will sleep with you tonight so that you have some company. Good night, Gavril.

(About two hours later, Mr. Robbins, in his pajamas, quietly walks down the hall to look in on Gavril. Sound of quiet crying from his bed.)

Mr. Robbins: (quietly) Gavril, are you O.K.? It sounds like you’re crying.

Gavril: It’s O.K., sir. I just miss everyone. I know you’ll be good to me, but I’m lonesome.

Mr. Robbins: (switching on the light) I’m sorry, Gavril. I shouldn’t have asked you to sleep alone your first night here. Get your pillow and let’s go to the other end of the house with all the dogs and cats.

Gavril: Yes, sir! (as he climbs out of bed)

Mr. Robbins: Do you always sleep nude, or do we need to get you pajamas or a nightshirt tomorrow?

Gavril: I’ve always slept like this. Is it O.K.?

Mr. Robbins: Whatever you prefer is O.K. Now, come on let’s go to the master bedroom.

(Arrive at the master bedroom. Goldie is already there, but Rex follows them from the living room.)

Mr. Robbins: Gavril, you need to go pee first. You won’t be able to get out of bed easily with the dogs and cats here. I’ll hold your pillow until you come back.

Gavril: Yes, sir. (he goes into the bathroom and quickly returns)

Mr. Robbins: Are you ready?

Gavril: Yes, sir. What do you want me to do?

Mr. Robbins: I’ve put your pillow where I want you. Now get into bed and face this way. I’ll pull the covers up. Now, leave your right arm out on top of the covers.

Gavril: Like this, sir?

Mr. Robbins: Perfect. That’s just where I usually sleep. Rex likes to sleep right next to me and I usually pet him a bit before falling asleep. Here, let me put him next to you. Is that O.K.

Gavril: Yes, sir. I always slept with my dog. I miss her.

Mr. Robbins: I hope she’s being well cared for. Did your cousins like her?

Gavril: Yes, I know they’ll take care of her.

Mr. Robbins: That’s good. I’m happy to hear that. Now, Goldie will sleep on the floor right next to the bed. If you get up at night, you have to be very careful not to step on her. The cats will all join us on the bed at some point tonight. You’ll wake up covered in animals.

Gavril: I’ll like that.

Mr. Robbins: I’ll sleep over here on the other side of the bed. You’ve got plenty of company for the night. I hope you sleep well.

Gavril: I know I will, sir. Thank you and good night.

Mr. Robbins: Good night, Gavril. (As he turns out the light.)

(Morning. Gavril, still lying in bed, petting Rex while Goldie has her feet on the edge of the bed and is licking his face. Mr. Robbins wakes up.)

Mr. Robbins: Well, it looks as if everybody else is already awake. I guess we need to get up. Did you sleep well, Gavril?

Gavril: Yes, sir. Rex kept me warm and happy all night.

Mr. Robbins: I’m glad. Maybe he’ll decide to sleep in your room tonight. Now, you need to go down to your room and get dressed. Pee, too, and then meet me at the front door. I’ll get dressed and we can take the dogs for their morning walk.

Gavril: Yes, sir! (as he moves quickly out of bed and down the hall with both dogs following him)

Gavril: Didn’t we go the other way yesterday?

Mr. Robbins: Yes, we did. Usually I take the dogs the other way, where there’s a good area for them to run and to do their business. But, the morning walk usually goes this way if the weather is good. The newspapers for all of the neighborhood are delivered down the hill next to all of the mailboxes.

Gavril: This is pretty steep. I didn’t realize it when we were in the car.

Mr. Robbins: Yes. It helps to keep me in shape walking up and down the hill with the dogs. Just watch out for cars here. A couple of the neighbors drive too fast, so you have to listen for them and get off the road.

Gavril: I think I hear a car coming.

Mr. Robbins: Not a fast one, but we should get off the road.

(Car pulls up and stops next to them. Woman driver looks out at them)

Mrs. Silver: Good morning, Jim. Daniel is certainly going to be happy. I see you have your grandson visiting.

Mr. Robbins: Good morning, Louise. No, he’s not my grandson. I was feeling lonely and got a houseboy yesterday. This is Gavril. Gavril, this is Mrs. Silver who lives just a few houses beyond ours. Her son, Daniel, is just about your age.

Gavril: (bowing slightly) Good morning, Mrs. Silver. I’m very happy to meet you.

Mrs. Silver: Good morning, Gavril. It’s nice to have you in the neighborhood. Your English is excellent. I didn’t expect that a new houseboy would speak so well.

Gavril: Thank you, ma’am.

Mr. Robbins: Gavril’s family was once very well off. He’s had an excellent education and his English tutor was a native speaker. Gavril’s nine. About Daniel’s age, I think.

Mrs. Silver: Yes, Daniel just turned nine. He’ll be happy to know that there’s another boy in the neighborhood, even if Gavril’s only a houseboy and won’t be able to play very often.

Mr. Robbins: No, Gavril’ll have plenty of time to play with Daniel. I got him because I need some companionship around the house. If he and Daniel spend a half day down at the creek and bring back a couple of salamanders to show me and talk about, Gavril will be doing his job. I doubt that he’ll have many more household chores than Daniel has.

Mrs. Silver: Then what will he be doing most of the time?

Mr. Robbins: Since the goal is for him to be able to hold an intelligent conversation and keep me company, I’ll be looking for a good tutor for him. His most important chores will be learning to read and write and studying science, history, and mathematics.

Mrs. Silver: Well, maybe I should send Daniel down to meet him this morning.

Mr. Robbins: This afternoon would be better. We need to go shopping as soon as the stores open. Gavril’s wearing the only clothes he has. I’ll call you when we get home. Maybe Daniel will want to come over to play for a while.

Mrs. Silver: That sounds good. He’s already getting bored with summer vacation. I’ll look forward to your call. I need to get to the grocery store before it gets crowded. I’ll talk with you soon.

Mr. Robbins: Bye. Talk with you then. (the car drives off)

Gavril: Will I really have time to play, sir?

Mr. Robbins: Of course you will. I hope that you and Daniel like each other. He’s the only other boy in the area who’s near your age.

Gavril: It will be good to meet him. It will be nice to have a boy my age to talk with.

(Sound of doorbell ringing. Mr. Robbins walks to the front door and opens it.)

Mr. Robbins: Hi, Daniel. You must be here to meet Gavril.

Daniel: Yes, Mom said that you had a boy living with you now.

Mr. Robbins: Yes, Gavril will be living with me now. He’s nine, just like you. I hope that the two of you like each other. I know that he’ll need someone to play with. Let me call him. (turns and shouts down the hall) Gavril! You’ve got a visitor.

Gavril’s voice: Yes, sir. I’ll be right there. (Gavril walks quickly toward the door)

(About an hour later. Daniel and Gavril enter Mr. Robbin’s study.)

Daniel: Mr. Robbins, can Gavril come to my house to swim for a while? We’ve run out of things to do here.

Mr. Robbins: Gavril, would you like to go swimming at Daniel’s house?

Gavril: Yes, sir, if you’ll let me.

Mr. Robbins: Daniel, Gavril doesn’t have any swimming trunks yet. I didn’t think to buy any when we were at the mall this morning. Can he swim in his underwear?

Daniel: Gavril’s the same size as me. He can use some of my trunks.

Mr. Robbins: O.K., then. Just don’t stay too long. Gavril should be home in a couple of hours. I need to show him some more of his chores around the house.

Daniel: Thank you, Mr. Robbins. I’ll ask my Mom to tell us when he needs to come home.

Gavril: Thank you, sir.

(About two hours later. Daniel and Mr. Robbins are standing in the kitchen.)

Daniel: Mr. Robbins, does Gavril still have his balls? Don’t all houseboys have their balls cut off?

Mr. Robbins: How do you know?

Daniel: Everyone knows that houseboys get their balls cut off.

Mr. Robbins: Not that, but that Gavril still has his.

Daniel: I wanted to see what he looked like without balls, so I watched when we changed after swimming.

Mr. Robbins: Well, did you ask him about his balls?

Daniel: No. Of course not.

Mr. Robbins: Why don’t you. He should be back from the bathroom in a minute. Here he comes…. Gavril, Daniel has a question to ask you.

Gavril: O.K.

Daniel: Well, I ummm, well, I, it’s just that.… Ummm… Well, uhhh….

Mr. Robbins: O.K., it’s just that Daniel knows that you’re a houseboy, and he wants to know if you still have your balls, or not.

Gavril: Yes, I still have my balls. At least for a little longer.

Daniel: A little longer…. How long do you get to keep them?

Gavril: I don’t know. It’s up to Mr. Robbins.

Mr. Robbins: Daniel, do want to have your balls cut off?

Daniel: (covering his crotch with both hands and shuddering) No! No! Never!

Mr. Robbins: Do you think that Gavril wants to have his balls cut off?

Daniel: No. Never. No one would.

Mr. Robbins: The law says that all houseboys have to have their balls cut off as soon as they reach adult size. Most houseboys have them cut off the minute they’re sold, but they don’t have to be while they’re still small. I don’t want to cut Gavril’s off at all, so it won’t happen until the very last minute when the law won’t let him keep them for another day. I’m hoping the law will change or that I can find a way around it so that Gavril’s balls will never have to be cut off. Daniel, your father is a lawyer. Maybe he can find a way to save Gavril’s balls. Do you think he might help?

Daniel: Of course he will….