Entry: August 2, 654 A.E.

Afternoon

The Miracle

And then, in the courtroom, during the preliminary hearings, Captain Greibenfeld of Xerxes Naval Base played his hand.

"Before we begin discussing definitions of sapience," he said, "I would like the court's permission to present a demonstration."

They brought in hearing aids—ultrasonic hearing aids. And suddenly I could hear what the Fuzzies had been saying all along. Their speech was mostly above the range of human hearing. When I turned on the hearing aid, Baby Fuzzy's "yeeking" became words: "He-inta sa-wa'aka; igga sa geeda?"

"Muhgawd, Gus, he's talking!" I said.

And then they brought in six more Fuzzies. Six Fuzzies I thought I'd never see again. Little Fuzzy, Mamma Fuzzy, Mike, Mitzi, Ko-Ko, and Cinderella.

"Pa-pee Jaaack! Pa-pee Jaaack!" they cried.

I don't remember leaving my seat. The next thing I knew, I was sitting on the floor with my family mobbing me, hugging me, gabbling with joy. They'd been safe all along, hidden away at Xerxes Naval Base. Ruth Ortheris had smuggled them out of Science Center the morning after their "escape" and turned them over to Navy Intelligence.

I held them and cried. I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'd gotten my family back.