| Loopy Lynn had been crying, and Rumba
Russ was pacing the floors, nervously
awaiting word, when Military Michael
strode into the house. He carefully opened his
shirt, and an angry, but none the worse for
wear Beeker popped out, and upon spying
Loopy Lynn, made a beeline across the room
for her. |
Rumba Russ motioned Military Michael out to the front porch, out of
Loopy Lynn's earshot - though she was so happy, crying over her Beeker,
that she scarcely would have heard them anyway. "We're in your debt
forever," Rumba Russ said, reaching into his pocket. "What can I pay you
for returning our baby - I'll pay you anything you ask."
"Put your money away," Military Michael told him, "for now. But meet me
tomorrow morning at Normal Gray Gus's at opening time."
| The next day, when a hesitant and
frightened Big Bad Ed pulled his
wagon into the front of Rumba Russ
and Loopy Lynn's home, he was met
by the two of them and by Military
Michael. "Come inside the house,
Ed," Military Michael said. | 
|
Fearfully, Big Bad Ed followed them into the house. But instead of finding
Sheriff Cindy waiting with handcuffs, as he expected, there was a basket on
the table. "That's yours, Ed," Military Michael said.
| Big Bad Ed looked inside the basket
- and two big black eyes looked back
at him. The tiny cockatiel, who had
just been weaned, and still had his
clutchmate-chewed baby feathers,
cheeped his baby cry up at him. | 
|
"He isn't Beeker," Loopy Lynn said, "but he's yours, and if you work with
him and spend time with him, he could be just as sweet as our Beeker."
Big Bad Ed didn't know what to say - he had been expecting the worst, as
always, and had received instead, the best he could have ever hoped for. A
'tiel of his own, to love, and to teach songs to, to make birdie bread for; all of
the things he had wanted for so long, and had hoped, in that moment of
madness during the tielnapping, that Beeker would bring him.
Everyone in Tieltown learned a lesson that day. Big Bad Ed learned that
taking something that didn't belong to you was wrong, and that the people
who he had skulked around and avoided were a big- hearted bunch who only
wanted the best for everyone. And the townspeople learned that Big Bad Ed
wasn't the scary man they had thought he was - he was just lonely, and left
out, and wanted what everyone else had. And now he had it; his very own
baby 'tiel. It might not grow up to be exactly like Beeker; in fact it probably
wouldn't, but Big Bad Ed vowed that it would never want for anything, and
would grow up knowing only love and indulgence. And besides, his new
friends down the road, Rumba Russ and Loopy Lynn, had promised that he
could come and visit his new friend Beeker anytime! And maybe Beeker, and
Big Bad Ed's new baby, who he named Beekette, would become friends,
too.