Baloo finished off the soda in a few gulps and tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder. �What can go wrong?�

Higher for Hire

�It�s been over an hour, and you promised to play outside with me,� Molly reminded Kit.

The teenager, who had been rudely interrupted in the middle of an exciting magazine article, sighed. �Okay, but just for a while. Mom said Cassie can�t be outside for too long, or she�ll get heat stroke.�

�I thought having a little sister would be funner,� Molly retorted as she watched her brother place the baby in her pram.

He pulled the visor down to shield the infant from the scorching July sun. �She�s not so bad. I kinda like her.� Kit smiled at Cassie and pushed the pram outside. He parked it on the shady side of Higher for Hire.

�Even if you hafta miss the autogyro thing because of her?� Molly asked incredulously.

�Yeah,� Kit gritted his teeth. His friends were probably having a blast right about then. �I still like her.�

Molly began scooping a deep trench in the sandbox. �I like her, too, but she can�t do anything.�

After only fifteen minutes of playing in the sandbox, Cassie began to bawl.

�Our baby sister says it�s time to head in.�

�She always cries,� Molly said, rolling her eyes. �That�s all she does - eats and cries.�

Cassie cried louder.

�And poops! Yuck, Kit, she needs to be changed!� Molly cried, pinching her nose shut as she helped Kit push the pram back into the house.

�Great,� Kit muttered, wishing that he was at the aerodrome with his friends. There were no diapers to be changed there. �Lucky me.�

A few minutes later...

�There you are, Cass. A nice clean diaper,� Kit said, throwing the soiled one in the diaper pail and removing the clothespin from his nose.

�P.U.! How can a little thing like that make such a big, stinky mess?� Molly, holding her nose and gasping for breath, scrambled over her bed and threw open the window as far as it would go. She flipped the fan on.

In spite of the new diaper, the infant continued to bawl.

�What�s wrong now, Cassie? You have a clean diaper.� Molly picked up the baby.

�Maybe she�s hungry,� Kit suggested and ran to the kitchen to warm a bottle.

�Wish you could talk and tell us what�s wrong.� Molly gently bounced the red-faced, bawling infant up and down. �Golly, you�re getting heavy!� She carefully made her way down the stairs to the kitchen. �Bottle ready, Kit?�

Kit tested a drop on his wrist. �Yep.�

Cassie took a few sucks from the bottle and spit it out - still crying.

�It�s not too hot. I tested it just like Mom said.� The boy frowned at the bottle and then at Cassie.

�Maybe she needs to burp,� Molly surmised. She patted the baby�s back vigorously, but no burp came up. She looked at Kit. �I think we should call Mom.�

�No, this is Mom�s day off. We can figure this out ourselves,� he said stubbornly. Snatching up a rattle, he waved it in front of the wailing cub�s red face.

Tora-Tora

Picante City, the second largest metropolis in Tora-Tora, combined old world charm with native culture. The past mingled with the present; the old mixed with the new. Red-tiled roofs stood side-by-side with modern structures. People wearing colorful native costumes as well as the most up-to-date outfits could be seen traversing Picante City�s streets. Because it was so close to Usland, the just south-of-the-border city was a popular tourist destination. Ergo, all of the hotels were clambering to have soft water for their wealthy customers. Zuzz Zuzz Water Softeners were a very profitable commodity.

But, for once in her life, profits were the furthest thing from Rebecca's mind. "Need to find a phone," she muttered to herself.

�Where�re ya sneakin� off to, Becky?� Baloo asked, almost bent over double as he lugged an extremely heavy crate from the cargo hold.

Rebecca spun around with a guilty expression on her face. �Um...I have some...nowhere.�

�Yer gonna call the kids, aren�t ya?� He plunked the crate down beside the other five crates, looking back at the others in the hold. Only fifteen more to go.

�Maybe,� she mumbled sheepishly, irked that he read her mind, and doubly irked that he had that infuriating little smirk on his face.

�Go ahead if it�ll make ya feel better. Tell �em hola (he pronounced the �H�) from me.� The grey bear took off his cap, brushed sweat from his brow, and chuckled at the sight of his wife rushing off in search of a telephone.

Higher for Hire

RING! RING! jangled the phone.

Molly picked up the receiver. �Higher for Hire. Molly speaking,� she answered politely. �Oh, hi, Mommy.� She gestured wildly to Kit to take bawling Cassie out of the room. �It�s Mom!� she mouthed, pointing to the phone.

�Jeepers!� Kit slipped outside with the infant.

Rebecca heard her baby crying. Struggling to keep the panicky feeling inside of her suppressed, she asked anxiously, �Is everything all right?�

�Yep, everything is hunky-dory. How �bout you?� Molly asked loudly in a fake cheery tone. �How�s Tora-Tora?�

�Hot and dusty. Oh, Daddy says �hola�.�

Molly shot a glance at the door. �Okay, bye.�

�Wait, Molly! You�re sure everything�s okay?� Rebecca said suspiciously. �Any business calls? How�s Cassie?�

�Nobody�s called except you, and Cassie�s one hundred percent okey-dokey,� Molly replied with a nervous giggle. She could still hear Cassie�s screams and hoped that her mother couldn�t.

�Well...if you�re sure. Goodbye.� Rebecca hung up.

Molly gave a sigh of relief as she hung up the receiver and went outside. �All clear, Kit.�

�Good. Your turn to walk with her. I want to rest my arms, not to mention my ears.�

Back to Picante City

�Ready for a little sight-seein�?� Baloo asked when the bearess returned. �Those sombreros don�t hafta be there �til tomorrow mornin�.�

�Cassie was crying. Maybe we should just go home.� Rebecca started for the Sea Duck with a worried frown.

Baloo caught her by the arm, pulling her to his side. �Nuh-huh. Kit an� Molly can handle it. It ain�t every day that I get ya all to myself.� Wrapping an arm securely about her waist, he grinned down at her.

Rebecca half-heartedly returned his smile. �Well...I am a little hungry.� It was the first time she had felt hungry since Cassie had been born. Her smile widened. �Where do you suggest we eat, Baloo?�

�Now yer talkin�, Beckers!�

Higher for Hire

�ARGH! Be quiet already!� Kit screamed over Cassie�s wails.

�Do something, Kit!� Molly yelled. Cotton balls were stuffed in her ears.

�Like what?� he retorted, tossing the teddy bear at her. �We�ve tried everything!�

Molly threw the toy back at him. �I dunno. Feed her!�

�We�ve done that! She won�t eat!� The bear flew at the eight-year-old.

�Change her diaper then!�

�I just did that five minutes ago! She can�t be dirty already!�

Molly threw the toy back at Kit. �Shake the teddy bear in her face!�

�I did! It only makes her cry more!�

�You�re the oldest. You should know what to do!�

�Well, you�re a girl. You should know something about babies from playing with dolls.�

�Lucy doesn�t cry unless I pretend she does. I can�t pretend Cassie to stop crying.� Molly started towards the door.

�Hey, where are you going? If I have to suffer, so do you!�

�I�m gonna get help!�

When the door slammed shut behind her, Kit yelled, �But Mom�s five hundred miles away!� In exasperated exhaustion he sank onto the sofa and sandwiched his head between the teddy bear and a pillow.

A few minutes later, Molly hurried through the door, clutching Wildcat�s paw.

�Where�s the fire?� Wildcat said. �I can hear the fire truck siren.�

Molly silently pointed to red-faced Cassie bawling her head off in her bassinet.

�Whattsa matter, Little Cassie-cat?� the lion crooned. He turned the baby upside-down and back and forth, looking her over intently. Finally, he pulled a microscopic splinter that was poking her in the thigh. �Here�s your problem. This sharp, pointy thingy was jabbing her and her little leg was saying, �help me!�.�

�So were we,� Kit said.

Cassie�s boisterous sobs subsided into hiccups, then ragged breathing. In a matter of a few minutes, she zonked out in Wildcat�s arms.

�Thanks, Wildcat,� Molly said, grinning from ear to ear as the mechanic put the now peaceful infant in her bassinet.

�No problemo, guys. If ya need me, I�ll be real close, like, right next door, or in the next boat.�

Molly plopped down on the sofa beside her brother. �Hear that, Kit?�

He cocked his head to one side. �I don�t hear anything.�

A big smile spread across her face. �That�s what I mean. Silence! Yippee!� She tossed her the cotton balls into the air.

Cassie whimpered, prompting looks of utter terror to appear on the older cubs� faces.

Molly slapped a paw over her mouth. �Yippee,� she whispered.

Higher for Hire
That Evening

�That was the most fun I�ve had in a long time,� Rebecca commented as she alighted from the Sea Duck. She felt refreshed from her nap on the return trip.

�Speak for yerself, honey. I got heartburn from all that spicy food.� Baloo belched and thumped his chest with his fist. �Oh, baby.�

�I wonder why. Was it because you

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