"You’re the one with family here," said Doug. He and Jay were staying with Jay’s aunt and uncle during the convention. "Are there any farms close by?"
Jay thought a moment. "I don’t think so. Maybe some citrus orchards. Ha! Maybe some blood oranges."
"Jay—"
"No. No farms."
"Well…there has to be something," whined Doug, "someplace with big animals. Big enough so I won’t kill them."
Jay was quiet. Then he made a turn toward the freeway.
2
Endangered species
THE SAN DIEGO ZOO is located within a twelve-hundred-acre expanse of garden and cultural attractions called Balboa Park and encircled by lush palms and meticulously trimmed topiary elephants. Its outer wall is thirty feet high and can be scaled by an out-of-shape vampire carrying a friend if he sits down for a while afterward.
"Just a sec," Doug huffed for the second time. His head was spinning, and the first verse of a song he didn’t like was going around and around in it. Jay cast his eyes about with his hands over his nose and mouth. He flinched at every noise. Finally he went to stand behind a cart that sold T-shirts.
"We should meet back here if we get separated," he whispered. "Right at this cart."
"Why would we get separated?"
"I don’t know. If guards chase us."
"Jesus, there won’t be any guards in here. Why would they be on the inside? No one else could climb that wall. If there are guards, they’re probably all out there."
Jay said nothing, but after a minute he stepped out into view.
"Okay, I’m ready," said Doug. "You know, if I was full of blood, I bet I could have hauled ass over that wall. I could have carried two of you. I could have carried a whole cheerleading squad."