- Now they are back in Mr. Pluto's cave, and Mr. Pluto is sitting at his desk, looking happy.
- Thomas and his dad are back in their regular clothes, and they've taken off the makeup. They are really tired.
- When Pesty comes in, after putting the horse to bed, Mr. Pluto congratulates her on her wonderful performance.
- Mayhew apologizes to Mr. Pluto for wanting to put him in the hospital. He feels warm toward his dad for the first time in a long time.
- Thomas tells Mr. Pluto that he scared him, and Mr. Pluto just laughs, saying he was really having fun.
- Mayhew feels bad for Thomas because he got scared, and Thomas starts to apologize for being a bad actor.
- Mr. Small assures him he was fine, and this makes Thomas mad. He starts beating himself up for being a coward.
- He says he'll go home and check on his mother.
- Mayhew says he wants to go with Thomas.
- Mr. Small will stay behind and talk to Mr. Pluto, then come home with Pesty, who is already sleeping.
- Of course, Thomas wants to walk home alone; he thinks Mayhew is trying to take care of him.
- Mayhew says he just wants to talk to Thomas and be friends with him.
- As they walk, Thomas tells him about his wood sculptures…
- Back in the cave, Mr. Small is lying on the floor next to Mr. Pluto's desk, on the verge of falling asleep.
- Mr. Pluto says that he and Mayhew are going to let Mr. Small decide whether or not to tell the foundation about the treasure.
- They trust him to "do the right thing" (19.33).
- Mr. Small asks if Dies Drear left a list of all the things in the cavern.
- If so, Mr. Pluto has never seen one.
- Mr. Small says that proves Dies Drear didn't want the stuff to be sold.
- He proposes that he make such a list, a catalogue of all the items in the cave.
- Mr. Pluto says that would take Mr. Small the rest of Mr. Pluto's life.
- In this way, they reach a compromise. Mr. Small won't tell the foundation about the treasure until he's finished cataloguing it. So, Mr. Pluto will be able to live out the rest of his life as usual.
- At Pluto's request, Mr. Small picks up Pesty to put her to bed at his house. He promises to be back in the morning to start the cataloguing.
- While they are having that conversation, Thomas and Mayhew are talking about acting as they walk back to the Small's house.
- Mayhew tells Thomas that he'll be here for another month, and he offers to give Thomas a month's worth of acting lessons.
- Thomas isn't convinced he has any acting talent, but he does want to learn how Mayhew can seem to disappear out of doorways.
- Maybe, Mayhew says, he can teach him that.
- Then he tells Thomas that he's glad they scared the Darrows tonight. He thinks it taught the Darrows that Mr. Small is not somebody to be fooled with.
- That way, they can't bother him like they did Mayhew's father.
- Plus, Mayhew feels more connected to his father now.
- Thomas understands that Mayhew never really liked Mr. Pluto.
- Mayhew says Thomas is right. He can tell Thomas does like his father, Mr. Small.
- Yes, Thomas does like his father, he tells Mayhew, even though it gets on his nerves that Mr. Small always figures everything out before anybody else.
- Still, Thomas admires his father's intelligence.
- Now Thomas asks Mayhew if he can be friends with Mac Darrow.
- Unfortunately, Mayhew doesn't think the Darrows will let Pesty or Mac hang out at the Small place for a while.
- They'll be ashamed and angry about what happened and need some time to get over it.
- He suggests Thomas wait until winter; when it snows, he'll find Mac outside hunting rabbits.
- When Mayhew talks about the beauty of the winter, Thomas realizes he loves this place, and asks Mayhew why he left.
- Well, Mayhew isn't prepared to answer that question.
- Back in the house, Thomas finds his mom sleeping on the couch.
- Without waking her, he goes up to his room and crashes out.
- In the morning, after a quick breakfast and a quick word to his mom and brothers, Thomas heads over to Mr. Pluto's cave.
- Mr. Pluto is welding a humongous lock for the door of his cavern.
- Mr. Small is already there, completely absorbed in cataloguing the treasures.
- Pesty is there too.
- She and Thomas are looking at the huge chest hanging from the ceiling.
- It looks really full, and Thomas is curious.
- But, he decides that he can just let that be a mystery for now.
- He and Pesty wait patiently to see if Mr. Small will need their help.
- And that's how the story ends.