(meanwhile, downstairs)
Mama watched curiously as Jack stayed behind, busying himself with the curious task of moving two displays out of their alcoves; One just out and to the left of the alcove, and other-- out of its alcove, across the room, and to the right of the prior one-- The robe stand, and the staff stand, respectively. After moving those heavy objects across the floor, seemingly for no reason that she could think of, he pulled the mud-crusted blanket out of his sack and shook it, sending a spray of drying clay chips into the room. By this point, she had gotten used to some of his more peculiar behaviors; He always had some explanation that involved more twists and turns than a rabbit warren, but he wasn't completely crazy. He probably had a similarly complex reason this time. At least, she hoped he did.
Draping the blanket over the two heavy wooden edifices, creating an opaque but easily passed barrier over the opening in the wall into the space just inside, he looked back at her with a sparkle in his eye nad his face contorted in one of those strange human ways that was hard for her to read.
She felt his thoughts blossom around hers, just at the edges, as always. He certainly was pleased with himself, that much was sure. His emotions were bright like the summer sun. He wove a dizzying image that was hard to follow, like always. He was implying that with the others gone upstairs, he had set this up to block out the garish light of the room, and .. then some complex conception that did not make sense to her, but clearly did to him-- being alone together and undisturbed? The idea was silly to her, who cared what happened around whom-- She sure didn't. But, she was glad he had stayed behind, and had the forethought not to pester her to go up that thin wooden stick like the others had.
Her human had all these strange twists and turns in its behavior, like walls that only existed in certain circumstances and not in others. It was confusing AND frustrating-- but he was always warm, gentle, and attentive, even if not in the ways she wanted, when she wanted it. She got the impression that some of those walls had come down, with the erection of this flimsy, dirt-scented one. Amused, she plodded up to him, then nudged him over onto his butt, then pushed him under the barrier and into the alcove.
He wasn't getting away this time. It frustrated her how dense he could be about things some times-- how could something with a mind like that not get such a simple thing?
She grabbed his collar, and drug him into the space beyond.