Clutching the wand, Matt's father said, "I wish Paul DeSoto would come here immediately." Matt cringed as Mr. DeSoto's car, which had just exited his own driveway, pulled into the Lairds'. The hunk himself got out and walked up to the Lairds' back door, not even knocking before he entered the house.
"Uh, hi Jim. Hi Matt. I just thought I'd, uh, drop in." The hunky neighbor clearly had no idea why he had done so.
Matt felt a jolt in his body as it started to shrink again. He was startled to see his father was shrinking also. What was going on?
"Hello, Paul. Why don't you sit down," said Matt's dad. Still confused, Mr. DeSoto complied. Matt felt like running and hiding when his father continued. "I understand my son shrank you yesterday, and that you enjoyed it."
Mr. DeSoto blushed to the roots of his hair. "Damndest thing that ever happened to me," he muttered. "Look, I'm sorry, Jim. I don't know what came over me. I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter, though. But I take full responsibility."
"I see," said Matt's dad, eyeing his son. He seemed oblivious to the fact that both of them were shrinking steadily in Paul DeSoto's big-balled presence. "Paul, Matt was very bad yesterday. He paid a small price already, but that was nowhere near enough to teach him a lesson. I'm sorry you got caught up in this, but since you did, you're going to have to be a part of his punishment."
"Now, Jim, I think that's fair, but don't be too hard on the boy. I did seem to enjoy what happened, after all."
"Yes, you did, but I have my suspicions about that, too. In any case, Matt's punishment is . . ."