lying in wait

We now have a gardener, and he is doing an amazing job. He has cleared out several tons of jungle, removed the ivy which threatened to wreck the steps, and generally sorted it. We haven't yet told him about Much, hidden amid the ferns.

What do you think? Should we warn Stephen, or should we wait until he pulls out a handful of weeds and finds a grinning chap on a snail? Much isn't scary, so he might be a pleasant surprise.

Captai Padra sits outside, too, overlooking the river. He was once by a pond in the garden of my much-loved Uncle Gordon, and after he died Padra came home with me. He stands overlooking the river and generally keeping an eye on things in his usual way - easy-going, but never missing a thing.