Help Putting This Away

"Do you need some help putting this away?" you say.

"That'd be great," Gabe says.  "Can you push this sound system into the back room for me?"

You push the wheeled cart into the back room he indicates.  He brings the stage, tucked under one arm.  "It's hard to get this with puppets on my hands."

"Why don't you just take them off?" you ask.

"What?  Take them off!  You're kidding, right? That would be outrageous!"

"Obviously!" you say.  "I was totally kidding."

"What do you mean?" you say.  "They're just puppets."