Dr. Lynn had told Max that the puppies were unique. Not just smart like him and Rocky and Gizmo, but intelligent in a way that shouldn’t have been possible.
“I wonder sometimes if you three are the last dogs,” she’d said to Max one day. “And if our pack of Dorkies are a new species entirely. Maybe something good and wonderful has come from Praxis, after all.”
Max knew that his nephews and nieces were special. Even though, watching them leap at mosquitoes and fall on their bottoms just like the small animals back at the train museum, he couldn’t help but see them as simply the energetic little puppies they were.
“They giving you trouble, big guy?” Rocky asked.
The Dachshund lay next to Gizmo in the doghouse they shared outside, just off the back porch. A large, half-eaten bowl of kibble sat before them.
“Only as much as their parents ever did,” Max said as he padded toward them. “How are you two?”
Gizmo climbed to her feet and came to nuzzle Max’s side. “I’m wonderful,” she said. “Maybe a little worn out from chasing these four all morning.” She wagged her tail. “But it’s a nice tired.”
The puppies had raced into the field behind the house. Blue howled, “Come and play with us, Mommy and Daddy!”
Rocky groaned and flopped onto his side. In the past two years, he’d returned to his slightly plump state.
“I’m not sure I’m up for it,” he said.
Gizmo nosed him until Rocky finally rolled onto his feet.
“You need to work off all that kibble,” Max said, with a wag of his tail.
“Yeah, yeah, big guy,” Rocky said, waddling out of the doghouse toward his children. “Can’t blame a dog for wanting to relax.”
“I bet I’ll get to them first!” Gizmo said.
“No way,” Max said.
But before he could move, Gizmo darted forward, running like the wind.
“Aw, no head starts!” Rocky yowled.
He and Max barked happily as they raced after her. A cool breeze rose off the distant trees, carrying with it the smell of rodents hiding in the brush and dandelion seeds dancing in the air.
“Four plus four!” Milo yipped as he chased after his brown-furred sisters.
“Eight!” Chloe barked back.
“Three plus three!” Milo cried.
“Nine!” Lola yipped, then quickly said, “No, no, it’s six. Six!”
“I have no idea what those crazy pups are talking about,” Rocky said.
“It’s something Dr. Lynn has been teaching them,” Gizmo said. “They say it’s arithmetic, whatever that is. They’ve been practicing all week!”
Across the field, Max saw Charlie and Emma tossing a ball back and forth.
Max changed course, heading toward the two children. Rocky, Gizmo, and their four little Dorkies followed.
More than once, in his dreams, Max had seen Charlie and Emma playing in the distance, always disappearing before he could reach them.
But now, they stood still, the ball forgotten as they waited to embrace their new family of dogs.
Max tumbled into their open arms, the kids squealing with laughter, the puppies swarming over everybody as they wiggled in excitement, Rocky and Gizmo barking in delight.
Max had found not just one family on his long journey, but two.
And he’d brought them home.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
And so we’ve reached… Journey’s End.
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers has been faithful and wonderful throughout the life of our series. Thank you to the entire team who worked on the books, led by series editors Pam Garfinkel and Julie Scheina. So far, this has been the best publishing experience of my writing career.
Of course I also have to thank the team at the Inkhouse for once again letting me play with our cast of dogs. Ruth Katcher was there every step of the way to help polish my words and keep me going, and Michael Stearns and Ted Malawer gave the book a great foundation for me to build upon with their top-notch storytelling skills.
Allen Douglas, the series illustrator, always amazes me with how he captures the scenes from the book so perfectly. Thank you also to the always enthusiastic Andrew Bates, who used his incredible talent to narrate the audiobook versions of the series produced by the fine folks at ListenUp Audiobooks.
I can’t fail to mention all of you guys, too, readers of all ages who have shared in this story with me. Thank you for picking up our books and for following the perilous journey of three very brave, very smart dogs all the way to the end. I hope you enjoyed how the story of Max, Rocky, and Gizmo ended just as much as I loved writing it for you!
Contents
COVER
TITLE PAGE
WELCOME
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE: THE SILVER WALL
CHAPTER 1: SNAKE IN THE GRASS
CHAPTER 2: STAMPEDE
CHAPTER 3: TEMPEST
CHAPTER 4: THE INFESTED MALL
CHAPTER 5: DARK PASSAGE
CHAPTER 6: THE TUNNEL
CHAPTER 7: THE SLUMBERING SWARM
CHAPTER 8: LEAP OF FAITH
CHAPTER 9: AN ODIOUS STENCH
CHAPTER 10: STRIPES AND THE SILVER BANDIT
CHAPTER 11: THE TRAIN MUSEUM
CHAPTER 12: SNEAKING IN
CHAPTER 13: THE TRAIN DOG’S LAMENT
CHAPTER 14: ALL ABOARD
CHAPTER 15: OASIS
CHAPTER 16: DESERT TOWN
CHAPTER 17: COYOTE COUNTRY
CHAPTER 18: CANYON RUN
CHAPTER 19: THE PROMISE
CHAPTER 20: A DANGEROUS PLAN
CHAPTER 21: THE FINAL CHASE
CHAPTER 22: NOWHERE TO RUN
CHAPTER 23: REUNION
CHAPTER 24: THE CHOICE
TWO YEARS LATER
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
COPYRIGHT
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Text copyright © 2014 by The Inkhouse
Illustrations copyright © 2014 by Allen Douglas
Cover art © 2014 by Allen Douglas
Cover design by Liz Casal
Cover © 2014 Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First ebook edition: June 2014
ISBN 978-0-316-27969-7
E3
Journey's End Page 21