Waggit Forever

by Peter Howe

  Beidel smiled. “Thank you for the offer, but I can’t imagine any circumstances in which we would need your help.”

  “Well, you never know,” replied Tazar, somewhat put out by this dismissal of his gesture.

  It was now quite dark, but still too early for the team to move out, because the planned route went through heavily populated streets that would still be lively at this hour. The dogs hated this part of the night. They were impatient to move, especially since this was the last time they would spend on the road before reaching their new home. Beidel and Dragoman decided that instead of breaking the team into two groups, they would do better to keep them together for this final leg of the journey, and not take separate routes to the new park. They would move the team through in batches, three or four at a time. It would take longer, but at least they would be sure to get all the dogs to their destination at the same time.

  To pass the time until their departure, the Ductors and Tazarians talked about differences in their lives. Although they had been together for the past two days, the Ductors had been so focused on leading and the Tazarians on following that neither group had really gotten to know the other. The Ductors weren’t the most talkative group, even at the best of times, and secretly Waggit was sure this was because they were street dogs. Living the way they do must be very stressful, he thought, always being so close to Uprights, dealing with streets and traffic and all the other things that had made the journey hard for the park dogs. He remembered fondly the times that he and Lowdown had spent almost the whole day just lying in the sunshine on a rock, watching the comings and goings of the park. This kind of contemplation never seemed like a waste of time to Waggit, but he was fairly sure it was something that street dogs didn’t have either the time or the inclination for.

  The other thing that was foreign to the Ductors was hunting, even though, like this haven, many of the places they lived in were infested with rats. The Tazarians’ hunting tales fascinated them, but not so much that any of them felt tempted to share the Tazarians’ meal.

  “So you mean you always have to chase them and kill them?” Pilodus asked incredulously, referring to the small animals that were the park dogs’ staple diet.

  “Well, yes,” Waggit replied. “We’ve found they don’t usually come to us on their own.”

  “And you eat them right away, like you did tonight?” inquired Cicero.

  “No,” said Waggit. “We always used to take them back to the pipe. We all share food. It doesn’t matter whether you hunted it or not, the rule is that you have to share anything that’s big enough to divide up.”

  “Are they still warm when you eat them?” Dragoman chimed in.

  “Not usually, but sometimes,” said Waggit.

  “Oh, how disgusting!” exclaimed Naviga. “How can you do that?”

  “Well, at first it’s hard,” Waggit admitted, “but you get used to it. If you’ve ever been really hungry, it’s amazing what you’ll do.”

  “Don’t they all taste the same?” asked Pilodus.

  “Oh no,” Gordo assured him. “My favorite’s hopper, but that scurry we just had was pretty good too. You should try it sometime.”

  A shudder ran through Pilodus’s body.

  “No, thank you,” he said firmly.

  While this conversation was taking place, Tazar formally introduced Felicia to Beidel. The leader of the Ductors remained wary of her but acknowledged that she had remarkable skills, the likes of which he had never known in a human being before. She was assigned the role of lookout and coordinator for the rest of the journey. Her responsibilities were to warn of danger and to keep the team moving and together. She was eager to be a part of the effort and assured them that her height would allow her to give them the earliest possible signal of potential threats. Everyone agreed to the plan, and the receptor was sent into the yard to listen to the sounds coming from the direction in which they were traveling. After what seemed to be an eternity, he returned and said the two words that were their signal to leave.

  “Everything’s quiet.”

  Tazar looked at Waggit and grinned. “One more time, my brother.”

  And with that the dogs moved out.

  13

  Disaster, Destination, and Dismay

  The first part of the night’s journey was as uneventful as the Ductors expected it to be, but as the streets became more residential, the dogs’ progress became increasingly difficult. Even in the early hours of the morning, the area was livelier than the more sedate neighborhoods adjacent to the park. More people were on the sidewalks, and there was a surprisingly large number of cars on the road. Waggit began to wonder whether the decision to move the team as one group was a wise one. It had been difficult enough to move seven Tazarians and two Ductors over the past two days, but now there were twice that number. Even Beidel had decided to accompany them on this last part of their journey. Felicia certainly helped by shepherding the dogs along, and Waggit watched her with pride as she escorted a small group across the street like a canine school crossing guard.

  Fortunately every inch of the curb was lined with parked vehicles, and so concealment, even for this number of animals, was relatively easy. Waggit lay under one car, waiting for his turn to cross a particularly tricky intersection. From his vantage point he could see Felicia holding up her hand to stop the dogs when she saw traffic approaching, or waving them on when all was clear. He realized how fond he was of her, and that every member of the team shared his affection, even Tazar, whose hatred of humans was legendary. Waggit was conflicted about humans. He had certainly suffered because of them. He had been abandoned in the park by one at an early age; he had been captured by park rangers and sent to the pound, where he had seen many dogs taken from their cages, never to return; and he had witnessed immense cruelty when he and Felicia had rescued Lug from men who had been throwing rocks at him.

  And yet for every cruel and thoughtless human act that he had suffered or seen, he could recall an equal number of kind and caring ones. Felicia was exceptional in so many ways that he suspected she was part human and part dog, but she wasn’t the only one who had shown him compassion. He had been rescued from the pound by a woman who had befriended him in the park; on his long trek with Felicia the previous year he had met a truck driver named Frosty who had given them a lift for many miles; and then there was the car-service driver named Miguel who gave them a lift in another way. He had cheered them up with his good humor and optimism when their spirits were down. But Waggit also knew that on one level Tazar was right. Humans were the enemy if you were a free dog. They seemed frightened of animals that they couldn’t control, and dogs living on their own were something that they couldn’t tolerate. They were a strange and complicated species, Waggit decided, and he thought it best to stick with dogs. At least you knew where you were with them.

  These were the thoughts that drifted through his head when an incident unfolded in front of him in what seemed to be slow motion. Felicia was watching over a junction where three roads intersected, two in the usual crisscross pattern of city blocks, and another that cut across both at an angle. It was the same road that they had sprinted along during the rainstorm, only farther uptown. Beidel, who had been traveling with Tazar, was about to cross when Felicia held up her hand in warning. It was clear to Waggit from Beidel’s body language that he wasn’t going to take orders from a human. He looked up and down the street and then crossed. What he didn’t see was a truck with a load of milk as it barreled toward its next delivery along the diagonal road. Tazar did see it, however, and he raced across the intersection hitting Beidel at full tilt, bowling him over and out of harm’s way. The truck swerved and continued on its course, but not before Waggit heard a sickening thump that made his heart stop beating for a second.

  Felicia ran into the middle of the road, motioning to the dogs gathered on each side to stay where they were. Waggit came out from under the car and saw Tazar lying on the blacktop. Felicia bent over him, and th
en very gently she gathered him into her arms and carried him to a bus shelter that was a short distance down the block. Tazar was a large, heavy dog, but Felicia was much stronger than she appeared, and with very little difficulty she laid him down. The dogs, abandoning all caution, gathered around.

  “Tazar, Tazar,” Felicia said, quietly but urgently. “Can you say something?”

  There was no response from the motionless animal. She stroked his head gently and repeated what she had just said. There was still no response, but then, after a couple of minutes that seemed like an eternity, his eyelids fluttered and his big brown eyes looked up at her.

  “Is Beidel okay?” were the first words out of his mouth.

  Beidel, who was standing nearby, moved forward so that Tazar could see him.

  “Thanks to you, Tazar, I’m fine.”

  “Good,” said Tazar. “Because I wouldn’t want us both to die. Teams need their leaders.”

  “Indeed they do,” agreed Felicia, “and that’s precisely why you’re not going to die.”

  “Is Waggit there?” Tazar asked, ignoring her last remark.

  Waggit pushed forward between the other dogs, his whole body shaking with fear.

  “I’m here, Tazar.”

  “Waggit, I’m done for,” the black dog said. “I want you to take over the team. I always intended that you would eventually; I just didn’t want it to be this soon. I hope the new park works out for all of you. I would have liked to have seen it.”

  “Oh, Tazar,” said Felicia, “stop being so melodramatic. You got bumped by a truck is all. You’ll be fine.”

  Waggit knew that Tazar could, and often did, exaggerate a situation, but that he was relentlessly stoic about any injury. In his eyes a leader must never show weakness or vulnerability. If Tazar said he was dying, he must have good reason to think so.

  “Felicia,” Tazar said in a quiet voice, “I can’t feel my back legs.”

  A gasp went through the dogs, and nobody said a word.

  “Well, in that case we have to get you some help,” Felicia said after a moment’s thought. “Waggit, go with the Ductors and settle the team in the new park. I’m pretty sure I know where it is from listening to their description. I’m going to take Tazar to some Uprights who can make him better.”

  “I don’t want to go near any Uprights, Felicia,” growled Tazar. “I’d sooner die here with honor.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” Felicia replied irritably. “They’re not going to do anything to you that will harm you—I’ll make sure of that. And then when you’re better, we’ll get you back with the team and everything will return to normal. Besides,” she added, “I don’t see what’s so honorable about dying here in a bus shelter.”

  “She’s right, boss,” chimed in Lowdown. “If she can get some of her kind to put you back together again, why not do it? She ain’t gonna let them take you to the Great Unknown or anything like that. You know you can trust her. Besides, we need you. I mean, Waggit’s a fine fellow and all that, but he ain’t you—not yet he ain’t.”

  “He’s right,” said Waggit. “I’m not.”

  Then Beidel walked over to Tazar and looked into his eyes with great sympathy and respect.

  “Tazar,” he began, “because of my stupid pride you saved my life, and I will never forget that. As long as I live, the Ductors will protect your team, wherever they are. You have my solemn word on that. You are a fine leader, and leaders like us are rare. We have something that other dogs don’t. It can’t be acquired; it can only be strengthened over time. Your boy here”—he nodded toward Waggit—“probably has it, but he needs your example and teaching to help him achieve his potential. Don’t let him down; don’t let your team down; most of all, don’t let yourself down. Go with this Upright and let her help you. Your team will be in good paws, I promise you.”

  After that speech there was nothing left to say. The biggest hurdle now was getting Tazar to the people who could give him the medical attention he needed. It was one thing for Felicia to pick him up and carry him to the bus shelter, but he was far too heavy for her to carry him a long distance. She had no idea where she would find a veterinarian, but in all likelihood it was many blocks from where they were now. Once again, the skateboard came to the rescue. With its broken end it was barely big enough to carry the big black dog, but if he lay on it with his legs sticking out sideways, he could just stay on. Felicia removed one of the scarves that held up her baggy shorts and tied it around the front wheels of the board, declaring as she did that if the worst thing that happened was her pants falling down, then they would be in good shape. Of course this meant that Lowdown would have to make the rest of the journey on his own, but he assured Tazar that he was up to it, and the Ductors said that they weren’t too far from the new park anyway.

  The last they saw of Felicia and Tazar that day was the strange sight of her dragging their injured chief toward what they all hoped would be his full recovery. Waggit stood next to Beidel as they watched them disappear around a corner.

  “He’s a fine dog,” muttered Beidel.

  Waggit realized that this was the first time the other animal had spoken to him directly since their initial meeting. Unless he was giving orders, Beidel only ever conversed leader to leader. This meant one thing: He recognized that Waggit was now in charge of the Tazarians. From this moment on, and until Tazar’s return, they were his responsibility.

  The accident had cost the group precious time, and Dragoman was eager to get them back on their journey. But Lowdown was still having trouble moving quickly. Even though he gritted his teeth and fought back the pain, his legs were just too stiff to move as fast as the Ductors wanted. The other dogs helped him as best they could; Magica even took his tail in her mouth, lifting his back legs off the ground and pushing him forward like a rather scruffy wheel-barrow. But however they tried to ease him along, it was still slow going, and their guides kept looking nervously at the night sky for any sign of light.

  Finally they came to a curving sidewalk bordered by a high gray stone wall, over which branches hung. Pilodus, who was in the lead, began to run with excitement and didn’t stop until he reached a gap in the wall. As the other dogs caught up with him, they saw that this opened onto a path that went up the side of a wooded hill.

  “We’re here!” Pilodus barked.

  The team ran up the hill, yipping with joy. They abandoned the footpath for the pleasure of feeling the earth, leaves, and tree roots beneath their paws, and the smell of green things growing. Even Lowdown was caught up in the excitement and did his best to keep up. The hill ran steeply up to its brow, and it was with high expectations that they ran toward it, impatient to see the view that would unfold before them when they reached the crest. Alicia was the fastest dog on the team by far, but she was also the laziest, and so it was Waggit and Magica who were the first to get there. What they saw made their hearts sink.

  Instead of the vastness of the park they were used to, this one occupied a narrow strip of land between the road they had been on and the highway that flanked the wide expanse of the river. Not only was the park small, but most of it was also taken up with formal gardens that surrounded a large building of yellow stone with a tower at one end. Directly in front of them was a blacktop parking lot, sectioned off into large spaces. On the sidewalk in front of these were signs showing that the parking areas were for buses only. The dogs couldn’t read the signs, but they recognized the drawings on them. They knew what buses looked like, and they also knew that they were usually filled with people. It seemed this was one of the most people-intensive areas they had ever seen, and as such completely unsuitable for their needs. Alicia said what everyone was thinking.

  “Well, wouldja look at that. The gateway to the Great Unknown!”

  14

  Advice from a Stranger

  The dogs wandered unhappily around the parking lot, sniffing halfheartedly at spots where the buses had leaked oil. The area was empty now, but the dogs k
new that when daylight came, it would fill with vehicles containing people. They also knew that the same people would immediately call the authorities when they saw a pack of dogs.

  “We came all this way for this?” Alicia continued. “Tazar may die for this? What were those dogs thinking?”

  “They wasn’t thinking,” grumbled Gruff. “That’s the trouble with dogs nowadays—they never think. It’s always act first, think later—if ever.”

  “What’ll we do, Waggit?” asked Cal.

  “We can’t stay here,” added Raz.

  “D’you think it’s a trap?” Alona wondered.

  “We’ll fight ’em off…,” Little One said.

  “…if it is,” added Little Two.

  Waggit knew they were all turning to him as their leader for reassurance and direction. The Tazarians had raced up the hill in their excitement, way ahead of the Ductors, who were just joining them now. Waggit turned to them to get answers to the team’s questions, but before he could say a word, Dragoman walked up to him.

  “You can’t hang around here. We have to move on before the light,” he insisted.

  “But I thought here was here,” said Waggit. “I mean, I thought this was here. What I mean to say is, I thought this was the new park.”

  “No,” said Dragoman, amazed that Waggit would even think it. “You can’t live here—it’s far too small. No, the park you’re going to is next to this. Come on, let me show you.”

  He walked to the other side of the yellow stone building, with Waggit and the rest of the team following. Lowdown, who had finally caught up, panted and wheezed alongside them. Dragoman stopped on a terrace that was attached to one end of the building. The view, even in the blackness of night, was magnificent, with the broad, stately river dominating the landscape as it wound its way to the sea. This was the highest point of the park, and beneath them the dogs could see the paths that ran down to the surrounding streets. They were outlined in lights that cast an eerie yellowish green glow. The paths ended at a bridge that ran over a road connecting to the highway. On the far side of the bridge was a hill, a huge, black mass of land, without a single light on it to break up its impenetrable darkness.