by David Kersey
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
Over time my sight gradually improved. I can vaguely see the colors of the meadow, the blue of the sky, and know by sight which of my pals I am talking with. I also can play "get the stick" again though it takes longer than before. The vet said my sight should continue to improve, but like all doctors learn to say from experience, there was no guarantee. Seems like every day there is an ever so slight improvement.
Cassie and I decided that we would love each other as best friends. She had moved into my doghouse and to my surprise didn't rearrange anything, but I wouldn't have minded if she did. Of course, rearranging would have meant moving my pillow since that's all the furnishings I had. She did move in her own bed. She had completely healed from the sting. We became inseparable and in the early days after the invasion she became my seeing-eye cat. We truly didn't care what others would say. Not a soul had said anything if you disregard John's chuckles and Mozetta's "Lawd have mercies".
Phil Wright and the comptroller at ACC were arrested on charges of legalese words that I didn't care to learn, but I did understand the words about providing material support to terrorism, and there was something else about insider trading. I have no idea what that is. There was no implication of wrongdoing on the part of the government, however an investigation is still ongoing, and Wright is full fledge into the appeals process. Apparently the entity that bought huge quantities of ACC stock also knew how to effectively exterminate the ants and colluded with ACC in full knowledge of that fact.
The sicknesses that had started to expand all over the country were under control by the beginning of September. Not one human fatality was reported though thousands had become ill with hepatitis or other maladies of the gastro area. There was a dramatic spike in the sales volume of toilet paper.
The pesticides that the ACC lab developed became available from coast to coast. John could be thanked for that. He shared the formula with all the major pesticide companies. He had the authority to do so because he was installed as the new CEO to replace Wright. I know that John is still spending considerable time and energy to uncover the truth about what happened with ACC and whoever it was that secretly enjoined the company. It bothers him a great deal, I can see it on his face. It’s not that the stock price plummeted to pre-attack levels that rankles him as much as it is to find the truth and repair the corporate image. It’s a biggie for him.
The terrorists at Chip's station were transferred to a prison somewhere far away. As far as I know the terrorist group ultimately responsible for the threat has not been determined, though I know John has his suspicions. But really that kind of thing resided in a parallel world, not mine, yet I knew John was very much involved in digging out the truth and to do ACC damage control.
Mozetta and Sylvester never got together to my knowledge.
Harold had taught some of the Klein animals to talk, only they talked very slowly. That's logical, Mort had taught Harold. Candace remarried. Penny visited the Klein estate to meet the lucky hog, and found out that the two pigs and one cow that had abandoned us during the battle were each stung at least once. All three survived.
As far as the circle members were concerned there was no need to meet for petty squabbles but we still meet from time to time to entertain ourselves. Methusaleh has learned all the words to "All my exes live in Texas". Felicia never returned though we heard a rumor that she ran off with another fox. Randall, with the bodyguard mentality, showed a tender side by placing fresh flowers on the empty seats of both Wendell and Dorcas. He did that daily without fail. Raspy is still Raspy, that will never change I suppose. We debated about adding Ferdinand to our group, but before we took a vote he got wind of it and turned it down. He said it was too far for him to hop to the clearing. That made sense I guess.
John plowed under the spent cornfield and started another. I wasn't much help in that process, but I did sit and watch to show my support, well, watch as best as my eyesight would allow.
I still cannot hold a pencil but it's in my bucket list.
One evening John asked me to join him on the front porch. "Take a rocker, Buck," which I did and he took the other. "Buck, a famous man once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I am proud of you Buck. You and your friends did what you had to do, and for the moment, evil has been defeated. It will come again. He couldn’t have known it would come again in just a few weeks, but that’s a whole new story in itself. As happened every time we concluded our chats on the porch, he said, “I love you, old boy."
Buck vs. the Bulldog Ants
PART TWO - MARLENE