Waggit Again (10 page)

W
aggit woke up with a start the next day, disoriented and confused. Once again he was in a strange place, as he had been on so many mornings recently. It seemed it was something he would never get used to, and it wasn't until he heard Lowdown's gentle snoring and turned to see his friend beside him that he began to relax. The hollow of the tree trunk was not big, but it was cool and dry, and a soft green light filtered through the leaves of the ferns that concealed its opening. As he lay there a sense of calm and peace began
to wash over him, relaxing muscles that were still stiff from the night's sleep. He was content.

The only place I've ever been that I feel like this, he thought, is here in the park with Lowdown and the others.

If he had reflected a bit harder he would have remembered that he had also been this content in the woman's apartment and with the dogs who lived in the same building. He was so angry with her for abandoning him at the farm that he wouldn't allow himself to remember the good times they had, nor dwell on the fact that he owed his life to her just as much as to Tazar and the team. If she had not come along in the nick of time and rescued him from the pound he would have met the same fate that awaited most of its inmates.

But these memories were the farthest thing from his mind on this warm summer morning. He was content to let his body absorb his surroundings, smelling the scent of the earth and feeling a soft breeze ruffle the hair of his coat. A dove cooed gently and was then drowned out by the more insistent
rat-a-tat
of a woodpecker, and underlying all these sounds was the hum of the traffic that never seemed to stop. A sudden early morning itch developed behind his right ear
that needed scratching immediately, and in doing so he woke up Lowdown. The old dog yawned, his long pink tongue with its purple patch looking much too big for his mouth. He groaned softly as he stretched his ancient limbs.

“Why is it you youngsters have to get up so early?” he asked, pretending to be grumpy.

“Well, somebody has to go out and provide for you old guys,” teased Waggit, “'cause I don't see you hunting too often.”

The old dog laughed.

“You got that right,” he said. “My hunting days were never filled with glory at the best of times. Now my aching old body can barely make it to the stream for a good drink of water.”

“I'm sorry to see you like this,” said Waggit, now serious.

“Don't be,” said Lowdown. “The way I am now is the result of living a long time. It's better than the alternative, let me tell you. And for the most part it's been a good life too.”

“Is it still?” Waggit asked.

Lowdown thought for a moment.

“Yes,” he said after careful consideration, “I would
say so. The team looks after me well, and I ain't got no complaints. It ain't like it used to be, but then nothing is.”

“What's the difference?” asked Waggit.

“The dogs are more scared,” Lowdown replied. “They ain't as open with each other as they was, especially when that brat Olang's around. You can't say nothing in front of him without him going to Tazar and telling him what you said, only making it sound much worse. You certainly can't joke around in front of him; he don't know what a joke is, and it's sad, 'cause we all used to have so much fun.”

Both dogs fell silent. Waggit had already experienced the unease that he described. He knew that the old dog thought Waggit was the only animal who could do anything about it, but he wasn't so sure. Why would Tazar pay any attention to him after he had betrayed everything the leader believed in when he left to live with the woman?

“Well, even though it ain't the team it used to be,” Lowdown said, interrupting the other's thoughts, “it's still the team, and we'd better go and see what it's up to today.”

“Lead on, old friend,” said Waggit.

“Happy to,” replied Lowdown. “Just don't expect any speed records to be broken between here and there.”

When they arrived at the pipe they found the team assembled, and in a strange mood. The dogs were all quiet and clearly uncomfortable. They barely responded to Waggit's cheerful greetings and avoided making eye contact with him. Only Olang seemed at ease, strutting around the group with his tail up and his ears pricked.

“Something's happening,” Lowdown whispered in Waggit's ear, “and Olang's behind whatever it is.”

Olang saw the two of them and swaggered up.

“Why, Waggit,” he sneered, “I didn't notice you sleeping in the pipe last night. Didn't want to get too doggie, maybe? Spent the night with your Upright friend, did you?”

Lowdown stepped between Waggit and Olang.

“He slept where I slept,” he said to Olang.

“And where would that be?” Olang asked.

“None of your business,” replied Lowdown.

“We know you're too old and decrepit to get into the pipe,” taunted Olang, “so we overlook what you do, but if Waggit wants to come back to the team he
has to be a part of everything
we
do, unless, of course, he feels too grand for us with his precious Upright ways.”

“If I felt too grand,” said Waggit, trying to be as calm as possible, “why would I have come back here in the first place? No, I don't feel too good to come back to the team, but I feel good enough.”

“Well, you're not good enough in my eyes,” replied Olang, who turned and walked away.

None of the other dogs said anything during this exchange. Whatever feelings they had were put on hold with the appearance of Tazar, who jumped agilely onto a nearby rock so that all could see him. As he did this Olang sidled up beside him, a smug expression on his face.

“Okay, team, listen up,” said Tazar in his most commanding manner. “I have an announcement I need to make.”

Once again Waggit noticed how the team had changed as it gathered around the rock. The dogs were no longer eager to hear what Tazar would say, no longer anticipating a hunt or a game or an expedition to other parts of the park. Now they were apprehensive.

“Olang and I have been talking,” Tazar continued,
“and we've come to the decision that the team must no longer have anything to do with Waggit's Upright, Felicia.”

A gasp went through the animals, followed by soft murmurs. They were confused; only yesterday Tazar had directed them to camouflage Felicia's tent. Waggit felt all their eyes on him, watching to see what his reaction would be.

“Now here's why I've come to this decision,” said Tazar. “Why
we've
come to this decision. Felicia is remarkable, for an Upright. I've never known one like her, and she certainly helped our brother to come back to us. She has ways that none other of her kind have, and she can be very charming. But, and this, my friends, is important—she is still an Upright, and Uprights are the natural enemies of dogs. They cannot be trusted, and we have allowed her to seduce us into trusting her, and we are foolish if we let this continue. Waggit himself knows how treacherous Uprights can be, and yet he still continues to believe there are some good ones in the world. Dogs can't live in peace with an Upright, and neither can Uprights live in peace with us. It isn't natural, and it won't be tolerated. I'll tell you honestly that she had me captivated for a moment,
I won't deny it, but she didn't fool my son here, and I thank him for bringing me back to reality.”

There was a stunned silence after Tazar finished talking. Waggit felt the hackles on the back of his neck start to rise, but he knew that getting angry would do him no good, so he tried to calm himself.

“Tazar,” he said when he felt composed, “you are the leader of this team, and because of your good leadership we have all survived much adversity. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here today; I know that and the rest of the team does too. And it is true that like the rest of us I have suffered much at the hands of Uprights. I have been deceived, abandoned, and betrayed, but you're also right when you say that I believe there must be some good ones among their number. Not all dogs are good, you know that, and I cannot accept that all Uprights are bad. So far Felicia has been generous, kind, and caring. I beg you to reconsider.”

Once again silence fell on the team, not a peaceful silence but one that was oppressive and heavy. Tazar looked down at Waggit from his vantage point and addressed him directly.

“Waggit,” he said in a quieter but still firm voice, “I have loved you like a son. I have watched you mature.
I have seen you learn to hunt and become wise in the ways of the park. I have witnessed the close bonds grow that tie you in love and affection to all the members of this team. But you have one blind spot, one fatal flaw. You look for good where there is none; you trust and are repaid with deceit. It is your one defect, and it will bring you down, but I will not allow it to bring down the team as well. If you will not do as I say, then you cannot come back to this team. You must live as a loner.”

“In that case,” Waggit said, his voice trembling slightly, “so be it.”

Tazar's eyes widened. This was clearly not the answer he had been expecting.

“Are you telling me that you would take an Upright over the team?” he asked incredulously.

“This is not just
any
Upright,” Waggit replied, feeling more confident as he spoke. “This is an Upright who has shown me nothing but kindness, who loves dogs, in fact, is almost a dog herself. Her generosity has not only benefited me but all of us, including you, Tazar. It is wrong of you to test my loyalty to the team by making me betray my loyalty to her. If you wish me to leave the team, then I will,
but it will be your decision, not mine.”

When he finished speaking his heart was pounding. He had just told his leader, and a dog that he truly admired, that he was wrong. But he stood his ground, looking Tazar straight in the eyes. Murmurs of surprise, and what sounded like agreement, were heard from the other team members.

“No, Waggit, it will be
my
decision.”

Everyone whirled around to see Felicia, accompanied by Lug, come out from the trees where she had been standing. She stood tall and dignified as she looked down on Tazar.

“I will not let this happen,” she continued. “I will not be the thing that separates Waggit from the team. He loves you all, and he belongs here. You are his life; I am merely passing through. I will leave the park today, and you will see me no more, but before I go think of how I could have served you if I had stayed. I understand your language and that of Uprights, and I can find out what is happening in the park and warn you far quicker than you would otherwise know. I can scavenge food from the Dumpsters at the restaurant without attracting attention.” She paused to smile. “I already look like a homeless person anyway, what I
believe you call a Skurdie, so nobody would take any notice of me. I have fingers that can remove a burr from a paw. I can do many things, but what I can do most for you is to protect you from my own kind.”

Mutterings of “Well, she's got a point,” and “It's worth thinking about” were heard from the team, and then Olang spoke for the first time.

“And another thing you can do for us is tell the Ruzelas where we are and help them round us up and take us to the Great Unknown like they did Tashi's team. We've survived very well without your help, and we don't want it now.”

Tazar ignored this and turned to address Felicia.

“And why would you do this for us?” he inquired. “Why would you freely offer us these services?”

“Because I like you,” she said. “Because I like all of you. I admire your honesty and your loyalty and the way you take care of one another. I wish my species could live the way you live, and some do, but not many. Because it would be fun to spend time with you, and I have nothing better to do for the moment, which doesn't mean that I won't in the future. I am a restless person, and I find it hard to stay anywhere for too long, but for the present I
would be happy living here among you.”

“And why,” said Tazar, “should we trust you to not betray us to the Ruzelas?”

“Look at me,” she said. “I'm as much an outsider to them as you are. If they could lock me up in the Great Unknown they would, but they can't. I try not to break too many of their rules, but I don't follow them blindly, either.”

Tazar frowned his thoughtful frown.

“I must think about this,” he said.

Olang slid up to his father and spoke to him in a whisper that Waggit could just hear.

“What's there to think about, Pa? She's an Upright. You always told me not to trust Uprights, that they're our enemies. They never change. At least, that's what I think, for what it's worth.”

“What you think means the world to me,” Tazar assured him in a quiet voice. “I have hated Uprights all my life, and with good reason, but maybe this could work for us. To have an Upright on our side, one who can move among them and who understands them, one who speaks their language, well, that would be of real value that we could use. It might be worth taking the risk.”

“Well, of course, Father, I will always bow to your judgment,” said Olang. “You are infinitely wiser than me. I merely learn the ways of leadership from your example.”

“You are a good student, my son,” Tazar declared, “and one day you will be a great leader of this team. Your point is well taken, and we will exercise the utmost caution in our dealings with Felicia.”

He then turned back to the assembled team and addressed Felicia, who stood in their midst.

“Felicia,” he said, “Olang and I have discussed this matter further, and we have decided that we may have judged you too quickly. If you are prepared to do as you say, you can be a great asset for this team. You are welcome to live with us for as long as you like. And Waggit, you are a brother, a team member. Stay with us. You would make a very poor loner.”