Read Online Fraser's Voices by Jack Hastie - Free Book Online

I’m kidding?”
    He turned to the dog and they exchanged a series of yelps, barks and whines. Fraser translated: “He says you walked him across a field with cows in it this morning. He says that a fox had passed that way just before sunrise; he picked up the scent quite clearly. He says,” more barks and yelps from Sandy, “that you let him off the lead and he got into a burn and got muddy. Then he chased a rabbit – nearly caught it, he says. Is that true?”
    Rona’s eyes were wide with amazement. “How did you know that? You must have seen us.”
    â€œNo. He just told me. Do you want me to ask him anything?”
    â€œAsk him who stole the cold ham mum left on the table last night.”
    Fraser obliged with a few growls and grunts.
    The answer was unmistakable, even to a human who couldn’t understand the language. The dog stood up with his ears flat against his head and his tail curved between his legs, whined a few abject apologies and pushed a big wet nose into Rona’s hand for forgiveness.
    â€œHe says it was him. He’s very sorry,” translated Fraser unnecessarily.
    Rona was almost convinced. “Tell him I’m not angry anymore.”
    Fraser obliged again and the forgiven thief jumped up with a joyful bark and began licking his mistress’ face.
    Then it was time for serious human talk.
    While Sandy roamed on ahead and periodically reported back to Fraser on what animals had been there before them from the scents they had left behind, Rona was full of questions. How much could Fraser understand? What could he say to the animals? What animals had he spoken to? What did they tell him? How had he learned to speak their language?
    The last question worried him. Fraser didn’t know how he had come by his gift. But he did know that he had first had it after driving down that road in France with the sunlight flashing through the poplars – the flashing light, the tumbling of his mind. And he knew that he had lost it when he had taken the pills the consultant had given him.
    He also knew how he had got it back again. But this he did not tell her.
    â€œBut Fraser, you’re cured. You’re all right now. So how have you got the speech back?”
    â€œI don’t know.”
    â€œBut if you’re only able to speak to the animals when you’re sick, you must be sick now!”
    â€œI stopped taking the pills,” Fraser admitted grudgingly.
    â€œYou
mustn’t; you’ve got to go on taking them always; you could be seriously ill. Does your mum know?”
    Fraser was determined. “You musn’t tell mum. I’ve got to find out what killed the otter.”
    â€œDoes that really matter?”
    â€œThe fish are dying; the frogs have had to leave the water. You’re a vet; don’t you care?”
    Rona did care; more than that she was fascinated by Fraser’s wonderful talent and realised how valuable it would be to a vet; but Fraser might be risking his health, perhaps even his life and she knew that he would have to give up his gift.
    She also knew that he understood the animals in a way that neither she nor Cathy could ever really appreciate; so she struck a bargain with him.
    She would help him to find the “house on wheels”, as Klamath had put it, and whatever poison was coming from it. And when they found out she would tell Cathy who would know what to do about it.
    Until then Fraser would use his ability to converse with the animals to get as much information as possible. But once the mystery was solved and the poison cleared away he would start taking his medicine again and would promise her that he would never, ever stop taking it.

FLIGHT FOR LIFE
    This meant another expedition for Fraser.
    There was no point in going back to Kwarutta’s pool. According to Klamath the trouble in the burn started further up, on the moor above the wood. So that was where to start; at the point where