Read Online Waggit's Tale by Peter Howe - Free Book Online Page B

convince him that there would be no rescue, that he had been abandoned, and that, like it or not, his survival was now and forever linked with that of the team. Tazar would do it tonight.
    That evening they had a fine dinner, consisting mainly of hot dogs. Lady Magica had found a large packof these delicacies tossed in a garbage can. Apart from the green furry bits, they were in perfect condition, and Gordo even insisted that their newly grown fuzz added to the flavor and protected you from the cold. When they had finished and were still in a circle, Tazar called them to attention.
    â€œMy brothers and sisters,” he said in his best booming tones, “it occurred to me that, since we have a new brother in our midst”—he nodded toward Waggit, who sat next to him—“it would help him get to know and understand us better if we each told the stories of how we came to be here. Magica, provider of tonight’s good bounty, maybe you would care to get the ball rolling?”
    At the sound of the word “ball” Gordo, who had been nodding off, suddenly sat upright with his ears pricked—once a retriever, always a retriever.
    Lady Magica looked down, took a deep breath, and started.
    â€œSure, Tazar, I don’t mind telling my story. I’ve been here for many risings, more than I can remember, really. But I used to live with Uprights, a man and a woman in a house with dirt outside that I could run around in, and it was nice. I got food every day, andthe man would comb my coat and take me for walks. I always felt that he liked me more than the woman did, so I suppose I stayed closer to him and was pleased to see him more than her. It’s only canine nature, isn’t it? You take care of them that take care of you. They seemed okay for Uprights, but then things started to change. They would shout terrible sounds at each other all the time. What they were saying I have no idea, because I was young and never learned more than a few words of Upright, but you could feel the anger in the air. It nearly always ended up with the man walking out, and those were the worst times. When he had gone she used to shout at me and kick me, like I was him and it was me she was angry at. I soon got to know that I had to hide when he left.”
    Magica hesitated as if troubled by the memory. “This went on for some time,” she continued after a minute or so, “and then one day she was very nice to me. She stroked me and gave me cookies, and asked me if I wanted to go for a walk. ‘Walk’ was one of the Upright words I did know. She put me on my leash. We got into the roller and drove for a long time. She finally stopped at a place I didn’t know and walked me here, to the park. When we got here she lookedaround to see if there were any other Uprights watching, and then took off my leash and started beating me with it and kicking me, so I ran off to get away from her. I hid for a while, and then came back to see if she was still there, but she had gone. I knew then what she had done. She figured that the man loved me, and would be upset if I wasn’t there, so to get back at him for all the things he’d shouted at her she left me here, a long way from home.” She paused. “I bet he was upset, too.”
    The team was hushed. The story, which, apart from Waggit, they’d all heard before, still had the power to silence them. Tazar let the stillness hang over the group for a while. He then turned to Lowdown, who sat next to Magica in the circle.
    â€œLowdown?”
    â€œWell, boss, so far as I know I ain’t ever lived with Uprights. I know my old memory’s not the most reliable, but I’m pretty certain about that. I do remember being with a dog that I think was my mom, living in a box at the back of a big building someplace, where exactly, who knows? Anyway, the Ruzelas came and took us to this sort of lockup where there were hundreds of other dogs, all