Sparky couldn’t hide in the restroom forever. He sensed the impending explosion but was without tools to defuse her. He should have left, gone away with just a name. If only there had been something here. Sparky needed a way out.
“I’m sorry kid. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Kid? You are a real piece of work. This man you’re chasing, is he a priest? A charity worker? Is he too tall for your tastes, you sick bastard?”
“I think we misunderstood one another.”
“You’re damn right we misunderstood one another, I’m getting ready to kick your ass, and you’re still talking!”
Sparky exited the bathroom, avoiding her glare. Hooty was between him and the exit door. She stood arms down, and her brows furrowed. Her face was beet red.
“Little girl, please, I’m not trying to hurt your feelings.”
“For one second I thought you were going to have something decent to say, but you know what? I should have known better. I smelled something funny about you when you first got here!”
Did he smell? “It’s my smell? Is there something in the air down there that you smell?”
“You god-damn inconsiderate bigot!”
Hooty would have no more, cop or not, she charged the goat.
Sparky instinctively lowered his horns. Hooty collided with a respectable human force. Sparky raised back up to loosen the tension in his neck. The girl was lying quietly on the floor. He realized that he may have misunderstood her actions, but she had charged first.
Sparky went to the floor and listened at her mouth, she was still breathing. He couldn’t remember from the medical book he read if he was supposed to do CPR for this, or maybe the Heimlich. Last week when he had knocked Mudbubble down during this same game, Muddy had been back on his feet in minutes.
Sparky resumed his search. Under the bed was bare. He stood up panning the room in full. On the side table lay a pack of cigarettes. Sparky lifted the pack and its contents spilled out. There was a half smoked cigarette and a folded orange paper card. A man’s smiling face was posted on the paper. Sparky unfolded it, and found it was an actually an empty matchbook.
“Larry’s,” he spoke the printed words aloud, “for all your moving and transit needs.” At the bottom was an address. “Saskatoon.”
Sparky rejoiced.
Saskatoon. He recollected Oliver having to go there once or twice for things he couldn’t get at the local stores. He had fumed over the problems with traffic and about the large number of people there. There was little choice, buzzing metropolis or not, Sparky was on route.
His ears perked with concern, the girl from the floor awoke with a mumble.
“You,” her voice was faint, “you son of a bitch.”
The hotel manager climbed to her knees then sprang to her feet. “You may have a head made of iron, but I know Judo.” She wavered in place, barely keeping on her feet. Sparky knew she wouldn’t let him run, if he made it out, she might call the police, even if she thought he was the police.
“I’m going to break your legs!”
The girl charged him. Was this Judo?
He didn’t want to injure the woman, but he couldn’t think of another way to escape. Sparky took his stance.
Chapter 20
Sparky shivered on the corner. He wasn’t the slightest bit cold. He would not go back to that motel, not with that monster child there. Not for all the alfalfa in the world. He chomped on more of the petals from his coat pocket.
Saskatoon.
The captors had a full day on him. Provided they were still on the road that would be a measurable distance. Even with the matches in hand pointing him to Saskatoon there were the words from John Barton about Montreal. In either case, he had to try. Starting along the highway, Sparking walked the narrow edge of the road.
A few minutes had passed when a low rumbling coming from behind broke the silence. A gleam of light appeared in the distance. The light grew brighter, and then separated. A long yellow station wagon pulled up beside him.
The vehicle sputtered in place. The outside was weathered with the yellow paint torn off completely in spots leaving behind metal that had rusted with time. The window creaked as it rolled down. A tuft of smoke escaped, the smell evocative of fresh farm grass.
“You looking for a ride man?”
“A ride?”
“I’m heading to Saskatoon.”
Saskatoon. “Sure.”
“My bud is up there waiting for me to get back. Jump in, man.”
The goat walked behind the car. He thought hard about the commitment he was about to make. It was a small space and the human within it was unpredictable. Between the motel keeper and the drunk with the chair he didn’t have a lot of faith. However, Sparky needed a ride, and it looked dark enough inside. The goat climbed in to the back seat.
“Free spot in the commander’s chair, man.” The driver pointed at the vacant front seat.
“That’s okay.”
“Suit yourself,” the man extended his hand over the seat. A formality Sparky avoided. “I’m Lord Neptune.”
“Hi.” The car started along.
Lord Neptune’s head bobbed slowly as he spoke. “Is it pretty cold out there?”
“Yes it is.” Sparky got the immediate impression that his present company appeared far more relaxed than the other humans he had encountered that evening, but he still wasn’t keen on talking more than he had to.
“Where you from?”
Sparky ignored the question. He would wait for them to get to Saskatoon. Sparky eased back in to the seat being careful not to scrunch his tail. Humans had it easy; soft chairs, nice cars, two entire rows of shiny white teeth.
“Not a talker, eh? Long night?”
“Yeah.” Sparky said.
Lord Neptune never looked his way. He slumped behind the wheel, one arm out against it so that would roll as the road curved. There was a clock in the front console. The clock read one-thirty. He didn’t know if they would reach the city before the sun came up.
If Sparky had his way, there would be no more conversation. Without any formal education in sociology, Sparky didn’t know that human nature does not provide for uncomfortable silences. Lord Neptune started singing.
“I feel a little bit, little bit, hazy, darling…” he was not talented by any means, nor was he shy. “I feel a little bit hazy.”
The driver was fiddling with something in his lap. Sparky leaned a little further forward but couldn’t get a vantage on what. He saw his own face in the rear view mirror and retracted. It appeared that Lord Neptune had not seen him. As the trees passed by at a steady clip, the man’s hands continued their fumbling, and he kept rattling on his song. “I feel a little bit, little bit, crazy, uh huh yeah. I’ll feel a little bit crazy baby when I’m with you.”
The young man’s hands surfaced holding a simple cigarette. Sparky lay back in his seat, once again at ease with his company. Sparky watched curiously as Lord Neptune lit the hand rolled cigarette. The fumes elicited a cough from Sparky.
“Sorry dude, me and Shelia, you know?”
“Shelia?” The goat managed between coughs. The smell wasn’t good for him.
“Yeah, totally,” the boy turned his eyes from the road and blew the smoke in his Sparky’s face.
Sparky was forced to hold his chest as his coughs erupted with the fury of Krakatau. His lungs squeezed and jerked against the poisonous air. It seemed like hours when the coughs abated. Lord Neptune had reverted to a more casual position behind the wheel, still smoking his cigarette. Sparky’s eyes filled with water. He could no longer focus.
“Shelia.” Lord Neptune said. “That’s what I call my lady friend.”
“I see, well actually I can’t see, my eyes are all messed up.”
“Try this.”
Sparky felt a pressure in his lap. The man had tossed a small bottle to him.
“What is it?” The sounds from the road grew louder. The wind
whipped at his face. He looked up at the open driver’s window. “That is so cold, man.”
“What? Oh, it’s for your eyes man, helps clear up the redness.”
“Oh,” The goat had trouble getting the top off, but managed. He squirted the bottle straight into his eye. Again he was blinded.
“Whoa man, slow down, like two drops.”
“Oh,” Sparky treated his other eye. He was able to see better, but he was still visually impaired.
“You never did say where you were from man.”
“Asquith.”
“Oh, really, wow. Why you heading out my way?”
“I, I think somebody stole my family.” Had he really just told this stranger that?
“That sucks,” Lord Neptune had lost a puppy when he was twelve. It was a beagle. He had cried for a while, put up posters, and run the gamut on the emotional roller coaster. He felt he had recovered, but still considered peer counseling once in a while.
“Yeah,” Sparky was staring out the window. The flora blurred together. He became hypnotized. His thoughts took him on a personal journey. He hadn’t slept well, or eaten a full meal. His stomach churned.
“You going to get ‘em back?”
“Get who back?” Was someone lost? Was he lost? No wait, he was in the car, with Lord Neptune. Wasn’t he? Lord Neptune was still driving along looking back at him in the mirror.
“Your family?”
“What about them?”
“Are you going to get them back?”
“Hell yeah,” Sparky reached into his pocket and found there were no more petals. He was sad and hungry. Was the man still talking to him, or singing? “Did you say something?”
“Nah, radio,” Lord Neptune reached over and twisted a knob. The music became very clear.
Sparky hadn’t listened to a lot of music, he had heard the radio from Oliver’s house sometimes but it was always muffled. Oliver’s music didn’t sound like this though. There were drums banging, guitars whizzing and whirring, and some man screaming words that Sparky couldn’t understand. It would have driven the old man nuts.
Chapter 21
“Mommy, is everything okay?” Mythias asked.
“Shhh, darling. It’s going to be just fine.” Princess’s children gathered against wall. The truck engine had ceased.
“Why are we stopping, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know sweetheart.”
This was the first stop in a long time. The previous stops had been uneventful for the goats. The doors of the truck had remained closed. The goats were very hungry and thirsty now. There was immediate speculation that they might finally be offered food. The herd waited. Several goats put their heads against the wall, listening for human conversation.
“Over here,” Mudbubble caught words from a heated discussion outside.
Oreo rushed over, Darren and Sparky Jr. followed with Sam in close tow. The five goats huddled against the metal wall.
“What’s he saying?” Darren asked.
“Shh.”
Their faces were strained, pressed as close as they could to the side wall. Only a few words traipsed past the aluminum barricade.
“Milky Way? Isn’t that part of the solar system?” Mudbubble looked over at the others listening. None of them took their ears from the wall.
“What’s Snicker’s?” Sam asked.
“Shh,” Oreo issued a harsh glare.
“I’m scared mommy,” Montana joined Mythias at Princess’s side. She coddled them closely.
“It’s okay babies. Mommy’s here.”
One of the men outside struck the truck with a heavy object. The eavesdropping goats jumped away from the wall.
“You think they can hear us?” Darren asked.
“If you don’t shut up!” Oreo gave his son another harsh glare before sticking his ear back to the wall. There was only silence to be heard. Oreo waited, but still there was nothing. He stood down from the wall. “Keep an ear on it Muddy, in case they start up again.”
“Sure,” Mudbubble stood his proudest. Muddy in his excited haste slammed his head against the wall. The sound echoed. All of the goats froze. Mudbubble smiled. “Sorry.”
Oreo’s distress was in his furrowed brows. He addressed the famished herd. “Okay, now, don’t panic or anything, but it sounds like that we are going to be eaten.”
The group inhaled at once stirring the day and a half worth of dander into the air.
“I couldn’t understand everything, but they were talking about using us for food. They are using codes so it’s hard to be completely sure.”
“This is terrible!”
“Just stay calm, please.” The herd bustled about. Woeful cries exploded from the children.
“Mommy! Mommy!” Mythias’s eyes wide with terror. “I don’t want to be eaten!”
“Mom,” Sam spoke discretely to her mother. “I think Oreo’s wrong.”
“Hey big horns,” Sparky Jr. yelled loud enough to silence the pack.
Oreo turned to him with his frown already well prepared and on display. “Yes?”
Sparky, Jr. having heard his sister’s statement, moved his way through the crowd and stopped next to Oreo. “You’ve got it all wrong.”
“What?” Oreo took a step into the youngster. “Are you calling me a liar?”
“No, I said you’ve got it all wrong!”
“What is it, Sparks?” Darren asked.
Oreo’s frown dipped lower.
“Sam will tell you! Right, Sam?” Sparky, Jr. pointed to his sister. Once he had overhead her discontent with the defacto leader’s translation, he wouldn’t miss the opportunity to put her on the spot.
Sam glanced at her brother. Sparky, Jr. stood ear to ear with delight. If every eye in the room wasn’t on her, she would have charged him. Sam looked at her mother who wore a different smile. Princess’s encouraging grin and soft eyes told Sam all she needed to know.
Sam lifted her head. “Well, I, I think they are going to feed us.”
“Are you sure?” Blossom asked. Their parched throats and empty bellies made them all lean in anticipation of her confirmation.
“Yes.” Her veins pounded in her shaky legs. “Well, I think.”
“You think?” Oreo stamped his right foreleg. “You think?”
“Shh,” Mudbubble signaled. “The doors!”
The goats rushed away from the doors. They could only clear away a few feet before they were packed too tightly to move any further. The bucks stood ahead of the kids. They formed a good line for the strength they could muster.
“We’ll fight to the death,” Oreo ordered.
“It’s okay babies,” Princess pulled in her children.
Mudbubble pulled away from the wall and looked to Snowball, she had been laying down in the corner. Her eyes met his, and he smiled.
The large truck doors rattled. The goats heard the voices of several men just on the other side. A hatch opened halfway up the rear left door. A rain of projectiles pelted the animals. The bucks at the front of the pack took the brunt of the assault. They bucked and whinnied, aiming to dodge or escape, but there was nowhere to go. The window was closed as quickly as it had opened. Littering the bottom of the truck were shimmering paper packages of food. Precious food.
It was an array of candy bars and donuts, sugary snacks foreign to the goats until this moment. They learned the names of many heavenly flavors that day. Tastes more enjoyable than anything they had ever raided from Oliver’s cabinets. There was limited relief that came with the abatement of sore, empty tummies. The spoils were divvied up with the children first. It was a light meal, but all ate well enough.
Sam looked around the room with a contented smile. Chewing on a white powdered doughnut, her eyes drifted to Oreo. He caught her gaze and returned a look capturing his complete disapproval. Sam swallowed her bite and lowered her head.
Blossom caught sight of his display and nipped at his side. Oreo’s face
responded slowly to his better half’s demands. It took Sam a moment to recognize the little grin and return the gesture.
Chapter 22
Sparky stretched his legs. His body was deep in a cradle of softness. It was the comforts of home he had missed. The hay beneath him was so soft to the touch it was like a pillow, and the warmth of his mate pressed deeply against his side was heaven. He rolled a little and pulled the blanket closer.
Blanket? Sparky didn’t own a blanket.
His eyes spilled open.
Lord Neptune sat on the floor. He wasn’t paying any attention to the goat. His eyes were fixed on a television screen. Sparky stared in momentary awe at the sight of the montage of video. Lifting the blanket, Sparky discovered that his coat and hat were no longer on him.
“Chip?” Lord Neptune held the bag over his shoulder to the goat without turning around.
“No. Thank you.” Sparky clung to the blanket. “Have you seen my coat?”
“It may be upstairs, or in the bathroom. Things got wild man. Wild.”
“Things?”
“Last night, you ate that whole pizza by yourself. It was totally cool.”
The proof of Lord Neptune’s tale bubbled in his stomach. Sparky’s eyes picked through the mess upon the floor, discovering his coat. It was in a pile next to his hat.
“What time is it?”
“Couldn’t tell you man, it’s starting to get dark though,” Lord Neptune jammed his hand into the bag. He shoved the handful of potato chips into his mouth. Loose crumbs spilled over his bare chest.
Sparky kept himself carefully wrapped in his blanket, keeping it over his head as well. The goat crossed the room and seized his clothes. It took Sparky a moment to find them as Lord Neptune kept many of his cloths on the floor in this very spot. Sparky picked out his coat from the mound of shirts and pants causing a small avalanche of cotton.
“If you need a shirt you can borrow one of mine.” Lord Neptune said.
Sparky presumed that the more disguise he wore the better off he would be, especially when he reached the city. Saskatoon. He sorted through the loose clothing. Any one of them appeared to be suitable. He lifted a black tee-shirt. The goat spun it around he read the words in plain white text. EHGK OFE IUCR UPP. Gibberish.
“Totally, man.”
With Lord Neptune’s vote he threw the shirt over his head. Sparky wrapped in his overcoat. He placed his hat on his head just as the young man looked over.