When we left off yesterday, Ping is He, Puma (Don't call her Dude) and
France, the 'Fricken Pigmy Hedgehog were flying south a comfortable
distance above a State Highway alternately known as Rt. 12. They passed
over the Wachusset Reservoir that flanked West Boyleston and Oakdale.
They entered the borders of Worcester itself, and marveled at all the
tall buildings, and the busy shopping centers surrounded by their huge
parking lots.They laughed until their sides ached, buzzing the parking
lot of a huge Petco, scaring the bejeesus out of the folks in the lot
pushing carts! They bore a bit more left, and finally they came to Lake
Quinsigamond, on the Worcester/Shrewsbury border. Following the lake
south, they came to Shrewsbury proper, and in a very few minutes they
glided over the heavy iron fence surrounding the neatly clipped lawn of
the Ecotarium, a combination zoo and science center.
France said "Wher' your' frrriennns?"
Puma looked over her shoulder at Ping, who could only shrug. "I've never
been here, Dude", he said. "Let's just park over by the Polar Bear
Enclosure, that big concrete thingie."
Puma steered over that way, and dropped into a slower gear, and a slower
one, and a slower one still, until finally, they began to slowly drop
from the sky. The rear tires landed on the concrete sidewalk of the
zoo area first, followed a few seconds later by the front ones. All in
all, it was a pretty smooth landing, and even the Hedgehog didn't find
anything to complain about with it.
"Drop the bucket, Dude," said Ping. Puma reached out and pulled on a
lever, and KLONG!!!! The several hundred pound iron bucket fell a good
four feet to the ground, waking every animal in the place, and causing
Ping and Puma to become ballistic, to flee the tractor for their lives,
and hide behind some nearby weeds. The tractor sat idling, occupied only
by France, who had become a little ball of spikes, a little quivering
hate-potato of rage, still up in the seat. After two or three minutes
she could be overheard to say "I 'ate you, I 'ate you, I 'ate you
ferrrretsss..."
Ping pushed weeds from in front of his mouth and said to Puma "Drop
the bucket *slow*, Dude", while all the birds squawked and the Polar
Bears roared, the Bobcats snarled, and the Mountain Lion bellowed in
indignation. Puma squeezed her eyes tightly shut, and tried to reach
with her mind for the Mantra Master Ho had given her, she badly needed to
be centered at this moment, but it was very difficult with the screaming
Bobcats, etc. And Ping. "Yes. I'll remember that. Drop the bucket
slow," she hissed out through clenched fangs. "Thanks for telling me
ahead of time, you bonehead." Ping rolled his eyes and said "Whatever,
Dude."
Ping trotted over to the idling tractor, ascended a rear wheel, scampered
to the seat and turned the ignition key to 'Off'. The Hedgehog muttered
something foul, and Ping replied "You're only here 'cause the hoomin made
us take you!" Slowly, the squawking and the roaring and the snarling
stopped.
A deep voice just out of view called "Little Brother! Little Brother!"
Ping whipped around in the seat and began to sniff furiously in the
direction of the voice.
It called again, "Come to us, Little Brother!" Ping seemed to get his
bearings, for, with no hesitation whatsoever, he executed a mighty leap
from the seat of the tractor all the way to the ground. He landed
effortlessly, and ran along the base of a low stone wall, and out of
sight. Puma burst from the weeds and followed him!
When she caught up to Ping, he was scrambling up that low stone wall,
his claws scratching and scritching for purchase. Finally, he heaved
himself up, and over the top. He turned back and called down to her
"Dude! They're here!", then he disappeared from her sight entirely.
Puma began the hard scramble up herself. As she did so, the strangest
smell was carried to her on the breeze. It was familliar, yet....
unfamilliar. It was an exciting smell....with a hint of.....fish?
(End Part Three)
Alexandra in MA
[Posted in FML issue 4946]
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