They watched, shocked and in various states of arousal. He smiled, still interested. Except for low juice, nothing ever dampened his interest. He suspected he could go for days, if he had enough women. Someday he would like to find out.
He moved toward Ann. She was the leader. If she came to him, the rest of the women would follow. He nodded toward the trees.
She met his gaze with hot eagerness, but then she turned away. “We need to get the Monster back to Bartlett to claim the bounty.”
He suspected if he pushed her, she would agree anyway, but he did not. He wouldn’t add difficulty to a person struggling to live up to her responsibilities. He nodded. There would be other occasions.
She looked regretful at his acquiescence, but turned to her people. “Okay, people, let’s get this Monster…” She stopped.
Sellers examined the wounded Monster, who panted in misery. She wouldn’t be walking anywhere on her own. His companions had planned to bring a Monster’s head back for the bounty, not an entire Monster, and they lacked the gear to transport a creature of her weight.
He sighed and returned to crouch by her. He wiggled his arms underneath her and then, with a groan of effort and grinding pain in his side, stood, carrying all 300 pounds of wounded Monster boar. She nuzzled him, glad to be in his arms.
He took a heavy step. Then another.
It would be a long walk back to the truck.
---
Sellers meditated.
Master Occum called it a vigil, and said a thing done right needed doing completely right. A prospective knight should do a vigil before he is knighted.
He sat cross-legged in a corner of the dark basement and meditated on the changes the quest made within him. He had guessed such a deed would matter, but he was still surprised when the changes actually occurred. He had grown stronger, more stable, and the chaos in his mind had eased some. The rigor of his achievement gave him structure.
He had done well.
After the long walk back to the vehicles, his companions drove them to Bartlett, a small town surrounded by dense forest. Before they entered, Sellers soothed the Monster so they could put shackles on her, before hiding himself under piles of blankets and tarps. He listened as Ann argued vigorously with some town official. The official expected a dead Monster, but Ann claimed they were taking the Monster back for research, and capture was sufficient to earn the bounty. After several minutes of discussion, she prevailed, and his companions claimed their bounty.
The Transforms were pleased with him. This Monster, nearly two years old, was the oldest Monster they had ever hunted, and none of them got hurt, except for Jim with his bruised neck, and they were willing to forgive him for that. They even offered to send him some clothes that fit, to replace the ones he lost during the hunt. Ann had suggested they might do another hunt. She called him Farsight again.
They spent the rest of the day in the National Forest and then dropped both Sellers and the Monster off again at Mystic Lakes. Sellers and Hoskins carried the Monster home on a stretcher.
He didn’t have any luck seducing any of the Transform women, but maybe he would next time, when they got more comfortable with him. He looked forward to a next time. He had been worth something with his hunt, to the Transforms, to the Monster, and to Master Occum when he brought the Monster home. Master Occum named her Suzie, and said she would be a big help to his research.
Master Occum came to him as Sellers felt the wakening of dawn outside the abandoned factory they called home. The whole family gathered around him, all the Monsters, Master Occum, and Jeremy Hoskins.
“Kneel,” Master Occum said, and Sellers knelt. “Repeat after me.”
Sellers swore the oath. “I hereby swear fealty to the Household of Boston Chimeras, to be ever a good knight and true, honest and generous, shield of the weak, true to my responsibility, courteous at all times, champion of the right and the good. Thus swear I, Robert Sellers.”
The words took hold as he said them, making firm the changes he had sensed in his vigil.
“In recognition of your success on your quest and your prowess as a Chimera, I find you worthy to become a knight,” Master Occum said. “Know that to hold this obligation will demand your effort all your life. A knight must respect those who are weak or defenseless, love and defend his household, and face his foes with courage and fortitude. His word must be true beyond question, and always and everywhere, he must be the champion of the right and the true.”
Master Occum hadn’t been able to find a sword in any of the town dumps or landfills, and so he drew out a long knife. “Bear these blows and no others. In remembrance of oaths given and received.” He tapped Sellers’ right shoulder with the flat of the blade. “In remembrance of the Rules and your responsibilities.” He tapped Sellers’ left shoulder with the flat of the blade. “Be thou a good knight.” He tapped Sellers’ head. “Rise, Sir Sellers.”
Sir Sellers rose, suddenly aware of his new physical and mental strength.
In fact, Sir Sellers realized, after looking at Hoskins (who looked back with a startled expression), he now possessed enough strength to take Hoskins if he wanted to reclaim his leadership position. Not every time was a good time for a challenge, but this time was, as he had created the opportunity by his successful quest and more, by his establishing a new path, of knighthood.
Hoskins saw it too, and his eyes narrowed and he shifted into a fighting stance.
“Oh, hell,” Master Occum said.
Sir Sellers tasted temptation. He liked to be on top, and Hoskins could be damned irritating on occasion.
But Hoskins had killed Shere Khan.
When Sellers hadn’t dared to take that step himself, Hoskins had done the deed and taken the risk. Hoskins’ deed made him Sir Sellers’ brother, a debt between them for all time.
Sir Sellers turned away, and bowed to Master Occum. Hoskins straightened, startled, and the opportunity passed.
Hoskins should also have a chance to become a knight. If he didn’t do something to raise his stature before the next opportunity arose, Sir Sellers would challenge him then, but he was sure Hoskins would come up with something. Hoskins was creative that way. In fact, Hoskins would probably build on what Sir Sellers had done, the most likely opening for good ideas likely to work.
“Good job,” Hoskins said. “Sir Sellers.”
Yes, Hoskins would definitely build on what Sir Sellers had done. All Master Occum’s Chimeras, current and future, would be Noble soon.
Author’s Afterward
Thanks to Randy and Margaret Scheers, Michelle and Karl Stembol, Gary and Judy Williams, Maurice Gehin, and as always my wife, Marjorie Farmer. Without their help this document would have never been made.
As stated earlier, Folio 3 of The Good Doctor’s Tales is a companion piece to my novel “Now We Are Monsters.” Some of the pieces in here are here for completeness, others for fun, and they all serve to flesh out the story. The flashback sections and the Rover sections, unrelated to the action in “Now We Are Monsters” will continue in further Folios of The Good Doctor’s Tales.
You can find out more information about the world of the Transforms and other stories published by this author on http://majortransform.com.
The Commander series continues in “All Beasts Together”, epublished in May of 2012. With this will come Folio 4 of The Good Doctor’s Tales.
Randall Allen Farmer
The Good Doctor's Tales Folio Three Page 10
