A Flight of Raptors

by Ralph Vaughan

  “Very well,” Natividad replied with a small sigh. “As you say, it is important for Christobal to hear your news. Wait there, Levi, and I will bring Christobal to you.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Levi returned to the projection room, and had been waiting just a few minutes when he heard small faint scrabbling sounds in the connecting passage. He sniffed the air wafting from the rooftop chamber, but it was so freighted with the mingled scents of the birds beyond, even he could not distinguish the approaching smells.

  He retreated to the shadows created by the baleful glare of the tiny red LED that remained neglectfully lit in the long night. When Natividad finally appeared from out the connecting passage he was accompanied by a stately old Parrot. The birds hopped down to the floor and Levi emerged.

  “So, there is a dog here after all,” mused the ancient Parrot. “I did not truly believe Natividad, but to learn of my grandson was worth the danger of challenging the Birds of Prey. I am Christobal.”

  “It is an honor to meet you, King Christobal.”

  “Please, just ‘Christobal,’ if you will,” the Parrot suggested. “I have been the leader of my fellow Parrots for many decades, but that position is no less an accident of circumstance than my transport to this sere land. Natividad tells me you claim Benedict yet lives?”

  Levi nodded. In as few words as possible, for he understood the danger they were all in, Levi explained how Benedict had come to the attention of the Three Dog Detective Agency, their encounter with the Birds of Prey, and his resolution that the Parrots be freed from the Raptors’ depredations.

  “That is,” Levi added, “if that is what you wish. Do you wish for your tribe to be free of them?”

  “I would be lying to you Levi were I to say that all my Parrots yearn for freedom from the Raptors,” Christobal replied. “They make us do things against our nature; they humiliate us and hurt us, even kill some of us, but some of my fellow Parrots have grown used to the yoke that chafes. Their souls have become small, and where they once looked to the great spirits of the air, they now look to the Birds of Prey, forced into dependence.” The old Parrot looked thoughtful. “Benedict is safe?”

  “He is safe in our home,” Levi assured Christobal. “When we are not there, our cat friends watch out for him.”

  Christobal fluttered. “Cats? Is that truly safe?”

  “The cats who work with the Three Dog Detective Agency are no ordinary cats,” Levi replied. “Trust me.”

  “Oddly enough, I do, Levi,” Christobal said. “You have an honest face, for a dog that is. When Ripper announced Benedict’s death, I did not believe him, even though there was no rational reason for any continued hope. Levi, I feel you have come as an emissary of Quetzalcoatl, an answer to the prayers I have raised into the air before ever the scourge of the Birds of Prey settled upon us.”

  “I don’t know about being sent by Quetzalcoatl,” Levi replied. “Dogs look to…”

  “Yes, a different spirit, or at least a spirit that goes by another name,” Christobal said. “But, I think the point is, nothing happens without purpose, though that purpose may be obscure. Benedict should be dead, but against all odds he lives, saved by creatures we could never have dreamed of as saviors.”

  “We are certainly no one’s saviors,” Levi demurred, “but Sunny, Yoda and I will do all we can to help you and your tribe.”

  “But the danger…”

  “The danger is real enough,” Levi admitted, “but fear is only a state of mind. We may be defeated by the Birds of Prey – failure is always a possibility, but we will not be defeated by our fears; we choose not to tuck tail and cower.”

  “You are very brave dogs.”

  “Do you want us to help you, Christobal?” Levi repeated.

  “Yes, Levi,” Christobal replied. “I cannot promise all the Parrots will help you, for many have been made small by fear, but those who will help you in the war against this evil will not, as you say, tuck tail.”

  “Hopefully, it will not come to war,” Levi pointed out, “for if we give into violence there would be little difference between us and the Birds of Prey.”

  “Then how…”

  “By being smarter,” Levi explained. “Bullies like these Raptors are cowards at heart. Their strengths are their weaknesses, and we shall use those against them.”

  “But how?”

  “That I do not know yet,” Levi admitted, “but we will think of something…we always do. I should be leaving now, as my pack will be getting worried, I’ve been gone so long. I accomplished what I intended tonight – to let you know you are not alone in this fight, and that Benedict is…”

  Levi fell suddenly silent and cocked his head, listening, then sniffed the air. Abruptly he pressed against the Parrots with his shoulder and a portion of his side, a method learned from Sunny, and herded the birds into the deep darkness between the machinery. The suddenness and urgency of Levi’s manner kept the two Parrots silent. Levi peeped around a stack of film canisters, keeping low, and the Parrots joined his vigil, their heads pressed on either side of his muzzle.

  A persistent, soft, measured click-click sounded in the connecting passage through which they had all just come. A figure edged into view; Levi’s eyes confirmed what his ears had heard and which his sniffer had informed him even earlier, and he felt the Parrots beside him stiffen with fear.

  In the naked glare of the LED Ripper the Osprey stood in the opening, absolutely motionless, keenly alert, looking like an ancient idol carved from bloodstone. One talon began to tap slowly against the metal edge the surrounded the hole of the opening, a sound that betrayed suspicion as much as it did impatience, a sound that seemed to echo the beating of their own hearts, even though Levi was certain those heartbeats were audible to his ears only – a Raptor may have the keen eyes of a master predator, but compared to a dog’s hearing he was deaf.

  During the whole, seemingly interminable period Levi remained as motionless as a lawn statue. He could feel the fear of the two Parrots, but he could also feel their steely resolution not to give in to that fear when they pressed against him, as if they were drawing on his strength.

  Abruptly, Ripper turned and they could hear his awkward gait in the passage until he passed out the other end. Only when his ears and nose told him the Osprey was truly gone did Levi allow a shallow breath to escape.

  “Will you be all right?” he asked.

  “As long as we are not caught,” Christobal said.

  “We will not be caught,” Natividad assured the dog.

  “I will try to come back another time,” Levi said.

  The two Parrots fluttered at the suggestion.

  “It is not safe,” Christobal said, “not for you or us.”

  “What about in the auditorium itself?”

  “The Raptors forbid us from going in there,” Natividad replied. “And they never go inside themselves; we must stay in our aerie.”

  “It sounds like a good place for us to meet,” Levi said.

  Christobal shook his head. “Since I am the leader, the Birds of Prey keep a close watch on me. That may have been what prompted Ripper to come here. When we go back, I shall roost in another spot than normally…it will convince him he just missed me in the dark.”

  “Will you get in trouble?” Levi asked.

  “Perhaps,” Christobal admitted. “On the other claw, I am very old, and you know how it is when you get old…no one expects the old to be rational.” The old bird smiled. “We forget a lot.”

  “How old are you?”

  “I hesitate to tell you, Levi, because I know the years allotted to creatures such as yourself.”

  “No, I really want to know.”

  “Almost a hundred,” Christobal said. “Maybe more. My memory is not what it once was. The days grow short.”

  Levi knew his own years would probably not be a quarter of the Parrot’s, but he merely nodded in acceptance. Considering the limits of his own mortality was hardly a
source of comfort, but it held no terror for him. When the end came, as it surely does to all creatures under the sun, he surely knew his heart would not be heavier than a white feather upon a brass scale.

  “If we are to defeat the Birds of Prey somehow,” Levi said, “we must be able to communicate.”

  “I will meet with you,” Natividad offered, then looked to Christobal. “If you allow me.”

  “It will be as dangerous for you as for the dog, perhaps more so,” the King pointed out. “If Ripper or the other Raptors catch you, they will not hesitate to destroy you.”

  “I am not afraid.”

  That is very brave of you, but foolish as well,” Christobal said. “It is fear that keeps us alert and alive. Very well, Natividad, if you will do this, I will not stop you…nor will I forget this, no matter the outcome.”

  “Everything will work out,” Levi assured the two Parrots.

  “Oh really?” Christobal challenged with a wan smile. “How can you be so sure of that, dog?”

  “You have to have faith.”

  “My faith wears thin,” Christobal admitted. “For years I sent prayers to Quetzalcoatl for a homecoming that never came. When the Birds of Prey enslaved us I prayed for deliverance from…” He paused and gave Levi a hard stare, then uttered a soft chuckle and shook his head. “Dogs. Most unlikely, but there you are.”

  “And we will do all we can, no matter what.” Levi looked to Natividad. “Come into the auditorium; I need to show you around and set up a schedule.”

  Natividad glanced to Christobal.

  “Do not worry, I shall be fine,” the old Parrot assured him. “I will find an obscure place to roost; if any of the Raptors give me a hard time I will simply foul my nest and mutter – being old, it is very easy to fool the young.”

  Once Christobal had vanished into the passage leading into the aerie, Levi showed Natividad how to enter the auditorium, where the defect in the structure was, how to exit into the alley.

  “It is very small and looks dangerous” Natividad commented once outside. “Were I just a bit larger, I would not be able to…”

  He froze as two large forms suddenly separated from the deep shadows and approached the duo.

  “Please remain calm,” Levi said, “and silent.”

  Natividad immediately quieted and introductions were made.

  “This is how I will enter the theater every evening shortly after dusk,” Levi said. “If I do not show up within the half-hour there will be no meeting at that time.”

  Natividad nodded his understanding. “But what if you need to contact us outside that schedule? You certainly cannot enter our aerie again.”

  “In the projection room, the room with the light,” Levi said. He shook his head and caused his tags to tinkle softly. “Can you hear that?”

  “With ease,” Natividad replied. “Parrots have very sensitive hearing…but so do Raptors.”

  “Perhaps, but I am betting on two things,” Levi explained. “That the acuity of their vision has made them less dependent upon their hearing, and that depending upon slaves has made them lazy overall.”

  “I hope you are correct,” Natividad said, but he did not look at all convinced. “We shall see.”

  “We’d better go before we are noticed,” Levi said.

  The dogs started to walk away.

  “Wait,” Natividad called.

  The dogs turned back.

  “You were telling the truth when you told Christobal that Benedict was alive and well?”

  Levi nodded. “Dogs do not lie – he is safe with us.”

  “Please tell Benedict…” Natividad’s voice faltered. “Please tell Benedict…tell him, I am sorry.”

  Sunny moved closer to the Parrot and gazed down at him with her soft golden eyes. “Sorry for what, little one?”

  “For not helping him,” Natividad replied after a long moment. “If I had remained silent…”

  “You squealed on him to the Raptors?” Yoda asked harshly.

  “No…no, I did not…I…” Natividad stammered. “Benedict is my friend, my best friend; I thought he was wrong to abandon us like he did, and I…I made a noise…I protested…Gyre heard…if it had not been for that noise, Gyre would not have so soon…when Ripper told us Benedict was dead…my guilt…”

  “You can never believe what you are told by someone like Ripper,” Levi said into the awkward silence. “He manipulates others to his own ends.”

  “He’s a psycho,” Yoda muttered.

  “His goal is absolute power over others, his reason for being,” Levi continued. “Everything he does is done with that ultimate goal in mind. He manipulates others into giving him that power by whatever means necessary – lying, bullying, mind-games, terror, physical violence…he stops at nothing.”

  “Yeah, a psycho,” Yoda repeated.

  “Giving him power – that is how he enslaved you,” Levi said, “whether you want to admit it or not.”

  Reluctantly Natividad nodded. “That is one of the things that Benedict often told us…which we did not want to hear.”

  “And that is how the Hawks became enslaved to the Osprey as well,” Levi pointed out, his words drawing protests from his three companions, which he quickly silenced, lest they draw unwanted attention from the night.

  “What?” Yoda said. “Those bullies? Victims?”

  “The Hawks work for Ripper willingly,” Sunny added. “Have you forgotten what Gyre almost did to Benedict, what Vortex tried to do to Yoda?”

  “And what I did to Vortex,” Yoda added smugly.

  “No, I have not forgotten.” Levi replied. “Eventually, there will be an accounting for what they have done, same as is true for all of us, but they always have free choice, and as long as they have that, there is always the chance for redemption, the opportunity to go with their better nature, rather than against it.”

  Sunny and Yoda looked at each other and sighed.

  Natividad looked from Levi to the other two dogs, then back again. He started to speak.

  “Please do not get Levi started,” Sunny said.

  “Not unless you have a couple hours to spare,” Yoda added.

  “It just that belief in the natural order of…”

  “It’s late Levi,” Sunny reminded gently. “And we do not want our new friend to be missed.”

  After a few moments, Levi admitted what was clear to all the others. Natividad passed back into the theater through the tiny opening, and the dogs quietly made their way back down the alley to Davidson, heading home.

  When they reached the park surrounding the Library, however, the moon emerged and spilled its bright silvery light across the grass and through the dappling trees. With Princess in her new home and communications established with the Parrots, the operatives of the Three Dog Detective Agency paused to gambol under the moon’s pellucid gaze, to be, at least for the moment, just dogs having a wonderful time.

  And Levi and Yoda marked every single tree in the park…twice.

  Sunny sighed.

  Chapter Twelve

  The identity medallion tucked beneath the strap of Levi’s collar chafed a bit as he walked, but there was no danger of it falling out.

  Earlier, as Sunny and Yoda had helped with its placement, Yoda quipped: “A dog has pants, but companions have pockets.”

  Levi rolled his eyes.

  “Now where have I heard that one before?” Sunny sighed. “Oh, I remember now – after I’d been in my litter for two minutes.”

  “It’s a classic!” Yoda defended.

  “So is last week’s kibble,” Sunny pointed out.

  On the other paw, Levi thought as they walked east on F Street, moving his neck in an effort to find a measure of comfort, pockets would be quite helpful at the moment…but so would thumbs; if wishes were thumbs, we’d all be drinking coffee.

  He chuckled softly at a joke even older than Yoda’s hoary jest.

  “What’s so funny?” Yoda demanded.

  “
Nothing,” Levi replied. “Something tickled my nose.”

  Levi was walking point, Sunny and Yoda a few paces back, the classic formation for a small pack on the move.

  “Does someone want to remind me just why we’re taking our business to the Police Department?” Yoda said.

  “No,” Levi answered.

  “Just asking.”

  “Yoda, don’t provoke Levi, at least unnecessarily,” Sunny added. “We have to work with the Police on this one.”

  “As if they will want to,” Yoda muttered.

  As they approached the driveway of the Centre Park Apartments, a massive complex on the south side of the street, they heard deep growls and aggressive barking rapidly closing in on them. They all saw a black Mastiff round the corner of the nearest building and head straight for them. Yoda quivered at the sight of the monstrous dog whose maw could easily swallow the Pomeranian whole, and even Sunny reacted with a measure of trepidation at the sight since the newcomer had at least twenty pounds on her, all rock-hard muscle.

  Levi whirled to face the mastiff. “I am in no mood for this.”

  The Mastiff was less than ten feet away when Levi loosed a series of savage and dominating barks. The massive dog, who was a stranger to all of them, looked as if he had been slapped hard across the muzzle with a wet newspaper – Sunday edition.

  Levi charged the Mastiff, barking unrelentingly, coming in high even as the larger dog, responding instinctively to the unexpected challenge of an alpha, began to dip low. The Mastiff’s forelegs crumpled and the left side of his face smashed into the asphalt, followed quickly by his flank. In less than a moment, the Mastiff was on his back, trotters impotently paddling the air.

  Not satisfied with the Mastiff’s broken-off charge and his assumed attitude of submission, Levi continued his advance, his barks and growls reaching an ear-splitting crescendo.

  “Please, no, I didn’t mean anything by it, I’m sorry!” the Mastiff whimpered piteously. “Don’t hurt me!”

  Levi angled his head so he stared directly into the Mastiff’s wide frightened eyes, their faces just inches apart. Levi growled; the large dog trembled and involuntarily peed.