by Bryce THOMAS
His father took the letter but didn’t read it immediately. Instead, he waited until they were all together in the kitchen. Ben tried to busy himself, playing at throwing biscuits to Smokey and letting her catch them one at a time. He didn’t want to let his father and mother know how nervous he was, and had decided that he would act normally and play, pretending he wasn’t listening.
Raymond stood by the table. Maria was sitting down. Ben watched as his father opened the envelope but, to Ben’s relief, his father just laughed when he read the letter. He had felt for a while that Ben was seeing something that others couldn’t see. Whether it was real or imaginary, he didn’t know for sure, but he knew there was more to it than a disturbed child. Smokey had shown that. Smokey had no hang ups about attacking wolves, yet she virtually stopped and greeted Rasci when she caught him up. That had really made him stop and think.
Rasci watched as the farmer read the letter. Now he realised a little more clearly about writing and how what you say can be stored and kept till later. Wolves had to relate their messages with their voices or by scent marking, but here Raymond was receiving a message from Mrs. Steadman and she wasn’t even there, she wasn’t even speaking. He couldn’t help feeling a spark of admiration for the frail, physically inferior men kind. He watched as the farmer read it alone. He could tell Raymond was being careful not to upset the balance he had achieved between accepting Ben’s psychic gift and increasing his wife Maria’s scepticism. Raymond turned to his wife. ‘Mrs. Steadman says that, at first, she thought Ben was badly disturbed. But now, after watching him closely over the past few days, she reckons he’s a sensitive,’ he said, putting the letter down on the kitchen table.
‘A what?’ Maria asked, looking for clarification.
‘She reckons he can see ghosts or something,’ he chuckled.
‘Well, I’ve got to be honest, Ray, he’s got me a bit worried.’
Raymond hadn’t yet broached the subject of Ben meeting Lexa. ‘Wait till Mrs. Steadman hears that I am meeting a wolf and a dog based on a conversation that Ben had with a wolf spirit, then!’ he said out of the blue.
‘What!’
‘Ben reckons that the wolf that came by here the other day is a friend of The Black Wolf, the one that saved me on the mountain. You know?’
‘It happened to save me as well, don’t forget,’ said Maria. ‘And don’t forget the children, that night, right here, in the kitchen.’
Raymond nodded. ‘Then you won’t go panicking me again this next time, will you darling?’
‘This next time?’
‘Er, well, the wolf is coming back on Saturday, according to Ben.’
‘Oh, is it now?’ Her voice was raised. ‘Now look here…’
‘Calm down, Maria. I won’t let anything happen to him or Margo, you know that.’
‘It’s all getting a little too far fetched for my liking. You’ll be talking to the damned things next. You’re bad enough with your blinking dog!’
Raymond gave a dry, throaty chuckle.
‘Mrs. Steadman’ll probably think you’re as daft as I do,’ she continued unperturbed.
‘Ah, but what if the wolf brings Smokey’s pup along with it? What if it really is the pup that The Black Wolf stole?’
‘It’ll be as wild as the other wolves, then,’ Maria countered. ‘It’s not going to come and sit by your feet, or anything.’
Raymond thought about what she had just said. ‘No, you are absolutely right, dear,’ he said eventually. ‘But if it comes on Saturday, wouldn’t that say something? Wouldn’t we know then, that Ben can get messages from a wolf spirit?’ He settled on a chair and faced his wife. She brushed some crumbs off the table, agitatedly, and scooped them into her hand. ‘You’re not going to like what I am going to say next,’ he said gently. Maria just looked at him with her handful of crumbs in an upturned fist. ‘You know the man Petersen?’
She nodded. Her lips were tightly compressed.
‘You know he went back and captured The Black Wolf?’
‘For his father’s safari park; yes, you told me. I never did like the man. What right has he to go taking our wolves anyway?’
‘Our wolves?’ Raymond smiled. ‘Yes, I reckon they are,’ he said, nodding his agreement.
‘And what right has he to take animals from the wild?’
‘Well, I suppose he’ll argue that they are an endangered species.’
‘In some places I suppose they are,’ Maria said strongly, ‘but that doesn’t mean they are around here. He’s taken that wolf away from his family, do you realise that?’
‘Yes, that is what I think. If they really were endangered in this area, then it would be a different matter. But he’s taking animals because he wants them, not because he’s helping them. There’s a difference.’ Raymond scratched his head. He leaned back in his chair and then said, ‘Ben reckons that the wolf that came the other day wants my help to release Rhamin.’
‘Who’s Rhamin?’
‘The Black Wolf.’
‘Since when did it acquire a name, for goodness sake?’
‘That is what Ben says it is called.’
‘Oh, Ben says it’s called Rhamin? Right,’ said Maria, a note of sarcasm creeping into her voice. She re-compressed her lips, but her manner changed. ‘Well, Petersen won’t want to release anything,’ she said, eventually. ‘No matter what you say to him, he won’t budge. He’s got too much invested in that animal now. I’ve heard he’s advertising the fact that his wolf is the main attraction at that park.’
‘And do you think that’s fair? Do you think the giant wolf that helped us and became our friend should be rewarded like that?’
Her lips relaxed. ‘Of course not! But, I’ll bet you your last penny, there’s precious little we can do about it!’
‘Ben reckons the wolf thinks there is. He says the wolf reckons we can help him escape.’
‘Ben? The wolf? Just when did wolves think up escape plans for goodness sake, Raymond? Can you hear yourself? Do you realise what you sound like? Do you realise what people would say if they caught us seriously saying that our Ben could talk to wolves? They lock people in padded cells for less than that. Worse still, they might think we were a danger to the little mite and take him away instead!’ She relaxed her grip on the crumbs and studied them as she let her exasperation subside. She gave a big sigh and then, lost in thought, she scattered the crumbs back on the table. She studied them for quite some time. ‘My mother used to read the tea leaves, you know,’ she said eventually.
‘Really?’ Raymond gasped, letting her talk.
‘She was good at it. She was quite well known for it, in fact.’
‘Was she?’
‘Somehow, concentrating on the tea leaves makes the mind see into other dimensions, other worlds,’ she said, her gaze still fixed firmly on the table top.
Raymond remained silent
‘I don’t have that gift.’
Raymond still remained silent.
‘Perhaps our Ben has inherited it,’ she said eventually.
‘Perhaps.’
Eventually Maria prized her gaze from the table and shook her head. ‘Well, I can’t read bread crumbs; that’s for sure!’ She looked up at Raymond and they both laughed.
Raymond stood up and went round to the other side of the table. Bending over, he put his arm around her shoulder and kissed his wife tenderly on the cheek. ‘We’ll see what happens tomorrow, shall we?’ he said, squeezing her gently.
With a resigned look on her face, she nodded and leaned her head against his chest.
Rasci felt more relaxed now that he knew that the farmer was expecting him. The last thing he needed was another invisible bullet cutting through his skin or a rock on the knee, or even worse, getting a rock tossed on his head or being shot through the heart. Reassured, his vision faded and he melted into a deep, undisturbed sleep. He was awakened by Lexa.
‘Rasci,’ she whispered in his ear, ‘We ought to be getting read
y to go. If we’re to arrive by the morning, then we must travel through the night.’
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
What uncertainties and misgivings Rasci had about the meeting with the Rozalskis were dispelled when he saw them. His trip overnight with Lexa, had been straight forward, but he had brought Ramusan, Silvah and Natan with him as far as the perimeter fence. His experiences of the last week were still haunting him, and there was still something niggling away in the back of his mind; some thought or suspicion that made him wary. His encounter with the mountain lion hadn’t increased his confidence either. The last thing they needed at this stage was to be held up or even injured in a scrap with a savage cat and, after relating his story to her, Silvah had insisted that Rasci had a body guard at all times now. The pack had too much to lose. Corvak had travelled on behind them at first light and had caught them up well before they reached the fence. From now on, Silvah insisted on aerial reconnaissance as well, but the trip had been uneventful.
It had been light for several hours when Rasci and Lexa departed from their escort and made their way to the centre of the farmstead. Corvak stayed close by in the air above, until Rasci and Lexa crossed the final fence and headed towards the farmhouse.
Rasci could hear Lexa’s heart thumping in her chest. Her anticipation was mounting. His heart thumped the same except the tension and fear that the day may turn sour began to make the pounding reach the pulse above his eye. It throbbed.
As they came around the corner of the huge farm building, there, in the distance, off to the side of the door of the house, they first saw Ben and Smokey, Ben sitting on the wooden bench on the veranda, and Smokey lying at his feet, head up, ears forward and with a crinkled brow of curiosity as she watched Ben looking out expectantly towards the corner of the building. Smokey saw them first and, jumping to her feet, gave out a short, sharp warning bark ‘They’re here,’ Ben shouted elatedly, jumping to his feet. Even at that distance, Rasci could see his blue eyes widen with excitement. He ran to the door and, jumping on the spot, unable to contain his exhilaration, he shouted, ‘Mummy, Daddy, Margo. They’re here! They’re here! Quickly!’
Rasci could sense Lexa’s tenseness; but her nerves could not have been jangling any more than his as he took the first uneasy step towards them. The words that Ben had called out had been in some language foreign to Rasci. They walked together, slowly, heads high in a non-threatening posture. Up above he heard an encouraging caw from their friend, Corvak. Within seconds, Raymond was at the door, looking out towards them. Then, slightly behind him was Maria, looking rather nervous, holding Margo tightly to her breast. Smokey barked again, but she didn’t attack. She tilted her head on one side, her curiosity changing her whole face as she studied the two visitors who still walked slowly, side by side, towards them. Rasci thought he saw her bottom move the same way that Lexa’s did when she wagged her stumpy, non-existent tail, but he couldn’t be sure. Lexa let out an ultrasonic whine; a combination of excitement and greeting; then another, lower pitched and audible to human ears. But they were still too far away for the humans to hear her. Smokey did the same, returning the greeting. Somehow, she knew this was her only surviving baby. She squealed for all to hear and strained against Raymond’s fist as he restrained her with a shiny metal collar. But she was a big animal. If he hadn’t let go, then she would have dragged him forward with her. As the chain collar broke loose from Raymond’s hand, she bounded towards the visitors, mouth wide, and tongue out; panting wildly.
‘Stay,’ Raymond called after her. ‘Stay!’
As if a switch had been turned off, Smokey skidded to a halt, still panting, still with a total look of excitement on her face. Now, unable to contain her excitement, she turned and looked pleadingly back at Raymond and then back towards the visitors who were getting closer.
Rasci noticed that Lexa’s hair on her shoulders had bristled. ‘It’s okay, Lexa,’ he said gently. ‘She looks glad to see you.’
Lexa didn’t speak. Her eyes were fixed on the big dog, thirty or so yards in front of her. This was not a wolf she was facing. She lowered her head and put back her ears.
‘No,’ Rasci commanded. ‘Relax! Lexa, you must control your emotions. You must. Do you hear me?’
Lexa lifted her head and let out a quiet whine of frustration. All her instincts told her that this was an enemy, but as she looked on, and as she relaxed as Rasci had instructed, the vision turned to one of something else. She had set off on this journey with only a natural mother in mind; someone she was eager to meet. But in reality, her wolf instincts were trying to get the better of her. Slowly, as step by step, she moved closer to Smokey, her hackles smoothed and her head rose. She remembered that she had intended to speak to the dog. She squeaked a greeting, ‘I’m Lexa,’ she said nervously, almost too quiet to hear.
But Smokey had heard. She was treading ground with her front paws. Unable any more to restrain her feelings, the invisible leash that had been holding her snapped. She bounced forward, startling Lexa, squealing as she ran towards her. ‘My baby!’
Rasci stopped and watched as the big dog greeted Lexa. Judging the size of Smokey, next to his wolf dog, it was clear that Lexa still had some growing to do. He watched as they circled around each other, stumpy tails wriggling, sniffing, squeaking in ultrasonic tones; a true greeting of friendship. He sighed with sheer relief as tension drained to his feet and through into the ground beneath him. He almost laughed out loud with the sudden release of anxiety. The throbbing pulse above his right eye gave way to euphoria of endorphins almost making him float off the ground like the spirit in one of his dreams. He looked past them and, now only thirty yards or so from the Rozalskis, their faces were a sight to behold. Their mouths had dropped open; their eyes were wide with surprise and pleasure and Raymond was grinning. Ben was laughing and jumping on the spot. Maria had one hand to her mouth as she spoke.
‘I can’t believe it,’ she said, lowering her hand from her face and pointing towards the group of animals. ‘Who’d have believed it?’
‘Er, Ben did,’ Raymond said, ruffling his son’s hair.
‘I like that wolf, Mummy,’ Margo said, pointing with her little hand towards Rasci.
‘Hello Rasci,’ Ben called to his wolf friend.
Rasci heard Ben call his name. But nothing else they had been saying seemed to make sense. The noise Lexa and Smokey were making had perhaps obscured their words. He trotted towards the family, leaving the dogs, sniffing around each other, in raptures. Stopping a few yards in front of them, he sat down, looked at Ben and spoke. ‘It’s good to see you in person my young friend,’ he began. ‘I’m so glad you were able to understand me.’
Ben frowned. He tilted his head on one side as his mouth dropped open.
‘That is Lexa,’ Rasci said, turning his head back towards the happy pair.
Ben still frowned. He shook his head. The woofing sounds the wolf was making made no sense to him. ‘I… I don’t understand,’ he said, turning his face up to his father. ‘I thought…’
‘You thought that you could understand what the noises he is making meant, didn’t you?’ his father said with a resigned nod.
Ben nodded back. He looked saddened. The wolf was making woofing throaty sounds and squeaking; and to Rasci, Ben and his father were making similar noises. Rasci’s heart sank. His absolute worst and suppressed fears had, like a bubble trapped under a deep rock in the lake, escaped and sped to the surface, expanding as it burst into reality. He spoke again. ‘Ben, I don’t know how we are going to talk together.’ He looked at Ben sadly. His whole idea of getting help from the farmer was beginning to crumble like the crust on a sun dried pond. He lowered his eyes to the ground in despair. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said sadly, then looking back at all the faces, ‘I can’t even tell you how happy I am, that we are all friends.’
Four faces looked down at him. There was a long silence while they all looked from one to the other. Ben’s face showed utter confusion. Raymond looked at
him, shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
‘I’m happy too,’ a little voice broke the silence.
All heads turned to Margo. ‘What?’ her mother asked. ‘What did you say?’
‘I’m happy to meet Rasci too,’ she said, placing her tiny arms around her mother’s neck and looking her straight in the eyes.
Her mother squeezed her affectionately. ‘We’re all glad to meet Ben’s friendly wolf,’ she said.
Margo looked back at Rasci. He had fallen silent, knowing now that all he said was in vain. Their eyes met and for a long moment they interlocked. Once again her little voice broke the silence. ‘He’s happy that we are all friends.’
Rasci looked up to Margo’s little face. Could she understand what he was thinking? He studied her eyes again for several seconds. Silently, she gazed back at him. Sensing that there was some kind of connection, he thought, ‘I need your father’s help.’
Margo still gazed at Rasci’s eyes.
‘I need your father’s help,’ Rasci thought hard again; this time, concentrating on getting the message into Margo’s mind. For a long moment he thought he had lost the connection. Was there just a fleeting chance that their minds had been brought together or was it just coincidental thoughts?
Suddenly she spoke again. ‘Ben has asked daddy to help you.’ Her mother and father and Ben all looked on, bemused, not sure if Margo was communicating with the silent wolf or just talking to him. Although he couldn’t understand the sounds Margo was making, he was sure that, with his mind, he was actually communicating with Ben’s little sister. What was it Zelda had said? We are all born with some degree of psychic ability but it fades as realities of living and survival take over. Perhaps young men kind are the same as young wolves, he thought. Like Ben, little Margo was still young enough to capture those elusive wave lengths.
