Life In the Stars

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Call of the Wild

Chapter 10

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At Valenti's ranch estate, Jim and Kathleen watched cautiously as 7-year-old Danyy approached, for the first time, the pawgor's enclosure, which Jim had recently extended to a height of 18 feet… "just to be safe." Danyy had frequently sat in his bedroom window and "talked" with the pawgor. Jim didn't know if what his son did was actually talking telepathically, mind reading, or what; all he knew was that Danyy understood the pawgor, and the pawgor understood Danyy… totally.

Danyy smiled as he walked up to the enclosure and reached through the mesh to rub the top of the pawgor's head and its back. The pawgor responded by purring and narrowing its eyes into that satisfied cat look.

"Okay," Jim said to his son, "Since you think you can control him, I'll knock the fence down and you can lead him to the HoverTraveler."

Danyy looked at his father… "You don't need to knock the fence down, Dad." He turned around and looked at the pawgor again, and the pawgor leapt over the fence without straining a muscle. Jim's mouth dropped open with shock…

"That fence was 18 feet high! He didn't even need a running start! Why didn't he…"

Danyy grinned, "Because he was my friend… and he wasn't afraid. He likes you… and he likes Mommy… and me. He knew he could leave anytime he wanted to; he just didn't want to yet."

Jim turned suddenly pale. "The pawgor could have jumped over the fence and up into your window without even getting a running start or exerting itself! My God, Danyy! If I had known! If you hadn't had your special gift!"

Danyy smiled and touched his father on the arm,

"Don't worry, Dad. He's our friend."

Jim was shaking. He wasn't afraid for himself. There wasn't much that scared Jim, and he had seen more than most people would see in ten lifetimes. But the idea of his son being hurt --maybe even eaten-- by any wild animal gave Jim a feeling that he was not accustomed to and disliked intensely… fear.

Jim shook his head to try to regain his composure, telling himself that since nothing bad had happened, he could chalk it up to a learning experience.

"Come on, Danyy, get in the HoverTraveler and tell kitty here to get in with us. Where's your mother?"

They looked around. Kathleen was lying on the grass where she had fainted.

Jim ran to her side… "Kath, what happened?"

"Your pawgor just jumped your 18-foot fence, Jim!"

"Yeah," Jim said, matter-of-factly. "He did."

Kathleen punched Jim weakly on the arm.

"We could have all been 'kitty food' for a pawgor, Jim! Do you realize that?"

Jim helped Kathleen up. She looked at her son and smiled slightly, shaking her head incredulously as she watched Danyy running and playing chase-the-ball around the yard with the pawgor. Kathleen turned and kissed Jim on the cheek.

"What was that for, Kath?"

"For tonight, Jim! I've got a headache now, and that's probably all you'll get."

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Danyy got into the front seat of the spacious HoverTraveler and called to the pawgor to come. The pawgor jumped onto the seat beside him. Though still only half-grown, the pawgor didn't leave a lot of room for Danyy and his father in the front seat. It was, to say the least, crowded. Kathleen sat in the back.

After everyone was in the vehicle, Jim pulled the HoverTraveler out and drove down his drive toward the street… then he headed off toward the Nan-torel.

As Jim drove through town, people turned to look and point, calling to their friends to come look quickly. It was probably a sight that no one on Antar would ever see again… It was certainly one they had never seen before! The pawgor had its head out the window, its short ears pushed back by the wind and its extra-long tongue hanging out the side of its mouth beside its two eighteen-inch-long tusk-like front teeth. The pawgor was seriously enjoying the wind blowing in its face as the HoverTraveler accelerated to cruising speed and left the town behind, headed out across the plains to the Nan-torel.

Some Antarians merely shook their heads and commented about how odd the "aliens" were. But the truth is the Antarians never tired of learning about the Earthlings or their adventures, and they were always delighted to hear any new bit of gossip or information. This would provide talk in the barbershops and salons for at least a few weeks!

The HoverTraveler pulled up at the edge of the Nan-torel, and Jim got out and opened the door for the pawgor to get out. The pawgor hopped out with Danyy right behind it. Danyy hugged the cat around the neck, and the pawgor purred. Then Danyy let go, and the pawgor leapt into the Nan-torel with a starting leap that carried it close to a hundred feet. It almost seemed to fly, its massive bulk moving so fluidly and effortlessly through the air. Once inside the forest, the pawgor turned and looked momentarily at Danyy, at Jim, at Kathleen… Then it disappeared into the deep dark depths known as the Nan-torel, the most dangerous place on Antar… "home" for the pawgor.

Danyy looked at his father and smiled.

"The pawgor said, 'Thanks,' Dad."

Jim nodded. He had understood that himself.

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The next day, Kathleen drove over to Michael and Maria's house with Danyy to see if Maria would like to go shopping with her for their upcoming "vacation" to Earth. Maria had already heard about the pawgor's ride in the HoverTraveler.

Kathleen laughed, "Yeah, Jim and Danyy decided if we were going to take a vacation to Earth, the pawgor would have to be released… It was all well now anyway."

Kathleen told Maria about the pawgor jumping over the fence and Danyy playing chase-the-ball with it around the yard. Maria's eyes grew wide as she listened with one hand over her mouth, giggling in spite of herself. It was both awesome and funny at the same time, especially when Kath described how she had awakened lying on the grass with Jim asking her if she was okay.

"Kath, I think you guys are going to be known as the pawgor family for a very long time," Maria laughed. "The pawgor in the hover vehicle is all the talk of CoruzAntar right now."

Maria and Kathleen both laughed.

"I'm afraid so," said Kathleen.

"Come on, Kath! I'll get the kids. We can all go shopping for our trip before Michael gets back."

Maria called Zorel, Kryys, and Jayyd; and the four of them, together with Kathleen and Danyy, piled into Jim's HoverTraveler, which was a sort of wide, extra large, hovering SUV.

"You think there'll be room for all of us," asked Maria.

"Honey," said Kathleen, "After seeing Jim get that pawgor in here with all of us yesterday, I think this thing can carry anything!"

Both of them laughed then Kathleen drove them to the shopping district to shop for the trip to Earth.

--------------------End of Chapter 10